Early summer movies underperform at box office

By Dean Goodman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Moviegoers are not following the script written for them by the Hollywood studios.

In a sign that big-budget sequels may be losing their allure, North American ticket sales for the first three big films of the lucrative summer season have not kept pace with their respective predecessors.

The numbers for "Spider-Man 3," "Shrek the Third" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" are still impressive, and the studios do not seem too worried. For the most part, they blamed increased competition, although -- apart from the big three -- there is little else of significance playing in theaters.

The third film in Walt Disney Co.'s "Pirates" trilogy led the Memorial Day holiday weekend with four-day sales of $156 million, setting a record for the busy period, the studio said on Monday. The previous record of $123 million was set last year by "X-Men: The Last Stand."

The Friday-to-Monday haul for "Pirates" was boosted by estimated sales of $14 million from Thursday-night previews, drawing moviegoers who likely would have seen the film at some other time during the weekend. Disney's inclusion of the Thursday tally raised eyebrows at other studios.

If the Monday and Thursday figures are stripped out, the traditional three-day sum of $115 million pales against the then-record $135.6 million start of last year's "Pirates" installment, "Dead Man's Chest," as well as those of "Spider-Man 3" ($151 million) and Shrek the Third ($122 million).

OVERSEAS STRENGTH

Mark Zoradi, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Marketing and Distribution, said he was "as pleased as could be" about the opening, given the tough competition.