The Greatest Showman #759 - Small and Big

The first Friday of December marked the beginning of a movie-watching boom! The market had revived, heralding the dawn of recovery. The Friday box office hit its highest value in the first week of December in eight years! "Anti-Cancer Me" was on the rise!

It turned out that the low-budget, high-profile comedy dominated the box office in the first week of December! "Once again, Seth Rogen and Renly Hall have an amazing chemistry!" Headlines echoed with the same sentiment. Less than two months after the release of "Crazy Love," Renly Hall once again proved his box office appeal. "With no strong competition, 'Anti-Cancer Me' dominates the North American market!"

The film grossed $11.7 million on its opening Friday—an extraordinary success by any standard. Despite Lionsgate's conservative predictions of a $8 million opening, "Anti-Cancer Me" far exceeded expectations, even before the weekend had finished.

Leading up to its release, "Anti-Cancer Me" had faced skepticism. Lionsgate cut corners on the film's publicity, leading to underwhelming early momentum. As a unique comedy, the trailer didn't have the same impact as hits like The Hangover or Bridesmaids, and Renly Hall seemed like a secondary figure compared to Seth Rogen. From any perspective, the movie lacked the ingredients of a blockbuster. Even Lionsgate had predicted a modest debut—estimating an opening weekend gross of only $8 million.

For perspective, the box office record for a December premiere had been held by I Am Legend, which grossed $77 million in its opening weekend back in 2007. The current record for the first week of December was set in 2003 by The Last Samurai with $24 million. But by Friday night, "Anti-Cancer Me" had already crossed $11.7 million, easily surpassing Lionsgate's prediction for the full three-day weekend.

It was a box office miracle. The film was already in the black just after its opening day. This feat recalls the early days of Titanic and Avatar, which both surprised the industry with their unexpected box-office successes, defying critics who initially predicted failure. While Anti-Cancer Me won't compare to those mega-blockbusters, its success is nonetheless remarkable, considering its low production cost and modest budget for marketing. The fact that it's an original, non-sequel comedy, with no heavy star power behind it, makes its success all the more extraordinary.

By Saturday, "Anti-Cancer Me" continued its impressive run with a drop of only 4.7%, grossing $11.1 million—another remarkable achievement. The film's box office trajectory was captivating, as it seemed to capture the holiday spirit perfectly. Audiences flocked to see it, driven by a combination of curiosity, strong word of mouth, and its heartwarming yet hilarious story.

The Today Show even took to the streets of Manhattan to interview passersby, many of whom had previously dismissed the film. After seeing it, they were impressed by its warmth and humor. One key takeaway from the interviews was how the film rekindled a sense of family and joy among viewers, especially in the wake of the exhausting Thanksgiving holidays.

Sunday saw a slight decline in the box office—down by 25%—but Anti-Cancer Me still grossed $8.3 million on its third day. The film's weekend total was a staggering $31 million—far surpassing the expectations of both media outlets and Lionsgate itself.

With the remarkable box office results from this debut weekend, Anti-Cancer Me had firmly established itself as a holiday season hit. Its total surpasses the opening weekends of hits like Bridesmaids and marks the start of a long journey that could see the film reaching the 100-million-dollar mark in North America. As of now, Anti-Cancer Me has a total of $169 million at the North American box office, with global numbers climbing toward $288 million.

Despite its humble origins, this artistic indie film, aimed at being a commercial success, has proven to be a massive hit for Lionsgate. Their decision to release it in over 2,600 theaters has paid off. Anti-Cancer Me now stands as one of the surprise champions of the 2011 holiday season, not only setting a new box office record for early December but also becoming the undisputed North American box office champion for the week.

In the end, this film's success has shown that sometimes, the best surprises come from the least expected places. Whether through sheer word of mouth or just sheer magic, Anti-Cancer Me has found its audience and is poised for an even bigger future.