In 1991, *The Silence of the Lambs* was released, achieving widespread success in terms of critical acclaim, box office revenue, and awards.
Among the film's highlights, Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Dr. Hannibal Lecter beca an iconic big-screen character. The following year at the Oscars, he won the Best Actor award for this role, setting an Oscar record:
In the film, Dr. Lecter appeared for only sixteen minutes. Yet, this performance still qualified him for the Best Actor category, and he won the award, making it the shortest performance ever to win the Oscar for Best Actor.
Undoubtedly, he was the scene-stealer.
Now, it seed that Anson was on the verge of replicating a similar miracle—
In *The Princess Diaries*, despite his limited screen ti, Anson still found a way to leave a lasting impression, even appearing prominently in the critics' minds.
"Hannibal Lecter? I like that," Anson shrugged lightly, "Maybe the next step is the Oscars?"
This playful remark successfully made Jas burst out laughing.
Even Brad couldn't help but smile.
However, Brad's smile quickly faded, and he returned to worrying about the unsettling negative reviews, "... I wonder if this will affect the box office."
This ti, even Jas had no answer—
The nightmare of *Freaks and Geeks* getting canceled still haunted him.
More than the reviews, critics, or general sentint, what they truly needed to worry about was the box office. To be precise, paying attention to reviews was just another way of gauging the potential box office.
After all, in Hollywood, the only thing that truly matters is the numbers. The film industry is, in the end, a Wall Street money ga.
Jas was feeling uneasy when he noticed Anson's calm expression and couldn't help but roll his eyes, teasing Brad.
"Look, the person at the center of all this isn't worried at all, so we don't need to stress about it either."
Anson didn't mind, remaining relaxed and composed. "Calm down, calm down. Things are out of our hands now. Instead of sitting here worrying and driving ourselves crazy, we should distract ourselves."
He paused, "Like watching a movie. How about I treat you guys to a movie on Friday?"
Friday was the day *Rush Hour 2* and *The Princess Diaries* would officially hit theaters, so Anson's suggestion carried an implied aning...
Jas and Brad exchanged a glance and both started laughing, "Looks like this guy isn't as calm as he says he is."
"A good actor. This proves he's a good actor—he's even got us fooled."
With laughter and banter, the mood lightened once more.
In truth, Anson was serious.
Part of it was because they couldn't control the box office, so it was better to take things in stride.
Another part was because *The Princess Diaries* didn't actually have a terrible reception.
From negative to lukewarm to positive reviews, reading through them all was indeed surprising, and the more brutal reviews naturally drew attention. But after calming down, it beca clear that the situation wasn't so bleak.
*The Princess Diaries* had a total of thirty-one professional reviews compiled into its dia score. In 2001, when review aggregation sites were still erging, this number was already impressive. For comparison, *Rush Hour 2* only had thirty-three reviews, while *Ghost World* had just twenty-one, showing which film garnered more attention.
Ultimately, *The Princess Diaries* settled with an overall dia score of sixty-five, with the majority of reviews being lukewarm—neither great nor terrible—but at least it passed.
For a horizontal comparison, *Rush Hour 2* had a dia score of just forty. Despite its star-studded premiere, the film was t with a wave of negative reviews, continuing the trend that sequels often struggle to surpass the original.
For a vertical comparison, *Pretty Woman* had a dia score of just fifty-one back in the day, while *Runaway Bride* scored an even worse thirty-nine. Yet, these poor critical receptions didn't stop them from becoming box office hits.
Without comparison, there is no harm. Initially, it seed like *The Princess Diaries* was destined to fall into a deep pit, teetering on the edge of disaster. But upon closer inspection, the film's reviews actually stood out:
Not only was it the better-performing film among its contemporaries, but it also marked a new high in Garry Marshall's filmography.
Of course, just looking at the scores, *The Princess Diaries* and *Pretty Woman* belong to the sa range, with very little difference. Although one managed to scrape by with a passing grade while the other didn't, both films garnered mostly average reviews. Yet, overall, they can still be seen as similar works with comparable reputations.
From this perspective, Garry Marshall remained consistent in delivering his trademark steady output, with *The Princess Diaries* even offering a small surprise. Looking back at those shocking negative reviews now, it's easier to stay calm and face the situation with a level-headed approach.
As ntioned before, this was a unique ti period—when the internet hadn't fully perated everyday life, and information dissemination was still limited. While dia reviews did impact box office performance, their influence hadn't yet reached its full potential.
Instead, factors like the director's reputation, star power, buzz, and promotional efforts still played significant roles in determining box office success.
So, how did *The Princess Diaries* perform at the box office?
In the first week of August 2001, the sumr box office battle continued with *Rush Hour 2* and *The Princess Diaries* both hitting theaters. At the sa ti, they had to contend with the previous week's release of *Planet of the Apes*, keeping the competition for North Arican box office dollars intense.
As the audience's attention converged—
Boom!
In the literal sense, it was an explosive mont.
Just when people thought that after three months of intense sumr blockbusters, audiences might be experiencing fatigue and that August would bring a lull, this weekend's North Arican box office numbers delivered a huge surprise.
And not just a small one—a super-sized surprise that set off heated discussions everywhere.
1st place: *Rush Hour 2* with $67 million.
2nd place: *The Princess Diaries* with $35 million.
3rd place: *Planet of the Apes* with $27 million.
4th place: *Jurassic Park III* with $12 million.
Boom, boom, boom!
The North Arican weekend box office not only avoided a slump but also showcased rare sumr vigor, breaking records—
This weekend marked the second-highest grossing weekend of the 2001 sumr season, second only to the opening weekend of *Pearl Harbor*.
From Friday to Sunday, audiences of all ages and preferences flocked to theaters, drawn by the diverse offerings on the big screen—from action to school dramas, sci-fi to adventure—making this the top reason for heading back to the movies. It remained the most popular outdoor activity of the sumr.
It was a surprise, an absolute surprise.
This earned praise from dia outlets big and small.
The weekend box office didn't suffer from "crowding out" or "trampling" effects; instead, films from different genres collectively drew in more viewers, resulting in a win-win situation for all.
This outco was completely unexpected.
The healthy competition between *Rush Hour 2* and *The Princess Diaries* played a crucial role, culminating in such a remarkable result.
As for *Rush Hour 2*, despite its diocre—or even terrible—reviews, it managed to capitalize on the popularity of its predecessor and the massive promotional campaign by New Line Cinema, achieving an unbelievable opening weekend box office haul and claiming the top spot in this week's North Arican box office rankings.
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