The movie that lasted 147 weeks in cinemas
The creation and release of any given movie in Hollywood is a long and gruelling process that eventually if the studio behind the project is lucky, ends up with box office success over the course of just over a month or so. But, some movies buck this trend, too, with some films, like Marvel’s flop Madame Web, performing remarkably poorly, or releases like James Cameron’s Avatar, which stay in cinemas for many months.
Indeed, some movies simply capture the attention of the public so potently that they remain in the zeitgeist for a considerable period of time, with Cameron’s aforementioned sci-fi epic lasting 54 weeks in theatres, largely thanks to its 3D feature that made it such an event to witness. Cameron had achieved a similar feat years previously, creating a remarkable buzz around the release of his eventual ‘Best Picture’ winner, Titanic.
Boasting 54 weeks in the public eye, both Avatar and Titanic are among the list of movies that had the greatest longevity in cinemas, only being bettered by a handful of other classics. While there are some surprises further down the list in the form of Martin Brest’s Beverly Hills Cop and Jim Sharman’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show, for the most part, it’s dominated by the great American filmmaker Steven Spielberg.
The iconic director has his fingerprints on four other films on the list, including his own personal efforts, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which spent 81 weeks on screen, a number of weeks that 1993’s Jurassic Park also shares. Furthermore, Spielberg also supported the productions of both Back to the Future and the original Star Wars, which spent 78 and 135 weeks in cinemas, respectively.
Yet, none of these aforementioned films can compare to the king of the box office, Robert Wise’s The Sound of Music, a Hollywood classic that spent a staggering 147 weeks in cinemas. Recognised as one of American cinema’s finest works, The Sound of Music earned $286.2million at the time of its release, which, when adjusted for inflation, ranks it among the highest-grossing films of all time, raking in over $2billion in today’s money.
Producing such iconic songs as ‘Maria’, ‘My Favourite Things’ and ‘Do-Re-Mi’, the beloved musical was set in the hills of 1930s Austria and is a fictional retelling of the life of Maria von Trapp, a governess to seven children who helped them all escape the country amid the rising fear of the Nazi party. Winning five Oscars, including ‘Best Picture’, The Sound of Music became the greatest triumph in the careers of actors Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.
Take a look at the iconic ‘Do-Re-Mi’ song from the movie below, which can still be heard being played across the world to this very day.
