After a strong Friday opening of $3.75 million, the film continued to perform exceptionally well throughout the weekend, grossing $4.21 million on Saturday and $4.02 million on Sunday. This brought the total weekend box office to $11.98 million, topping the weekend box office charts. The film's success continued into the week, grossing an additional $6.23 million over the next four days, bringing its total first-week box office gross to $18.21 million.
Considering that The Breakfast Club had a production budget of only $1 million, and MGM's distribution costs were around $6 million, the film's financial performance was remarkable. It had earned back its total costs of $7 million more than two and a half times over in its first week. This early financial triumph, however, was only one facet of the film's success.
This film also marked Alex Hayes's ninth consecutive hit film, a rare and never-before-seen achievement for a Hollywood star.
Adding to the film's cultural impact, the song sung by Alex Hayes, "Don't You (Forget About Me)," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This feat was particularly impressive as it toppled Billy Ocean's "Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)," which had held the top spot for the previous two weeks. This achievement meant that, following the success of Footloose, Alex Hayes had once again topped both the box office charts and the Billboard charts in the same year, 1984.
The combined success of the film and its soundtrack fueled a wave of media attention, with numerous articles being published about Alex Hayes and his dominance in the high school/teenage film genre. Some notable examples include:
* "King of the High School: Alex Hayes's Reign Over Teen Cinema" - The Los Angeles Times
* "From Detention to Domination: Hayes Redefines the Teen Movie" - Variety
* "Alex Hayes: The Face and Voice of a Generation" - Rolling Stone
* "Teen Idol, Box Office King" - The Wall Street Journal
* "Hayes's Hold on Young America" - The New York Times
These articles, while celebrating Hayes's current success, also raised a common question: Alex Hayes had just crossed the age of 21. How long could he continue to convincingly play teenage roles? The publications pondered whether he could sustain his extraordinary success once he inevitably aged out of these parts. They questioned whether he possessed the versatility and staying power to successfully transition from a teen idol to a mature leading man, capable of commanding the box office and critical acclaim in adult roles.
******
Alex Hayes sat in the plush armchair of his suite at The Carlyle, a renowned New York City hotel. The city's vibrant energy hummed outside, a stark contrast to the quiet intimacy of the room. He was surrounded by scattered newspapers and magazines, all open to articles discussing the phenomenal success of The Breakfast Club. His eyes, however, weren't focused on the accolades. He was more interested in the underlying question many of them posed: could he, Alex Hayes, maintain this level of stardom as he transitioned from teenage roles to adult ones?
The sound of the bathroom door opening drew his attention. Kathy Ireland emerged, a vision of effortless beauty. A soft, white towel was wrapped around her head, and she was enveloped in a luxurious hotel bathrobe. They had spent the last two days at the Carlyle.
'Morning, sleepyhead,' she said, her voice a low, husky purr. "Looks like you've been doing your homework." She gestured to the pile of articles. "So, what's the verdict? Am I dating a has-been?"
Alex grinned, a flash of his signature charm. "A has-been? I think my best work is still ahead of me."
Kathy laughed, the sound light and melodic. He reached out and pulled her into his lap, his arms wrapping around her waist. Their lips met in a kiss that was both playful and passionate, a spark of electricity igniting between them.
Between kisses, Kathy murmured against his lips, "I have a plane to catch... Hawaii... photoshoot... don't want to be late..." But she didn't pull away, her hands threading through his hair, deepening the kiss.
Time seemed to melt away as they kissed, lost in the moment. Finally, they broke apart, both breathless and flushed.
Kathy smiled, her eyes sparkling. "You are a very good kisser, Mr. Hayes."
"Thanks for the compliment, Miss Ireland," Alex replied, his voice slightly husky.
Kathy turned slightly in his lap, her gaze falling on the scattered articles. She picked one up, her brow furrowing slightly. "Are you worried about all this?" she asked, her tone surprisingly serious. "About... you know... your career?"
Alex leaned back, considering the question. "Nah," he said, with a confident shrug. "I've got plans in motion for that. Always have."
"Plans?" Kathy raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Care to share?"
"Let's just say I'm not planning on being typecast as the eternal teenager," Alex replied, a hint of a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "I have people working on some things, under my instructions. It's been in development for about a year now."
Kathy's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Intriguing. You always were full of surprises, Alex." She paused, her gaze softening as it traveled over his face. The air in the room seemed to thicken, charged with a subtle, unspoken energy.
Then, a playful glint returned to her eyes. "Speaking of surprises," she said, her voice dropping to a seductive whisper, "I could use a little help waking up. I haven't even stepped into the shower yet... Maybe you could help me get clean? And," she added mischievously, "I could return the favor."
With that, she stood up, letting the robe slide open. The robe fell to the floor, revealing her completely naked. She turned and walked towards the bathroom, her movements fluid and graceful, her body a breathtaking display of curves and sculpted lines. She didn't look back, but Alex could feel the invitation in every sway of her hips, every deliberate step.
Alex felt a surge of desire, primal and undeniable. The questions about his career, the articles, the future... all of it faded into back of his mind for the moment. He was captivated, drawn in by the sheer beauty and allure of the woman before him. He rose from the chair, his heart pounding, and followed her into the steamy, fragrant embrace of the shower.
*****
Kathy Ireland departed for Hawaii and her modeling assignment, while Alex Hayes returned to the film set, rejoining the crew for continued filming. The success of The Breakfast Club continued unabated.
In its second weekend, The Breakfast Club remained at the top of the box office, grossing $9.91 million. This represented a drop of approximately 17.3% from its opening weekend of $11.98 million. The film's strong weekday performance added another $4.54 million to its total.
The third weekend saw The Breakfast Club once again claim the top spot with a weekend gross of $7.84 million. This was a drop of approximately 20.9% from the second weekend. The film earned $3.87 million in the subsequent four days.
It was not until its fourth weekend that The Breakfast Club finally relinquished its hold on the number one position, losing out to the highly anticipated Beverly Hills Cop, starring Eddie Murphy, which debuted with $15.21 million. However, The Breakfast Club still held strong, grossing a respectable $6.76 million in its fourth weekend, a drop of approximately 13.8% from the third weekend. The film earned $3.24 million in the following weekdays.
By the end of its fourth week, The Breakfast Club had grossed a substantial $45.4 million.
Meanwhile, on the music charts, the film's signature song, "Don't You (Forget About Me)," sung by Alex Hayes, finally lost its number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 after a dominant three-week run.
The Breakfast Club had become another solid hit for Alex Hayes, further solidifying his position in the entertainment industry. With the Christmas and New Year holidays approaching, there was growing speculation that the film might even have a shot at reaching the coveted $100 million mark.
Note: Kathy Ireland pics can be seen using below link.
https://theplace-2.com/photos/Kathy-Ireland-md535/