Articles

December 19, 2013
 

WEDNESDAY BOX OFFICE: “Anchorman 2″” Stays Classy

 

Early numbers for the opening day of ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES (Paramount) give it $8.1M (including $2.3M from Tuesday night shows).  It continues to run ahead of Wednesday openers This Is The End ($7.8M) and We’re The Millers ($6.8M), and is hoping to have a bigger weekend multiple than those two, since midweek business is stronger during summer.  It’s aiming at $40-45M by Sunday.  One potential pothole:  Cinemascore exit polls give it a not-great B rating, and while those exit polls are not much more than worthless as a rule, such a low grade for a movie as eagerly anticipated as Anchorman 2 suggests less than rosy word of mouth could lie ahead.

Also on Wednesday, the acclaimed HER (Warners) opened in 6 theatres, reporting a per-theatre average of $10K.  If that number gets the same kind of weekend multiple that Anchorman 2 is looking for, the resulting $50-60K average over 5 days would be solid, but not exceptional.  (Last weekend, American Hustle averaged $123K in 3 days.)



About the Author

Mitch Salem
MITCH SALEM has worked on the business side of the entertainment industry for 20 years, as a senior business affairs executive and attorney for such companies as NBC, ABC, USA, Syfy, Bravo, and BermanBraun Productions, and before that, at the NY law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges. During all that, he has more or less constantly been going to the movies and watching TV, and writing about both since the 1980s. His film reviews also currently appear on screened.com and the-burg.com. In addition, he is co-writer of an episode of the television series "Felicity."