Articles

February 4, 2015
 

Weekend Box Office Predictions 2.6-8.2015

Weekend #6 of 2015 is looking like $108 million for the top 12 films this weekend, well below the normal volume for this weekend ($133 million).

Opening at around 3,500 theaters Friday (well above the 2,886 average theater count for opening weekends the last two years), The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water from Paramount should average $8,750 per theater for the three-day weekend (for a $30.5 million opening three-day weekend). [The average wide-release film the past two years has had a three-day opening weekend of $5,300 per theater for a $14.5 million weekend.] Early reviews yet at RottenTomatoes are an encouraging 73% positive so far. Sponge Out of Water is on track for around $99 million domestic. Overseas the film could bring in around $71 million, giving it a worldwide box office target of $170 millionThis would be above $140.2 million worldwide total for The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (released 11.19.2004) with $85.4 million total domestic and $54.7 million total overseas.

Opening at around 3,150 theaters Friday, Jupiter Ascending from Warner Brothers should average $5,950 per theater Friday-Sunday (for an $18.5 million opening weekend). In early reviews at RottenTomatoes, the film is averaging a soft 36% positive score. Jupiter Ascending is on track for around $43 million domestic. Overseas the film could bring in around $75 million, giving it a worldwide box office target of $118 million.

Opening at about 2,800 theaters Friday, Seventh Son from Universal should average $2,750 per theater Friday-Sunday (for a $7.5 million opening weekend). No reviews yet at RottenTomatoes. Seventh Son is on track for around $15 million domestic. Overseas the film could bring in another $25 $105 million, giving it a worldwide box office target of $40 $120 million.

NEW FILMS THIS WEEKEND

February 6-8, 2015

Critics Positive ($ millions)
Opening Weekend Forecast Domestic Total Projection
SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water Par PG 73% 30.5 99
Jupiter Ascending WB PG13 36% 18.5 43
Seventh Son Uni PG13 n/a 7.5 15
Note: Although critic reviews are not related to the size of the opening weekend, they are significantly correlated with the size of the declines in the opening weeks of a movie. The Domestic Total is a very early ShowBuzzDaily projection of the total North American gross, based on the Weekend Forecasts.


American Sniper should fall out of first place finally, but it remains the only significant holdover and still a very significant one.

RETURNING FILMS

February 6-8, 2015

Change vs Last Weekend ($ millions)
Weekend Forecast Showbuzz Domestic Final Proj.
American Sniper WB -31% 21.3 350
Paddington Weins -9% 5.2 67
Project Almanac Par -46% 4.5 17
Black or White Rel -33% 4.2 19
The Imitation Game Weins -23% 3.9 85
Wedding Ringer Sony -56% 3.7 67
Boy Next Door Uni -44% 3.4 34

 

Box Office Volume

For the past four years, the top 12 films this weekend have averaged $133 million total (Friday-Sunday), ranking 22nd of 52 weeks. Last year, this weekend’s total was $138 million (while 2013 was $86 million, 2012 was $173 million and 2011 was $135 million). This Friday-Sunday is looking like a fairly soft $108 million, down -19% from the multi-year average for the comparable weekend and down -22% from the same weekend last year.

 

This Weekend Last Two Years ($ millions)

2.7.2014

The LEGO Movie WB PG
Opening Weekend — Forecast: $45 Actual: $69
Domestic Gross — Estimate: $256 Actual: $258
International — Estimate: n/a Actual: $210

The Monuments Men Sony PG13 George Clooney Matt Damon
Opening Weekend — Forecast: $18 Actual: $22
Domestic Gross — Estimate: $81 Actual: $78
International — Estimate: n/a Actual: $77

Vampire Academy Weins PG13 Lucy Fry Sarah Hyland
Opening Weekend — Forecast: $10 Actual: $4
Domestic Gross — Estimate: $6 Actual: $8
International — Estimate: n/a Actual: $8

2.8.2013

Identity Thief Uni R Jason Bateman Melissa McCarthy
Opening Weekend — Forecast: $23 Actual: $35
Domestic Gross — Estimate: $129 Actual: $134
International — Estimate: n/a Actual: $39

Side Effects Open Road R Jude Law Rooney Mara
Opening Weekend — Forecast: $12 Actual: $9
Domestic Gross — Estimate: $40 Actual: $32
International — Estimate: n/a Actual: $0

Check back throughout the weekend for box office updates as the actual numbers come in.



About the Author

Mitch Metcalf
MITCH METCALF has been tracking every US film release of over 500 screens (over 2300 movies and counting) since the storied weekend of May 20, 1994, when Maverick and Beverly Hills Cop 3 inspired countless aficionados to devote their lives to the art of cinema. Prior to that, he studied Politics and Economics at Princeton in order to prepare for his dream of working in television. He has been Head of West Coast Research at ABC, then moved to NBC in 2000 and became Head of Scheduling for 11 years.