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August 5, 2012
 

WEEKEND STUDIO ESTIMATES August 3-5

The weekend is looking almost exactly like it appeared yesterday with Total Recall and especially Diary of Wimpy Kid 3 struggling to make an impact, while The Dark Knight Rises holds on at #1.

 

The ShowbuzzDaily Domestic Final estimates for films opening wide this weekend:  Total Recall ($66 million) and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days ($41 million).

Second week films:  The Watch ($37 million, up $5 million from last week’s initial estimate) and Step Up Revolution ($34 million, up $3 million from last weel’s estimate).

Third week films:  The Dark Knight Rises ($448 million, rebounding from the $434 million forecast last week).

Fourth week films:  Ice Age: Continental Drift ($156 million, up slightly from last week’s estimate).

Weekend 31: August 3-5, 2012 ($ millions)
vs Last Wknd Wknd Studio Proj. Showbuzz Domestic Final
Dark Knight Rises WB -41% 36.4 448
Total Recall Sony 26.0 66
Diary of Wimpy Kid: Dog Days Fox 14.7 41
Ice Age: Continental Drift Fox -37% 8.4 156
The Watch Fox -50% 6.3 37
Ted Uni -25% 5.5 225
Step Up Revolution Sum -55% 5.3 34
Amazing Spider-Man Sony -36% 4.3 272
Brave Dis -33% 2.9 232
Magic Mike WB -47% 1.4 116

 

This Weekend’s Openers and Their Predecessors ($ millions)
Critics Positive Opening Weekend  Domestic Total  Overseas Total Worldwide Total
Total Recall 3.19.2010 32% 26.0-est 66-est n/a n/a
Total Recall (in 1990 dollars) 6.1.1990 83% 25.5 119.4 141.9 261.3
   (in 2012 dollars) 48.4 226.4 269.3 495.9
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days 8.3.2012 50% 14.7-est 41-est n/a n/a
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules 3.25.2011 47% 23.7 52.7 19.7 72.4
Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3.19.2010 53% 22.1 64.0 11.7 75.7
BATMAN TRACKWarner Brothers ($ millions)
Critics Positive Opening Weekend  Domestic Total  Overseas Total Worldwide Total
The Dark Knight Rises
7.20.2012 87% 160.9 448-est n/a n/a
The Dark Knight 7.18.2008 94% 158.4 533.3 468.6 1,001.9
Batman Begins 6.15.2005 85% 48.7 205.3 167.4 372.7
The Pre-Nolan Years
Batman and Robin 6.20.1997 13% 42.9 107.3 130.9 238.2
Batman Forever 6.16.1995 43% 52.8 184.0 152.5 336.5
Batman Returns 6.19.1992 78% 45.7 162.8 104.0 266.8
Batman 6.23.1989 71% 40.5 251.2 160.1 411.3

Total Box Office Volume

The Top 12 Films this weekend are looking like $114 million total Friday-Sunday, down 28% from the same calendar weekend last year and down 13% from the average for this weekend the past four years.

($ millions)
WEEKEND #31 Weekend Volume: Top 12 Films Top Movies Opening Each Weekend
2012 $114 Total Recall $26, Diary Wimpy Kid Dog Days $15
2011 $158 Rise of the Planet of the Apes $55, The Change-Up $13
2010 $123 The Other Guys $35, Step Up 3-D $16
2009 $132 G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra $55, Julie & Julia $20
2008 $111 Pineapple Express $23, Sisterhood Traveling Pants 2 $11
Avg 2008-11 $131

Next Weekend

Opening wide next weekend are The Bourne Legacy from Universal, The Campaign from Warner Brothers, and opening early on Wednesday, Hope Springs from Sony.  These films will be compared to the following openers from the same weekend last year:  The Help ($26.0 million opening weekend), Final Destination 5 ($18.0 million), 30 Minutes or Less ($13.3 million) and Glee: The 3D Concert Movie ($6.0 million).

International grosses will be updated later today.



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.