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EARLY FRIDAY BOX OFFICE: “In the Heart Of the Sea” Founders As Audiences Await The Force

Posted December 12, 2015 by Mitch Salem

  Tossing IN THE HEART OF THE SEA (Village Roadshow/Warners) onto what is historically one of the weakest box office weekends of the year–and this year also just days ahead of the arrival of cinema’s Death Star–was a Hail Mary, and it’s not paying off.  Based on preliminary numbers at Deadline, it earned $4M on […]

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EARLY FRIDAY BOX OFFICE: “Krampus” Comes To Town On Slow Post-Holiday Weekend

Posted December 5, 2015 by Mitch Salem

  We’re in the 2-week void between Thanksgiving and the Awakening of the Force, and the low-budget KRAMPUS (Legendary/Universal) is the weekend’s only major studio arrival.  According to preliminary numbers at Deadline, it’s performing a tad beyond expectations with $6.25M on Friday.  Given the quick burn-out for horror movies, that should mean a $13-15M weekend, […]

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EARLY FRIDAY BOX OFFICE: “Mockingjay 2″” Takes Black Friday Ahead of “Good Dinosaur” & “Creed”

Posted November 28, 2015 by Mitch Salem

  The box office typically dives on Thanksgiving Day when audiences (especially families) are otherwise occupied, then jumps back on Black Friday, and such was the case again this year.  According to preliminary numbers at Deadline, THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 (Lionsgate) was comfortably #1 for the day while continuing to run behind the […]

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EARLY FRIDAY BOX OFFICE: “Mockingjay 2″” Flies Low, “Spotlight” Expands, “Carol” Opens Big

Posted November 21, 2015 by Mitch Salem

  As with Spectre 2 weeks ago, THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 (Lionsgate) is making a tremendous amount of money in its opening weekend–but not as much as had been expected in light of what its franchise predecessor had earned.  According to preliminary numbers at Deadline, Mockingjay 2 will have a $47M launch, including […]

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EARLY FRIDAY BOX OFFICE: “Spectre,” “Peanuts Movie” Mow Down Newcomers

Posted November 14, 2015 by Mitch Salem

  No one expected this weekend’s soft new arrivals to come near last week’s holdovers, and they’re not.  LOVE THE COOPERS (CBS/Lionsgate) is at least creditable, according to preliminary numbers at Deadline, with a $2.7M Friday that should give it $7-8M for the weekend.  Coopers is intended as a long-term play that will hang around […]

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EARLY FRIDAY BOX OFFICE: “Spectre” and “Peanuts” Bring Hollywood Back

Posted November 7, 2015 by Mitch Salem

  After several painful weekends burdened by one high-profile flop after another, Hollywood was bailed out by two of its most venerable franchises. SPECTRE (MGM/Columbia/Sony) will be, based on preliminary numbers at Deadline, the 2d biggest opener of the Bond series.  Its $28.1M first day (which includes $5.25M from Thursday night) puts it behind only […]

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EARLY FRIDAY BOX OFFICE OF HORROR: Halloween Slaughters “Burnt,” “Our Brand Is Crisis”

Posted October 31, 2015 by Mitch Salem

  The last time Halloween fell on a Saturday, in 2009, Hollywood mostly stayed away.  (The concert movie This Is It opened the previous Wednesday.)  This year, two studios tried to counterprogram the holiday with problematic star vehicles, and based on preliminary numbers at Deadline, the results weren’t pretty. BURNT (Weinstein) has been conspicuous for […]

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EARLY FRIDAY BOX OFFICE: “Steve Jobs” Crashes, “Suffragette” Starts Slow On Dismal Weekend

Posted October 24, 2015 by Mitch Salem

  The tricks arrived early and the treats were nonexistent on a bleak pre-Halloween weekend. Let the second-guessing begin on STEVE JOBS (Legendary/Universal).  Last week’s limited expansion suggested softness as the awards hopeful widened beyond NY/LA, and national release has crumbled its box office hopes entirely.  Preliminary numbers at Deadline have Steve Jobs at $2.5M […]

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