The stretch of box-office beginning in mid-August is one of the weakest of the year, and this weekend’s arrivals did nothing to change that tradition.  WAR DOGS (RatPac/Warners) had the best of the low starts, with $5.4M on Friday (including $1.3M from Thursday night) according to preliminary numbers at Deadline.  That may give it […]

>Harry Potter is leaving the screen with a bang, setting a new single-day record and a new opening weekend record.  And the film has absolutely ingnited the box office, pushing the weekend up almost 50% versus this weekend last year.    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (the 8th and final — according to Warner […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, weekend #52 of 2014 looks like $192 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday, up +21% from the norm for this weekend ($158 million) and up +6% from the same weekend last year.   Opening at 3,131 theaters Thursday, Unbroken from Universal is on track for a $32.3 million opening three-day weekend (well above […]

> The second weekend of 2012 looks better than we forecast (Contraband and Beauty and the Beast 3D are ahead of the ShowBuzzDaily weekend predictions), but the weekend is still looking pretty soft.  The top 12 films should total about $113 million, down 2% from the same weekend last year (which was pretty bad).  More […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, weekend #5 of 2014 looks like $74 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday, even worse than the usual pace for a Super Bowl weekend. Opening at 2,809 theaters Friday, That Awkward Moment from Focus/Universal grossed a small $3.9 million Friday, putting the film on track for a $10.0 million opening weekend (slightly below […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, Weekend #31 of 2013 looks like a surprisingly weak $124 million for the top 12 films, down 5% from the average for this weekend the past few years (the first such decline since the weekend of June 7-9 eight weeks ago).  Opening at 3,025 theaters Friday, 2 Guns from Universal grossed $10 million Friday […]

>The Help remains the lone sign of strength at the box office.  Down only 2% from the Tropical Storm Irene-dampened box office last weekend, The Help has been upgraded again to $155 million estimated total domestic gross.  The Debt looks like the best of the three new openers, with almost $10 million this Friday-Sunday weekend […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, Weekend #41 of 2013 looks like an okay $111 million for the top 12 films, down 8% from last year’s weekend but equal to the average for the same weekend the past few years. Opening at 3,874 theaters Friday, Captain Phillips from Sony Pictures grossed $8.5 million Friday and is on track for $26.5 million opening weekend […]