OPENINGS:  The combination of the typically low early-December box office and the approach of Avatar 2 dissuaded the studios from introducing any new product this week.  The closest thing to a wide release in the US was the expansion of SPOILER ALERT (Focus/Universal) to 783 theaters, where it fared badly with $700K, averaging $900 […]

  OPENINGS:  Although BLUE BEETLE (DC/Warners) won the weekend over a tiring Barbie, it landed at the low end of expectations with $25.4M–and given the heavy 15% Friday-to-Saturday drop (much steeper than the 4%/6% drops for the Shazam movies), not to mention the Sunday West Coast weather, that studio estimate may be optimistic.  The international […]

  OPENINGS:  THE BIKERIDERS (Regency/Focus/Universal) seized the opportunity to open on a prime summer weekend without any new tentpole releases, and the studio estimate (which assumed the strongest Sunday hold in the Top 10) was $10M, in line with expectations.  The question is how well the indie will hold up next week against new action […]

>The Hunger Games has moved up to $216 million overseas (up from $194 million last week).  The film is probably headed for a worldwide total of $650 million, including the $388 million forecast domestic total.  Click “read more” to see the updated weekly worldwide table.      Titanic 3D is doing even better internationally, now […]

>The biggest gainer in the international box office this week was The Smurfs.  Now with an overseas total of $321 million, The Smurfs has moved past Thor into the #9 position.  Rise of the Planet of the Apes is starting to stall out overseas and will probably remain in 11th place, just behind Thor. The […]

> There’s been quite a bit written in the last few years about the phenomenon of US films doing much better business overseas than domestically, sometimes more than making up for American disappointment or failure–and rightly so, as a glance at Mitch Metcalf’s chart today confirms.  Indications are that the latest Harry Potter and Transformers […]

Life of Pi is gathering a lot of momentum overseas, with $45 million more internationally (bringing its overseas tally to $106 million to date).   Worldwide, the film is sitting at $188 million and 17th on our chart.  It could keep climbing to over $200 million, bringing it to 15th or maybe 14th on the chart. […]

  OPENINGS:  The biggest story of the weekend took place off American shores, as IRON MAN 3 (Disney) topped all expectations to open with a fantastic $195.3M in 42 territories (China and Russia are the notable ones still to come).  That’s higher than the $185.1M opening for The Avengers (in 39 territories that didn’t include […]