WORLDWIDE STUDIO SCORECARD.  Here is an updated look at the 2017 film slates by studio. YEAR TO DATE BOX OFFICE. Looking at North American box office, 2017 to date is now down -2% from last year and now +2% above the average for this point the past four years ($7.598 billion).  Over the same period, Hollywood films have grossed […]

WORLDWIDE STUDIO SCORECARD.  20th Century Fox had a terrific week with the combination of the okay arrival of How to Train Your Dragon 2 and the continued overseas revenue from X-Men Days of Future Past.  Fox now stands at over $2.2 billion worldwide year to date, miles ahead of Warner Brothers ($1.7 billion), which is still seeing overseas […]

  OPENINGS:  The release strategy for 1917 (Universal) has gone just about perfectly, culminating in a $36.5M wide opening weekend that was significantly ahead of industry expectations.  Universal screened the film to critics and guild groups at the end of November, unveiled it in limited release on Christmas Day with the benefit of strong reviews, […]

Taken 2 enters the worldwide chart at #10 among recent movies, with a projected $138 domestic total when all is said and done and an overseas to date total of $67 million already.  An eventual overseas total of $200 million is possible, putting the worldwide target at $338 million.  This compares to a worldwide total […]

  OPENINGS:  BOO! A MADEA HALLOWEEN (Lionsgate) took the weekend with $27.6M, Tyler Perry’s biggest start since the $29.3M for 2010’s Why Did I Get Married Too.  Perry’s movies tend to run out of steam quickly, but Boo had an encouraging 24% Saturday bump, and even if Boo only reaches $60M in the US (and […]

WORLDWIDE STUDIO SCORECARD.  Here is an updated look at the 2019 film slates by studio. BOX OFFICE. Looking at North American box office, 2019 is still -9% below last year’s comparable span (same as the -9% last week) and still -1% below the average at this point the past four years ($5.168 billion).  Over the […]

> Marvel spent a great deal of time and effort setting the stage for its full-house-of-heroes extravaganza THE AVENGERS, and it’s all paying off.  The movie opened in 39 international territories this past week (some on Wednesday, some on Friday), covering 70% of the globe other than the US, and has already grossed a gigantic […]

  OPENINGS:  There are still several days before THOR: THE DARK WORLD (Disney) reaches these shores, and it hasn’t opened yet in other major countries like China or Japan, but it’s already looking like a blockbuster, with a huge $109.4M start in 36 territories.  The first Thor made a total of $268.3M internationally, so the […]