As will be noted endlessly by the studio and its mouthpieces all weekend, KUNG FU PANDA 3 (DreamWorks Animation/20th) is the first in the series to open in January, after June and May openings for the previous chapters.  Nevertheless, DWA and 20th didn’t choose that day with the idea of earning less, and the […]

Weekend #5 of 2016 is looking like $129 million for the top 12 films this weekend, much stronger than normal (see comparisons below). Kung Fu Panda 3 from Fox and DreamWorks Animation should open with $49.5 million Friday-Sunday. The film is on track for around $165 million domestic in its run. Overseas the film could bring in $560 million, giving it […]

  OPENINGS:  The east coast blizzard seems to have had less effect on the weekend box office than one might have assumed, considering that all the newcomers went up from Friday to Saturday, even though they were in typically front-loaded genres.  Their studio estimates have them bunched within a narrow $825K range for the weekend, […]

WORLDWIDE STUDIO SCORECARD.  We will continue tracking 2015 for several more weeks as the holiday films finish their runs.  We will begin tracking the 2016 slates next week.   YEAR TO DATE BOX OFFICE. Looking at North American box office, 2016 to date after three full weeks is now -5% above last year and now +6% above the […]

  This was never going to be much of a box office weekend, and the east coast snowstorms certainly won’t help.  According to preliminary numbers at Deadline, all 3 of the newcomers are closely packed with $3.5-4M Fridays and probable $9.5-11M weekends, so word of mouth could put any of them ahead. The early leader, […]

Weekend #4 of 2016 is looking like $118 million for the top 12 films this weekend (see comparisons below). Dirty Grandpa from Lionsgate should open with $12.0 million Friday-Sunday. The film is on track for around $31 million domestic in its run. Overseas the film could bring in $18 million, giving it a worldwide box office target of $49 million. […]

  OPENINGS:  RIDE ALONG 2 (Universal) is projecting a $39.5M 4-day weekend, 19% below the $48.6M opening of the first Ride Along exactly 2 years ago.  That would put its US trajectory at $100-110M, enough to make it a fine piece of business for all concerned, but any growth would have to come from overseas, […]

WORLDWIDE STUDIO SCORECARD.  We will continue tracking 2015 for several more weeks as the holiday films finish their runs.  We will begin tracking 2016 in a few weeks.   YEAR TO DATE BOX OFFICE. Looking at North American box office, 2016 to date after two full weeks is +6% above last year and +8% above the average […]