> A movie called JOHN CARTER opened a few days ago.  It cost a few bucks, and as you may have heard, didn’t make as much money as its studio, Disney, would have liked.  Notwithstanding the supposed mandate from Disney CEO Bob Iger that blame not be targeted at any individual for the failure, twin […]

The 2014 holiday box office continues to be better than average but now falling behind last year’s pace. The top 10 films on Monday December 29, 2014 totaled $34.9 million, somewhat below the average $39.8 million for the days since 2002 when December 29 landed on a weekday.  The last time December 29 fell on […]

  OPENINGS:  MINIONS (Illumination/Universal) had a surprisingly bumpy 16% drop on Saturday, but it will handily become the #2 animated opening of all time, topping Toy Story 3‘s $110.3M, even if the studio’s $115.2M forecast turns out to rely on a stronger Sunday rebound than final numbers confirm.  (Still #1: 2007’s  Shrek The Third at […]

>Weekend #17 of 2012 looks like it will be about $112 million for the top 12 films, down 23% from last year’s comparable weekend (when Fast Five exploded with an $86 million opening weekend) and down 17% from the four-year average for this weekend.  A lack of compelling new product should make this weekend the […]

  Is OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (Disney) more like Alice in Wonderland or like The Lorax?  We won’t know for another 24 hours or so, and that’s going to be the difference between Oz living up to its potential or not.  According to preliminary numbers at Deadline, Oz had a $23.5M Friday (including Thursday […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, weekend #49 of 2014 looks like $69 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday, down 11% the norm for this weekend ($78 million) and down 20% from the same weekend last year.   Opening at a mere 589 theaters, The Pyramid from 20th Century Fox is on track for a $1.0 million opening three-day […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, Weekend #6 of 2013 is another weak one: only $84 million for the top 12 films (about 50% behind the pace for the same weekend the last few years, an even steeper drop than last weekend).  The lone bright spot: Identity Thief.  Our big lesson: never underestimate Melissa McCarthy.  Our outlook […]

WORLDWIDE STUDIO SCORECARD.  Updated look at 2016 by studio.   YEAR TO DATE BOX OFFICE. Looking at North American box office, 2016 to date is now +3% above last year and now +8% above the average for this point the past four years ($2.455 billion).  Over the same period, Hollywood films have grossed $6.8 billion […]