> Deadline has some early updated weekend numbers, and there are no major surprises from the Friday results.  The top 3 are DOLPHIN TALE, MONEYBALL and THE LION KING with $14M, $12M and $11M respectively, with the family pictures garnering the benefit of stepped-up Saturday matinee business.   After that, 3 new titles–50/50, COURAGEOUS and DREAM […]

> BREAKING DAWN PART 1:  Although BD1 had greater declines on Friday (as opposed to Thursday midnight) and Saturday than New Moon did in 2009, Summit’s weekend estimate assumes exactly the same 34% drop for Sunday.  So it’s possible their $139.5M figure could come down a bit in the actuals tomorrow (which could move the […]

> According to Deadline, most films were down 20-30% from Friday, which is par for the course on New Year’s Eve, due to early theater closings and non-movie plans for the night.  But there are a few oddities: Most notably, Deadline’s numbers have WAR HORSE suddenly jumping up more than 20% for the day.  If […]

> Now the only question is when they announce the start of  pre-production on LORAX 2. OPENINGS:  It turned out THE LORAX (Universal) wasn’t frontloaded at all.  Quite the contrary, its 80% Saturday bump put the movie through the roof, a triumph of great marketing over cruddy filmmaking.  Lorax is currently the 3d highest March […]

> The absence of last weekend’s Good Friday holiday is sending week vs. week comparisons downward, but according to Deadline, even with no holiday this time around, THE HUNGER GAMES (Lionsgate/Summit) is headed for its 4th straight weekend win, with a $6.5M Friday that should lead to a $20M weekend.  This ties The Dark Knight […]

With six of eight movies open, Team Metcalf’s slate is closing in on $1 billion in domestic box office ($929 million through Sunday).  Metcalf’s seventh film opens Friday (Rock of Ages).  And then he will wait to see if the early lead will hold up as the other two teams really get going. Team Salem […]

  A great start for the weekend, if you overlook the fact that 2 of the 3 new arrivals flopped. OPENINGS:  THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (Sony) has successfully rebooted the franchise, no question about it.  (Unless it tanks overseas, which is hugely unlikely.)  But Spidey hasn’t come back quite at full strength:  even with a 6-day […]

  THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (Warners) remained effortlessly in front for a 2d straight weekend, according to preliminary Friday numbers at Deadline.  Rises earned another $20M on Friday, bringing it to $245M in 8 days, and a likely Weekend 2 of $66M, which would bring it to around $290M by Sunday night (plus hundreds of […]