OPENINGS:  DESPICABLE ME 3 (Illumination/Universal) is the latest franchise to underdeliver this summer, with a 3-day studio estimate of $75.4M in the US.  That’s far below the $115.7M opening of Minions, and it compares badly with Despicable 2 as well, since that title earned $83.5M over its first weekend after having already banked $59.6M […]

  OPENINGS: KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE (MARV/20th) took the weekend, but at $39M it was below Fox’s minimal target number of $40M.  Since sequels burn out faster than initial films in a series, Golden Circle will probably end up around $100-120M in the US, compared to $128M for The Secret Service, and that’s on higher […]

  OPENINGS:  The only wide opening of the week was the Christian-aimed action movie INFIDEL (Cloudburst), the first release from that studio.  The official estimate is $1.5M from 1724 theatres, or a bit less than $900 per-theatre for the weekend, but that number assumes a very strong Sunday, so we’ll see if it holds up.  […]

  OPENINGS:  WRATH OF MAN (Miramax/UA/MGM) held solidly through the weekend and emerged with $8.1M, better than Nobody‘s recent $6.8M start, and not too far below the $10.7M for Guy Ritchie’s pre-pandemic The Gentlemen.  That film ended up with $36.5M in the US, and with the relative lack of competition Wrath faces, it could also […]

> The ninth weekend of 2012 is another good one, running 13% ahead of last year’s same weekend and 9% ahead of the multi-year average for this weekend.  This is the fourth weekend in a row that 2012 volume beats both the easy target of last year’s depressed levels as well as the more difficult […]

  OPENINGS:  The only new arrival this weekend certain of profitability is THE CONJURING 2 (New Line/RatPac/Warners).  It’s already earned $40.4M in the US (just lightly behind the first Conjuring‘s $41.9M opening) and $50M in 44 overseas markets, and although horror movies and sequels are usually frontloaded, even in a worst cast scenario it will […]

  ANT-MAN & THE WASP (Marvel/Disney) will be Marvel’s lowest-grossing 2018 release, but it was designed to have relatively minor stakes, and while it’s not in a league with Black Panther or Avengers: Infinity War, on its own terms it’s performing impressively.  According to preliminary numbers at Deadline, opening day was $34M (including $11.5M from […]

> Despite the gloom of yesterday, this weekend is now looking like it will be up slightly versus 2010.  Saturday business was higher than expected for films across the board, with the exception of Scre4m.       Based on Saturday’s performance, Rio is now headed for about $40.0 million this weekend.  The Saturday “bump” for Rio was […]