Updated STUDIO SCORECARD: TOTAL NORTH AMERICAN BOX OFFICE. Looking at wide-release films in North America (those that play on at least 400 screens at some point), 2013 now totals over $8.2 billion, now basically even with last year’s pace and 3% above the prior four-year average 2009-2012 ($8.005 billion). Each year-to-date period below is defined as […]

  Preliminary numbers at Deadline have the record pace continuing for both THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (Lionsgate) and FROZEN (Disney). Catching Fire had no trouble with the all-time record for the day after Thanksgiving, doubling its holiday number to $31M on Friday.  This wasn’t just far better than the previous post-Thanksgiving Friday ($22.6M for […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, the final weekend of 2013 looks like a great finish: $186 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday, down a touch from yesterday’s estimate but still up significantly from the same weekend last year (see comparisons to previous years at the bottom).  The new films this long weekend are actually not […]

Weekend #4 of 2014 is looking like $107 million for the top 12 films, up 7% from the average for this weekend the past few years. Opening at around 2,700 theaters Friday (slightly below the 2,886 average theater count for opening weekends the last two years), I, Frankenstein from Lionsgate/Summit should average a mediocre $5,800 per theater for the […]

Weekend #8 of 2014 is looking like an okay $110 million for the top 12 films, 4% above the average for this weekend the past several years. Two new movies look to open very quietly, while The Lego Movie remains the only real force in theaters currently. Opening at around 2,500 theaters Friday (slightly below the 2,886 average […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, weekend #12 of 2014 looks like $131 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday, very similar to the same weekend last year and 8% below the average for this weekend the past several years.   Opening at 3,936 theaters late Thursday, Divergent from Lionsgate/Summit grossed $22.8 million through Friday, putting the film on track […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, weekend #16 of 2014 looks like $122 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday, not as high as forecast but still up 9% from the typical total for this weekend.   Opening at 2,417 theaters Wednesday (with $7.0 million across Wednesday and Thursday), Heaven Is for Real from Sony grossed $7.8 million Friday, putting […]

  Mothers Day is a bit of a wild card this weekend, but based on preliminary numbers at Deadline, nothing on Saturday changed the way the box office is likely to play out.  NEIGHBORS (Universal) held very well, falling just 5% from Friday to around $18M.  (By comparison to other big-hit R-rated comedies, Ted dropped […]