> UPDATE:  The Deadline numbers have shifted quite a bit from their earlier incarnation:  HUNGER GAMES is now estimated at $19.5M for Friday (a 71% drop from opening day) and a $55M weekend (down 64%).  If that number holds, GAMES would have the 11th highest 2d weekend ever, although only $200K away from the Top […]

Now if the Madagascar animals had to battle the Prometheus aliens, that might have been interesting. OPENINGS:  PROMETHEUS (20th) edged out MADAGASCAR 3 (DreamWorks Animation/Paramount) for Friday honors ($21.4M to $20.5M), but girls, you’re both pretty.  Madagascar should pull ahead for the weekend thanks to family matinees (and what could be mixed word of mouth […]

Another down week at the North American box office, although the declines are not severe as last week.  With the arrival of Spider-Man early this week and expected decent mid-week business for two solid openers this past weekend, next week at this time should show some plus signs again in the weekly comparisons. The Past […]

The Dark Knight Rises opened with $88 million overseas in a modest 17 territories.  We’ll give Rises a preliminary overseas target of $490 million, slightly higher than 2008’s The Dark Knight, which grossed $469 million overseas.  If our overseas target is correct, that put puts the worldwide target for Dark Knight Rises at $980 million, just behind The Dark Knight‘s […]

The big gainer overseas this week was The Dark Knight Rises again, up $67 million to an overseas total of $445 million.  A billion dollars worldwide is still possible, but $950 million could be more realistic.   Ice Age 4 continues to pound away, up another $37 million overseas this week to $621 million to date. Brave, […]

The Past Week: Total Box Office Volume All films in wide release playing between September 3 and September 9 grossed a low $104 million, down 14% from both the four-year average for the week and the same week last year.  The past six weeks are now down 4% from the four-year average box office average […]

Taken 2 enters the worldwide chart at #10 among recent movies, with a projected $138 domestic total when all is said and done and an overseas to date total of $67 million already.  An eventual overseas total of $200 million is possible, putting the worldwide target at $338 million.  This compares to a worldwide total […]

The Past Week: Total Box Office Volume All films in wide release playing between October 29 and November 4 grossed a solid $163 million, up 6% from the four-year average for the week and up 18% from the same week last year.    The past six weeks are now 9% above the four-year average box […]