Even if Die Hard takes the weekend, it’s running on fumes. OPENINGS:  A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (20th) cost at least triple the budget of SAFE HAVEN (Relativity), and had a more expensive marketing campaign as well.  Yet on Friday, only $75K separated the two–and that was after Safe Haven won Valentine’s Day to […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, Weekend #7 of 2013 is not as bad as the last few weeks: $123 million for the top 12 films during the traditional Friday-Sunday period of this holiday weekend (only 4% behind the pace for the same weekend the last few years).         Opening at 3,552 theaters Thursday […]

  As expected, the end of Valentine’s Day meant some slippage for SAFE HAVEN (Relativity), and allowed A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (20th) to take a narrow Friday lead, which it will probably hold for the rest of the holiday weekend.  But according to preliminary numbers at Deadline, the race is surprisingly close. Die […]

  Preliminary numbers at Deadline give the Valentine’s Day boxoffice edge to, appropriately enough, the Nicholas Sparks sudsfest SAFE HAVEN (Relativity), probably at the expense of many unwilling spouses and significant others.  The soap is reported to have taken in around $10M for the day.  It will probably fall as the weekend shifts from Valentine’s […]

The 7th weekend of 2013 looks like it will be down from prior years but not at the excessive rates we have seen the past few weekends.  We expect $121 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday, 6% to 15% below the normal pace for this weekend.   Opening in 3,552 theaters Thursday, A Good […]

Django Unchained continues to gain on Les Miserables (also released Christmas Day).  Quentin Tarantino’s Django collected $29 million overseas since last week, compared to $17 million for Les Miserables.  With a projected $350 million worldwide, Django is within striking distance of Les Miserables ($366 million). Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters also had a strong week, up $22 million overseas last week to $84 million overseas to […]

  OPENINGS:  Melissa McCarthy is now a genuine Hollywood player with the enormous debut of IDENTITY THIEF (Universal), beating all pre-release estimates with $36.6M.  (Take that, Rex Reed!)  Apart from Universal, the happiest studio in town is Fox, which has the McCarthy/Sandra Bullock vehicle The Heat coming up in the thick of summer movie season […]

Based on Saturday’s grosses, Weekend #6 of 2013 is looking a little stronger than it did yesterday (now $89 million for the top 12 films versus the $84 million estimate based only on Friday’s results).  But this is still over 46% behind the pace for the same weekend the last few years.       […]