Based on Friday’s grosses, weekend #2 of 2015 looks like $110 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday, down from the norm for this weekend and down from the same weekend last year.   Opening at 3,593 theaters Friday, Taken 3 from Fox is on track for a $39.5 million opening three-day weekend (above our $30.5 million ShowBuzzDaily […]

  Hollywood doesn’t typically open strong titles on Oscar weekend, when moviegoing is likely to fall sharply on Sunday.  So although the superfans and curiosity-seekers have already had their fill, and 50 SHADES OF GREY (Universal/Focus) wasted no time in diving from last week’s remarkable heights, the kinky romance is having no trouble with this […]

WORLDWIDE STUDIO SCORECARD.   YEAR TO DATE BOX OFFICE. Looking at North American box office, 2015 to date is now +3% above last year and +5% above the average for this point the past four years ($1.990 billion).  Over the same period, Hollywood films have grossed almost $5.8 billion worldwide when we add overseas box office […]

  OPENINGS:  Can the 2d-biggest US opening of all time fairly be considered a mild disappointment?  Certainly AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (Marvel/Disney), for all its giant $187.7M start, underperformed compared to widespread expectations, not only failing to beat the $207.4M opening of The Avengers, but coming in $20M below that mark despite 5 more hours […]

  OPENINGS:  ANT-MAN (Marvel/Disney) is claiming a very low 18% Sunday drop in order to reach a $58M weekend estimate, so that number may shrink on Monday.  Even at $58M, Ant-Man opened in the same range as Superman Returns ($52.5M), The Incredible Hulk ($55.4M) and The Green Lantern ($53.2M), all of which stopped their franchises–at […]

WORLDWIDE STUDIO SCORECARD.  Universal’s year to date versus last week is negative despite the addition of Crimson Peak this weekend.  The overseas total for Everest was over-stated last week and has been corrected in the studio table below and the individual film ranking at the bottom of the post.  Still, Universal remains a dominant #1, with a lead of […]

Weekend #23 of 2016 forecasts for films opening wide and major returning films: NEW FILMS THIS WEEKEND June 3-5, 2016 Critics Positive ($ millions) Opening Weekend Forecast Domestic Total Projection Overseas Total Projection Worldwide Total Projection Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows Par PG13 22% 37.5 105 275 380 Me Before You WB […]

WORLDWIDE STUDIO SCORECARD.  Updated look at 2016 by studio.   YEAR TO DATE BOX OFFICE. Looking at North American box office, 2016 to date is still +4% above last year and still +5% above the average for this point the past four years ($7.371 billion).  Over the same period, Hollywood films have grossed almost $19.7 billion worldwide when we […]