OPENINGS:  The stated $101M weekend start for THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 (Lionsgate) means that we won’t really know whether it went over $100M until final numbers are released tomorrow.  But even if that number holds, it will be down 17% from last year’s Mockingjay 1.  More seriously, the international opening was $146M, […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, weekend #18 of 2014 looks like $144 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday, down 25% from the norm for this weekend.   Opening at 4,324 theaters, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 from Sony grossed $35.5 million late Thursday through Friday, putting the film on track for a $92.3 million opening weekend (somewhat above our […]

  With Melissa McCarthy as solo lead, SPY (20th) isn’t opening at quite the level as The Heat, which featured a McCarthy/Sandra Bullock combo, as preliminary numbers at Deadline show a $10.6M opening day (including $1.5M from Thursday) compared to Heat‘s $13.7M.  Still, that puts Spy in line to win the weekend with around $32M […]

Updated International Box Office chart below.  Big movers this week include The Croods (debuting on the chart with $63 million overseas to date), Oz the Great and Powerful (up $42 million overseas this week) and Jack the Giant Slayer (up $38 million overseas this week).

  OPENINGS:  GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 2 (Marvel/Disney) had a solid Saturday hold for a blockbuster, down 9% on its 2d full day of release.  That compares to the performance of the Iron Man sequels, respectively down 11% and 10%, and much better than Avengers: Age of Ultron‘s 33% plunge, although a tad less […]

For the 13 days December 16-28, top 10 films in North America have totaled $831 million, now +71% ahead of the same period last year, +83% above the average since 2002, and +44% ahead of the previous record for this period (2009, the year of Avatar).  Each of the comparisons are down five to ten percentage […]

> Another up weekend at the box office is on store, led by an eclectic assortment of films.  It should be an up weekend, led by Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family and a forecast $31 million opening.  Playing at over 2,100 theaters, Madea should average over $14,000 per theater, a very good number.  Water […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, weekend #32 of 2015 looks like $122 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday, a little better than yesterday’s estimate ($119 million) but still down significantly from the norm for this weekend (see track below). Opening at 3,995 theaters Friday, Fantastic Four from Fox is on track for a listless $26.2 million opening three-day […]