Warner Bros and Peter Jackson are very, very lucky that THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG is a significantly better movie than last year’s An Unexpected Journey, which will give it strong word of mouth, because early box office indications are that audiences, burned by Journey, are initially dubious about spending 3 more hours […]

Weekend #19 of 2014 is looking like a weak $112 million for the top 12 films, 20% below the typical volume for this weekend the past few years ($141 million). Opening at over 3,200 theaters Friday (well above the 2,886 average theater count for opening weekends the last two years), Neighbors from Universal should average $11,600 per […]

Weekend #51 of 2014 is looking like $147 million for the top 12 films this weekend, up 22% from the norm for this weekend and up 8% from the same weekend last year.   Opening at over 3,875 theaters Wednesday (well above the 2,886 average theater count for opening weekends the last two years), The Hobbit: The Battle of […]

  JURASSIC WORLD (Legendary/Universal) is stomping past even the the highest expectations for its opening.  According to preliminary numbers at Deadline, its opening day was a stupendous $78.6M (including $18.5M from Thursday night), giving it the biggest June box office day ever by far, easily passing the $68.5M for Twilight: Eclipse, and in line for […]

Weekend #35 of 2015 is looking like $68 million for the top 12 films this weekend, significantly below the norm for this weekend (see comparisons below). We Are You Friends from Warner Brothers should open with a $9.0 million three-day weekend. Early reviews at RottenTomatoes are soft: 37% positive overall so far. We Are Your Friends is on track for […]

Weekend #20 of 2016 forecasts for films opening wide and major returning films: NEW FILMS THIS WEEKEND May 13-15, 2016 Critics Positive ($ millions) Opening Weekend Forecast Domestic Total Projection Overseas Total Projection Worldwide Total Projection Money Monster Sony R n/a 9.5 24 14 38 The Darkness High Top PG13 n/a 4.5 11 2 13 […]

  OPENINGS:  JASON BOURNE (Perfect World/Universal) is claiming a $60M US start, although as is par for the course, that number includes an aggressive Sunday estimate and could come down a bit on Monday.  In any case, it will be the #2 opening for the franchise, behind the $69.3M for 2007’s Bourne Ultimatum.  That film […]

  OPENINGS:  BOO! A MADEA HALLOWEEN (Lionsgate) took the weekend with $27.6M, Tyler Perry’s biggest start since the $29.3M for 2010’s Why Did I Get Married Too.  Perry’s movies tend to run out of steam quickly, but Boo had an encouraging 24% Saturday bump, and even if Boo only reaches $60M in the US (and […]