OPENINGS:  ABIGAIL (Universal) launched at the low end of expectations with $10.2M, lower than the $11.8M for Night Swim and virtually the same as the $9.9M for Imaginary.  Those films are respectively at $32.5M and $28M in the US, which is the likely range for Abigail.  However, the new film reportedly cost $28M before […]

>This weekend is all about Twilight Breaking Dawn, which will be huge.  But Happy Feet Two should manage an opening that would look stellar on any other recent weekend.  Overall box office this weekend should be up 33% from the same weekend last year.         Opening at more than 4,100 theaters in North […]

Another lifeless weekend is in store this weekend, as the audience prepares for the holidays and puts of moviegoing until the week between Christmas and New Year’s, when there are seven weekend-volume days in a row.  Until then, we have a weekend which will add up to less than $80 million for the top dozen […]

The 28th weekend of the year is looking like a very good $209 million for the top 12 films, up 15% from the comparable weekend the last few years. Opening at around 3,000 theaters Friday (somewhat above the 2,886 average theater count for opening weekends), Grown Ups 2 from Sony should average $15,300 per theater for the three-day weekend (for a $45.5 […]

  Yesterday’s studio estimate for THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (Lionsgate) seemed high, with a Sunday drop predicted to be by far the lowest in the Top 10, so it’s not much of a surprise to see the weekend number reduced now that final figures are out, down $3M from $161.1M to $158.1M.  Even with […]

  This week, as the clock ticks toward the start of the summer movie season, we’re taking a studio-by-studio look at each company’s line-up and prospects.  Last time we covered Sony, and today we’ll examine Universal. LAST SUMMER:  Universal’s 2013 summer was anchored by two gigantic sequels:  Fast & Furious 6 ($239M US/$789M worldwide) and […]

Weekend #45 of 2014 is looking like $167 million for the top 12 films this weekend, up 19% from the norm for this weekend.   Opening at 3,500 theaters Friday (well above the 2,886 average theater count for opening weekends the last two years), Interstellar from Paramount should average a terrific $18,500 per theater for the […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, weekend #33 of 2015 looks like $132 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday, somewhat above the norm for this weekend (see track below). Opening at 2,757 theaters Friday, Straight Outta Compton from Universal is on track for a $59.0 million opening three-day weekend (well above our $45.5 million ShowBuzzDaily forecast earlier this week). […]