OPENINGS:  The only wide opening of the week was the Christian-aimed action movie INFIDEL (Cloudburst), the first release from that studio.  The official estimate is $1.5M from 1724 theatres, or a bit less than $900 per-theatre for the weekend, but that number assumes a very strong Sunday, so we’ll see if it holds up.  […]

  OPENINGS:  WRATH OF MAN (Miramax/UA/MGM) held solidly through the weekend and emerged with $8.1M, better than Nobody‘s recent $6.8M start, and not too far below the $10.7M for Guy Ritchie’s pre-pandemic The Gentlemen.  That film ended up with $36.5M in the US, and with the relative lack of competition Wrath faces, it could also […]

  OPENINGS:  The biggest arrival of the weekend is still 2 weeks away from reaching the US.  INFERNO (Columbia/Sony), the latest in the DaVinci Code/Angels & Demons franchise, opened in 53 markets comprising about 2/3 of the world with $50M.  That’s a solid start, but suggests that when the movie goes worldwide (except for France) […]

  OPENINGS:  THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS (Reliance/Universal) was built for weekend matinees, and a 47% Saturday bump carried it to a $26.9M weekend.  Among recent fall supernatural family movies, that puts it $3.2M above Goosebumps, and $2.2M below Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children, suggesting a US landing place around $85M.  […]

  OPENINGS:  The news was good and bad for POWER RANGERS (Lionsgate).  Its US opening was very solid at $40.5M (even if that number turns out to be a bit overstated, with an ambitious Sunday estimate).  But it carries at least $200M in production/marketing costs, and to reach profit, it also needs to be strong […]

WORLDWIDE STUDIO SCORECARD.  Here is an updated look at the 2017 film slates by studio. YEAR TO DATE BOX OFFICE. Looking at North American box office, 2017 to date is still +2% above last year and still +4% above the average for this point the past four years ($5.940 billion).  Over the same period, Hollywood films have grossed over $16.9 […]

WORLDWIDE STUDIO SCORECARD.  Here is a first look at the 2019 film slates by studio. BOX OFFICE. Looking at North American box office, 2019 is still -30% below last year’s comparable span and now -23% below the average for this point the past four years ($1.564 billion).  Over the same period, Hollywood films have grossed $3.2 […]

  OPENINGS:  THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS (DreamWorks/Reliance/Participant/Disney) brings to an ignominious end the distribution relationship between DreamWorks and Disney.  Their final shared title disappointed on every level, with a $5M 3-day weekend that might become $6M on Monday, and no chance of recouping its costs.  Even though the weak reviews, length and period setting worked […]