OPENINGS:  At $6.5M, THE POSSESSION OF HANNAH GRACE (Screen Gems/Sony) performed adequately for a low-budget horror item placed in one of the lower-grossing weekends of the year.  Possession also earned $4.1M in 17 international territories, the start of a release that will extend into early 2019.  It has around $30M in production and worldwide […]

Based on Friday’s and Saturday’s grosses, Weekend #32 of 2013 now looks like $142 million for the top 12 films, down from yesterday’s $148 million estimate but still up 6% from the average for this weekend the past few years.  Opening at 3,284 theaters Friday, Elysium from Sony grossed $11.0 million Friday and $10.8 million Saturday, now on […]

  OPENINGS:  RIDE ALONG 2 (Universal) is projecting a $39.5M 4-day weekend, 19% below the $48.6M opening of the first Ride Along exactly 2 years ago.  That would put its US trajectory at $100-110M, enough to make it a fine piece of business for all concerned, but any growth would have to come from overseas, […]

Based on Friday’s and Saturday’s grosses, Weekend #49 of 2013 still looks like $87 million for the top 12 films from Friday-Sunday, right on target for the usually slow post-Thanksgiving weekend.   Opening at 2,101 theaters Friday, Out of the Furnace from Relativity grossed $1.9 million Friday and $2.1 million Saturday, now on track for a $5.3 million […]

  OPENINGS:  ALIEN: ROMULUS (20th/Disney) became the latest franchise product to hit big this summer, arriving at the high end of expectations with $41.5M.  That was higher than 2017’s Alien: Covenant ($36.2M), although below 2012’s Prometheus ($51.1M).  The film was also solid overseas, with a $66.7M start sparked by $25.7M from China.  Romulus was budgeted […]

  OPENINGS: KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE (MARV/20th) took the weekend, but at $39M it was below Fox’s minimal target number of $40M.  Since sequels burn out faster than initial films in a series, Golden Circle will probably end up around $100-120M in the US, compared to $128M for The Secret Service, and that’s on higher […]

Based on Friday’s and Saturday’s grosses, weekend #3 of 2014 now looks like $160 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday, even better than it looked yesterday and now 47% above the average for the comparable weekend the past few years. Opening at 2,663 theaters Friday, Ride Along from Universal grossed $14.5 million Friday and $16.7 million Saturday, […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, weekend #47 of 2014 now looks like $187 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday, down from yesterday’s estimate ($194 million) and now basically even with the norm for this weekend ($186 million) and down a sizable -14% from the same weekend last year. Opening at 4,151 theaters, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay […]