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December 31, 2014
 

Holiday Box Office Volume: through December 30

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Written by: Mitch Metcalf
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The 2014 holiday box office is now somewhat better than average but behind last year’s pace.

The top 10 films on Tuesday December 30, 2014 totaled $38.1 million, a touch below the average $39.0 million for the days since 2002 when this date landed on a weekday.  The last time December 30 fell on a Tuesday (2008), the day’s top 10 films added up to a somewhat lower $34.6 million.

The 15 days December 16-30 total $560 million this year, now +5.4% ahead of the average for this period the last 12 years.  Compared to the same December 16-30 period in 2013, this year is -3.6% behind last year’s pace.

Box Office Volume — Top 10 Films North America
($ millions) Past 12 years — 2002-2013
# days 2014 2013 Average Peak Year Low Year
Dec 16-22 7 196 193 181 223 (’03) 112 (’08)
Dec 16-23 8 222 226 214 247 (’03) 128 (’08)
Dec 16-24 9 238 248 234 266 (’09) 138 (’08)
Dec 16-25 10 309 315 290 349 (’09) 205 (’08)
Dec 16-26 11 376 373 347 445 (’09) 268 (’08)
Dec 16-27 12 440 432 397 521 (’09) 329 (’08)
Dec 16-28 13 487 494 444 579 (’09) 375 (’08)
Dec 16-29 14 522 541 488 637 (’09) 408 (’04)
Dec 16-30 15 560 580 531 693 (’09) 442 (’04)
Dec 16-31 16 616 568 742 (’09) 475 (’08)
Dec 16-Jan 1 17 664 616 820 (’09) 525 (’08)
Dec 16-Jan 2 18 690 652 901 (’09) 558 (’04)
Dec 16-Jan 3 19 733 679 947 (’09) 571 (’04)

Looking ahead to the New Year’s Eve box office, December 31 has averaged $35.4 million when it has fallen on a weekday in the last 12 years, as it does this year (while the date has averaged a fairly similar $37.9 million when it has fallen on a weekend).  The last time December 31 was on a Wednesday (2008), the day totaled a relatively meager $30.5 million for the top 10 films, and the time before that (2003) New Year’s Eve added up to $31.3 million.

Of course, the holiday box office will get back on track on New Year’s Day.  Since 2002, January 1 has averaged $44.8 million for the top 10 films when the date falls on a weekday as it does this year (and a robust $53.7 million when January 1 is on a weekend).   January 2 has averaged $48.7 million when it is on a weekend (like this year), while the date is a relative afterthought when it is on a weekday ($27.0 million on average).

Come back tomorrow for a look at the actual results for New Year’s Eve.

 



About the Author

Mitch Metcalf
MITCH METCALF has been tracking every US film release of over 500 screens (over 2300 movies and counting) since the storied weekend of May 20, 1994, when Maverick and Beverly Hills Cop 3 inspired countless aficionados to devote their lives to the art of cinema. Prior to that, he studied Politics and Economics at Princeton in order to prepare for his dream of working in television. He has been Head of West Coast Research at ABC, then moved to NBC in 2000 and became Head of Scheduling for 11 years.