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 first weekend of 2013 should total about $117 million for the top 12 films, somewhat below average for a normally sluggish weekend as life and movie-going returns to normal.  Texas Chainsaw 3D has the most promise of the films going wide this weekend and will duel with Django Unchained for second place (and possibly […]

Following up on Mitch Salem’s Best Picture overview, here’s an updated look at the odds for the major Oscar categories. After its winning streak at the various guild award ceremonies, Argo has traded places with Lincoln as the favorite for Best Picture.  London bookmakers would pay $1.15 on a $1 bet if Argo wins, a movement of +6 in […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, Weekend #14 of 2013 is looking a little weaker than it appeared yesterday but still ahead of prior years.  The top 12 films are looking like $127 million this weekend, now 10% above the same weekend in recent years.  Two decent openers and two strong returning films dominate the top of […]

Updated International Box Office numbers below.  Iron Man 3 moved up $72 million overseas in the past week, reaching over $700 million overseas to date.  If Iron Man 3 ends with, let’s say, $820 million overseas, the latest Marvel film will end with $1.24 billion: near The Avengers ($1.512 billion worldwide) and blowing past Iron Man ($585 million worldwide) and Iron Man 2 ($624 […]

Updated international box office chart:

Based on Friday’s grosses, Weekend #31 of 2013 looks like a surprisingly weak $124 million for the top 12 films, down 5% from the average for this weekend the past few years (the first such decline since the weekend of June 7-9 eight weeks ago).  Opening at 3,025 theaters Friday, 2 Guns from Universal grossed $10 million Friday […]

STUDIO SCORECARD. In the worldwide studio rankings for 2013 to date, Sony moved ahead of Paramount (taking over 5th place) with $70 million of revenue this week (from continued overseas revenues from Mortal Instruments, White House Down and Smurfs 2).  Warner Brothers had an even better week ($76 million, mostly from overseas grosses for We’re the […]