>The weekend studio estimates (based on Friday and Saturday actuals and projections for Sunday) are coming in slightly stronger than the weekend numbers posted yesterday (based on Friday actuals only).  The box office volume for the top 12 films is now looking like a decent $123 million for the weekend, up 4% from last year’s […]

>Based on Friday and Saturday box office (and estimated Sunday numbers), The Smurfs and Cowboys & Aliens could not have closer opening weekends (both headed for $36.2 million at this point).  We will have to wait to see who wins the weekend crown Monday, when the Sunday actuals are available.  But assuming a weekend tie […]

>Seven full weeks into 2012, domestic box office continues to run well ahead of last year’s slow pace and now has moved solidly ahead of the comparable period’s average for the last several years.                 The Past Week: Total Box Office Volume All films in wide release playing between February 13 […]

> The past week (seven days ending Sunday) came in down 12% versus last year’s comparable week (the second significant decline in a row).  Year-to-date box office is down 8% versus last year.    The Past Week: Total Box Office Volume All films in wide release playing between June 20 and June 26 grossed a […]

> Hop and Universal should enjoy this weekend while it lasts:  on Friday, the 3D Rio arrives and that’s probably the end of Hop‘s big numbers. As Mitch Metcalf explained elsewhere on this page, the agents for Russell Brand, Danny McBride and James Franco aren’t having a great day.  Also a little nervous:  Fox, which […]

>Three films are now in or projected to be in the $1 billion worldwide box office club: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Transformers: Dark of the Moon.  Clearly, movies with long titles (not surprisngly blockbuster sequels) are being rewarded and embraced around the world.  The […]

>THE TREE OF LIFE is one of the most visually remarkable films to come along lately, so those in the LA area who want to see the film on the largest possible screen should note that ArcLight Hollywood is going to screen the film once in the Cinerama Dome, at 10AM on Sunday May 29 […]

Weekend #18 of 2012 (the first weekend of May and the unofficial start of the summer movie season) looks like it will be about $214 million for the top 12 films, up 38% from last year’s comparable weekend and up 46% from the four-year average for this weekend.  It’s all about Marvel’s The Avengers.   […]