WORLDWIDE STUDIO SCORECARD.  Here is an updated look at the 2020 film slates by studios (films entering wide release in the 2020 calendar year). BOX OFFICE. Looking at North American box office, 2020 is now -9% below last year’s comparable span (another 7 points worse than last week) and -21% below this point averaged over […]

> Fox is adopted a very interesting strategy on its upcoming Cameron Crowe/Matt Damon/Scarlett Johansson drama WE BOUGHT A ZOO.  The movie doesn’t open until December 23, but the studio will hold national “sneak” previews on November 26, in the teeth of Thanksgiving weekend.  (Reportedly screenings will also include a Q&A with Crowe and as […]

>Through Thursday, Team Metcalf’s lead in the ShowBuzzDaily Summer Movie Draft is now almost $67 million.  This weekend Metcalf’s final two films open (Cowboys & Aliens and Crazy, Stupid, Love), while Salem opens The Smurfs.  Metcalf’s lead will expand somewhat this weekend, and the race will be decided by Rise of the Planet of the […]

Last weekend we said domestic box office would get back on track, and it turned out to be another very weak weekend (the third weekend in a row down around 20%).  We are going out on a limb again this week, forecasting an okay box office performance, with the top 12 films generating about $88 […]

>Ah, the dog days of summer in August.  It’s the time when studios start dumping movies.  Sure there can be a surprise in this month (see District 9 two years ago this weekend), but the lower box office volume in August simply works against most films succeeding.  A quick look at the numbers: a typical […]

Weekend #34 of 2014 is looking like $111 million for the top 12 films this weekend, up 30% from the norm for this weekend and the fourth up weekend in a row after six straight down weekends. Opening at over 2,750 theaters Friday (just below the 2,886 average theater count for opening weekends the last two years), Frank […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, weekend #19 of 2015 looks like a wobbly $117 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday, well below the norm for this weekend. Opening at 3,003 theaters Friday, Hot Pursuit from Warner Brothers is on track for a $12.9 million opening three-day weekend (below our $17.5 million ShowBuzzDaily forecast earlier this week). The film is pacing toward […]

Weekend #28 of 2012 looks fairly soft: $159 million for the top 12 films, down 37% from last year’s comparable weekend (the opening of the last Harry Potter — talk about a high bar) and down 23% from the four-year average for the weekend. Opening at around 3,800 theaters, Ice Age: Continental Drift from 20th Century […]