> Studios exaggerate the gross of Rio and Scre4m (shocking!).  Specialty films The Conspirator and Atlas Shrugged: Part 1 open to average results. The past week is up versus 2010 — the slump is not over but progress was made.  Compared to the Sunday Studio Estimates (which combine actual numbers for Friday and Saturday with a studio-supplied estimate […]

>The Hunger Games has moved up to $229 million overseas (up from $216 million last week).  The film is probably headed for a worldwide total of $660 million, including our newly revised forecast of $399 million domestic.  Click “read more” to see the updated weekly worldwide table.      Arriving in North America Friday, The […]

>Overseas box office show big gains for Puss in Boots and Real Steel, now at $142 million and $186 million overseas to date, respectively.  Both films are solidly in the top five films worldwide, approaching $300 million worldwide each. New Year’s Eve has $13 million overseas to date, but it only stands at $44 million […]

> Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides hits an even $1 billion worldwide, while Kung Fu Panda skips past Rio right on the heels of Hangover Part II.  Cars 2 debuts at #10 with a lot of upside. Read more and see the updated Top 20 chart by clicking below. Super 8 is starting […]

>Those interested in the disconnect between old-line film critics and audiences need look no farther than “In Defense of the Slow and the Boring,” a column in today’s NY Times.  In it, chief Times critics Manohla Dargis and A. O. Scott each write about the worth of films some find unduly slow-paced, like The Tree […]

Memorial Day weekend pushed Team Metcalf’s front-loaded slate to $682 million through Monday in the second annual ShowbuzzDaily Summer Movie Fantasy Draft, with only two significant films left to open on his slate: Prometheus (#8 pick overall) and Madagascar 3 (#11), both opening June 8.  Team Weil totals $47 million so far (with Battleship his lone film to have opened).  Weil’s […]

> Rise of the Planet of the Apes should open easily at #1 with over $43 million.  With broadly positive reviews behind it, this prequel should have decent holds in the following few weeks.  The Smurfs should slide into #2 with a decent second week decline ($21 million, down 41%).  Fighting for #3 should be […]

>Through Sunday, Team Metcalf has a $52 million lead in the ShowBuzzDaily Summer Movie Draft.  Metcalf’s Captain America outpaced Salem’s Harry Potter weekend two, and Salem’s Friends with Benefits opening was cancelled out by Metcalf’s Transformers and Horrible Bosses.  Next weekend Metcalf’s final two films open.  Salem has three films in August, which collectively should […]