Weekend #10 of 2014 is looking like $127 million for the top 12 films, right in line with the same weekend the last few years.
Opening at around 3,400 theaters Friday (well above the 2,886 average theater count for opening weekends the last two years), 300: Rise of an Empire from Warner Brothers should average a solid $10,800 per theater for the weekend (for a $36.5 million opening weekend). [The average wide-release film the past two years has had a three-day opening weekend of $5,300 per theater for a $14.5 million weekend.] Early reviews at RottenTomatoes are fairly supportive: 65% positive so far. 300: Rise of an Empire is on track for around $109 million domestic, which would be about half of the $210.6 million domestic gross for 300 (released March 9, 2007).
Opening at an even broader 3,800 theaters Friday, Mr Peabody & Sherman from Fox and DreamWorks Animation should average a somewhat above average $7,900 per theater for the weekend (for a $30.0 million opening weekend). Early reviews are very solid: 86% positive so far. Mr Peabody & Sherman is on track for around $118 million domestic, in between the recent DreamWorks Animation films Turbo ($83.0 million domestic and released July 17, 2013) and The Croods ($187.2 million and released March 22, 2013).
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NEW FILMS THIS WEEKEND March 7-9, 2014 |
Critics Positive | ($ millions) | ||||
| Opening Weekend Forecast | Domestic Total Projection | |||||
| 300: Rise of an Empire | WB | R | 65% | 36.5 | 109 | |
| Mr Peabody & Sherman | Fox/DWA | PG | 86% | 30.0 | 118 | |
Among the holdovers, Non-Stopshould lead the way, with The LEGO Movie and Son of God close behind.
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RETURNING FILMS March 7-9, 2014 |
Change vs Last Weekend | ($ millions) | |||
| Weekend Forecast | Showbuzz Domestic Final Proj. | ||||
| Non-Stop | Uni | -46% | 15.6 | 86 | |
| The LEGO Movie | WB | -33% | 14.1 | 265 | |
| Son of God | Fox | -50% | 12.8 | 70 | |
| The Monuments Men | Sony | -25% | 3.7 | 79 | |
| Frozen 3D | Dis | -16% | 3.1 | 395 | |
| 12 Years a Slave | Fox | n/a | 2.9 | 58 | |
| 3 Days to Kill | Rel | -54% | 2.3 | 29 | |
| RoboCop | Sony | -52% | 2.2 | 61 | |
| Pompeii | Sony | -54% | 2.0 | 25 | |
Box Office Volume
For the past four years, the top 12 films this weekend have averaged $125 million total, ranking 27th of 52 weeks. Last year, this weekend’s total was $128 million (while 2012 was $121 million, 2011 was $118 million and 2010 was $136 million). This Friday-Sunday is looking like a typical $127 million, 2% above the multi-year average for the comparable weekend and only 1% below the same weekend last year.
This Weekend Last Two Years
3.8.2013
Oz the Great and Powerful Dis PG James Franco Mila Kunis
Opening Weekend — Forecast: $74 Actual: $79
Domestic Gross — Estimate: $245 Actual: $235
International — Estimate: n/a Actual: $258
Dead Man Down FilmDis R Colin Farrell Noomi Rapace
Opening Weekend — Forecast: $6 Actual: $5
Domestic Gross — Estimate: $13 Actual: $11
International — Estimate: n/a Actual: $7
3.9.2012
John Carter DIS PG13 Taylor Kitsch Lynn Collins
Opening Weekend — Forecast: $26 Actual: $30
Domestic Gross — Estimate: $85 Actual: $73
International — Estimate: n/a Actual: $210
A Thousand Words PAR PG13 Eddie Murphy Kerry Washington
Opening Weekend — Forecast: $4 Actual: $6
Domestic Gross — Estimate: $15 Actual: $18
International — Estimate: n/a Actual: $2
Silent House OPENROAD R Elizabeth Olsen
Opening Weekend — Forecast: $10 Actual: $7
Domestic Gross — Estimate: $14 Actual: $13
International — Estimate: n/a Actual: $0
Check back throughout the weekend for box office updates as the actual numbers come in.
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