Weekend #20 of 2012 looks like it will be about $156 million for the top 12 films, down 2% from last year’s comparable weekend and down the same amount from the four-year average for this weekend. Three movies open, with Battleship headed for the biggest opening of the trio (about $42.5 million). The Dictator starring Sacha Baron Cohen (opening today) and What to Expect When You’re Expecting should each gross around $18 million from Friday-Sunday. Holding on to the #1 position this weekend, Marvel’s The Avengers should gross around $55 million in its third weekend (with a very good decline of under 50% from last weekend).
Opening at an estimated 3,750 theaters, Battleship from Universal should average a decent $11,300 per theater (for $42.5 million Friday-Sunday). [The average wide-release film the past two years has had an opening three-day weekend of $5,525 per theater.] However, reviews at RottenTomatoes are currently running at a soft 43% positive, and we expect word of mouth to be weak. Battleship will probably suffer some serious declines in the second and third weekend and struggle mightily to get above $100 million domestic — we will set a preliminary $105 million domestic target.
Opening at 3,003 theaters, The Dictator from Paramount should average a fairly mediocre $6,000 per theater (for $18.2 million Friday-Sunday). Reviews at RottenTomatoes are currently running at 66% positive. The Dictator is on track for a preliminary $75 million domestic.
Opening at 3,021 theaters, What to Expect When You’re Expecting from Lionsgate should average $5,900 per theater (for $18.0 million Friday-Sunday). Reviews at RottenTomatoes are currently running at a quite low 29% positive. Evidently the film is just as unfunny as the television commercials and the theatrical trailer, which feels like it is about 15 minutes long. What to Expect is on track for a preliminary $60 million domestic, with a very large drop in the following weekends.
| NEW FILMS THIS WEEKEND | ($ millions) | |||||
| May 18-20, 2012 | Critics Positive | Opening Weekend Forecast | Domestic Total Projection | |||
| Battleship | Uni | PG13 | 43% | 42.5 | 105 | |
| The Dictator | Par | R | 66% | 18.2 | 75 | |
| What to Expect When You’re Expecting | LG | PG13 | 29% | 18.0 | 60 | |
Note: Although critic reviews are not related to the size of the opening weekend, they are significantly correlated with the size of the declines in the opening weeks of a movie.
* The Domestic Total is a very early ShowBuzzDaily projection of the total North American gross, based on the Weekend Forecasts.
Among the holdovers, Marvel’s The Avengers should another terrific weekend, down under 50% to $55 million. That won’t be a record for a third weekend. Avatar has a lock on that particular record ($68.5 million, when its third weekend fell right around New Year’s Day).
| RETURNING FILMS | ($ millions) | ||||
| May 18-20, 2012 | Change vs Last Weekend | Weekend Forecast | Showbuzz Domestic Final Proj. | ||
| The Avengers | Dis | -47% | 55.0 | 615 | |
| Dark Shadows | WB | -52% | 14.3 | 79 | |
| Think Like a Man | Sony | -47% | 3.1 | 95 | |
| The Hunger Games | LG | -33% | 3.0 | 405 | |
| The Lucky One | WB | -42% | 2.4 | 60 | |
| Pirates! Band of Misfits | Sony | -41% | 1.9 | 31 | |
Box Office Volume
For the past four years, the top 12 films in this comparable weekend have averaged $160 million total, ranking 10th of 52 weeks. Last year this weekend’s total was $159 million, while the same weekend in 2010 was $143 million. This Friday-Sunday is looking like a just okay $156 million, down 2% from this weekend last year and down the same percentage from an “average” comparable weekend over the past four years.
This Weekend Last Two Years
5/20/11
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides DIS PG13 Johnny Depp Penelope Cruz
Opening Weekend — Forecast: $95 Actual: $90
Domestic Gross — Estimate: $241 Actual: $241
International — Estimate: n/a Actual: $803
5/21/10
Shrek Forever After PAR/ DW PG
Opening Weekend — Forecast: $98 Actual: $71
Domestic Gross — Estimate: $240 Actual: $238
International — Estimate: n/a Actual: $499
MacGruber UNI R Will Forte Kristen Wiig
Opening Weekend — Forecast: $12 Actual: $4
Domestic Gross — Estimate: $11 Actual: $8
International — Estimate: n/a Actual: $1
Check back throughout the weekend for box office updates as the actual numbers come in.
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