>Based on Friday and Saturday box office (and estimated Sunday numbers), Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 1 will drop 70% this weekend but remain at #1, and its final domestic estimate has been upgraded to over $300 million because the second weekend drop could have been even worse. The Muppets opened decently in second place but is more like a $120+ million picture. Two too many family films opened this long Thanksgiving weekend, leaving Arthur Christmas and Hugo on the outside looking in. Overall box office this weekend is running about 8% below the same weekend last year — 2011 will continue to lag behind 2010 by about 4% year to date.
Among the second week films, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 has been upgraded a touch ($304 million — also see complete Twilight film track below), while Happy Feet Two had been taken down a notch ($78 million).
Immortals has bounced back a bit ($87 million), as has Jack and Jill ($78 million). J. Edgar has been upgraded a touch ($39 million).
November 25-27, 2011 Wknd vs Showbuzz
(millions) Studio Last Domestic
Proj. Wknd Final*
Twilight Breaking Dawn 1 (Sum) $42.0 -70% $304+
The Muppets (Dis) $29.5 $122
Happy Feet Two (WB) $13.4 -37% $ 78-
Arthur Christmas (Sony) $12.7 $ 52
Hugo (Par) $11.4 $ 49
Immortals (Rel) $ 8.8 -29% $ 87+
Jack and Jill (Sony) $10.3 -12% $ 78+
Puss in Boots (DW/Par) $ 7.5 -31% $166
Tower Heist (Uni) $ 7.3 + 3% $ 82+
The Descendants (Fox) $ 7.2 $ 40
J. Edgar (WB) $ 4.9 -16% $ 39
Note: The table above summarizes the weekend as of Sunday. The first column (on which the table is sorted) displays the “studio projection” for each film, based on the Friday and Saturday actual numbers (and a studio-supplied estimate of Sunday). The second column is the percent decline from the prior weekend. The final column is a preliminary estimate of the ShowbuzzDaily Domestic Total Gross for the film’s complete run in North America. A “++” indicates the Domestic number has been upgraded; a “–” indicates a downgrade.
Twilight Saga Film Track Opening Domestic Overseas
Weekend Total Total
Twilight 11.21.2008 $ 69.6 $192.8 $199.8
Twilight New Moon 11.20.2009 $142.8 $296.6 $413.2
Twilight Eclipse 6.30.2010 $ 64.8 $300.5 $397.9
Total Box Office Volume
The Top 12 Films this weekend are looking like a disappointing $157 million total Friday-Sunday, down 8% from the same calendar weekend last year (when Tangled open solidly and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 held much more of its opening than any Twilight film could).
Top 12 Films: Weekend #47
Volume Movies Opening Each Weekend (millions)
2011 $157 Muppets $29, Arthur Christmas $13, Hugo $11.5
2010 $171 Tangled $49, Burlesque $12, Love & Other Drugs $10
2009 $175 Old Dogs $17, Ninja Assassin $13, Fantastic Mr Fox $7
2008 $155 Four Christmases $31, Australia $15 Transporter3 $12
2007 $ 76 Awake $6
2007-10
Avg $144
Next Weekend
No wide release films are opening next week, kind of a hangover weekend after the doorbuster Thanksgiving weekend blowout. Last year on the weekend after Thanksgiving, only The Warrior’s Way ($3 million opening weekend) tried its luck — the same thing as a weekend without any openers.
International numbers will be posted as soon as possible, and Monday we will have official numbers for the Friday-Sunday domestic grosses.
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