Based on Friday’s and Saturday’s grosses, weekend #8 of 2014 looks now like $98 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday, slightly below this weekend’s average the past several years but well above last year’s weak showing this weekend.  Two new films misfired this weekend, while Lego Movie continues to reign supreme (although now looking […]

  OPENINGS:  DIVERGENT (Summit/Lionsgate) had an unusual trajectory for a YA movie, with a relatively unimpressive start but then much less of a Saturday drop than others in its genre.  The result was a $56M weekend (the number may tick down when adjusted figures are released tomorrow, considering the aggressive estimate of a 31% Sunday […]

WORLDWIDE STUDIO SCORECARD.  Strong overseas grosses for Captain America: The Winter Soldier continue to pad Disney’s lead over Warner Brothers in worldwide box office to date (Disney has $929 million compared to $861 million for Warner Brothers).  Fox is next with $723 million, and Sony has pulled to over $600 million with Heaven Is for Real this weekend. […]

Weekend #20 of 2014 is looking like a solid $156 million for the top 12 films, 7% above the norm for this mid-May weekend. Opening at over 3,800 theaters Friday (well above the 2,886 average theater count for opening weekends the last two years), Godzilla from Warner Brothers should average $19,500 per theater for the weekend (for a $74.0 […]

  THE FAULT IN OUR STARS (20th) ran away with Friday’s box office, demonstrating the hunger out there for movies that aren’t centered on special effects extravaganzas.  Based on preliminary numbers at Deadline and elsewhere, Fault took in a huge $23.5-25M for the day (including $8.2M from Thursday night), and even if it plummets on […]

  Melissa McCarthy’s star vehicle TAMMY (Warners) may not be winning any critical plaudits (it’s at 19% positive on Rotten Tomatoes), but that’s not keeping her fans away, at least in the short term.  Tammy opened with $1.3M at Tuesday night shows, and while that’s far from the $5.5M that 22 Jump Street had last […]

Weekend #31 of 2014 is looking like $150 million for the top 12 films this weekend, up 16%from the norm for this weekend and the first up weekend since June 13-15.   Opening at around 3,800 theaters Friday (above the 2,886 average theater count for opening weekends the last two years), Guardians of the Galaxy from Disney and […]

  There were no miracle turnarounds for any of the weekend’s dim new arrivals on Saturday.  Instead, according to preliminary numbers at Deadline, the expected occurred and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (Marvel/Disney) jumped back to the front of the pack in its 4th weekend with a 55% Friday-to-Saturday increase to $7.5M, down less than 30% […]