OPENINGS:  DUNE: PART TWO (Legendary/Warners) landed at the high end of projections with $81.5M.  Comparisons with the 2021 Dune have little meaning, since that film was part of the studio’s controversial year of premiering simultaneously in theaters and via streaming, but compared to recent blockbusters, Dune 2 was below Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania […]

  OPENINGS:  A $34.1M US launch for a movie that reportedly carries about $350M in production and marketing costs likely means a nine-figure loss in theatrical release, which traditionally is considered less than desirable.  But the ways of Box Office Magical Thinking are infinite (and the number of pundits willing to parrot such spin similarly […]

  CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (Disney) declined about 10% to as much as $34M on Saturday, according to preliminary numbers at Deadline, which should give it a $95M opening weekend, the best April opening ever.  By way of comparison, the previous April record-holder Fast Five dropped 13% on its second day (for a $86.2M […]

>The Help sits at the top of the heap thanks to a terrific 19% drop in its second weekend and especially thanks to the very weak crop of openers that make up that heap.  Spy Kids 4, Conan the Barbarian and Fright Night all are opening below forecast and headed for a quick end on […]

>The weekend studio estimates (based on Friday and Saturday actuals and projections for Sunday) are coming in slightly stronger than the weekend numbers posted yesterday (based on Friday actuals only).  The box office volume for the top 12 films is now looking like a decent $123 million for the weekend, up 4% from last year’s […]

>Based on Friday and Saturday box office (and estimated Sunday numbers), The Smurfs and Cowboys & Aliens could not have closer opening weekends (both headed for $36.2 million at this point).  We will have to wait to see who wins the weekend crown Monday, when the Sunday actuals are available.  But assuming a weekend tie […]

>Two full weeks into 2012, domestic box office is running well ahead of last year’s anemic pace but just ahead of the pace for the same period’s average for the last several years.        The Past Week: Total Box Office Volume All films in wide release playing between January 9 and January 15 grossed […]

> The past week came in up 10% versus last year’s comparable week.  Year-to-date box office is now down 12% versus last year.    The Past Week: Total Box Office Volume All films in wide release playing between May 16 and May 22 grossed $202 million, up 10% versus the same week in 2010.  Year […]