WORLDWIDE STUDIO SCORECARD.  Updated look at 2016 by studio.   YEAR TO DATE BOX OFFICE. Looking at North American box office, 2016 to date is now down -1% from last year and still +2% above the average for this point the past four years ($5.690 billion).  Over the same period, Hollywood films have grossed almost $14.7 billion worldwide […]

  OPENINGS:  IF I STAY (Warners/MGM) was the best of a weak trio, opening with $16.4M and with an 18% drop on Saturday that indicated moderate front-loading.  It should reach a fair $40-50M US total, which could get it to breakeven if not profit. WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL (Affirm/TriStar/Sony), with a $9M weekend, was […]

  OPENINGS:  We noted here yesterday that if THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (Lionsgate) could just hold on as well on its first Saturday as The Hunger Games had, a $160M weekend was within its grasp.  That’s exactly what happened, with the same 25% Saturday drop for Catching Fire that Hunger Games had and a $161.1M weekend […]

>Through Sunday, worldwide box office results show that The Smurfs have moved up to #10 among 2011 releases (out of 88 wide-release films this year to date).  Rise of the Planet of the Apes is now at #12, about $70 million behind The Smurfs.  Although Rise will out-gross Smurfs domestically, the little blue guys are […]

Updated STUDIO SCORECARD: TOTAL NORTH AMERICAN BOX OFFICE. Looking at wide-release films in North America (those that play on at least 400 screens at some point), 2013 now totals over $8.2 billion, now basically even with last year’s pace and 3% above the prior four-year average 2009-2012 ($8.005 billion). Each year-to-date period below is defined as […]

  With little else of interest around, audiences are flocking to a movie they know they’ll enjoy:  GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (Marvel/Disney), already the top movie of the year in the US, had a superb $6.1M Saturday according to preliminary numbers at Deadline, up 60% from Friday and down only 19% from last Saturday.  That […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, weekend #28 of 2014 looks like $134 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday, 30% below the norm for this weekend and very close to our forecast ($135 million). Opening at 3,967 theaters, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes from 20th Century Fox grossed $27.7 million through Friday and is on […]

> Through Memorial Day, the Summer Movie Draft is starting to tighten up.  Team Metcalf leads $318 million to $298 million for Team Salem.  But keep in mind that Salem has two movies opening (the well-reviewed X-Men: First Class and the eagerly anticipated Super 8) before Metcalf’s next movie (Mr Popper’s Penguins).  The race  should […]