>Nine full weeks into 2012, domestic box office continues to run well ahead of last year’s glacial pace, and the year-to-date total is now pacing a double-digit percentage increase over of the comparable period’s average for the last several years.
The Lorax came in at $70.2 million for its opening weekend, down half a million dollars from the $70.7 million studio estimate issued Sunday (an over-statement of less than 1% — so give Universal some credit for accuracy). Project X came in at $21.05 million (a little more than 1% above the studio estimate of $20.775 million). Very accurate figures from the studios for the openers with no fudging. In contrast, The Artist was over-stated on Sunday by a hefty 7%. Weinstein’s studio estimate was $3.9 million for its victory lap weekend, while the actual came in at $3.625 million (moving the Best Picture out of the top 10, from #10 to #11, swapping places with Wanderlust). With only $2,065 per theater this weekend for The Artist, it is clear there is not much pent-up demand for this novelty of a film. We can move on and pretend the 84th Academy Awards never happened.
(millions) 4yr vs vs
Week #9 $141 $147 $193 +37% +31%
Year to Date $1335 $1524 $1696
+27% +11%The Vow $130 million (85 percentile)
Safe House $129 million (85 percentile)
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island $102 million (79 percentile)
Act of Valor $77 million (70 percentile)
Project X $68 million (67 percentile)
Chronicle $66 million (65 percentile)
This Means War $51 million (56 percentile)
Star Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace 3D $42 million (49 percentile)
Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds $39 million (46 percentile)
One for the Money $26 million (29 percentile)
Big Miracle $19 million (19 percentile)
Gone $12 million (9 percentile)
Weekend Predictions for March 9-11 should be posted late Wednesday.
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