OPENINGS:  Coming into this weekend, the discussion about BLADE RUNNER 2049 (Alcon/Sony/Warners) was mostly about whether with its critical raves it could exceed expectations by 20% or so and become October’s #1 opening.  But things went in the other direction, and its current $31.5M estimate doesn’t even put it in the month’s Top 20.  […]

Another night to consider how low a rating can justify a back order these days. NBC:  WHITNEY returned to the NBC schedule last night, and the same nobody who watched it last year came back for more.  The show kicked off with the same 1.4 that Animal Practice had in its premiere (tying Whitney‘s own […]

  It’s a busy but not particularly big weekend at the multiplex.  The weekend’s winner will be BOO 2! A MADEA HALLOWEEN (Lionsgate), which did a fairly good job of holding the audience for last year’s original Boo.  Deadline reports a preliminary $7.5M opening day, down 21% from Boo‘s start.  If that percentage holds, the […]

A low-rated night with little relevance to network regular schedules. ABC:  The only network to take a chance with regular scripted programming last night, airing new episodes of LAST MAN STANDING and MALIBU COUNTRY presumably on the theory that these family-aimed shows could find a holiday audience.  The attempt was neither success nor failure, as […]

> Hop will be–by far–Russell Brand’s biggest opening as a featured performer:  both Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Me To the Greek opened to around $17M.  All of which makes this week’s opening of Arthur, his first bona fide shot as a leading man, that much more interesting.  Be sure to read Mitch Metcalf’s Arthur […]

  Those waiting for Marvel to stumble will have to go on waiting.  Based on preliminary numbers at Deadline, THOR: RAGNAROK (Marvel/Disney) had a $46M opening day (including $14.5M from Thursday night), the highest for any Marvel Universe title released outside the May-July corridor.  Opening day was up 44% from the start of Thor:  The […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, weekend #12 of 2015 looks like $119 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday, below the norms for this weekend.   Opening at 3,875 theaters Friday, Insurgent from Lionsgate/Summit is on track for a $50.1 million opening three-day weekend (somewhat below our $59.0 million ShowBuzzDaily forecast earlier this week). The film is pacing toward $12,900 per […]

SEASON TO DATE through ten weeks (68 nights of official ratings and 2 nights of adjusted fast nationals through Sunday, December 2, 2012): NBC is averaging a 2.81 adult 18-49 rating in prime time (up 23% from the same period last year). CBS is in second place with a 2.33 (down 18%). FOX is in third […]