By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com
The Weekend Report: April 1, 2012
The Wrath of Con
The Hunger Games added an estimated $60.4 million to its larder to lead weekend box office sales. Already among the top 100 all-time domestic grossers after 10 days in theaters, it should have no problem winding up in the top 20 prior to segueing into ancillary riches.
The session’s incoming national releases followed with the tunic challenged Wrath of the Titans opening to $33.4 million and the dryly comic Snow White spin Mirror Mirror behind at $18.6 million. Telegu movie 3 opened well in the niches with a $120,000 tally from 28 screens.
Among exclusive entries it was no contest as Bully strong armed $110,000 at five sites. Also impressive was Chinese import Love in the Buff with an $87,900 box office from eight playdates.
Overall revenues from the frame fell slightly shy of $150 million that translated into a 31% decline from seven days back. It was 20% improved from 2011 when the freshmen trio of Hop, Source Code and Insidious bowed respectively to $37.5 million, $14.8 million and $13.3 million.
Following on Clash of the Titans, pundits were tracking the Wrath at between $35 million and $39 million. It also stepped out internationally with an impressive $78 million with openings in all major territories save Japan.
The prior film was derided by critics for its reconstituted 3D version and once again Wrath went that route. About 51% of domestic box office derived from regular stereoscopic engagements with an additional 14% from Imax engagements. Not surprisingly it skewed 66% male with 55% of viewers aged 25 years and older.
Mirror Mirror also fell short of expectations pegged between $20 million and $24 million. Reviews were generally withering and derisively cited the film as chiefly of interest to young children. Exit polls identified the crowd as 60% family (37% children younger than 12 years). It was also female dominated with roughly 75% of the audience across all ages. The film has been open in about a dozen international territories for two weeks and collected $13 million.
The top five weekend titles accounted for 90% of business so there was considerable competition for the crumbs among more than 100 other films in the marketplace. Traditionally the pre-summer part of the calendar can be a goldmine for alternative fare … but not this year.
| Weekend (estimates) March 30 – April 1, 2012 | |||||
| Title | Distributor | Gross (avg) | % chng | Thtrs | Cume |
| The Hunger Games | Lions Gate | 60.4 (14,610) | -60% | 4137 | 250.3 |
| Wrath of the Titans | WB | 33.4 (9,430) | NEW | 3545 | 33.4 |
| Mirror Mirror | Relativity | 18.6 (5,170) | NEW | 3603 | 18.6 |
| 21 Jump Street | Sony | 15.1 (4,810) | -26% | 3148 | 93.2 |
| Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax | Uni | 8.0 (2,450) | -39% | 3264 | 189.5 |
| John Carter | BV | 2.0 (830) | -61% | 2397 | 66.2 |
| Salmon Fishing in the Yemen | CBS | 1.3 (2,670) | 83% | 483 | 3.2 |
| Act of Valor | Relativity | 1.0 (830) | -50% | 1239 | 67.8 |
| A Thousand Words | Par | ,89 (880) | -54% | 1007 | 16.5 |
| Journey 2: The Mysterious Island | WB | ,81 (890) | -40% | 908 | 98.5 |
| October Baby | IDP | .80 (2,070) | -53% | 387 | 2.9 |
| Project X | WB | .79 (870) | -62% | 903 | 53.3 |
| Safe House | Uni | .76 (1,040) | -46% | 729 | 123.9 |
| Jeff Who Lives at Home | Par Vantage | .66 (1,290) | 12% | 513 | 2.7 |
| Casa de mi Padre | Lions Gate | .59 (1,340) | -50% | 439 | 5 |
| Friends with Kids | Roadside Attractions | .45 (1,470) | -45% | 306 | 6.3 |
| This Means War | Fox | .42 (1,680) | -58% | 250 | 53.1 |
| The Vow | Sony | .33 (640) | -61% | 514 | 123.5 |
| The Artist | Weinstein Co. | .28 (1,210) | -41% | 232 | 43.6 |
| The Raid: Redemption | Sony Class/Alliance | .27 (5,930) | 27% | 46 | 0.58 |
| Good Deeds | Lions Gate | .25 (770) | -71% | 321 | 34.4 |
| Footnote | Sony Classics | .24 (4,020) | 55% | 60 | 0.61 |
| A Separation | Sony Classics | .23 (1,170) | -30% | 199 | 6.4 |
| Alvin & the Chipunks: Chip-Wrecked | Fox | .21 (960) | -12% | 222 | 132.3 |
| Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) | $144.30 | ||||
| % Change (Last Year) | 20% | ||||
| % Change (Last Week) | -31% | ||||
| Also debuting/expanding | |||||
| The Deep Blue Sea | Music Box | .16 (3,370) | 33% | 49 | 0.34 |
| 3 | GK Media | .12 (4,310) | 28 | 0.12 | |
| Bully | Weinstein Co. | .11 (21,920) | 5 | 0.11 | |
| Love in the Buff | China Lion | 87,900 (10,990) | 8 | 0.09 | |
| We Need to Talk About Kevin | Oscilloscope | 74,800 (1,500) | -23% | 50 | 1.5 |
| Nameless Gangster | CJ Entertainment | 45,300 (6,470) | 7 | 0.05 | |
| In Darkness | Sony Classics | 44,600 (740) | -26% | 60 | 0.86 |
| Being Flynn | Focus | 41,700 (1,040) | -45% | 40 | 0.48 |
| Intruders | Millennium | 38,500 (1,170) | 33 | 0.04 | |
| The Island President | IDP | 15,300 (7,650) | 2 | 0.02 | |
| Turn Me On, Dammit! | New Yorker | 8,100 (4,050) | 2 | 0.01 | |
| Dark Tide | Wreckin Hill | 5,700 (340) | 17 | 0.01 | |
| I’m Yours | eOne | 4,500 (900) | 5 | 0.01 | |
| Domestic Market Share (Jan. 1 – March 29, 2012) | |||||
| Distributor (releases) | Gross | Market Share | |||
| Universal (6) | 410.1 | 16.40% | |||
| Sony (10) | 371.9 | 14.90% | |||
| 20th Century Fox (8) | 296.9 | 11.90% | |||
| Warner Bros. (11) | 293.1 | 11.80% | |||
| Lions Gate (4) | 254.8 | 10.20% | |||
| Paramount (10) | 226.1 | 9.10% | |||
| Buena Vista (7) | 181.3 | 7.30% | |||
| Relativity (3) | 86.6 | 3.50% | |||
| Weinstein Co. (6) | 75.2 | 3.00% | |||
| Open Road (2) | 58.1 | 2.30% | |||
| CBS (2) | 55.7 | 2.20% | |||
| Summit (4) | 46.8 | 1.90% | |||
| Fox Searchlight (3) | 45.8 | 1.90% | |||
| Focus (3) | 21.8 | 0.90% | |||
| Sony Classics (9) | 13.5 | 0.50% | |||
| Other * (86) | 54.9 | 2.20% | |||
| 2492.6 | 100.00% | ||||
| * none greater than 0.04% |
