Posts Tagged ‘Legend of the Guardians’
Tuesday, December 14th, 2010
CO-PICKS OF THE WEEK: NEW
The Town (Extended Cut/Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (Three and a Half Stars)
U.S.; Ben Affleck, 2010 (Warner)
The Boston, Massachusetts, of Ben Affleck‘s new movie The Town – and of The Departed, Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone and other recent thrillers, Dennis Lehane-derived or not — is decades away from the morally bent city of that great under-seen 1973 neo-noir The Friends of Eddie Coyle. But it has a similarly chilly temperature, the same clipped sense of smart-ass New England doom and Kennedy-accented cynicism welling up from the mean, sullen streets.
(more…)
Tags: Despicable Me, Legend of the Guardians, Mother and Child, Nanny McPhee Returns, Strictly Ballroom, The A-Team, the disappearance of alice creed, the night of the hunter, The Other Guys, The Town
Posted in Columns, DVD & Blue Ray, DVD Reviews, MCN Originals, MCN Weekend, Reviews, Wilmington | Comments Off on MW on DVDs: The Town, Mother and Child, Despicable Me, The Other Guys, Nanny McPhee Returns … and more
Sunday, November 7th, 2010
No Brainer
Megamind led a torrid weekend box office frame (the largest for a pre-Thanksgiving November) with a first salvo estimated at $47.5 million. Two other national openers followed in succession with strong numbers. The comedy road trip Due Date grossed $33.4 million and the Afrocentric For Colored Girls bowed to $20.1 million.
There was also a pair of Bollywood films timed to the Dwali holiday. Golmaal 3 had solid returns of $443,000 from 86 screens while Action Replayy was disappointing with $232,000 from 99 venues. In Quebec Reste avec moi pancaked on a gross of $25,600 in an initial 19 playdates.
In limited and exclusive runs the politically charged Fair Game polled a respectable $663,000 that indicates challenging expansion plans. Among the remaining newcomers there was a good solo for Algerian Oscar submission Outside the Law of $7,500. But the big noise of the weekend was the not-for-the-squeamish 127 Hours, which played to near capacity at four and generated a staggering screen average of $66,570.
Weekend revenues ballooned as a result of buoyant new titles and some very strong holdovers.
The latest from DreamWorks Animation, Megamind, was generally pegged to debut in a mid-$40 million arena though some felt it could have performed better on a less competitive weekend. Though that contention is dubious, the rest of the year really doesn’t offer that option with both pre-sold and award titles beginning to open up the multiplex floodgates.
Due Date — with its obvious references to Trains, Planes & Automobiles — renewed faith in the power of a high concept comedy. But the riskier For Colored Girls, based upon the acclaimed play by Ntozake Shange, was the session’s major question mark. Many had pursued the property for decades and concluded that it was unfilmable, so when Tyler Perry unexpectedly stepped forward there was a collective shudder. Critical response was mixed to positive while the opening box office was better than anticipated.
Overall box office should top $155 million for the weekend and best the immediate prior session by 67%. It’s also a 28% improvement from 2009 with the launch of the animated A Christmas Carol opened to $30.1 million with the frame’s other debs The Men Who Stare at Goats and The Fourth Kind slotting third and fourth with respectively $12.7 million and $12.2 million.
If you believe that there’s no such thing as bad publicity, the opening weekend of 127 Hours would certainly buttress your argument. Aside from sterling reviews, the fact-inspired tale of endurance has generated a lot of ink centering on the intensity of the viewing experience that appears to cause at least a few patrons to faint at every screening. The industry will be watching intently to see whether it remains a date movie as it expands nationally.
Also under the microscope is Fair Game that fell short of dynamic initial business. There’s already debate about the decision to open in more than a handful of venues and a feeling that rapid expansion will result in further disappointment along the lines of Conviction.
__________________________________________________
Weekend Estimates – November 5-7, 2010
Title |
Distributor |
Gross (average) |
% change * |
Theaters |
Cume |
Megamind |
Par |
47.5 (12,040) |
New |
3944 |
47.5 |
ue Date |
WB |
33.4 (9,960) |
New |
3355 |
33.4 |
For Colored Girls |
Lionsgate |
20.1 (9,440) |
New |
2127 |
20.1 |
Red |
Summit |
8.8 (2,720) |
-18% |
3229 |
71.8 |
Saw 3D |
Lionsgate |
7.9 (2,820) |
-67% |
2808 |
38.5 |
Paranormal Activity 2 |
Par |
7.1 (2,250) |
-57% |
3168 |
77 |
Jackass 3D |
Par |
5.0 (2,330) |
-41% |
2165 |
110.8 |
Secretariat |
BV |
4.1 (1,570) |
-18% |
2614 |
51.1 |
Hereafter |
WB |
4.0 (1,680) |
-38% |
2365 |
28.7 |
The Social Network |
Sony |
3.5 (1,890) |
-22% |
1860 |
85 |
Life As We Know It |
WB |
3.1 (1,610) |
-23% |
1950 |
48.6 |
Conviction |
Fox Searchlight |
1.5 (2,280) |
-16% |
672 |
4.5 |
The Town |
WB |
1.2 (1,510) |
-39% |
801 |
89.8 |
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest |
Music Box/Alliance |
.74 (3,720) |
2% |
199 |
2 |
Fair Game |
Summit |
.66 (14,410) |
New |
46 |
0.66 |
Easy A |
Sony |
.50 (1,070) |
-53% |
468 |
57.3 |
Legend of the Guardians |
WB |
.45 (610) |
-74% |
740 |
54 |
Golmaal 3 |
Eros |
.44 (5,140) |
New |
86 |
0.44 |
Waiting for “Superman” |
Par Vantage |
.38 (1,570) |
-36% |
242 |
5.4 |
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps |
Fox |
.34 (960) |
-57% |
353 |
51.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) |
|
$149.10 |
|
|
|
% Change (Last Year) |
|
28% |
|
|
|
% Change (Last Week) |
|
67% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Also debuting/expanding |
|
|
|
|
|
127 Hours |
Searchlight |
.27 (66,570) |
|
4 |
0.27 |
Action Replayy |
Viva |
.23 (2,340) |
|
99 |
0.23 |
Stone |
Overture |
.18 (1,630) |
-28% |
109 |
1.5 |
Four Lions |
Drafthouse |
41,300 (5,160) |
|
8 |
0.04 |
Reste avec moi |
Seville |
25,600 (1,350) |
|
19 |
0.03 |
Client 9 |
Magnolia |
18,400 (6,130) |
|
3 |
0.02 |
Red Hill |
Strand |
8,400 (1,680) |
|
5 |
0.01 |
Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi) |
Cohen Media |
7,500 (7,500) |
|
1 |
0.01 |
Trapped |
CJ Entertainment |
4,400 (4,400) |
|
1 |
0.01 |
Domestic Market Share (Jan. 1 – Nov. 4, 2010)
Distributor (releases) |
Gross |
Market Share |
Warner Bros. (25) |
1457.6 |
16.50% |
Paramount (16) |
1423.7 |
16.00% |
Fox (16) |
1290.9 |
14.50% |
Buena Vista (15) |
1163.9 |
13.10% |
Sony (23) |
1151.1 |
13.00% |
Universal (17) |
776.9 |
8.80% |
Summit (10) |
488.3 |
5.50% |
Lionsgate (13) |
444.2 |
5.00% |
Overture (7) |
81.2 |
0.90% |
Fox Searchlight (6) |
75.9 |
0.80% |
Focus (7) |
74.8 |
0.80% |
Weinstein Co. (7) |
62.3 |
0.70% |
Sony Classics (21) |
55.5 |
0.60% |
MGM (1) |
51.2 |
0.60% |
CBS (2) |
50 |
0.60% |
Other * (281) |
233.2 |
2.60% |
|
8880.7 |
100.00% |
* none greater than .04% |
Top Global Grossers * (Jan. 1 – Nov. 4, 2010)
Title |
Distributor |
Gross |
Avatar |
Fox |
1,953,205,209 |
Toy Story 3 |
BV |
1,061,408,156 |
Alice in Wonderland |
BV |
1,024,537,295 |
Inception |
WB |
831,539,135 |
Shrek Forever After |
Par |
737,766,901 |
Twilight: Eclipse |
Summit |
691,483,448 |
Iron Man 2 |
Par |
622,718,600 |
How to Train Your Dragon |
Par |
495,792,295 |
Despicable Me |
Uni |
492,994,376 |
Clash of the Titans |
WB |
489,778,913 |
Sherlock Holmes * |
WB |
367,796,599 |
The Karate Kid |
Sony |
359,315,646 |
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time |
BV |
335,692,394 |
The Last Airbender |
Par |
318,404,181 |
Robin Hood |
Uni |
311,826,207 |
Shutter Island |
Par |
301,977,955 |
Sex and the City 2 |
WB |
301,158,934 |
Salt |
Sony |
291,684,047 |
Resident Evil: Afterlife |
Sony/Alliance |
277,419,991 |
Grown Ups |
Sony |
270,265,798 |
The Expendables |
Lionsgate/NuImage |
269,273,037 |
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel |
Fox |
264,341,533 |
Knight and Day |
Fox |
256,518,022 |
Percy Jackson & the Olympians |
Fox |
226,497,209 |
Valentine’s Day |
WB |
217,596,116 |
* does not include 2009 box office |
Tags: 127 Hours, Action Replayy, Client 9 Red Hill Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi) Trapped, Conviction, Due Date, Easy A, Fair Game, For Colored Girls, Four Lions, Golmaal 3, Hereafter, Jackass 3D, Legend of the Guardians, Life As We Know It, Megamind, Paranormal Activity 2, Red, Reste avec moi, Saw 3D, Secretariat, Stone, the girl who kicked the hornet's nest, The Social Network, The Town, Waiting For 'Superman', Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Posted in Klady, MCN Originals, MCN Weekend, The Weekend Report | 1 Comment »
Sunday, October 31st, 2010
See … Saw … Ouch!
Saw 3D whipped into cinemas with an estimated $24.3 million to take top spot in weekend movie going. Distributors gave a wide berth to the Halloween frame when traditionally there are sharp drops in attendance; making the Saw finale the sole new national release.
A different sort of ghoul — the Millennium finale The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest — went limited wide to solid returns of $890,000, but otherwise the frame’s new entries were dominated by niche and exclusive launches. The best of the bunch was the Chinese trembler Aftershock with a single screen entry of $17,600. Other newcomers with good but not spectacular returns included indie drama Welcome to the Riley’s, Brit spy spoof Wild Target, Mexican prize winner Nora’s Will, Claude Chabrol’s final effort Bellamy and non-fiction entry Waste Land.
Overall box office saw a sharp fall from last weekend and a slight bump from 2009 results.
The seventh annual edition of the Saw franchise was hoping for an exit with bite with the addition of stereoscopic imagery. But pre-release tracking indicated that with or without gimmicks the mania was fading and its mid-$20 million weekend tally was pretty much in line with pundit’s predictions. The gore crowd would appear to be sated with current splatter fare but the past month has seen every segment of the audience unenthusiastic for the new crop of movies beyond their opening sessions.
The global juggernaut for the Millennium trilogy continued with the U.S. bow of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. The first installment, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, has racked up $99 million internationally and it and its second chapter are the top grossing foreign-language movies in America post-Pan’s Labyrinth.
Weekend revenues generated about $95 million in sales that translated into a 28% drop from the immediate prior session. It was a modest 6% improvement from 2009 when Michael Jackson: This Is It bowed to $23.2 million followed by Paranormal Activity with $16.4 million.
The fact-based Conviction expanded nationally to fair results and appears to be headed to the same sort of indifferent commercial returns as the rest of the early award season contenders. A sharp drop for last weekend’s Hereafter departs from the sort of holds associated with recent films directed by Clint Eastwood whereas the better than expected stamina of the geezer spies of RED has confounded box office mavens.
But apart from Jackass 3D (which passed a $100 million tally this weekend) such well-reviewed positive word-of-mouth entries as The Social Network and Secretariat have struggled to maintain a presence (forget about momentum) in a marketplace that has all but eliminated the possibility of a second wind.
__________________________________________________
Weekend Estimates – October 29-31, 2010
Title |
Distributor |
Gross (average) |
% change * |
Theaters |
Cume |
Saw 3D |
Lionsgate |
24.3 (8,660) |
New |
2808 |
24.3 |
Paranormal Activity 2 |
Par |
16.4 (5,070) |
-60% |
3239 |
65.6 |
Red |
Summit |
10.9 (3,250) |
-28% |
3349 |
59 |
Jackass 3D |
Par |
8.5 (2,720) |
-60% |
3139 |
101.7 |
Hereafter |
WB |
6.4 (2,630) |
-47% |
2424 |
22.2 |
Secretariat |
BV |
5.0 (1,610) |
-28% |
3108 |
44.7 |
The Social Network |
Sony |
4.7 (1,690) |
-36% |
2767 |
79.7 |
Life As We Know It |
WB |
4.1 (1,440) |
-33% |
2860 |
43.6 |
The Town |
WB |
2.0 (1,250) |
-27% |
1608 |
87.7 |
Conviction |
Fox Searchlight |
1.8 (3,220) |
501% |
565 |
2.4 |
Legend of the Guardians |
WB |
1.8 (880) |
-46% |
2010 |
52.7 |
Easy A |
Sony |
1.1(880) |
-37% |
1262 |
56.3 |
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest |
Music Box/Alliance |
.89 (5,830) |
New |
152 |
0.89 |
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps |
Fox |
.78 (840) |
-37% |
933 |
51.2 |
Waiting for “Superman” |
Par Vantage |
.52 (1,580) |
-33% |
330 |
4.6 |
Devil |
Uni |
.51 (800) |
-21% |
635 |
33.1 |
Alpha and Omega |
Lionsgate |
.48 (710) |
-34% |
676 |
24.1 |
It’s Kind of a Funny Story |
Focus |
.46 (960) |
-32% |
477 |
5.8 |
You Again |
BV |
.41 (610) |
-37% |
673 |
24.7 |
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger |
Sony Classics |
.33 (1,022) |
-24% |
323 |
2.4 |
Toy Story 3 |
BV |
.31 (920) |
-34% |
337 |
413.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) |
|
$89.70 |
|
|
|
% Change (Last Year) |
|
6% |
|
|
|
% Change (Last Week) |
|
-28% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Also debuting/expanding |
|
|
|
|
|
Stone |
Overture |
.22 (1,760) |
-39% |
125 |
1.2 |
Nowhere Boy |
Weinstein Co. |
.13 (840) |
-62% |
153 |
1 |
10.50 |
Alliance |
55,800 (4,290) |
|
13 |
0.06 |
Welcome to the Riley’s |
IDP |
41,600 (4,160) |
|
10 |
0.04 |
Nora’s Will |
Menemsha |
25,300 (4,220) |
|
6 |
0.03 |
Wild Target |
FreeStyle |
23,200 (5,800) |
|
4 |
0.02 |
Bellamy |
IFC |
19,700 (9,850) |
|
2 |
0.02 |
Monsters |
Magnolia |
18,100 (6,030) |
|
3 |
0.02 |
Aftershock |
AMC |
17,600 (17,600) |
|
1 |
0.02 |
Waste Land |
Arthouse |
10.300 (10,300) |
|
1 |
0.01 |
Walkaway |
IABA |
9,400 (360) |
|
26 |
0.01 |
Strange Powers |
Variance |
4,800 (4,800) |
|
1 |
0.01 |
The Kids Grow Up |
Shadow |
4,600 (4,600) |
|
1 |
0.01 |
Domestic Market Share (Jan. 1 – Oct. 28, 2010)
Distributor (releases) |
Gross |
Market Share |
Warner Bros. (25) |
1436.3 |
16.40% |
Paramount (16) |
1389.1 |
15.90% |
Fox (16) |
1289.8 |
14.70% |
Buena Vista (15) |
1155.5 |
13.20% |
Sony (23) |
1142.4 |
13.10% |
Universal (17) |
774.3 |
8.90% |
Summit (10) |
473.3 |
5.40% |
Lionsgate (12) |
412.7 |
4.70% |
Overture (7) |
80.6 |
0.90% |
Focus (7) |
74.1 |
0.80% |
Fox Searchlight (6) |
73.4 |
0.80% |
Weinstein Co. (7) |
61.9 |
0.70% |
Sony Classics (21) |
54.7 |
0.60% |
MGM (1) |
51.2 |
0.60% |
CBS (2) |
50 |
0.60% |
Other * (277) |
229.7 |
2.70% |
|
8749 |
100.00% |
* none greater than .04% |
Top Limited Releases * (Jan. 1 – Oct. 28, 2010)
Title |
Distributor |
Gross |
Hubble 3D |
WB |
17,246,918 |
The Ghost Writer |
Summit |
15,569,712 |
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo |
Music Box/Alliance |
11,270,373 |
The Young Victoria * |
Apparition/Alliance |
11,131,232 |
Get Low |
Sony Classics |
8,980,294 |
A Single Man * |
Weinstein Co. |
7,935,872 |
The Girl Who Played with Fire |
Music Box/Alliance |
7,768,761 |
Cyrus |
Fox Searchlight |
7,461,082 |
Babies |
Focus |
7,444,272 |
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus * |
E1/Sony Classics |
7,394,171 |
City Island |
Anchor Bay |
6,671,036 |
The Last Station |
Sony Classics |
6,617,867 |
The Secret in Their Eyes |
Sony Classics |
6,391,436 |
Winter’s Bone |
Roadside Attractions |
6,204,696 |
It’s Kind of a Funny Story |
Focus |
5,342,641 |
Under the Sea 3D * |
WB |
5,256,073 |
I Am Love |
Magnolia |
4,982,446 |
An Education * |
Sony Classics |
4,963,224 |
The Hurt Locker * |
Summit |
4,531,548 |
Solitary Man |
Anchor Bay |
4,360,548 |
* does not include 2009 box office |
Tags: 10.50, A Single Man, Aftershock, Alpha and Omega, An Education, Babies, Bellamy, City Island, Conviction, Cyrus, Devil, Easy A, Get Low, Hereafter, Hubble 3D, I Am Love, It's Kind Of A Funny Story, Jackass 3D, Legend of the Guardians, Life As We Know It, Monsters, Nora's Will, Nowhere Boy, Paranormal Activity 2, Red, Saw 3D, Secretariat, solitary man, Stone, Strange Powers, The Ghost Writer, the girl who kicked the hornet's nest, The Girl Who Played With Fire, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Hurt Locker, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, The Kids Grow Up, The Last Station, The Secret In Their Eyes, The Social Network, The Town, The Young Victoria, Toy Story 3, Under the Sea 3D, Waiting For 'Superman', Walkaway, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Waste Land, Welcome to the Rileys, Wild Target, Winter's Bone, You Again, You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger
Posted in MCN Originals, MCN Weekend, Movie City News, The Weekend Report | Comments Off on Weekend Box Office Report – October 31
Sunday, October 24th, 2010
Back to Paranormal
Paranormal Activity 2 exceeded pundit expectation (though not necessarily fans) with an estimated $41.6 million to lead weekend movie ticket sales. The session’s only other national bow was Hereafter, which shot up to $11.9 million following last weekend’s limited opener.
Niche and regional bows included a solid $212,000 (in Hindi and Telegu versions) bow for the Indian crime saga Rakhtcharitra. Fans won’t have to wait long for its second part conclusion that’s scheduled for late November. Meanwhile up in Canada the Toronto fest curtain raiser Score: A Hockey Musical failed to live up to its name with a discordant $143,000 from 127 rinks.
Exclusives included good though unsensational debuts that included non-fiction Boxing Gym with a $6,100 TKO in its solo bout and Taqwacores — the tale of an Islamic rock band — grossing $5,500 also in a single outing.
Though there was a marginal dip from last weekend’s box office, the frame saw its first uptick from 2009 in a month with industry mavens already predicting expanded revenues through the end of the year.
Critical response to sleeper sensation Paranormal Activity 2 was at best tepid with the more negative reviews viewing it as a cynical rehash of its inspiration. Nonetheless avids were cueing up to provide Thursday midnight shows a record preview for an R-rated film. It lost traction as the weekend proceeded but the fast start was sufficient to speed past tracking that suggested an opening salvo of not much more than $30 million.
Exit polls for both Paranormal Activity 2 and Hereafter were disappointing. The latter film pretty much brought in the anticipated older crowd and filmmaker Clint Eastwood’s films have a history of hanging in for longer than typical runs and much higher multiples than is the industry norm. Still, this yarn could well stray from that trend.
Weekend revenues amassed roughly $130 million in torn ducats. It represented a slight 2% dip from seven days back but the unexpected Paranormal Activity 2 and overall strong holdovers translated into a 13% box office boost from 2009. A year ago the first Paranormal Activity (in its initial wide weekend) led with $21.1 million followed by Saw VI and Where the Wild Things Are with respective tallies of $14.1 million and $14 million.
With the exception of Waiting for “Superman” it’s been a brutal season for Oscar hopefuls trying to set an early footprint on the awards landscape. Granted, very few have received a wholehearted critical embrace, but even by niche standards the likes of Nowhere Boy, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger and Jack Goes Boating among others have been comparative under-performers when measured against past films that have employed this tactic.
__________________________________________________
Weekend Estimates – October 22-24, 2010
Title |
Distributor |
Gross (average) |
% change * |
Theaters |
Cume |
Paranormal Activity 2 |
Par |
41.6 (12,930) |
New |
3216 |
41.6 |
Jackass 3D |
Par |
21.5 (6,920) |
-57% |
3111 |
87.1 |
Red |
Summit |
15.1 (4,620) |
-31% |
3273 |
43.6 |
Hereafter |
WB |
11.9 (5,450) |
|
2175 |
12.2 |
The Social Network |
Sony |
7.2 (2,450) |
-31% |
2921 |
72.8 |
Secretariat |
BV |
6.9 (2,210) |
-26% |
3108 |
37.3 |
Life As We Know It |
WB |
6.1 (2,010) |
-32% |
3019 |
37.5 |
Legend of the Guardians |
WB |
3.1 (1,390) |
-26% |
2236 |
50.1 |
The Town |
WB |
2.7 (1,390) |
-33% |
1918 |
84.6 |
Easy A |
Sony |
1.7 (1,050) |
-35% |
1632 |
54.7 |
Wal Street: Money Never Sleeps |
Fox |
1.2 (960) |
-49% |
1255 |
50 |
My Soul to Take |
Uni/Alliance |
1.0 (600) |
-68% |
1689 |
13.9 |
Waiting for “Superman” |
Par Vantage |
.76 (2,620) |
2% |
290 |
3.7 |
Alpha and Omega |
Lionsgate |
.71 (980) |
-14% |
727 |
23.5 |
It’s Kind of a Funny Story |
Focus |
.66 (1,180) |
-46% |
560 |
5.1 |
Devil |
Uni |
.63 (980) |
-35% |
642 |
32.4 |
You Again |
BV |
.61 (680) |
-50% |
901 |
24 |
N Secure |
FreeStyle |
.53 (1,190) |
-55% |
445 |
1.9 |
Toy Story 3 |
BV |
.42 (1,211) |
-21% |
350 |
413.4 |
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger |
Sony Classics |
.40 (1,060) |
46% |
381 |
1.8 |
Case 39 |
Par Vantage |
.38 (530) |
-69% |
721 |
12.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) |
|
$123.90 |
|
|
|
% Change (Last Year) |
|
13% |
|
|
|
% Change (Last Week) |
|
-2% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Also debuting/expanding |
|
|
|
|
|
Stone |
Overture |
.34 (3,030) |
49% |
113 |
0.76 |
Conviction |
Fox Searchlight |
.30 (5,420) |
192% |
55 |
0.34 |
Rakhtcharitra |
Viva/Happy |
.21 (6,230) |
|
34 |
0.21 |
Nowhere Boy |
Weinstein Co. |
.21 (870) |
-39% |
215 |
0.76 |
Score: A Hockey Musical |
Mongrel |
.14 (1,130) |
|
127 |
0.14 |
Jhootha Hi Sahi |
Viva |
64,700 (1,350) |
|
48 |
0.06 |
My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend |
Fiftyfilms |
10,300 (5,150) |
|
2 |
0.01 |
Boxing Gym |
Zipporah |
6,100 (6,100) |
|
1 |
0.01 |
Taqwacores |
Rumanni |
5,500 (5,500) |
|
1 |
0.01 |
Inhale |
IFC |
5,600 (2,800) |
|
2 |
0.01 |
Domestic Market Share (Jan. 1 – Oct. 21, 2010)
Distributor (releases) |
Gross |
Market Share |
Warner Bros. (25) |
1403.9 |
16.30% |
Paramount (15) |
1310.6 |
15.30% |
Fox (16) |
1287.9 |
15.00% |
Buena Vista (15) |
1144.7 |
13.30% |
Sony (23) |
1129.9 |
13.20% |
Universal (17) |
771.4 |
9.00% |
Summit (10) |
453.6 |
5.30% |
Lionsgate (12) |
411.5 |
4.80% |
Overture (7) |
79.7 |
0.90% |
Focus (7) |
73.2 |
0.90% |
Fox Searchlight (6) |
72.7 |
0.80% |
Weinstein Co. (7) |
61.6 |
0.70% |
Sony Classics (21) |
53.7 |
0.60% |
MGM (1) |
50.4 |
0.60% |
CBS (2) |
50 |
0.60% |
Other * (271) |
226.9 |
2.70% |
|
8581.7 |
100.00% |
* none greater than .04% |
Top Domestic Grossers * (Jan. 1 – Oct. 21, 2010)
Title |
Distributor |
Gross |
Avatar * |
Fox |
476,726,209 |
Toy Story 3 |
BV |
413,013,123 |
Alice in Wonderland |
BV |
334,191,110 |
Iron Man 2 |
Par |
312,445,596 |
Twilight: Eclipse |
Summit |
300,531,751 |
Inception |
WB |
289,881,124 |
Despicable Me |
Uni |
247,148,995 |
Shrek Forever After |
Par |
238,667,087 |
How to Train Your Dragon |
Par |
218,685,707 |
The Karate Kid |
Sony |
176,797,997 |
Clash of the Titans |
WB |
163,214,888 |
Grown Ups |
Sony |
161,942,598 |
The Last Airbender |
Par |
131,733,601 |
Shutter Island |
Par |
128,051,522 |
The Other Guy |
Sony |
118,236,912 |
Salt |
Sony |
118,229,865 |
Valentine’s Day |
WB |
110,509,442 |
Sherlock Holmes * |
WB |
106,967,985 |
Robin Hood |
Uni |
105,425,146 |
The Expendables |
Lions Gate |
103,068,524 |
* does not include 2009 box office |
Tags: Alice in Wonderland, Alpha and Omega, Avatar, boxing gym, Case 39, Clash of the Titans, Conviction, Despicable Me, Devil, Easy A, Grown Ups, Hereafter, How to Train Your Dragon, Inception, inhale, Iron Man 2, It's Kind Of A Funny Story, Jackass 3D, Jhootha Hi Sahi, Legend of the Guardians, Life As We Know It, My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, My Soul To Take, N Secure, Nowhere Boy, Paranormal Activity 2, Rakhtcharitra, Red, Robin Hood, Salt, Score: A Hockey Musical, Secretariat, Sherlock Holmes, Shrek Forever After, Shutter Island, Stone, Taqwacores, The Expendables, The Karate Kid, The Last Airbender, The Other Guy, The Social Network, The Town, Toy Story 3, Twilight: Eclipse, Valentine's Day, Waiting For 'Superman', Walt Street: Money Never Sleeps, You Again, You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger
Posted in MCN Originals, MCN Weekend, Movie City News, The Weekend Report | 1 Comment »
Sunday, October 24th, 2010
Paranormal Activity 2|41.6|New| 41.6
Jackass 3D|21.5|-57% |87.1
Red|15.1|-31%|43.6
Hereafter|11.9||12.2
The Social Network|7.2|-31%|72.8
Secretariat|6.9|-26%|37.3
Life As We Know It|6.1|-32%|37.5
Legend of the Guardians|3.1|-26%|50.1
The Town|2.7|-33%| 84.6
Easy A|1.7|-35%|54.7
Tags: Easy A, Hereafter, Jackass 3D, Legend of the Guardians, Life As We Know It, Paranormal Activity 2, Red, Secretariat, The Social Network, The Town
Posted in Estimates, MCN Weekend | Comments Off on Weekend Estimates – October 24
Saturday, October 23rd, 2010
Paranormal Activity 2|19.1|3216|New|19.1
Jackass 3D|7.6|3111|-66%|73.1
Red|4.5 |3273|-38%|33
Hereafter|4.1|2175||4.4
The Social Network|2.2|2921|-34%|67.8
Life As We Know It|2|3019|-35%|33.4
Secretariat|1.9|3108|-31%|32.4
The Town|0.8|1918|-35%|82.7
Legend of the Guardians|0.75|2236|-27%|47.7
Easy A|0.55|1632|-35%|53.6
Also Debuting
Score: A Hockey Musical|81,400|120||81,400
Rakhtcharitra|63,700|29||63,700
Jhootha Hi Sahi|20,200|48||20,200
My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend|3,700|2||3,700
Taqwacores|2,400|1||2,400
Boxing Gym|2,300|1||2,300
Inhale|1,300|2||1,300
||||
*in millions|||
Tags: boxing gym, Easy A, Hereafter, inhale, Jackass 3D, Jhootha Hi Sahi, Legend of the Guardians, Life As We Know It, My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, Paranormal Activity 2, Rakhtcharitra, Red, Score: A Hockey Musical, Secretariat, Taqwacores, The Social Network, The Town
Posted in Friday Box Office Estimates, MCN Originals, MCN Weekend, Movie City News | Comments Off on Friday Estimates – October 23
Sunday, October 17th, 2010
Jack’use!
Jackass 3D was better than all right with an estimated $49.3 million that easily ranked it at the top of the weekend movie going charts. Another freshman, the seasoned action-comedy Red, ranked second with $21.9 million. The session’s third national debut in medium-wide release was the inspirational N Secure with an OK $133,000 bow.
Among niche and regional bows the polemical documentary I Want Your Money failed to bring out the vote with a $236,000 tally from 537 screens. Telegu-language Brindaavanam rang up an impressive $10,320 average from 20 venues while Bollywood entry Aakrosh was a washout with a $46,400 gross from 24 screens.
Among the week’s exclusive newbies the clear favorite was Hereafter with a $37,380 per screen from six early peeks. There were also impressive openings for the three-hour plus portrait of a terrorist Carlos of $33,700 from single dates in Manhattan and Montreal and a sturdy $101,000 gross for the ripped from the headlines Conviction at 11 cells.
Overall weekend box office revenues topped $130 million for a sizeable 42% boost from seven days back. However, it fell 4% below last year’s tally and the 2010 box office has shrunk to just 2% better than the prior year’s gross for the same period.
Industry trackers had pegged the stereoscopic version of Jackass at roughly $30 million prior to its opening. But they obviously were deaf to bygone wag Henry Mencken’s observation that “no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.” The recently under-served young male audience were eager to don Polaroid glasses and see the aging stars of the reality skein making fools of themselves and others up close and personal.
Pundits also undervalued Red with early estimates in a $15 million to $18 million range. The single joke premise of over the hill spies conscripted back into service (more intentionally mawkish than The Expendables) skewed older but obviously had some appeal for a younger crowd in search of something marginally less mind numbing that required optical gimmicks.
The glacial expansion of Waiting for “Superman” continued to display stamina but it’s clear that Never Let Me Go has peaked and that the rapid expansion of Nowhere Boy left the early years of John Lennon stranded outside the Cavern Club. Stone was experiencing a better than expected hold as it increased its exposure from six to 41 venues.
The frame’s two award contenders – Hereafter and Conviction – constructed solid foundations for their platform bids. Still the early signs suggest a better than anticipated commercial run for the former with the latter yarn requiring a lot of TLC to reach a wider audience.
Among holdovers the second lap for Secretariat showed signs that audiences were discovering the heartfelt saga and The Social Network continues to be propped up by award buzz rather than Facebook fascination.
__________________________________________________
Weekend Estimates – October 15-17, 2010
Title |
Distributor |
Gross (average) |
% change * |
Theaters |
Cume |
Jackass 3D |
Par |
49.3 (16,010) |
New |
3081 |
49.3 |
Red |
Summit |
21.9 (6,740) |
New |
3255 |
21.8 |
The Social Network |
Sony |
10.8 (3,910) |
-30% |
2771 |
63 |
Secretariat |
BV |
9.4 (3,070) |
-26% |
3072 |
27.4 |
Life As We Know It |
WB |
9.2 (2,910) |
-37% |
3150 |
28.8 |
Legend of the Guardians |
WB |
4.2 (1,670) |
-39% |
2502 |
46 |
The Town |
WB |
4.0 (1,700) |
-37% |
2368 |
80.6 |
My Soul to Take |
Uni/Alliance |
3.1 (1,240) |
-54% |
2529 |
11.9 |
Easy A |
Sony |
2.6 (1,140) |
-39% |
2314 |
52.3 |
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps |
Fox |
2.3 (1,110) |
-50% |
2045 |
47.8 |
N Secure |
FreeStyle |
1.3 (2,730) |
New |
486 |
1.3 |
It’s Kind of a Funny Story |
Focus |
1.3 (1,660) |
-38% |
757 |
4 |
You Again |
BV |
1.2 (750) |
-53% |
1588 |
22.7 |
Case 39 |
Par Vantage |
1.2 (840) |
-56% |
1406 |
11.9 |
Devil |
Uni |
1.0 (1,100) |
-46% |
891 |
31.6 |
Let Me In |
Overture |
.83 (690) |
-66% |
1211 |
11.1 |
Alpha and Omega |
Lions Gate |
.81 (840) |
-46% |
969 |
22.6 |
Waiting for “Superman” |
Par Vantage |
.74 (4,060) |
17% |
182 |
2.5 |
Toy Story 3 |
BV |
.52 (1,480) |
-6% |
350 |
412.8 |
Inception |
WB |
.35 (1,180) |
-29% |
297 |
289.7 |
Resident Evil: Afterlife |
Sony/Alliance |
.34 (780) |
-73% |
438 |
59.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) |
|
$125.70 |
|
|
|
% Change (Last Year) |
|
-4% |
|
|
|
% Change (Last Week) |
|
42% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Also debuting/expanding |
|
|
|
|
|
Nowhere Boy |
Weinstein Co. |
.33 (1,550) |
554% |
215 |
0.41 |
Never Let Me Go |
Searchlight |
.32 (1,390) |
-7% |
232 |
1.65 |
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger |
Sony Classics |
.27 (2,440) |
1% |
112 |
1.26 |
I Want Your Money |
FreeStyle |
.24 (440) |
|
537 |
0.24 |
Stone |
Overture |
.23 (5,780) |
199% |
41 |
0.34 |
Hereafter |
WB |
.22 (37,380) |
|
6 |
0.22 |
Brindaavanam |
Blue Sky |
.21 (10,320) |
|
20 |
0.21 |
Buried |
Lions Gate |
.13 (1,270) |
-41% |
103 |
0.76 |
Conviction |
Fox Searchlight |
.10 (9,200) |
|
11 |
0.1 |
Aakrosh |
Eros |
46,400 (1,930) |
|
24 |
0.05 |
Carlos |
IFC |
33,700 (16,850) |
|
1 |
0.03 |
Knockout |
Eros |
18,100 (700) |
|
26 |
0.02 |
A Better Tomorrow |
CJ Entertainment |
5,800 (5,800) |
|
1 |
0.01 |
Down Terrace |
Magnolia |
2,900 (1,450) |
|
2 |
0.01 |
Samson and Delilah |
Ipix |
2,300 (1,150) |
|
2 |
0.01 |
Domestic Market Share – January 1 – October 14, 2010
Distributor (releases) |
Gross |
Market Share |
Warner Bros. (24) |
1380.1 |
16.40% |
Fox (16) |
1284.6 |
15.30% |
Paramount (14) |
1242.3 |
14.80% |
Buena Vista (15) |
1129.6 |
13.40% |
Sony (23) |
1111.7 |
13.20% |
Universal (17) |
765.4 |
9.10% |
Summit (9) |
425.1 |
5.10% |
Lionsgate (12) |
410.1 |
4.90% |
Overture (7) |
78.2 |
0.90% |
Fox Searchlight (5) |
72.1 |
0.90% |
Focus (7) |
71.4 |
0.90% |
Weinstein Co. (7) |
61.1 |
0.70% |
Sony Classics (20) |
52.9 |
0.60% |
MGM (1) |
50.4 |
0.60% |
CBS (2) |
50 |
0.60% |
Other * (266) |
222.3 |
2.60% |
|
8407.3 |
100.00% |
* none greater than .04% |
Tags: A Better Tomorrow, Aakrosh, Alpha and Omega, Brindaavanam, Buried, carlos, Case 39, Conviction, Devil, down terrace, Easy A, Hereafter, I Want Your Money, Inception, It's Kind Of A Funny Story, jackass 3-d, Jackass 3D, Knockout, Legend of the Guardians, Let Me In, Life As We Know It, My Soul To Take, N Secure, Never Let Me Go, Nowhere Boy, Red, Resident Evil: Afterlife, samson and delilah, Secretariat, Stone, The Social Network, The Town, Toy Story 3, Waiting For 'Superman', Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Walt Street: Money Never Sleeps, You Again, You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger
Posted in MCN Originals, MCN Weekend, Movie City News, The Weekend Report | 1 Comment »
Sunday, October 17th, 2010
Jackass 3D|49.3|New| 49.3
Red|21.9|New |21.9
The Social Network|10.8|-30%|63
Secretariat|9.4|-26%|27.4
Life As We Know It|9.2|-37%|28.8
Legend of the Guardians|4.2|-39%|46
The Town|4.0|-37%|80.6
My Soul to Take|3.1|-54%|11.9
Easy A|2.6|-39%| 52.3
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps|2.3|-50%|47.8
Tags: Easy A, jackass 3-d, Legend of the Guardians, Life As We Know It, My Soul To Take, Red, Secretariat, The Social Network, The Town, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Posted in Estimates, MCN Weekend | Comments Off on Weekend Estimates – October 17
Saturday, October 16th, 2010
Jackass 3D|20.4|3081|New|20.4
Red|8 |3255|New|8
The Social Network|3.3|2868|-31%|55.4
Life As We Know It|3|3150|-42%|22.7
Secretariat|2.9|3072|-29%|20.9
The Town|1.2|2368|-34%|77.7
Legend of the Guardians|1|2502|-42%|42.8
My Soul to Take|1|2529|-63%|9.7
Easy A|0.8|2314|-38%|50.5
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps|0.7|2045|-49%|46.3
Also Debuting
N Secure|0.42|486||0.42
I Want Your Money|83,400|537||83,400
Brindaavanam|59,300|20||59,300
Hereafter|57,900|6||57,900
Conviction|29,100|11||29,100
Aakrosh|12,300|24||12,300
Carlos|6,900|1||6,900
Knockout|4,800|6||4,800
Vision|3,900|2||3,900
A Better Tomorrow|1,900|1||1,900
||||
*in millions|||
Tags: carlos, Conviction, Easy A, Hereafter, Jackass 3D, Legend of the Guardians, Life As We Know It, My Soul to Tak, Red, Secretariat, The Social Network, The Town, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Posted in Friday Box Office Estimates, MCN Originals, MCN Weekend, Movie City News | Comments Off on Friday Estimates – October 16
Sunday, October 10th, 2010
Nobody Nose Anything
The Social Network surprised pundits with a better than expected hold and won the weekend movie going chase with an estimated $15.3 million. Three national debs were on its tail with lackluster returns. The rom-com Life As We Know It faltered in the clutch with $14.6 million while the much ballyhooed turf saga Secretariat posted $12.4 million, and there was a lack of stereoscopic shock for My Soul to Take with $6.9 million.
There was also a lack of oomph for the comic oddity It’s Kind of a Funny Story with $2 million tally-woo from 742 engagements.
In the niches Telegu-language Khaleja had a buoyant bow of $343,000 from 24 screens and OK returns of $72,700 for French thriller L’Immortel in Quebec. There were also a raft of exclusive bows with Darwinian winners that included the young John Lennon of Nowhere Boy grossing $51,300 at four venues, the squeezed of non-fiction Inside Job with $37,500 at two interviews and psychological thriller Stone with $71,400 from six couches.
Overall business once again took a dip with 2010 box office now less than 2% ahead of last year’s pace and industry mavens sweating out a quick reversal of fortune.
Tracking reports had pegged the uplifting tale of racing Triple Crowner Secretariat as the weekend’s odds-on favorite with estimates in the range of $16 million to $18 million. But its appeal to women and an older demo that remembered the four-legged wonder of the early 1970s failed to bring ‘em out in its maiden performance despite a considerable marketing push.
Life As We Know It was expected to be about a length behind Secretariat but pulled ahead right from the opening gate. It opened ahead of the pack on Friday with a $5.2 million bow but quickly lost ground to The Social Network as the weekend advanced.
And My Soul to Take fell smack in the middle of estimates in the $6 million to $8 million range. All three of the newbies skewed toward distaff viewers and there’s little question the marketplace is in dire need of something for the boys.
Weekend revenues pushed to roughly $92 million that represented a 4% dip from seven days back. It was a considerably steeped 16% fall from 2009 when the launch of Couples Retreat topped the charts on a $34.3 million first salvo.
On the expansion track, the “what’s wrong with our education” doc Waiting for “Superman” is holding up well and Woody Allen’s You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger continues to draw in aficionados. But the dour Never Let Me Go appears to have peaked early in the awards season. Among the new entries the highly enjoyable Tamara Drewe proved to be the surprise commercial disappointment with a dull $4,300 engagement average from four initial exposures.
__________________________________________________
Weekend Estimates – October 1-3, 2010
Title |
Distributor |
Gross (average) |
% change * |
Theaters |
Cume |
The Social Network |
Sony |
15.3 (5,520) |
-32% |
2771 |
45.9 |
Life As We Know It |
WB |
14.6 (4,630) |
New |
3150 |
14.6 |
Secretariat |
BV |
12.4 (4,050) |
New |
3072 |
12.4 |
My Soul to Take |
Uni/Alliance |
6.9 (2,670) |
New |
2572 |
6.9 |
Legend of the Guardians |
WB |
6.8 (2,100) |
-38% |
3225 |
39.2 |
The Town |
WB |
6.3 (2,310) |
-36% |
2720 |
73.7 |
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps |
Fox |
4.5 (1,600) |
-55% |
2829 |
43.6 |
Easy A |
Sony |
4.1 (1,450) |
-39% |
2847 |
48.1 |
Case 39 |
Par Vantage |
2.6 (1,160) |
-55% |
2212 |
9.5 |
You Again |
BV |
2.4 (1,030) |
-58% |
2332 |
20.7 |
Let Me In |
Overture |
2.4 (1,160) |
-54% |
2042 |
9.1 |
It’s Kind of a Funny Story |
Focus |
2.0 (2,670) |
New |
742 |
2 |
Devil |
Uni |
1.7 (1,210) |
-51% |
1442 |
30 |
Alpha and Omega |
Lionsgate |
1.4 (890) |
-51% |
1616 |
21 |
Resident Evil: Afterlife |
Sony/Alliance |
1.2 (1,210) |
-56% |
1012 |
58.8 |
Waiting for “Superman” |
Par Vantage |
.63 (6,120) |
54% |
103 |
1.4 |
Toy Story 3 |
BV |
.55 (1,400) |
140% |
393 |
412 |
Inception |
WB |
.52 (1,290) |
-43% |
403 |
289.2 |
Takers |
Sony |
.39 (950) |
-50% |
412 |
56.8 |
Catfish |
Uni/Alliance |
.37 (2,590) |
-37% |
143 |
2.2 |
Khaleja |
Ficus |
.34 (14,290) |
|
24 |
0.39 |
Never Let Me Go |
Searchlight |
.33 (1,990) |
77% |
167 |
1.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) |
|
$86.30 |
|
|
|
% Change (Last Year) |
|
-16% |
|
|
|
% Change (Last Week) |
|
-4% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Also debuting/expanding |
|
|
|
|
|
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger |
Sony Classics |
.25 (3,380) |
15% |
73 |
0.84 |
Buried |
Lionsgate |
.21 (2,300) |
118% |
92 |
0.5 |
L’Immortel |
Seville |
72,700 (3,030) |
|
24 |
0.07 |
Stone |
Overture |
71,400 (11,900) |
|
6 |
0.07 |
Nowhere Boy |
Weinstein Co. |
51,300 (12,820) |
|
4 |
0.05 |
Inside Job |
Sony Classics |
37,500 (18,750) |
|
2 |
0.04 |
Route 132 |
Alliance |
37,300 (1,430) |
|
26 |
0.06 |
I Spit on Your Grave |
Anchor Bay |
30,800 (2,570) |
|
12 |
0.03 |
Tamara Drewe |
Sony Classics |
17,200 (4,300) |
|
4 |
0.02 |
Ghetto Physics |
IDP |
10,700 (1,190) |
|
9 |
0.01 |
Budrus |
Balcony |
8,400 (8,400) |
|
1 |
0.01 |
It’s a Wonderful Afterlife |
UTV |
5,500 (770) |
|
20 |
0.01 |
As Good as Dead |
First Look |
1,850 (1,850) |
|
1 |
0.01 |
Domestic Market Share – January 1 – October 7, 2010
Distributor (releases) |
Gross |
Market Share |
Warner Bros. (23) |
1340.5 |
16.20% |
Fox (16) |
1277.7 |
15.40% |
Paramount (14) |
1237.4 |
15.00% |
Buena Vista (14) |
1107.4 |
13.40% |
Sony (23) |
1081.3 |
13.10% |
Universal (16) |
753.6 |
9.10% |
Summit (9) |
425.1 |
5.10% |
Lionsgate (12) |
407.1 |
4.90% |
Overture (6) |
74.5 |
0.90% |
Fox Searchlight (5) |
71.5 |
0.90% |
Focus (6) |
68.4 |
0.80% |
Weinstein Co. (6) |
60.9 |
0.70% |
Sony Classics (19) |
52.3 |
0.60% |
MGM (1) |
50.4 |
0.60% |
CBS (2) |
50 |
0.60% |
Other * (260) |
217.3 |
2.60% |
|
8275.4 |
100.00% |
* none greater than .04% |
Top Global Grossers: January 1 – October 7, 2010
Title * |
Distributor |
Gross |
Avatar * |
Fox |
1,948,069,404 |
Toy Story 3 |
BV |
1,047,492,510 |
Alice in Wonderland |
BV |
1,024,537,295 |
Twilight: Eclipse |
Summit |
691,330,829 |
Inception |
WB |
803,799,128 |
Shrek Forever After |
Par |
732,163,289 |
Iron Man 2 |
Par |
622,718,660 |
How to Train Your Dragon |
Par |
494,288,254 |
Clash of the Titans |
WB |
489,778,913 |
Sherlock Holmes * |
WB |
367,796,599 |
Despicable Me |
Uni |
367,194,481 |
The Karate Kid |
Sony |
357,206,535 |
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time |
BV |
335,020,929 |
Robin Hood |
Uni |
311,610,747 |
The Last Airbender |
Par |
310,375,125 |
Shutter Island |
Par |
301,977,955 |
Sex and the City 2 |
WB |
301,158,934 |
Salt |
Sony |
287,626,258 |
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel |
Fox |
264,341,533 |
Grown Ups |
Sony |
261,324,243 |
The Expendables |
Lionsgate |
257,529,373 |
Resident Evil: Afterlife |
Sony/Alliance |
244,795,280 |
Knight and Day |
Fox |
229,686,302 |
Percy Jackson & the Olympians |
Fox |
226,497,209 |
Valentine’s Day |
WB |
217,596,116 |
|
|
* does not include 2009 box office |
Tags: Alpha and Omega, As Good as Dead, Budrus, Buried, Case 39, Catfish, Devil, Easy A, Ghetto Physics, I Spit on Your Grave, Inception, Inside Job, It's a Wonderful Afterlife, It's Kind Of A Funny Story, khaleja, L'Immortel, Legend of the Guardians, Let Me In, Life As We Know It, My Soul To Take, Never Let Me Go, Nowhere Boy, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Route 132, Secretariat, Stone, Takers, Tamara Drewe, The Social Network, The Town, Toy Story 3, Waiting For 'Superman', Walt Street: Money Never Sleeps, You Again, You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger
Posted in MCN Originals, MCN Weekend, Movie City News, The Weekend Report | 3 Comments »
Sunday, October 10th, 2010
The Social Network|15.3|-32%| 45.9
Life As We Know It|14.6|New |14.6
Secretariat|12.4|New|12.4
My Soul to Take|6.9|New|6.9
Legend of the Guardians|6.8|-38%|39.2
The Town|6.3|-36%|73.7
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps|4.5| -55%|43.6
Easy A|4.1|-39%|48.1
Case 39|2.6| -55%| 9.5
You Again|2.4|-58%|20.7
Tags: Case 39, Easy A, Legend of the Guardians, Life As We Know It, My Soul To Take, Secretariat, The Social Network, The Town, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, You Again
Posted in Estimates, MCN Weekend | Comments Off on Weekend Estimates – October 10
Saturday, October 9th, 2010
Life As We Know It|5.2|3150||5.2
The Social Network|4.8 |2771|-40%|35.4
Secretariat|4|3072|New|4
My Soul to Take|2.6|2572|New|2.6
The Town|1.9|2720|-41%|69.3
Legend of the Guardians|1.8|3225|-31%|34.1
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps|1.4|2820|-58%|40.4
Easy A|1.3|2847|-41%|45.3
Case 39|0.8|2212|-57%|7.8
Let Me In|0.75|2042|-61%|7.5
Also Debuting
It’s Kind of a Funny Story|0.6 5|742||0.65
Khaleja|32,500|22||32,500
L’Immortel|22,800|24||22,800
Stone|21,300|6||21,300
Nowhere Boy|12,700|4||12,700
I Spit on Your Grave|11,100|12||11,100
Tamara Drewe|5,100|4||5,100
Ghetto Physics|4,990|9||4,990
Budrus|3,450|1||3,450
It’s a Wonderful Afterlife|1,500|18||1,500
||||
*in millions|||
Tags: Case 39, Easy A, It's Kind Of A Funny Story, khaleja, Legend of the Guardians, Let Me In, Life As We Know It, My Soul To Take, Nowhere Boy, Secretariat, Stone, Tamara Drewe, The Social Network, The Town, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Posted in Friday Box Office Estimates, MCN Originals, MCN Weekend, Movie City News | Comments Off on Friday Estimates – October 9
Sunday, October 3rd, 2010
I Am Not a Robot … or Not
The uber-ballyhooed The Social Network buzzed above the pack with an estimated $22.6 million to lead weekend ticket sales. Two other national releases proved commercial disappointments. The much-admired horror remake Let Me In ranked seventh overall with $5.3 million and the thriller Case 39 was a peg behind with $5.2 million.
The big noise for the frame came from new regional and niche titles. The Tamil language Robots (the most expensive film ever produced in India) rewrote the record books with the biggest ever North American debut with a $2.1 million tally. The simultaneous release of Anjaana Anjaani from Bollywood’s Hindi sector was also impressive with a $560,000 bow. In Canada, the Brit import StreetDance 3D generated a hefty $423,000 and the indigenous Fubar II rang up $209,000 from just 30 venues.
However, a couple of indie horror entries failed to ignite pre-Halloween frenzy. Chain Letter eked out a $300 average from 401 screens and Hatchet II was marginally better with an $880 average from a more contained 68 playdates.
Overall business experienced a roll back from both the prior weekend and 2009 revenues.
Critical response to The Social Network was predominantly rapturous. Still, media reports detailed concerns based on tracking and previews that the flamboyant saga of Facebook and its youthful creators was a tough sell. Exit polls showed that opening weekend skewed slightly female with 53% of the audience and plus 25s comprised 55% of sales. Trackers had predicted grossed in the range of $25 million to $28 million and its clear that its future rests on playing the awards card and eventually drawing in younger viewers obviously spending too much time on the net to go see the movie.
Let Me In also received enthusiastic thumbs ups from reviewers that failed to translate at the box office. Prognosticators pushed its envelope to the $10 million to $12 million strata but ticket buyers opted to catch up with The Town, Easy A or the Wall Street sequel. Case 39, which opened internationally in late 2008 and has grossed more than $10 million overseas, arrived as a theatrical afterthought and performed more or less as expected … blah.
Weekend sales came up just short of $100 million, which amounted to a 3% decline from seven days earlier. 2009 comparisons saw a steeper erosion of 9%. A year ago the debuts of Zombieland and the 3D pairing of Toy Story’s first two installments ranked first and third with respective openings of $24.7 million and $12.5 million.
Robot, with echoes of Metropolis, is a more optimistic yarn of a scientist who creates an android in his own image and watches the somewhat amusing results unfold. The big budget production went full out with dubbed versions in Hindi and Telegu in addition to the Tamil original. The largely Indian diasporas came out in force to generate a record opening box office. Still, despite considerable efforts in the past five years, the Indian cinema is just one film short of producing a crossover mainstream hit.
The session didn’t include a new platform in what looks like a crowded, eclectic awards season. However a clutch of early entries including Never Let Me Go, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger and Catfish added dates and continued to keep a foot in the door. Only Jack Goes Boating appears to have run out of steam early.
__________________________________________________
Weekend Estimates – October 1-3, 2010
Title |
Distributor |
Gross (average) |
% change * |
Theaters |
Cume |
The Social Network |
Sony |
22.6 (8.170) |
New |
2771 |
22.6 |
Legend of the Guardians |
WB |
10.9 (3,040) |
-33% |
3575 |
30.1 |
Walt Street: Money Never Sleeps |
Fox |
10.2 (2,840) |
-46% |
3597 |
36 |
The Town |
WB |
10.1 (3,430) |
-36% |
2935 |
64.4 |
Easy A |
Sony |
6.8 (2,280) |
-36% |
2974 |
42.2 |
You Again |
BV |
5.5 (2,150) |
-35% |
2548 |
16.4 |
Let Me In |
Overture |
5.3 (2,610) |
New |
2021 |
5.3 |
Case 39 |
Par Vantage |
5.2 (2,370) |
New |
2211 |
5.2 |
Devil |
Uni |
3.6 (1,510) |
-45% |
2392 |
27.3 |
Alpha and Omega |
Lions Gate |
3.0 (1,290) |
-38% |
2302 |
19 |
Resident Evil: Afterlife |
Sony/Alliance |
2.8 (1,450) |
-44% |
1907 |
56.6 |
Robot/Endhiran |
Ficus/B4U |
2.1 (15,260) |
New |
139 |
2.1 |
Inception |
WB |
.84 (1,340) |
-37% |
625 |
288.3 |
Takers |
Sony |
.79 (1,020) |
-46% |
773 |
56.2 |
Catfish |
Uni/Alliance |
.61 (4,480) |
80% |
136 |
1.6 |
Anjaana Anjaani |
Eros |
.56 (6,090) |
New |
92 |
0.56 |
The Other Guys |
Sony |
.43 (760) |
-57% |
566 |
117.7 |
StreetDance 3D |
Alliance |
.42 (2,940) |
New |
144 |
0.42 |
Waiting for “Superman” |
Par Vantage |
.41 (12,010) |
193% |
34 |
0.6 |
Despicable Me |
Uni |
.39 (840) |
-33% |
463 |
246 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) |
|
$90.90 |
|
|
|
% Change (Last Year) |
|
-9% |
|
|
|
% Change (Last Week) |
|
-3% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Also debuting/expanding |
|
|
|
|
|
Fubar 2 |
Alliance |
.21 (6,970) |
|
30 |
0.21 |
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger |
Sony Classics |
.20 (7,010) |
27% |
29 |
0.286 |
Never Let Me Go |
Searchlight |
.19 (3,470) |
-23% |
54 |
0.62 |
Chain Letter |
New Film |
.12 (300) |
|
401 |
0.12 |
Jack Goes Boating |
Overture |
.10 (1,300) |
29% |
78 |
0.27 |
Buried |
Lions Gate |
96,200 (2,920) |
-4% |
33 |
0.23 |
Hatchet II |
Vitagraph |
59,700 (880) |
|
68 |
0.06 |
Le Poil de la bete |
Seville |
48,800 (1,740) |
|
28 |
0.05 |
Freakomomics |
Magnolia |
32,400 (1,620) |
|
20 |
0.03 |
Leaving |
IFC |
12,700 (6,350) |
|
2 |
0.01 |
Douchebag |
Paladin |
3,600 (3,600) |
|
1 |
0.01 |
Domestic Market Share – January 1 – September 23, 2010
Distributor (releases) |
Gross |
Market Share |
Warner Bros. (23) |
1312.1 |
16.10% |
Fox (16) |
1263.7 |
15.50% |
Paramount (11) |
1228.6 |
15.10% |
Buena Vista (14) |
1099.5 |
13.50% |
Sony (22) |
1035.9 |
12.70% |
Universal (16) |
747.4 |
9.20% |
Summit (9) |
424.9 |
5.20% |
Lions Gate (12) |
403.1 |
5.00% |
Fox Searchlight (5) |
71.2 |
0.90% |
Focus (6) |
68.1 |
0.80% |
Overture (5) |
67.6 |
0.80% |
Weinstein Co. (6) |
60.8 |
0.70% |
Sony Classics (19) |
51.7 |
0.60% |
MGM (1) |
50.4 |
0.60% |
CBS (2) |
50 |
0.60% |
Other * (253) |
211 |
2.60% |
|
8146 |
100.00% |
* none greater than .04% |
Top Limited Releases: January 1 – September 30, 2010
Title * |
Distributor |
Gross |
Hubble 3D |
WB |
16,036,317 |
The Ghost Writer |
Summit |
15,569,712 |
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo |
Music Box/Alliance |
11,250,177 |
The Young Victoria * |
Apparition/Alliance |
11,131,232 |
/tr>
Get Low |
Sony Classics |
8,449,788 |
A Single Man * |
Weinstein Co. |
7,935,872 |
The Girl Who Played with Fire |
Music Box/Alliance |
7,539,151 |
Babies |
Focus |
7,444,272 |
Cyrus |
Fox Searchlight |
7,442,641 |
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus * |
E1/Sony Classics |
7,394,171 |
City Island |
Anchor Bay |
6,671,036 |
The Last Station |
Sony Classics |
6,617,867 |
The Secret in Their Eyes |
Sony Classics |
6,384,875 |
Winter’s Bone |
Roadside Attraction |
6,077,440 |
An Education * |
Sony Classics |
4,963,224 |
Under the Sea 3D * |
WB |
4,950,071 |
I Am Love |
Magnolia |
4,900,430 |
The Hurt Locker * |
Summit |
4,531,548 |
Solitary Man |
Anchor Bay |
4,359,937 |
Greenberg |
Focus |
4,283,056 |
|
|
* does not include 2009 box office |
Tags: Alpha and Omega, Case 39, Devil, Easy A, Legend of the Guardians, Let Me In, The Social Network, The Town, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, You Again
Posted in MCN Originals, MCN Weekend, Movie City News, The Weekend Report | 5 Comments »
Sunday, October 3rd, 2010
The Social Network|22.6|New| 22.6
Legend of the Guardians|10.9|-33% |30.1
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps|10.2|-46%|36
The Town|10.1|-36%|64.4
Easy A|6.8|-36%|42.2
You Again|5.5|-35%|16.4
Let Me In|5.3| New|5.3
Case 39|5.2| New|5.2
Devil|3.6| -45%| 27.3
Alpha and Omega|3.0|-38%|19
Tags: Alpha and Omega, Case 39, Devil, Easy A, Legend of the Guardians, Let Me In, The Social Network, The Town, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, You Again
Posted in Estimates, MCN Weekend, Movie City News | Comments Off on Weekend Estimates — October 3
Saturday, October 2nd, 2010
Interesting.
Basically, Sony is now hoping that The Social Network, which they have pushed about as hard as any drama has ever been pushed, does slightly better than The Town this weekend. $26.85m is the magic number to pass, as it is the number Ben Button opened to… and they want that across-the-board Oscar nominee to be their first point of reference. If things go well, about one of every 20 million Facebook users will have rushed out to see the film.
Back in the Land of Reality, this is an excellent opening for a drama with no box office stars. Aside from chick-flicky films like Dear John and Eat Pray Love, you don’t see $20m opening dramas these days.
That said, as this Social Network and Let Me In were both reminded this weekend, you gotta sell your goods and not get caught up in your own in-house excitement. Social Network sold itself to the media elite, smartly and with style. And as a result, they’re getting box office returns from that limited group. That could, as Sony hopes, still mean $100 million.
It’s really a different conversation than box office, but Sony should embrace and be fully pleased with this number for an Aaron Sorkin script… which means a specific slice of people who want to hear rapid-fired clever dialogue and not walk away with much more than that story being well told. They made the movie they set out to make… and then, I am afraid, got a little too caught up in their own belief that it was the second coming. There is a ton of talent on display in the film, but it is only as much as it is. And perspective gets lost.
The same need to sell what you have and not what you think you have is true for Let Me In, which is a much bigger mystery non-opening this weekend, as they chose to take a gentle, weird, very Euro movie and make it into a horror film with fancy arthouse edges. I don’t see the movies as the same at all, i believe that film can be reimagined (and think Fincher will take Dragon Tattoo miles further than the director of the series now on screen does), so I am fine with what Matt Reeves did. So the question is, why couldn’t Overture sell what Lionsgate or Screen Gems would have opened to 3x as much of a gross. (My first suspect would be TV spending and time for a strong pr rollout, but honestly, I have been so in TIFF mode for weeks that I don’t have a great idea of what the team left at Overture was able to get done, aside from fests and geek community hype.)
This opening neither puts Social Network behind some 8-ball with awards season or profitability, nor does it make it a smash success. It’s just box office. And awards are just awards. And really, what will live on forever is The Film. I am not as over the moon about Social Network as some. I think a lot of critics projected their personal issues with the web onto the movie. But It’s a damned good movie, especially from a major studio.
But I digress…
Nice holds again for The Town and Easy A.
Tags: anjaana anjaani, Case 39, chain letter, Devil, Douchebag, Easy A.Let Me In, Freakomomics, fubar 2, hatchet II, Le Poil de la bête, leaving, Legend of the Guardians, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Robot, StreetDance 3D, The Social Network, The Town, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, You Again
Posted in MCN Blogs, MCN Originals, Movie City News, The Hot Blog | 36 Comments »
Saturday, October 2nd, 2010
The Social Network|8|2771||8
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps|3.3 |3565|-53%|29
The Town|3.1|2885|-38%|57.4
Legend of the Guardians|2.6|3575|-43%|21.8
Easy A|2.2|2974|-38%|37.7
Let Me In|1.9|2021||1.9
Case 39|1.8|2211||1.8
You Again|1.6|2548|-40%|12.5
Devil|1.1|2392|-48%|24.8
Resident Evil: Afterlife|0.75|2642|-44%|54.6
Also Debuting
Robot|0.4 5|89||0.45
Anjaana Anjaani|0.16|92||0.16
StreetDance 3D|0.12|144||0.12
Fubar 2|81,600|30||81,600
Chain Letter|37,800|401||37,800
Hatchet II|25,300|67||25,300
Le Poil de la bete|16,400|28||16,400
Freakonomics|9,300|17||9,300
Leaving|4,100|2||4,100
Douchebag|2,050|1||2,050
||||
*in millions|||
Tags: anjaana anjaani, Case 39, chain letter, Devil, Easy A, Freakonomics, hatchet II, Legend of the Guardians, Let Me In, Resident Evil: Afterlife, The Social Network, The Town, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, You Again
Posted in Friday Box Office Estimates, MCN Weekend | Comments Off on Friday Estimates – October 2
Thursday, September 30th, 2010
Our Players|Coming Soon|Box Office Prophets|Box Office Guru|EW|Box Office . com
The Social Network|27.6|27.5|26|28|27
Let Me In|13.5|11.5|8|8|9.5
Legend of the Guardians|10|9.8|10|8|10.8
The Town|9.8|11.3|10|7.5|10.5
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps|9.8|11|10.5|10|11
Case 39|3.8|7.4|4|n/a|6.5
Tags: Case 39, Legend of the Guardians, Let Me In, The Social Network, The Town, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Posted in Box Office Hell, MCN Originals, MCN Weekend, Movie City News | Comments Off on Box Office Hell – September 30
Saturday, September 25th, 2010
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps|6.9|3565||6.9
The Town|5|2885|-40%|38.1
Legend of the Guardians|4.5|3575||4.5
Easy A|3.6|2856|-47%|25.7
You Again|2.7|2548||2.7
Devil|2.1|2809|-57%|17.3
Resident Evil: Afterlife|1.4|2642|-54%|48.5
Alpha and Omega|1.1 |2625|-53%|11.5
Takers|0.5|1413|-49%|53.7
Inception|0.4|907|-37%|286.2
Also Debuting
The Virginity Hit|0.1|700||0.1
Waiting for Superman|52,300|4||52,300
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger|44,800|6||44,800
Like Dandelion Dust|37,100|26||37,100
Buried|34,100|11||34,100
Tags: Alpha and Omega, Buried, Devil, Easy A, Inception, Legend of the Guardians, like dandelion dust, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Takers, The Town, the virginity hit, Waiting For 'Superman', Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, You Again, You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger
Posted in Friday Box Office Estimates, MCN Originals, MCN Weekend, Movie City News | Comments Off on Friday Estimates – September 25
It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?
So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.
And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.
There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.
I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.
So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.
But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”
My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher
“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.
~ David Simon