January 10th, 2013
The Oscar nominations were announced this morning, and there's certainly a lot to talk about. There are some nominations that should surprise no one. For instance, Lincoln led the way with twelve nominations, and it has been seen as the major contender for a long time. However, there were also a few surprise nominations and some major snubs. Here are the list of nominations, and some reactions.
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December 7th, 2012
There were not many new releases to reach the top ten of the Blu-ray sales chart this week, or even the top thirty. However, we did have a new number one as The Campaign earned first place with 196,000 units sold and $4.17 million in revenue. This is not a good start, but at least its opening week Blu-ray share was strong for a comedy at 38%.
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November 23rd, 2012
This weekend is Thanksgiving and as always that means Black Friday and Cyber Monday plus 48 hours of shopping in-between. Unlike most years, I'm only halfway done with my Christmas shopping. So what recent, and not so recent releases are prime candidates for the perfect gift this year? Over the next month, we will go over several dozen possibilities with our annual Holiday Gift Guide, which is divided into into four sections. This week we start with Major Movie Releases. These are first run releases, franchise box sets, etc. However, before we get into the individual titles, we will start with an update on...
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November 15th, 2012
Tinker Bell: Secret of the Wings was one of six new releases to reach the top 11 on the Blu-ray sales chart this week. It was surprisingly strong for a direct-to-DVD release aimed at kids selling 424,000 units and generating $12.10 million for an opening week Blu-ray share of 36%.
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November 5th, 2012
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted was one of seven new releases to reach the top 20 on this week's Blu-ray sales chart. It took first place with 768,000 units / $15.36 million for an opening week Blu-ray share of 45%. This is good for a digitally animated kids movie. In fact, this wouldn't be bad if it were an action film.
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November 5th, 2012
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted lived up to its name becoming the best selling new release and earning first place on the DVD sales chart. The film sold 944,000 units and generated $16.03 million in revenue, which was easily enough for first place.
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October 27th, 2012
Prometheus was surprisingly strong on the Blu-ray sales chart opening with 875,000 units / $17.49 million. Its opening week Blu-ray share was an outstanding 72%. Usually you only see that level with catalogue titles.
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October 26th, 2012
Prometheus was one of eight new releases to reach the top 30 on this week's DVD Sales Chart. It led the way with 348,000 units / $5.92 million. This is lower than expected, but it did do much better on Blu-ray.
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October 8th, 2012
It is a soft week for new releases with only Prometheus looking strong. The film has earned polarizing reviews, so while many will like it, it's probably best to rent the DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 3D Combo Pack instead of buying outright. There are some TV on DVD releases and limited releases coming out this week, but you have to look to the catalogue Blu-rays coming out this week that are contenders for Pick of the Week. E.T. The Extraterrestrial, hasn't arrived yet, but its Anniversary Edition Blu-ray could be the best film on this week's list. However, Dial M for Murder in 3D is also a contender. 3D is still a niche market, so E.T. is the best bet for Pick of the Week.
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September 19th, 2012
Resident Evil: Retribution debuted in top spot on the international chart with $49.61 million on 6,154 screens in 65 markets. The film opened in first place in a trio of major markets with Japan pulling in $8.63 million on 774 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $11.17 million. Russia was close behind with $8.37 million on 1,100 screens. It was was able to grab first place in Brazil with $3.15 million on 391. On the other hand, the film had to settle for second place in South Korea with $1.99 million on 368 screens over the weekend and a total opening of $2.44 million. It debuted in third place in Australia with $1.50 million on 175.
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September 13th, 2012
The Expendables 2 opened in China and that helped propel it into first place with $41.62 million on 5,930 screens in 48 markets for an international total of $157.29 million. Unfortunately, as it is usually the case, no numbers for China were released, but were likely more than half the film's weekend haul. It also opened in South Korea earning third place with $1.58 million on 394 screens over the weekend for a total of $1.81 million.
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September 5th, 2012
Thanks to its opening in China, The Dark Knight Rises returned to the top of the international chart with $49.8 million on 10,000 screens in 64 markets. The film now has $577.7 million internationally and $1.009 billion worldwide, becoming just the twelfth film to reach that milestone. In China, the film earned $28.5 million on 4,100 screens, which was easily enough for first place. The film had to settle for second place in Italy with $4.95 million on 914 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $8.75 million.
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August 29th, 2012
The Expendables 2 remained in first place with $25.96 million on 5,672 screens in 33 markets for a total of $66.76 million. It debuted in first place in Spain with $2.45 million on 459 screens, which is significantly more than the original made in Spain when it opened. Meanwhile, it added $3.13 million on 815 screens in Russia, for a total of $14.22 million after two weeks of release in that market. This is more than its predecessor earned in total in Russia.
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August 23rd, 2012
The Expendables 2 earned first place during its international debut with $23.01 million on 3,741 screens in 19 markets. It was led by Russia where it made $8.12 million on 804 during its opening weekend. It also topped the chart in Mexico ($3.32 million on 1,249) and in Italy ($1.91 million on 379). It only managed fourth place in the U.K. with $3.12 million on 451 screens. By comparison, The Expendables earned much less in Russia, Mexico, and Italy, but much more in the U.K. Overall, the sequel has made a little more than its predecessor, but it is too soon to tell where it will end up.
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July 5th, 2012
Ice Age: Continental Drift started its international run a little earlier than its domestic run, and if this is any indication, its box office chances here are fantastic. The film pulled in $80.31 million on 9,653 screens in 35 markets. This includes $12.23 million on 2,617 screens over the weekend in Mexico for a total opening there of $13.87 million, which was the third biggest opening of all time in that market. It also made $11.31 million on 841 screens in France, which was the biggest opening of the year. The film dominated Brazil with $6.56 million on 1,004. Its opening in Australia was not quite as strong with $5.02 million on 490 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $6.43 million, but that's still equivalent to $60 million here, given the relative size of the two markets. It broke the record for biggest opening in Argentina at $4.1 million on 284 screens, and did the same in a number of smaller Latin American markets ($3.2 million on 296 in Colombia, $3.1 million on 252 in Peru, etc.). I think its chances of reaching $1 billion worldwide are better than I previously thought.
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June 27th, 2012
For the third weekend in a row, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted earned top spot on the international chart, this time pulling in $35.43 million on 9,499 screens in 43 markets for a total of $214.17 million internationally and $371.26 million worldwide. Its best market of the weekend was Mexico, where it remained in first place with $3.81 million on 1,612 screens over the weekend for a total of $20.78 million after three. Meanwhile in Russia, the film has amassed a total of $43.05 million, including $3.41 million on 1,485 screens this past weekend. The film's next major market is Spain, but it doesn't open there till the end of July. It doesn't finish its run till October when it opens in the U.K.
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June 25th, 2012
Turns out the weekend was rather predictable, with nearly every film earning roughly what they were expected to do. More films topped expectations than missed them, and this includes Brave, which earned more than last year's winner, Cars 2. This helped the overall box office grow 26% from last weekend to $164 million. Unfortunately, the other two new releases, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, were not as strong compared to the counter-programming from last year, Bad Teacher, and this meant 2012 lost to 2011 by 7%. Worse still, next weekend will be a disaster, as there are four middling releases that will have to compete with Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
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June 21st, 2012
This is not a fun time to be a box office analyst, as there has been a lot of unpredictability recently. Predicting the number one film is easy, as Brave is the only film earning any real buzz. In fact, people will be comparing it to Cars 2 more than any other film playing in theaters this weekend. This is partially because Cars 2 opened this weekend last year, but also because that was Pixar's most recent film. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter has generated a lot of buzz on the internet, but that means little at the box office. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World will need to connect with more mature moviegoers, and while they haven't had a lot of wide releases to check out, the film is opening in less than 2000 theaters, which will hurt its box office chances. Unless we have some pleasant surprises, we could see another loss in the year-over-year comparison.
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June 20th, 2012
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted held firm on top of the international chart with $52.82 million on 11,633 screens in 43 markets for a total of $158.43 million internationally and $277.44 million worldwide. It fell just 36% in Russia for a weekend haul of $10.09 million on 1,830 screens over the weekend and a total of $36.00 million after two. Quite frankly, this is a stunning hold. Russia is known for steep declines (drop-offs greater than 60% are the norm). At this pace, the film could top The Avengers as the biggest hit in the market this year by this time next week. In Mexico, it made $5.03 million on 572 screens over the weekend for a total of $14.82 million after two, while in Brazil it managed $4.19 million on 870 screens over the weekend for a total of $17.53 million after two. In both of those markets the film remained in top spot. On the other hand, it slipped to second place during its second weekend in France down 45% to $4.41 million on 685 screens over the weekend for a total of $13.17 million so far. This is about on par with its run here. With many, many major markets left ahead of it, the film should have little trouble reaching more major milestones, while it should break even before it reaches the lucrative home market.
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June 18th, 2012
The weekend could be be described as an epic disappointment. Rock of Ages and That's My Boy earned less during their opening weekends than some expected they would make during their opening days. This meant Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted had an easy win, even though it slumped a little bit more than expected. In fact, the only film in the top five that beat expectations was Snow White and the Huntsman. The overall box office fell 28% from last weekend to $130 million. More importantly, this was 15% lower than the same weekend last year. These wild swings at the box office are making it hard to predict what will happen in the future. We can't seem to get any momentum either way these past few weeks. Still, 2012 is ahead of 2011 by 9.5% at $4.91 billion to $4.49 billion and we do have at least one monster hit left to open this summer, so that lead could increase by the end of August.
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June 17th, 2012
What was billed as a potentially tight race at the top of the chart this weekend has turned into a romp for Madagascar 3 thanks in part to a steep second-weekend decline for Prometheus, but mainly to weak openings for Rock of Ages and That's My Boy. Madagascar itself will be down 41% to $35.5 million and a 10 day total of $120.4 million, which is a fairly sizable decline for a family movie at this time of year. Prometheus is set to decline 60% to $20.2 million this weekend, for $88.9 million so far. Rock of Ages will be third with $15 million for the weekend, which leaves it far short of its $75 million budget. That's My Boy will most likely end up in 5th place with $13 million, which may prove to be Adam Sandler's worst opening weekend ever, once adjusted for ticket price inflation.
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June 14th, 2012
It could be a really close race for the top of the box office chart between Rock of Ages, That's My Boy, and last week's winner, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. All three films have a shot at a weekend haul in the mid-to-high $30 million range. That's the good news. The bad news is, none of them really have a shot at matching Green Lattern's $50 million opening from this weekend last year. Because of this, 2012 will need to rely on depth to earn a win in the year-over-year comparison and while there are some positive signs, it could be a close race.
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June 13th, 2012
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted led the way on the international chart with $77.28 million on 10,877 screens in 28 markets. Its best single market was Russia, where it pulled in $9.80 million on 1,670 screens, which was easily enough for first place. It was also dominant in France with $7.96 million on 685 screens. A pair of Latin American markets also contributed to its overall success with it earning $7.53 million on 890 screens over the weekend in Brazil, for a total opening in that market of $10.85 million. In Mexico, it earned $6.98 million on 1,965. The studio is going with a spread out release schedule, so it doesn't have a whole lot of major markets in the coming weeks, while it doesn't end its international run till October when it debuts in the U.K.
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June 12th, 2012
The winners of our Reruns contest were determined and they are...
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June 12th, 2012
Prometheus earned $9.1 million of its $50 million opening weekend box office on IMAX, which is a record for a June opening. It also pulled in $3.0 million internationally lifting its worldwide total to $14 million.
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June 12th, 2012
For the third weekend in a row, Moonrise Kingdom remained the top film on the per theater chart with an average of $16,247. Again, most limited releases would kill to have an opening week per theater average that high while playing in only a couple theaters. Moonrise Kingdom did it in its third weekend of release while playing in nearly 100 theaters. To call it a success is an understatement. Prometheus finished in second place with $15,032, while the overall box office leader, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, was right behind with an average of $14,166. Dark Horse opened with $13,551 in its lone theater. Safety Not Guaranteed opened in ninety theaters, which is a little high for a limited release, but it still earned an impressive average of $10,862.
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June 12th, 2012
In just two weeks, the box office went from slump to soaring. Both Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted and Prometheus were box office hits and for first time in nearly four years and for only the second time ever, two films opened with more than $50 million at the box office. The overall box office reached $182 million, which shows the holdovers were also an important part of the overall picture. This was an increase of 27% from last weekend and a 32% increase from last year. A 32% increase would be amazing under normal circumstances, but just two weeks ago, we saw a 30% decrease in the year-over-year comparison, which makes this turnaround even more stunning. Year-to-date, 2012 remains ahead of 2011 by just shy of 10% at $4.70 billion to $4.28 billion and things look pretty good next weekend as well. Not as good as they were this weekend, but pretty good.
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June 7th, 2012
There is an actual race for top spot on the box office chart between two new releases. We haven't seen that since early February. This week we have Aliens, represented by Prometheus, and we have Predators, represented by Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. Okay, technically only Alex is a predator, but that's close enough. Both films are expected to top last year's number one film, Super 8, and with Snow White and the Huntsman opening better than expected last weekend, the holdovers should be stronger as well. 2012 should finally end the slump that began three weeks ago.
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June 7th, 2012
Men in Black 3 held on extremely well during its second weekend of release on the international scene earning an easy first place with $78.67 million on 20,554 screens in 90 markets for a total of $275.17 million internationally. This is already more than Men in Black 2 made during its entire run. Worldwide the film has $386.25 million, which is higher than the high end of the film's reported budgets. It's on track to reach between $500 million and $600 million worldwide, which is enough to put it on track to earn a profit sometime on the film's home market run. Amazingly, the film actually held on well in China, where it was down less than 30% to $15.4 million on 5,200 screens over the weekend for a total of $51 million after two. Perhaps it will reach the century mark there. In Germany, it grew by 3% to $5.32 million on 742 screens over the weekend for a total of $13.44 million. It also grew by 3% in the U.K., but fell to third place with $4.69 million on 533 screens over the weekend for a total of $12.30 million after two. In Britain, it was the Jubilee Holiday, so that explains the growth.
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June 1st, 2012
While the summer is blockbuster season at the box office, it's rather slow on the home market. Because of this, we are giving away some screeners that arrived late and were added to the prize pool a while ago. Call them summer reruns. The two wide releases next week are Prometheus, a sci-fi reboot, and Rio, a digitally animated family film. So this week's prizes are a sci-fi reboot and a digitally animated family film. Prometheus is very likely going to be the bigger of the two films next weekend, so it is the target film for this week's box office prediction contest. In order to win, one must simply predict the opening weekend box office number forPrometheus.
Whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going over, will win a copy of Rise of the Planet of the Apes on DVD.
Meanwhile, whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going under, will a copy of Rio on DVD.
Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay!
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June 1st, 2012
As May ends and we look forward to June, we have some good news and some bad news to report from last month. First the bad news. Nearly every film missed expectations, sometimes by massive levels. The good news? The Avengers was a record-breaking hit and it managed to compensate for every miss of the month and May of 2012 was just as strong as May of 2011. Unfortunately, the month has ended on a low note and The Avengers is shedding theaters, so new releases will be really important for June's chances. There are two films that were supposed to open wide this month that are no longer doing so, although we did have one film moved up to replace G.I. Joe: Retaliation, but that still leaves just twelve films opening wide over the five weekends in June. This does include six films that have a real shot at earning $100 million or more at the box office, and three of those have a shot at $200 million. Prometheus is earning a ton of buzz and there are some that think it will be the biggest hit of the month. It might even be a $300 million hit. However, you can't count out Brave in the race to become the biggest hit of the month, as Pixar's average is over $250 million and $300 million is also not out of the question. It's hard to compare last June, because there were only four weekends last June, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon opened on the Wednesday before the July 1st long weekend, which throws off the numbers. If you consider Dark of the Moon a June release, then there were six $100 million movies and one $300 million this month last year. We will need nearly every film to match expectations in order for 2012 to continue to strengthen its lead on 2011.
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March 14th, 2012
John Carter had a poor start in theaters, but its IMAX numbers were strong by comparison. Out of the $30.18 million it earned domestically, approximately $5.0 million came on 289 IMAX screens. It added approximately $4.5 million on 194 IMAX screens on the international scene. Additionally, with openings in Japan, China and other markets still ahead, it still has a lot of box office potential. Granted, this isn't enough to break even, but at least it was a hit in one regard.
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