Frozen (2013) – Financial Information

December 4, 2020

If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that nothing is certain in life. But one thing we can be pretty sure about this weekend is that Croods: A New Era will remain at the top of the box office. Universal’s animated adventure has a new competition. in fact, there are three new wide releases: Half Brothers (in 1,369 theaters), a reissue of Die Hard (1,172 theaters) and the romantic drama Todo Mi Vida. But those three movies combined are unlikely to challenge croods, and individually they’re likely to be far behind.

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May 15, 2015

Neither new release could top the dvd sales chart leaving The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies in first place with 73,000 units / $1.10 million for the week for a total of 1.13 million. units / $16.92 million. more…

April 7, 2015

the domestic market was a disaster this week. there really is no way around that fact. Exodus: Gods and Kings and the rest of the new releases led the way, but it wasn’t as good as last week’s number one movie, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, leading to drops of 8.8 % in terms of units and 6.7% in terms of revenue compared to last week. Compared to last year, Blu-ray sales fell 74% in unit terms and 73% in revenue terms. Granted, this week last year, Frozen was released, so that explains the absolute destruction in the year-over-year comparison. there is good news, more or less. DVD sales were even worse in the week-over-week comparison, so Blu-ray’s overall share jumped to 44%. more…

March 29, 2015

Even though there were five new releases on this week’s DVD sales chart, there was a holdover that held on to the top spot. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 sold 472,000 units and generated $6.36 million in sales during its first full week of release for an initial total of 1.19 million units/$16.28 million. more…

January 24, 2015

We return to the weekly analysis of the local market this weekend, but before we do, let’s take a brief look at the local market in 2014. The overall winner froze, which destroyed the competition. it sold more blu-rays (7.23 million units for $152.93 million) than the closest competitor, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire sold total units and had more combined sales than the next three best-selling films. It’s the second best-selling Blu-ray of all time and will soon overtake Avatar for the top spot. In addition, the film exceeded 10 million DVD sales by a significant margin with 11.03 million units for $185.48 million, while its total sales in the local market for the year were 18.27 million units for $338. .41 million in total sales. more…

November 26, 2014

This Thursday is Thanksgiving, which means it’s Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday, and lots of shopping. it also means the first installment of our Christmas gift guide. Over the next month, we’ll be talking about TV releases on DVD, independent releases, foreign language releases, classics, etc. but this week we start with major movie premieres. these are first-run releases, franchise boxes, etc. in some ways this is better than last year as there were a larger number of big releases that would make great giveaways. however, in other respects it is much weaker. I can’t think of a single great franchise that came out this year. There are some smaller ones, like the Halloween box set, but while the franchise has lasted ten installments and 30 years, how many can you say are worth rewatching? Luckily, a lot of great movies were released this year, starting with what is currently the biggest hit of the year. more…

November 19, 2014

There aren’t any blockbuster summer releases making their local market debuts this week, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad week in the local market. 22 Jump Street is leading the way, while there are four other first-run releases among the new releases, ranging from If I Stay to Sin City: A Dame To Kill For in terms of box office numbers. Not only that, but this week sees a trio of Hayao Miyazak releases, including his most recent film, The Wind Rises, which is released on DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack. that film, along with the double shot, are the picks of the week. however, they are not the only films worth choosing. if you like horror or comedy, try housebound on dvd or blu-ray. more…

July 16, 2014

Transformers: Age of Extinction remained in first place with $100.3 million in 50 markets for a total of $543.5 million internationally and $752.3 million worldwide. this makes it the biggest global hit of the year so far. Of course, half of the film’s international total came from China, where it’s grossed $279.75 million so far, including $56.36 million last week, and the studio gets a very small chunk of that box office receipts. market. In terms of new markets, the film debuted first in the UK. with $20.11 million from 533 screens, including previews. this is the biggest opening of the year in that market so far. The film also did well in Mexico with $8.26 million from 3,131 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $15.84 million. more…

July 9, 2014

Transformers: Age of Extinction remained in first place with $95.8 million in 37 markets over the weekend for a total of $400.9 million internationally and $576.3 million worldwide. its best market remains China, where it added $120.61m for the full week, giving it a total of $222.74m after two. These numbers are important for two reasons. First, revised totals in China put the film’s release there before its North American debut. Awesome. Second, the film is already ahead of Avatar’s final figure in that market. Granted, it’s barely above the pace of avatar, since that movie grossed $221.9 million after ten days of release, but it’s still big news. It held up better than most movies in South Korea, earning $8.05 million from 1,096 screens over the weekend for a total of $34.62 million. In Russia, the film took in $7.04 million from 2,171 screens over the weekend for a total of $35.38 million after two. the last major market was australia, where it grossed $4.54m from 623 screens over the weekend for a two-week total of $17.32m. more…

July 2, 2014

Transformers: Age of Extinction topped the international chart with $201.3 million from 10,015 screens in 37 markets. This includes a record opening of $99.81 million in China, which is basically a rounding error of its North American debut. It also broke the record in Russia with $21.23 million from 2,171 screens. its South Korean opening was nearly identical with $15.88 million across 1,597 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $21.98 million. the last big market of the weekend was australia, where it grossed $8.30m from 623 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $9.56m. the movie probably cost around $300 million to make and advertise, so it still needs work to break even, but this is an amazing start. more…

June 25, 2014

Maleficent rose to first place with $47.9 million in 54 markets for a total of $340.8 million internationally and $526.7 million worldwide. It became the first live action film in Angelina Jolie’s career to reach the $500 million mark. The film opened first in China with $22.01 million. Next up for the movie is Japan, and if it does well there, it could overtake Kung Fu Panda 2 as Angelina Jolie’s biggest hit. more…

June 18, 2014

There were three films that were virtually tied for first place in the international top ten. godzilla earned a win with $38.4 million from 62 markets for a total of $248.7 million internationally and $440.2 million worldwide after a month of release. This includes a $37.00 million opening weekend in China. needless to say, it took first place in that market. The film ends its international run in Japan at the end of July and should top $500 million worldwide when it does. more…

June 12, 2014

edge of tomorrow rose to first place with $82 million in 63 markets for a total of $111 million in two weeks. This includes a $25.68 million first-place opening in China. It also opened in first place in South Korea with $10.52 million from 801 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $16.28 million. In Russia, the film opened in first place with $7.41 million in 1649, while in France it also took first place, but with only $2.82 million in 585. It only came in second place in Australia with $2.88 million. on 477 screens, while it could do no better than third place in Mexico with $2.88 million on 1,301 screens over the weekend for a total of $3.19 million. his best holdover was in the uk. where it added $2.08 million across 460 screens for a total of $7.21 million in two weeks.

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June 4, 2014

Maleficent opened at the top of the international chart with $106.1 million in 47 markets, making it the latest film to open with more than $100 million on the international chart. the film was released in several major markets, but individual results were mixed. The film opened first in Mexico with $14.05 million on 2,892 screens and in Russia with $13.06 million on 1,733 screens. in the United Kingdom. it grossed $11.04 million from 486 screens. It didn’t reach $10 million, but it was number one in Italy ($5.87 million on 650 screens); in Brazil ($5.63 million in 452); and in Germany ($4.87 million across 525 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $5.26 million); and Spain ($4.29 million in 625). had to settle for second place in australia with $3.76m from 530 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $3.90m. It only managed third place in France ($5.01 million from 550 screens) and South Korea ($3.38 million from 631 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $3.81 million). The film has yet to be released in China or Japan, and given this start, it should hit $500 million worldwide before it’s ready. more…

May 28, 2014

x-men: days of future past dominated the international box office chart with $171.08 million in 71 markets for a total opening of $191.00 million. This includes China, where it took first place with $39.35 million from 6,000 screens. It also got the first place in the UK. with $15.39 million from 537 screens, while in South Korea it earned $11.78 million from 1,056 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $14.15 million. Mexico contributed $9.39 million in 3,034 screens during the weekend for a total opening of $11.02 million. The film’s debut in Russia was much the same with $9.90 million on 2,230 screens. France followed with $9.29 million from 620 screens, while Brazil grossed $8.38 million from 507 screens. The film grossed $7.80 million from 684 screens in Australia. it struggled a bit more in germany and spain with $4.03 million on 579 screens and $3.19 million on 650 respectively. more…

May 21, 2014

godzilla got off to a historic start in the international market earning $103.0 million on 16,946 screens in 64 markets during its first weekend of release. was able to dominate the box office thanks to a series of first places in most major markets. Its biggest market was the UK, where the film grossed $10.73 million from 550 screens, while Russia followed closely with $8.65 million from 1,814 screens. The film was surprisingly strong in Mexico, grossing $7.21 million from 2,494 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $8.57 million. It was also strong in Australia with $6.34 million from 498 screens and in France with $5.73 million from 596 screens. The film earned $4.97 million from 584 screens over the weekend in Germany for a total opening in that market of $5. .50 million. brazil was a strong market for godzilla, opening to $4.07 million on 417 screens there. The film’s opening in South Korea was about the same with $3.65 million across 610 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $4.37 million. Italy was next with $3.55 million from 692 screens. Ultimately, the film went soft in Spain with an opening of $1.29 million across 427 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $1.55 million, but it was still enough for the top spot there. In general, it was not as strong internationally as it was domestically, relative to the size of the markets, but it is still on track to break even before reaching the local market. more…

May 14, 2014

the amazing spider-man 2 remained in first place, but its weekend box office receipts fell to $71.33 million from 26,694 screens in 91 markets. its international box office amounted to $404.72 million and worldwide it has earned $550.93 million. the film will need to earn around $200 million to $250 million more at the worldwide box office to break even, which is doable. The film had its first full week in China grossing $46.45 million for the week for a total of $56.38 million in that market. more…

May 8, 2014

the amazing spider-man 2 saw its weekend box office haul explode with $117.38 million from 30,460 screens in 41 markets for a total of $278.23 million internationally and $369.84 million domestically. all the world. The film opened first in Brazil with $11.06 million on 1,139 screens and second in France with $11.03 million on 837. It broke the record for the biggest Hollywood debut in India with $6.9 million on 1523 screens. The film also opened in China on Sunday with $9.9 million from 11,031 screens, which was a record for a Sunday release. more…

April 30, 2014

the amazing spider-man 2 rose to first place on the international chart with $67.34 million from 14,587 screens for a total of $132.15 million in two weeks. This week’s new releases included South Korea, where the film dominated with $10.84 million from 1,472 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $13.85 million. this is on par with the amazing spider man. It also took first place in Russia with $9.34 million from 1,779 screens, which is also on par with the first film. In Japan, it only managed fourth place with $4.11 million from 763 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $5.11 million, which is less than half the opening of the first film. on the other hand, it was stronger in italy with $5.71 million on 811 screens over the weekend for a total of $6.58 million. It added $5.66 million across 1,566 screens over the weekend for a total of $27.77 million in the UK, which is again on par with The Amazing Spider-Man. more…

April 29, 2014

April ended with a new movie at the top, The Other Woman, which finally broke the grip of Captain America: The Winter Soldier on the box office chart. it was a surprisingly strong hit earning $24.76 million, but the other new releases weren’t as strong. the brick mansions only achieved fifth place, while the quiet ones were left out of the mendoza line. the overall box office was $115 million, which was 13% lower than last weekend. more importantly, this is 25% more than the same weekend last year. 2014 added to their lead over 2013, which now stands at $257 million, or 9.2%. your checking account is $3.05 billion and summer is about to begin. more…

April 24, 2014

rio 2 held on to the top spot, just barely, with $47.1 million from 65 markets for an international total of $200.9 million and a worldwide total of $276.0 million after one month of release. This includes a second-place opening in Italy, where it grossed $2.17 million from 711 screens. this is again weaker than its predecessor’s opening there. The film made $12.05 million in China, but that was for the entire week, bringing its total to $25.01 million after two. the first movie barely showed in china, so it’s a boost to its international numbers, but i don’t think it’s enough to match what the original movie did. more…

April 17, 2014

rio 2 raced to first place with $63.5 million across 20,008 screens in 65 markets for a total of $125.6 million after four weeks of release. This includes a first-place debut in Mexico, where it earned $8.42 million from 2,627 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $8.97 million. this is about $3 million more than the first film’s debut there. it also took first place in australia with $2.09 million from 278 screens, although this is weaker than its predecessor. It is still too early to say where it will end up internationally as it has done better in some markets but worse in others compared to Rio. That said, I think the studio should be happy overall. more…

April 9, 2014

Captain America: The Winter Soldier held the top spot on the international chart with $109.8 million in 50 markets for a two-week total of $209.4 million internationally and $304.4 million worldwide. world. the winter soldier is already ahead of the first captain america internationally, and by this time next week he will have $500 million worldwide, about 30% more than the final number of its predecessor. This week, the film opened first in a trio of major markets, led by China, where it earned $36.23 million, which is just over $20 million more than the first film to finish in that market. Russia was next with a $7.79 million opening in 1685, or $1 million less than the first film’s final tally there. Finally, there was Australia, where the film opened with $5.91 million, which is about 20% more than its predecessor opened. As far as holdovers go, the film added $4.64 million in the UK. for a total of $18.31 million there, which already exceeds the total for the first film. more…

April 3, 2014

Captain America: The Winter Soldier started his international run a week before his domestic run and started off great. he took first place with $75.2 million from 32 markets. This includes a number of major markets, led by the UK. with $10.05 million on 535 screens. By comparison, the first Captain America earned $14.75 million in the UK in total, including a $4.90 million start. It also earned $10 million in South Korea with $8.89 million from 1,268 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $10.99 million. The first film grossed $3.81 million in South Korea in total. The Winter Soldier also opened in Mexico, earning $8.60 million on 2,681, which was slightly higher than its predecessor’s opening. It’s too early to tell if it will hit $20 million like The First Avenger did. The first film earned $10.28 million in France in total, while this film opened to $6.06 million on 664 screens. In Germany, the film only managed $3.66 million from 626 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $3.99 million, compared to $4.81 million the original did in total. It had a nearly identical opening in Italy with $3.60 million from 648 screens over the weekend, for a total opening of $4.06 million. this is close to half of the $8.60 million the first film made in total in that market. Instead, the film had to settle for second place in Spain with 2.93 million dollars in 709 prints, little more than the 2.54 million dollars with which the original opened. As you can see, The Winter Soldier led the opening of The First Avenger in every major market. it surpassed its predecessor’s total in one major market. this is an amazing start and with several major markets ahead, an international total of $300 million is a reasonable goal. more…

March 26, 2014

need for speed held first place on the international chart with $29.2 million in 55 markets for a total of $96.1 million in two weeks. This includes $10.5 million for the weekend in China and $24.22 million for the full week. after two weeks of its release, the film has $45.54 million in that market. The film opened first in Germany with $2.91 million on 455 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $3.06 million. The film opens in Spain and France, among other markets, in April, while by the time it opens in Japan, it could have covered its production budget internationally. more…

March 20, 2014

need for speed performed much better internationally than domestically, taking first place with $45.6 million from 40 markets. Unfortunately, it earned $21.09 million during its opening weekend in China. I say unfortunately, because the studios only get about 20% of the box office in that market, compared to 40% in most other international markets and 60% domestically. It also took first place in Russia with $5.84 million from 1,050 screens and in the UK with $3.35 million from 469 screens. The surprise result came in Malaysia, where it earned $1.89 million from 184 screens. On the other hand, the film had a trio of third-place debuts in Australia ($1.38 million from 457 screens); brazil ($1.29 on 335); and Italy ($1.07 million in 426). The film opens in Germany this weekend, while it doesn’t open in Japan until June. It probably exceeded its production budget worldwide on Monday, so as long as its legs aren’t really short, it should break even at some point in the local market. more…

March 18, 2014

The weekend box office did not perform as expected and new movies did not meet lower predictions. need for speed did not take first place, in fact it only took third place. Tyler Perry’s Single Moms Club managed just 5th place and it was the worst opening for Tyler Perry in his directorial career. on the plus side, mr. Peabody and Sherman held out better than expected, allowing him to move up to first place. the overall box office sank compared to last weekend, down 21% to $114 million. this is still up from last year’s box office total by 6%. so far this year, 2014 has raised nearly $2 billion, which is 11% more than the pace of 2013. more…

March 17, 2014

It’s a good/bad week in the local market. The good news is that four movies are opening this week that earned a certain level of awards season buzz. The bad news… there are four movies opening this week that gained a certain level of awards season hype and scared the competition away. Two of those four movies are strong enough to be candidates for the selection of the week, frozen on dvd or blu-ray combo pack and american hustle on dvd or blu-ray combo pack. unfortunately, I’m still waiting for the screeners for both movies, so I’m not sure which of those two is the pick of the week. Fortunately, the screener for 12 years became a slave and the blu-ray is the chosen material of the week. more…

March 13, 2014

300: Rise of an Empire dominated the international box office, taking #1 with $87.8 million on 14,478 screens in 58 markets during its opening weekend. The film took first place in Russia with $8.43 million on 1,441 screens. It only managed second place in France, but with a still-strong $6.08 million from 454 screens. It also had a string of first-place finishes in several other major markets, including South Korea, where it earned $5.49 million from 720 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $6.42 million. Brazil was next with a $5.64 million opening across 869 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $5.92 million, while Mexico followed closely with $5.47 million in 2048. Germany grossed $4.75 million across 580 screens over the weekend for a very healthy debut of $5.23 million. the United Kingdom. it had a similar result with $4.62 million on 487, but that’s one of the weaker results given the size of the market. Other major markets include Spain ($3.69 million across 710 screens); Italy ($3.33 million in 580); and Australia ($2.91 million at 467). The film has yet to be released in China and Japan, but given its start in those markets, it hardly matters how well it does there. more…

March 11, 2014

Box office weekend was a little stronger than expected with 300: The Rise of an Empire earning $45 million while mr. Peabody and Sherman earned $32 million. Overall, the box office grossed $143 million, which was 17% more than last weekend. it was also 2% more than the same weekend last year. Granted, that’s not much. in fact, it’s probably less than ticket price inflation. On the other hand, any victory, even a close victory, is incredible since we faced the massive opening of oz the great and mighty last year. so far this year, 2014 has amassed $1.84 billion, putting it 11% ahead of 2013, which had earned $1.65 million by this point in the year. It won’t be long until 2014 hits $2 billion and there are some pretty big hits coming out this summer. more…

March 6, 2014

there are two wide releases this week, 300: rise of an empire and mr. peabody and sherman. mr. Peabody & Sherman opens in nearly 4,000 theaters and is getting better reviews, but 300: Rise of an Empire will probably open faster at the box office. The remaining three in the top five — Nonstop, Son of God, and The Lego Movie — should also earn more than $10 million each through the weekend, so overall, the box office should be solid. Unfortunately, this weekend last year, Oz the Great and Power made nearly $80 million over the weekend. there’s no way any new version will match that. in fact, both new releases combined are not likely to match. 2014’s winning streak will end but don’t panic, you still have a big lead and while March isn’t looking too good, April should be better. more…

March 5, 2014

robocop debuted in china last weekend and that helped it rise to first place internationally with $30.2 million in 75 markets for a total of $136.0 million internationally after a month of launch. The film opened at No. 1 in China over the weekend with $20.67 million. The film also held first place in Brazil with $2.4 million from 756 screens over the weekend for a total of $7.3 million after two. more…

March 2, 2014

the oscar awards will be presented tonight and, as usual, we will be posting the event live. Here’s the latest look at the nominations with those chosen by our contest entrants as potential winners in bold. if I disagree with the consensus, they are in italic, and perceptive readers will note that there are no categories where that is true. finally, if I’m supporting an underdog, they’re underlined. There are only two categories where that is true. i want chiwetel ejiofor to win best actor in a leading role for his performance in 12 years a slave. I also want jackass: bad grandpa gifts to win best hair and makeup, because the dallas buyers club had a hair and makeup budget of $250. yes, it was effective, but the special effects makeup used in bad grandpa was harder to pull off, even if the movie wasn’t an oscar hook. Regardless, I don’t expect there to be many surprises at this year’s awards. more…

February 27, 2014

the hobbit: the desolation of smaug is about to end its international run and this week it debuted in china, where it took first place with 33.04 million from 5500 screens. the film is also playing in nine other markets, where it earned around $100,000 for a total weekend gross of $33.1 million. this brings their totals to $637.1 million internationally and $893.7 million worldwide. The film opens in Japan this weekend and if it does well there, it could hit $1 billion worldwide. more…

February 24, 2014

the lego movie completed the threepeat in dominant fashion winning over 3 days to kill and pompeii won combined. On the other hand, neither of those movies was that impressive, so beating them both might not seem like a real accomplishment. the box office overall slumped, which is expected for a post-holiday weekend, but it still fell a little more than I’d like, down 37% to $111 million. this is 7% more than the same weekend last year, so 2014 continued its winning ways in the race year after year. in fact, 2014 widened its lead to $150 million or 11% and it now outperforms 2013 by $1.51 billion to $1.36 billion. more…

February 23, 2014

The Lego Movie will face off against two other contenders for box office supremacy this weekend, according to studio estimates released Sunday. 3 Days to Kill will open with $12.3 million, soft for a movie that cost $28 million, while Pompeii will barely hit $10 million, disastrous for a movie that cost $80 million or $100 million, depending on who you talk to. That leaves the lego movie miles ahead, with $31.4 million projected for the weekend and $183 million or so in the bank after 17 days of release. it will be 37% lower than last weekend, an impressive result considering that last weekend was a holiday. more…

February 20, 2014

box office giant frozen has propelled disney animation (and pixar) director john lasseter to 11th place in the february numbers bankability index. The index measures the value people create in the industry, and Lasseter certainly deserves his place at the top of the chart, having built Pixar into an animation powerhouse and rebuilt Disney’s in-house animation studio so effectively that It’s close to knocking Pixar off its perch as the industry leader. more…

February 20, 2014

robocop rose to first place with $35 million in 37 markets for a total of $70.28 million after three weeks of release. The film’s biggest release came from Russia, where it took first place with $5.72 million from 1,153 screens. It opened in second place in Mexico with $2.90 million on 564 screens. It was third in South Korea with $3.67 million on 635 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $4.31 million. It fell to third place in the UK. with $2.53 million from 436 screens for a two-week total of $8.16 million. more…

February 16, 2014

It looks like a healthy President’s Day weekend at the box office, with an impressive debut and several movies enjoying a solid second, fourth and even thirteenth weekend. The Champion Opening is all about Last Night, a remake of the 1986 hit, which will open to around $27 million over three days, helped by a $13 million Valentine’s Day big. With the film playing in just 2,253 theaters, that’s a whopping $12,000 theatrical average, continuing Kevin Hart’s hot streak. However, comfortably beating about last night at the top of the list is the lego movie, with a showing of $48.8 million over three days, and about $60 million over the weekend full four days. that’s 29% less than last weekend, for a theater average of nearly $13,000. more…

February 15, 2014

With our annual oscar prediction contest underway, now is the best time to look at the nominees and try to figure out who the favorites are and which movies should be honored to be nominated. today we look at the best animated feature, which looked like it would be competitive for most of the year, then came out frozen and became an instant favourite. is the favorite? or is there a dark horse out there? more…

February 13, 2014

frozen continues its impressive run by taking first place with $24.0 million in 47 markets for a total of $545.1 million internationally and $913.7 million worldwide. it became the 28th film to reach that level and already overtook finding nemo at 27th place. the film opened in china with $14.11 million over the weekend, which was enough for third place in the weekend, which is good, but not surprising. On the other hand, it fell just 30% in South Korea adding $8.93 million across 1,375 screens over the weekend, bringing its total to $58.04 million after four weeks of release. At this rate, it should catch up with Despicable Me 2 in a couple of weeks, and depending on how it does in Japan, it could hit $1 billion worldwide. more…

February 11, 2014

the lego movie didn’t break the record for the biggest weekend in february, but it came close. the monuments men performed better than expected, but was still a very distant second. on the other hand, the vampire academy was bombed, totally and completely. compared to last week, even without the lego movie, this week is almost better. with the lego movie, this week is 76% better at $151 million. Compared to last year, The Lego Movie opened with more than the top five made in 2013. Overall, year-over-year growth was 46%. this is simply a fantastic result no matter how you look at it. So far this year, 2014 has grossed $1.12 billion, putting it 12% ahead of the pace of 2013. Obviously, it’s still too early to call 2014 the winner, but it’s still a fantastic start. more…

February 6, 2014

The first weekend of February should be the biggest with the lego movie looking to dominate the box office while the monuments men are expected to do respectable business over the weekend. the other big premiere is vampire academy, which was not screened by critics. It’s not aimed at a target demographic that cares what critics think, but they still didn’t screen the film for critics. this weekend last year, there were two wide releases, identity theft and side effects. the two films earned a combined $44 million during their opening weekend. the lego movie will generate more than that on its own. 2014 should easily win out in the competition year after year. more…

February 5, 2014

It’s the Chinese New Year and the international box office was led by two Chinese films. the monkey king took first place with $46 million from 7 markets for a total opening of $54 million. like most Chinese movies, we don’t have individual market breakdowns. more…

February 3, 2014

the super bowl turned into a blast, but still garnered a record television audience. this explains why the overall box office numbers were down compared to last weekend. That said, there were a few movies that did well, including ride along, which completed the three-time championship and by this time next week will have surpassed $100 million. on the other hand, the new releases really struggled. that awkward moment only managed third place, while labor day barely avoided the mendoza line. week over week, the overall box office fell 26% to $86 million. Compared to last year, the box office also fell, but only 3%. That said, 2014 is still ahead of 2013 by 6% at $943 million to $887 million, so the market remains healthy. more…

February 2, 2014

With dealers targeting counter-scheduling over Super Bowl weekend, ride along will win this weekend handily, according to estimates released on Sunday. Universal is projecting a weekend of $12.3 million, down 42% from last time, and a Monday morning jackpot of nearly $93 million. that should push the movie over $100 million in the next week, and makes it a rare winner of 3 weekends in a row. second place is a mix between frozen and that awkward moment, though disney claims the prize right now with a projected $9.3 million, up 2% from last weekend thanks to a new sing-along version of frozen introduced in theaters on Friday. more…

January 30, 2014

It’s super bowl weekend, so needless to say, the new releases are looking pretty weak. why would any studio want to release a movie against what is the biggest single sporting event of the year? there are two wide releases coming out, but neither is expected to have a big impact. that awkward moment is the bigger of the two wide releases, but its reviews are terrible. should still win first place, because there is no competition to speak of. labor day reviews are slightly better and its target demographic has very little crossover appeal with the super bowl. still, most think he’ll miss out on the top five. this weekend last year, warm bodies took first place with just over $20 million. if that awkward moment wins $20 million, I’d be surprised. you may not earn much more than half of that. more…

January 29, 2014

the wolf of wall street remained in first place with $35.27 million in 5,472 screens in 40 markets for an international total of $125.49 million. this is already substantially more than the film has grossed domestically, plus it has a number of major market debuts ahead of it. Last weekend, the film opened in first place in Australia with $4.46 million from 325 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $4.68 million. Meanwhile, it remained in first place in the UK. with $5.95 million from 506 screens over the weekend for a total of $17.94 million after two weeks of release. It had a very similar weekend at the box office in Germany with $5.49 million from 597 screens, while in that market it is $14.11 million, also after two weeks of release. more…

January 27, 2014

i, frankenstein died at the box office, as it didn’t make the top five entirely. this gave him an easy path to first place over the weekend. meanwhile, the rest of the top five lived up to expectations, or came close to doing so. this helped the overall box office somewhat. it was still a post-holiday frame and the total box office fell 34% to $117 million, but it could have been worse. Compared to last year, the overall box office was 4% higher, which is good news at the beginning of the year. 2014 has widened its lead over 2013 to 9% from $823 million to $754 million. more…

January 26, 2014

After underperforming for months, i, lionsgate’s frankenstein hit theaters this weekend with a disappointing showing of $8.275 million, according to the distributor, enough for only sixth place on a box office chart that is a jumble of Oscar contenders and January’s less ambitious fare. Ride Along tops the list with $21.1 million projected for the weekend by Universal, which also claims the number two spot this weekend with $12.6 million from Lone Survivor. more…

January 23, 2014

After a record weekend, this weekend is a disappointment. i, frankenstein is the only big release of the week and there’s very little chance of it being a big box office hit. I could overtake ride along for the top spot, but I wouldn’t bet on it. last year hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters was the week’s biggest opening, earning $19.69 million over the weekend, while it and mama were the only two films to earn more than $10 million. we should have four movies earning more than $10 million over the weekend, so 2014 should win in the year-over-year comparison. more…

January 23, 2014

the wolf of wall street skyrocketed from fifth to first place with $32.84 million on 4,446 screens in 36 markets for an international total of $80.86 million during the four weeks of its release. The film was first released in the UK. with $7.65 million from 500 screens, while in Germany it took first place with $6.66 million from 502 screens. Meanwhile, it earned $3.62 million from 327 screens in Spain, also achieving first place in that market. more…

January 21, 2014

It was a record breaking weekend as ride along won the best January opening weekend and the biggest mlk long weekend. needless to say, it crushed expectations. Plus, Crazy Works overcame terrible reviews to get a solid opening, at least according to estimates. Overall, the box office grossed $176 million over the three-day weekend, which is 26% more than last week’s three-day weekend and last year. Over the four-day weekend, the box office grossed $211 million, or 28% more than last year’s MLK long weekend. That’s great news, as 2014 was below the pace of 2013. In fact, after this weekend, 2014 outperformed 2013 by 8%, from $671 million to $621 million. more…

January 20, 2014

the producers guild of america handed out their awards last night and while there were no real surprises, there certainly was a surprise for the top prize. more…

January 19, 2014

the producers guild of america announces the winners tonight, but it seems I forgot to upload the story when they announced their nominations. In my defense, they were announced on January 2nd. you don’t make an announcement on January 2, unless you’re trying to bury a story. As for the actual nominations, there are very few differences between this group and others, except when it comes to documentaries. on the other hand, that has been the norm this year. no one seems to agree on which were the best documentaries. more…

January 17, 2014

At the beginning of the month, I thought this weekend would be a close race between Jack Ryan: Recruit Shadow and Ride. That could be the case, but it’s increasingly unlikely, as the jack ryan buzz hasn’t kept up with the ride along buzz. Also, jack ryan has direct competition from lonesurvive, who nearly set the January record last weekend and should still be strong this weekend. this weekend last year mom won the weekend with $28.40 million and I don’t think ride along will top that. In contrast, last year there were only three movies that exceeded $10 million, while this year there could be as many as seven or eight. (All four wide releases have a shot at $10 million, but they likely won’t all get there. There are two holdovers that will earn more than $10 million. Ultimately, American Hustle and The Wolf of Wall Street could bounce back from an Oscar.) $10 million.) Even in the worst case scenario, four movies will break $10 million. 2014 should win first in the week-over-week comparison. more…

January 16, 2014

The Oscar nominations were announced this morning and there are a few surprises mixed in with the predictable results. Gravity and American Hustle led the way with ten nominations each, while 12 Years a Slave followed with nine. the fact that 12 Years a Slave was not the leader is the first of the surprises. more…

January 15, 2014

after being in second place for a long time, frozen finally took first place with $27.8 million in 50 markets for a total of $394.6 million internationally and $711.9 million worldwide . The film didn’t have any major market releases last weekend, but it opens this weekend in South Korea and in Japan in March. more…

January 14, 2014

Unsurprisingly, The Lone Survivor won the race for first place at the box office last weekend. however, he crushed the predictions to an amazing degree. it wasn’t enough the overall box office dropped to $140 million. Okay, that was less than 1% less than last weekend and just over 1% less than the same weekend last year, but it’s still frustrating. aside from the number one movie, there isn’t much positive news to report. so far this year, 2014 is slightly behind 2013 at $413 million to $436 million. Granted, it’s too early to talk about year-end results, but obviously you’ll want a fast start rather than a slow start. more…

January 13, 2014

the hollywood foreign press association handed out the golden globe awards last night and there were a few surprises in the mix. American Hustle led the way with three wins, which isn’t a real surprise, but I think many thought another movie would lead with three or more wins. The only other film to win more than one award was Dallas Buyers Club with only two. that might give you a clue as to what the big surprise was. more…

January 12, 2014

2014 gets its first bona fide hit this weekend, with Sole Survivor posting an impressive $38.5 million, according to Universal’s Weekend Estimate. That’s the fifth-best January weekend ever, and the second-best for a movie that wasn’t already playing widely over the holidays (Avatar holds the top three spots on the list, and Cloverfield remains the record new release). . Unfortunately, the success of lone survivor was partly to blame for the weak debut of the legend of hercules, which will finish in fourth or fifth place over the weekend. more…

January 10, 2014

There’s only one really new big release this weekend: the legend of hercules. this movie is getting zero positive reviews and most analysts believe it will not make the top five. thankfully, there are a couple of limited releases expanding widely this weekend that should help make up for it. lone survivor is the most obvious commercial success and has done surprisingly well in a limited release. In the meantime, she’s probably too far out to be a big hit, but her reviews suggest that it should at least play well with those looking for Oscar-quality movies. this weekend last year was the zero dark thirty weekend blown wide open. grossed $24.44 million over the weekend, which is a figure Sole Survivor could match. unfortunately for 2014, 2013 had a lot more depth at the box office, so even if Lone Survivor hits $25 million or more, it still looks like the year will still be lower than last year. more…

January 9, 2014

the hobbit: the desolation of smaug started 2014 the same way it ended 2013, on top of it. this weekend it grossed $58 million in 62 markets for a total of $527 million internationally and $756 million worldwide. The film had no major market releases last weekend, but it held onto fourth place in Russia with $9.6 million from 1,378 screens for a total of $42 million after three weeks of release. it was able to stay in the top spot in germany for the fourth weekend in a row with $8.6 million across 1.40 screens for a total of $75.1 million there. Granted, the movie won’t quite match the debut of an unexpected ride, but it will end up with over $800 million worldwide, possibly even $900 million worldwide. there’s no way to look at that figure and not call the movie a resounding success. more…

January 7, 2014

The box office was not as boisterous as expected and this is due in part to the seasonal storm that hit the East Coast. this is also due in part to weaker-than-expected numbers for Paranormal Activity: The Marked, which only managed second place on its debut. this allowed frozen to return to the top spot on the chart, although it was slightly weaker than expected. the overall box office fell 27% from last weekend to $141 million. Compared to last year, the box office was down 4%, which is not a good result, but not terrible either. if the marked ones had simply lived up to expectations, it would have been a virtual draw. more…

January 5, 2014

given the weather conditions in half the country, this weekend there could not be a more appropriate winner at the box office. Disney’s Frozen returns to top honors in its seventh weekend of release after previously topping the list on the weekend of December 6. The film is projected to earn $20.72 million this weekend, making it the fourth film to earn more than $20 million at this stage of its theatrical run. avatar, titanic, and home alone are the other three (and see the full list of all 7 weekends here). Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones were pushed into second place with a decent opening of $18.2 million. more…

January 2, 2014

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones is the only wide release on the first weekend of the year. the long-running franchise will have to contend with a weaker release date, franchise fatigue, and several holdovers that are still going strong. It still has a good chance of coming in first place, just like Frozen. frozen could win the weekend, with the help of families going to the movies one last time before school starts again. The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug probably won’t extend your winning streak, but it should still make quite a bit of money over the weekend. last year the year started with the 3d texas chainsaw earning over $20 million. django unchained also surpassed $20 million over the weekend, albeit by a slim margin. We could also have two $20 million movies this weekend, with up to five additional movies earning more than $10 million. if 2014 doesn’t win in the year-over-year comparison, it should at least be close. more…

January 1, 2014

As it has in recent weeks, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug topped the international chart earning $99.7 million from 15,782 screens in 61 markets for a total of $424.8 million international and $615 .1 million worldwide. The film was released in Australia on Boxing Day, but due to the holidays it took first place with a total opening of $12.9 million from 629 screens; however, this fell a bit behind the debut of an unexpected trip there. On the other hand, the film set the record for the largest total release in Poland with $5.6 million on 425 screens. more…

December 30, 2013

Some studios are still closed and won’t open until this time next week, so we won’t have all the final numbers for the last two weeks until then. we have some final numbers as well as some study estimates that we can see now. As for next week, it’s going to be a lot like last week in terms of stories. we won’t have a table per theatre, we may have an international top ten, while prediction, contest and limited releases will be mostly normal. we might even have a review this weekend. (That’s assuming some of the latest leaks finally arrive, because at the moment I have nothing to review). more…

December 29, 2013

The Hobbit will extend its run at the top of the chart to three weekends, according to studio estimates released Sunday, but Frozen is the real winner, up 47% at the box office since the end of last week (second best in the top 10 behind Saving Mr. Banks), and a new entry in the record books as the second most successful film in its sixth weekend in theaters, only Avatar beats it.

the rest of the list is a jumble of new releases enjoying varying degrees of success. more…

December 27, 2013

It’s the last weekend of the year and there are plenty of movies battling it out for the top five, including five movies that opened on Christmas Day. Unfortunately for those movies, it looks like The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will remain in first place for the third weekend in a row. The Wolf of Wall Street will likely be the biggest of the five new releases, but it’s unlikely to have a shot at the top spot; could only finish fifth. the other new releases are even weaker. last year there were just three new releases for the last weekend of the year, but none of them flopped, so 2013 might end on a low note. 2013 should still win in year-over-year comparison, but missing the final weekend of the year bodes ill for 2014’s debut. more…

December 27, 2013

the hobbit: the desolation of smaug was the biggest draw on the international chart last weekend, adding $97.4 million across 16,840 screens in 56 markets for a total of $278.4 million internationally and $406.0 million worldwide after just two weeks of release. This includes a first-place debut in Russia, where it earned $16.36 million from 2,125 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $19.11 million. this is pretty much the same as what the first movie opened with. (An Unexpected Journey did not open on Wednesday, but it earned $17.89 million from 2,128 screens during its three-day opening weekend.) more…

December 19, 2013

There are two wide releases this week, host: The Legend Continues and Walking With Dinosaurs, as well as two wide-open limited releases, American Hustle and Saving Mr. banks. All four movies will deal with last weekend’s champion, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, as well as Frozen, which should do well thanks to the holidays. this weekend last year was pretty bad for a December weekend. Jack Reacher opened with $15.21 million, putting it a distant second to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. the desolation of smaug won’t do as much as an unexpected journey did last year, but announcer has a shot at first place, so so the combined strength should help the box office grow in comparison year over year. more…

December 19, 2013

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug opened at number one on the international chart with $135.4 million from 16,405 screens in 49 markets. this includes a trio of markets where it topped $10 million. Germany led the way with $19.00 million from 874 screens, compared to $15.01 million for the previous film. the United Kingdom. it brought in $15.20 million from 580 screens, but that wasn’t as strong as the $18.77 million earned by the first installment. France was third with $13.38 million from 909 screens, up from $11.12 million. It also ranked first in a number of other major markets with Spain grossing $7.05 million from 859 screens. it earned $6.24 million from 809 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $7.25 million. Mexico was next with $5.07 million across 2,615 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $5.96 million. italy and brazil had almost identical results with $4.97 million on 720 screens and $4.86 million on 1,039 respectively. more…

December 17, 2013

american hustle began its box office run with a limited release averaging an impressive $123,409. this is the second best average per theater of the year, behind only frozen. saving mr. banks opened in 15 theaters earning an average of $27,558. it should do well in its next expansion. inside llewyn davis expanded, playing in 15 theaters over the weekend while its average per theater fell to $23,786. will continue to expand. The overall box office leader, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, was the final film in the $10,000 club earning an average of $18,869. more…

December 16, 2013

It’s a weekend of good news and bad news at the box office. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug took first place with ease by winning the fourth biggest December opening weekend of all time. on the other hand, it was a bit weaker than expected as it opened at the lower end of predictions. Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas also underperformed to a significant degree, which didn’t help the box office overall. the overall box office was up 59% to $147 million, which seems like a huge amount, until you realize that last weekend was the weekend after thanksgiving, which is historically one of the worst weekends of the year. had there not been a massive jump at the box office, it would have been fatal for the month. this was also higher than the same weekend last year, although by a smaller margin of 6%. year-to-date, 2013 is still ahead of 2012, but by less than 0.5% at $9.90 million to $9.85 million. more…

December 14, 2013

the hollywood foreign press association announced its nominations for the golden globes this week, and a clear picture is forming. 12 Years a Slave was again the recipient of the most nominations, but this time it was a tie, as he and American Hustle each earned seven nominations. if you look at the list of other multi-nominated movies, you will find several familiar faces. more…

December 12, 2013

There are four noteworthy releases this week, though a couple of them will be released in limited release and widely expanded over the next two weeks. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is expected to be the biggest hit of the month, but not as big as an unexpected ride. Meanwhile, Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas should be solid as a counterprogramming and better legs than most of Tyler Perry. This weekend last year, Unexpected Journey opened with $84.62 million. most expect the desolation of smaug to miss that number, perhaps by more than $10 million. however, the second best film of last year was Rise of the Guardians, which only grossed $7.14 million. 2013 probably won’t be as strong at the top, but it will certainly have more depth. more…

December 12, 2013

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire again took the top spot on the international chart, this week grossing $42.9 million from 83 markets for a total of $340.6 million internationally and $676.5 million worldwide . The film had no major market releases last weekend, unless you count India, where the film made $703,000 from 613 screens. The film has already surpassed its predecessor and has yet to be released in Japan. the current goal is $800 million worldwide, which is more than enough to cover the combined production and p&a budgets for this film, and possibly the combined budgets for the next two films as well. more…

December 12, 2013

inside llewyn davis had an amazing opening earning over $400,000 in four rooms with a room average of $101,353. this is the third best for theater of the year behind frozen and blue jasmine. Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom had a strong showing averaging $19,413 in four theaters. the reason for this is obvious, but a bit macabre to talk about. more…

December 10, 2013

Unsurprisingly, the box office was really soft this weekend with Frozen rising to the top with over $30 million. it was the only film to earn more than that amount, while The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was the only other film to earn much more than $5 million. out of thehorn was the only new release and although it barely surpassed $5 million, it still managed third place. the overall box office fell 56% to just $92 million. as bad as that result is, it’s still 15% higher than the same weekend last year. 2013 remains above 2012, albeit by a small margin of 0.3% at $9.75 billion to $9.72 billion. It wouldn’t take much for 2013 to lose its lead again, so there’s a lot to be interested in in the final weeks of the year. more…

December 5, 2013

The weekend after Thanksgiving is almost always a dead zone for new releases, and that’s certainly the case this year. out of the oven is the only mainstream release this week, but its reviews have plummeted compared to the initial buzz. he should still make the top five, but only because he’d have to earn less than $4 million to get sixth place or worse. On the plus side, Frozen and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire should end up one-two each earning $30 million or more. by comparison, this weekend last year, the two biggest movies earned just over $10 million. 2013 will easily win the year-over-year comparison. more…

December 5, 2013

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire remained at the top of the international list with $90.0 million in 79 markets for a total of $272.1 million. To put this into perspective, The Hunger Games finished with $276.5 million, so the sequel has likely already surpassed its predecessor internationally. The film opened first in France with $12.11 million from 755 screens. By comparison, The Hunger Games grossed $14.51 million in total in France, including $3.80 million during its opening weekend. The film also took the top spot in Italy with $5.05 million from 651 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $5.93 million. the original fared poorly in that market with $1.29 million during its opening weekend and $3.83 million overall. The holdovers were led by the UK, where it added $9.04 million across 557 screens over the weekend for a total of $35.36 million, or less than $2 million of its predecessor’s total in that market. In Germany, the film grossed $7.57 million from 670 screens over the weekend for a total of $24.63 million after two. the film finished with $20.30 million in that market. more…

December 5, 2013

the winner of our freeze! the contest was determined and it is… more…

December 4, 2013

mandela’s long walk to freedom ranked first on the theater list with an average of $21,071 across four theaters. however, his reviews are only good, not great, and he probably doesn’t have great legs. Frozen and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire went head to head with averages of $18,009 and $17,819 respectively. more…

December 3, 2013

Thanksgiving Long Weekend set records with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Frozen breaking records for largest Thanksgiving weekend and largest Thanksgiving opening, respectively. There was also good news for Thor: The Dark World over the weekend as it beat predictions, and even while the rest of the new releases struggled, to be nice, it was a really impressive weekend. during the three-day portion of the weekend, the box office grossed a total of $208 million, which was down 8% from last weekend. this is actually a very nice decline, as mid-week holiday releases absorbed some of the weekend demand. This was 82% higher than the same weekend last year, but this is misleading because this weekend last year was the weekend after Thanksgiving. 2013 was stronger than last Thanksgiving, but by 0.0456% over the three day portion. over five days, the box office earned $293 million, which was almost exactly 1% more than last thanksgiving. 2013 has regained the lead over 2012, albeit by a small margin of $9.62 billion to $9.61 billion. Let’s hope he can maintain this leadership from now until January. more…

November 27, 2013

Thanksgiving long weekend will not be remembered for the quality of the movies that are thrown wide open. in fact, of the three new releases on this week’s list, only one of them really breaks open. homefront opens in 2,500 theaters, while black nativity only opens in 1,500. oldboy only opens in 600 theaters, but it still has a reasonable chance in the top ten. If it weren’t for the vast expansion of Frozen and hopefully a strong dominance of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the weekend would be a loss. as it is, 2013 should crush 2012…mainly because there is a misalignment and this weekend last year was the weekend after thanksgiving. the post-holiday slump meant the top five were only able to gross just under $75 million. I’m not saying that catch fire will exceed that number, at least not for three days, but it should be gone for at least the next five days. more…

November 26, 2013

frozen started its short prestige release before its big expansion on Wednesday and it was fantastic. The film grossed $243,390 at a theater, giving it the best per theater average of the year so far, beating Blue Jasmine and pushing Spring Breakers into third place. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was a distant second with an average of $37,971 from over 4,000 theaters. philomena did very well averaging $32,109 across four rooms. the great beauty stayed in the $10,000 club with an average of $17,452 across three rooms. nebraska rounded out the $10,000 club with an average of $11,634 across 28 rooms. it must continue to expand and start reaching important milestones. more…

November 24, 2013

Unsurprisingly, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire edged out The Delivery Man to win at the box office this weekend. ok, outdone is perhaps an understatement when the gap between the two movies is roughly $150 million. Catching Fire will easily record the biggest November weekend of all time, headlining the twilight saga: new moon. It’s also headed for the fourth-biggest weekend of all time, according to Lionsgate’s Sunday estimate, though there’s a good chance it will finish just behind last year’s $160.8 million Dark Knight Rises. It will definitely finish behind Iron Man 3’s $174 million from earlier this year, but continued big profits from burning down over Thanksgiving means the race for this year’s box office championship It’s about to get interesting. more…

November 22, 2013

This week’s list of limited releases is somewhat mixed. Frozen opens this week for a prestigious opening before expanding widely on Wednesday and is virtually guaranteed box office success. on the other hand, most of the rest of the films are documentaries, which hardly ever have a big success. All of the documentaries on this list look interesting, but of the non frozen releases, I think Philomena has the best chance of succeeding at the box office. more…

November 22, 2013

there are three broad releases next week, black nativity, homefront and oldboy. unfortunately, none of them are expected to be mid-tier hits. Fortunately, there is another option, frozen. frozen opened in one theater on Friday the 22nd before expanding widely on Wednesday the 27th. We normally don’t like to use movies that have already been released, but it’s still the best choice for the target movie for the prediction contest box office this week. To win, one must simply predict Frozen’s opening weekend box office number. Whoever comes closest to predicting the movie’s 3-day opening weekend box office (Friday through Sunday), regardless of whether they beat it or not, will win a copy of little jokers practical : first season on dvd. entries must be received by 10am. PT on Friday to be eligible, so don’t delay! more…

November 1, 2013

October ended on a winning note, but it was the only time in the entire month that 2013 beat 2012 in the year-over-year comparison. this is quite a shock as gravity crushed expectations with over $200 million and counting. even with that surprise monstrous bump, the month still couldn’t quite keep up with last year. Compared to October, November is looking much better with three movies that could be big hits: Frozen, Thor: The Dark World, and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. On the other hand, those are the only three movies with a 50/50 or better chance of breaking $100 million by comparison, while there were seven movies that hit that milestone last November. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire should do more than last year’s number one movie, Skyfall, but last year’s depth might be too much to handle. 2013 could drop below last year’s pace at some point in the month, but hopefully it won’t stay that way for long. more…