The Weekend Report: Shipwreck!

No one expected the trio of new national releases to unseat “The Avengers” … they just expected them to be more competitive. “The Avengers”‘ third weekend prevailed with an estimated $55.2 million with “Battleship” not quite right behind with $25.3 million. Third spot went to “The Dictator” with $16.7 million and the third freshman, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” slotted fifth with $10.5 million.

The Weekend Report: May 13, 2011

“The Avengers” continued to hold sway, easily outpacing any potential competition with an estimated second weekend box office of $103.8 million. Granted there was but a single new national release with “Dark Shadows” that ranked second overall with an opening salvo of $28.5 million. In limited release, single mom drama “Girl in Progress” bowed with an OK $1.2 million. “Avengers” aside, the wow bow was Tollywood newcomer “Gabbar Singh” that collected $643,000 from 45 engagements for an impressive per screen average of $14,290.

The Weekend Report, May 6, 2012

“The Avengers” rewrote the record books with the biggest ever opening three-day weekend that’s estimated at $200.5 million. With $30 million more than the former champ, there’s little chance that the Monday actual will change Sunday’s ebullience.

The Weekend Report

Cusp of summer box office experienced a lull with weekend revenues of roughly $115 million that amounted to a 17% decline from the prior frame. It was a steeper 30% downturn from 2011 when the bow of Fast Five blew away the competition with an $86.1 million launch. The weekend’s big noise was happening overseas with The Avengers getting a jump start on domestic with a 39 territory debut estimated at close to $180 million. Also heaping up advance gelt internationally is Battleship with $150 million to date prior to its North American bow on 5/18.

The Weekend Report: April 22, 2012

“The Hunger Games” finally moved out of the top spot to make room for newcomers “Think Like a Man” and Zac Efron’s “The Lucky One,” both performing better than expected. Disney’s nature doc “Chimpanzee” turned in a respectable fourth with $10.2 million.

The Weekend Report, April 15, 2012

I Got Plenty of Nyucking: Was it a fair fight? Katniss vs. Moe, Larry and Curly. Regardless, “The Hunger Games” made it a hat trick as box office champ with an estimated $21.3 million while the contemporized “The Three Stooges” bowed to $17.2 million.

The Weekend Report: April 8, 2012

The appetite for The Hunger Games continued with the hearty survivalists adding an estimated $33.7 million to take the weekend box office crown and push its cache to more than $300 million domestically.

The frame’s newcomers (so to speak) trailed in second and third positions. The belated Pie story American Reunion bowed to $21.4 million while the reconstituted Titanic buoyed to $17.4 million with the addition of 3D lifeboats.

The Weekend Report: April 1, 2012

The Hunger Games added an estimated $60.4 million to its larder to lead weekend box office sales. Already among the top 100 all-time domestic grossers after 10 days in theaters, it should have no problem winding up in the top 20 prior to segueing into ancillary riches.

The session’s incoming national releases followed with the tunic challenged Wrath of the Titans opening to $33.4 million and the dryly comic Snow White spin Mirror Mirror behind at $18.6 million. Telegu movie 3 opened well in the niches with a $120,000 tally from 28 screens.

Among exclusive entries it was no contest as Bully strong armed $110,000 at five sites. Also impressive was Chinese import Love in the Buff with an $87,900 box office from eight playdates.

The Weekend Report: March 25, 2012

The Hunger Games set a slew of records and debuted to a jaw dropping estimated $153.6 million. Nuff said. The competition decided there was little point to even consider a counter-programmer. But in the niches Bollywood offered Agent Vinod that bowed to an OK $440,000 at 121 venues.

The Weekend Report: March 18, 2012

The reinvention of the bygone TV show was the sole new wide release while other freshmen aimed for niche crowds in hopes of building to bigger platforms. However, the prospects for expansion weren’t bountiful for either the comedic spin on Latin machismo in Casa de mi Padre or the sophisticated slackerisms of Jeff Who Lives at Home. The former grossed $2.2 million at 382 locations while the couch potato mashed $820,000 from 254 ovens.

The Weekend Report: March 11, 2012

Like a hideous car accident all eyes were on John Carter. Or, at the very least there was the prospect of the anticipated catastrophe that a calculated franchise title would come crashing down to earth (or Mars).

The film proved to be somewhat of a split decision. Its opening estimated gross of $30.1 million ranked it second to Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax’s second weekend of $39 million. So, while the hero of the pulps and pecs was not a flame out neither did he flex the sort of commercial heft that would anticipate sequels.

The Weekend Report: March 4, 2012

Clearly no one saw The Lorax coming with so much force though pundits predicted a sizeable opening pegged between $45 million and $50 million. It was the highest opening for an original animated picture ever and ranked third best all-time March opener. But just 52% of ticket buyers opted for 3D engagements suggesting that audiences still have a recession attitude toward stereoscopic films.

Not surprisingly the audience was 68% families though its gross clearly indicated considerable business beyond matinees. There was also a 60% tilt toward female viewers.

Project X also hit a bull’s eye with its targeted young male crowd. Its exit demos identified a 58% swing toward the boys and 67% of viewers aged 25 years and younger. Generally positive reviews helped the picture exceed high end projections of $18 million.

The Weekend Report, February 26, 2012

Oscar went bump in the night as the mockuventure Act of Valor ascended to the top of the weekend ticket charts with an estimated $24.7 million. Runnerup was another freshman _ Good News from Tyler Perry _ with $15.6 million. Further done the list the comedic Wanderlust bowed to a disappointing $6.6 million and the thriller Gone went missing with $4.8 million.

In the niches the hockey antics of Goon grossed a solid $1.1 million in Canada while a trio of Indian imports failed to shake up that sector of domestic box office. Exclusive starter were largely inert save for the controversial Albanian drama The Forgiveness of Blood that opened to $29,700 at three venues.

This weekend’s projection is up 23% from last year.

The Weekend Report: Feb 17-19, 2012

Weekend box office pushed to about $160 million and a 12% slippage for the three-day portion of the holiday frame. It was however 9% improved from the comparable 2011 session when newcomers Unknown and I Am Number Four ranked one and three in the lineup with $21.8 million and $19.4 million.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance had been tipped to top the charts by pundits with estimates in the low to mid $30 million range. While hardly a review driven title, the picture received withering response and diminished the crowd composed 61% male and 52% aged 25 years older plus. According to studio sources just 352 playdates were 3D engagements and accounted for 72% of box office … but those details seem highly questionable.

The Weekend Report: February 12, 2012

Not unexpected was the 72% female demos for The Vow (Safe House attracted 50%) but while it was anticipated to attract an older crowd, exit polls indicated an audience that was 55% aged 25 years old and younger. Conversely Safe House drew a 62% crowd aged 30 years and older. It also skewed African American with 38% of viewers compared with 31% identified as Caucasian and 23% Hispanic.

The Weekend Report, February 5, 2012

With the industry girding for Super Bowl, the opening movie going salvo was heartening. Weekend revenues were off 8% from seven days earlier but a hearty 35% improved from 2011 when debuts of The Roommate and Sanctum topped the charts with respective box office of $15 million and $9.4 million.

Neither Chronicle nor The Woman in Black was expected to open as well as last weekend’s leader The Grey that bowed to $19.7 million. Pundits have largely readjusted estimates to reflect the growing influence of older viewers and the new entries weren’t targeted to plus 25s. However, while the former skewed 55% male and the latter 59% female, they also drew in 61% younger than 25% for Chronicle and 57% in the same demo for Woman in Black.

Len’s Weekend Report to come…

The Weekend Report: Wolf at the Door

There was a lack of Lupophobia at the multiplex as The Grey ascended to the top of the weekend movie charts with an estimated $19.5 million debut. Two other national bows figured into the top five with the romantic actioner One For the Money slotted third with $11.7 million and the suspenseful Man on a Ledge two notches back at $7.9 million.

The Weekend Report: Float Like a Butterfly … Sting Like a Bee

The debut of Underworld: Awakening led weekend ticket sales with an estimated $25.2 million. Two other films bowed nationally and a fourth platformed after four weeks in Oscar-qualifying exclusives. The saga of the Second World War Tuskegee Airmen, Red Tails, ranked second with $19.1 million and the take no prisoners actioner Haywire kicked out with $8.9 million. Wedged in-between was the expansion of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close in position four with $10.4 million.

The Weekend Report: January 15, 2012

The slam-bang Contraband proved to be sturdier than the expected $16 million to $20 million tracking pundits predicted. According to exit polls the audience was pretty much evenly split between the sexes with about half the viewers aged 30 years old and younger. It emerged as the unexpected date night movie of the holiday period.

Also out-pacing estimates was Beauty and the Beast that was dominated by families with 60% of buyers. Couples comprised 28% of the crowd with 53% aged 25% years and younger overall. The studio was also tracking the percentage of the audience seeing the venerable animation film for the very first time but hadn’t finished collating that data at press time.

The Weekend Report: January 8, 2011

No one anticipated the wrath of The Devil Inside with pundits putting its prospects at between $16 million and $20 million. Following a year when pictures targeted at young males failed to get close to that bullseye, the chiller hit dead center with an audience that was 54% men and 59% aged 25 years old and younger.