November 23rd, 2011
This weekend is Thanksgiving and as always that means Black Friday and Cyber Monday plus 48 hours of shopping in-between. And as always, I've already done my Christmas shopping, for the most part. (I'm still waiting to see if the B.C.Lions win the Grey Cup. If not, I'll need to look for an alternative gift.) For everyone else who is still searching, we present the first part in our annual Holiday Gift Guide. As usual, the gift guide is divided into several sections, starting 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 1st, 2011
The selection of home market releases is rather soft this week. Sure, Cars 2 was a major hit at the box office, but it is the only major hit on this week's list. The best selling TV on DVD release is Californication, which is a cable show, while the top ten selling titles according to Amazon.com include limited releases, catalogue titles and direct-to-DVD releases. There are more second-tier Christmas releases than any other type of release. There are far fewer titles that are worth picking up than last week, and the the Pick of the Week contenders are even more limited. Transformers: Beast Wars comes out on a Complete Series Collection and that could be Pick of the Week material, but I'm still waiting for the screener.
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March 1st, 2011
President's Day sales boosted a number of holdovers back into the top 30 on this week's sales chart. However, it was a new release, Unstoppable, that led the way with 796,000 units sold for opening week sales of $12.73 million.
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February 27th, 2011
The Oscar are being handed out tonight and we will be going over the winners as they are announced and giving a few reactions, perhaps there will be a few surprises along the way. This story will be updated as the winners are announced, so check back throughout the evening to see if The King's Speech will be this year's winner, or if The Social Network will manage the upset. Plus there are many other potentially interesting results ahead.
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February 20th, 2011
With our annual Oscar Prediction contest underway, now is the best time to look at the nominees and try and figure out who the favorites are and which nominees should just feel honored to be nominated. This weekend we wrap things up and the final category is the most prestigious, Best Picture. With ten nominations, it's a crowded field; however, all but a couple of those are clearly long shots.
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February 6th, 2011
With our annual Oscar Prediction contest underway, now is the best time to look at the nominees and try and figure out who the favorites are and which films should just feel honored to be nominated. Today we look at Best Adapted Screenplay, which is one the categories that I think could give us a surprise. There's a favorite, and one or two that could pull off an upset.
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February 6th, 2011
With our annual Oscar Prediction contest underway, now is the best time to look at the nominees and try and figure out who the favorites are and which films should just feel honored to be nominated. Today we look at Best Animated Feature Film, which is one of the least competitive categories that we will be dealing with this year. (This is true most years.) This is actually quite fortunate, as a rule dispute at the Annies have rendered that awards ceremony nearly useless in predictive power.
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January 25th, 2011
The Oscar nominations were announced this morning, thus ending months of speculation. Along with a (very) few surprises, the list of nominees is mostly a case of Deja Vu. Leading the way, as it has so often this year, was The King's Speech, with 12 nominations, including six in seven of the most prestigious categories (Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, and the four acting categories). But it was far from the only multi-nominated film on the list.
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January 23rd, 2011
Producers Guild of America announced their winners this weekend and there are some interesting wins that may have changed the odds come Oscar night, as well as one that was as predictable as they come.
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January 16th, 2011
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association handed out the hardware tonight, and while there were plenty of winners, one film, The Social Network, stood out by winning four awards, including three of the major ones.
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January 4th, 2011
Producers Guild of America announced the nominations in seven categories, three of which are for theatrical releases. Like last year, there was only one repeat nominee, and again like last year, it was a Pixar release.
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January 4th, 2011
There were plenty of new releases on the sales chart this week, but none came close to unseating Despicable Me. The film repeated on top with 1.38 million units for the week and 5.13 million units after two. It has already brought in $86.13 million in revenue, while it will have little trouble hitting $100 million shortly.
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December 28th, 2010
There were seven new releases to chart this week, including the new number one. In fact, that new number one dominated in a surprising way and none of the other new releases managed to make much of an impact at the box office. Despicable Me led the way with 3.75 million units sold and $62.70 million. If there were any doubts about a sequel, this ended them, as the film is already in the top ten for the year.
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December 21st, 2010
A couple of very high profile new releases hit the home market this week, but despite this, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse was able to top the DVD sales chart during its first full week of release with 3.15 million units / $56.62 million for a running tally of 5.54 million units / $99.68 million. This is practically identical to the sales of the first two films at the same point.
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December 15th, 2010
The best new release of the week didn't actually come out this week. This is because The Twilight Saga: Eclipse wasn't released on Tuesday like the rest of the new releases, but on the weekend. Despite having fewer days to sell DVDs, it still topped the sales chart with 2.39 million units / $43.06 million; however, this was lower than the opening sales of its predecessors, both of which had the same release strategy.
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December 14th, 2010
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced their nominations early this morning, and there are some interesting surprises included in the mix. Leading the way was The King's Speech, which has long been seen as one of the major players this Awards Season. Meanwhile, The Fighter and The Social Network were right behind with six each. There were many, many other films nomination, including more than a few shocks. ... Mostly in one category.
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December 7th, 2010
It was the Thanksgiving long weekend recently and the sales numbers this week include Black Friday. It should come as no surprise that there was an uptick in sales this week, with a number of older releases seeing a massive jump. This includes Toy Story 3, which shot into top spot with 1.27 million units / $21.19 million for the week and 6.78 million / $124.60 million after a month. It is now the third-best-selling DVD of the year.
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November 30th, 2010
It was a rather slow week for new releases, as none topped 1 million units, but they still managed top two spots on this week's sales chart. Disney's A Christmas Carol opened in first place with 989,000 units / $16.81 million in consumer spending at retail, while The Last Airbender was second in terms of units sold with 751,000, but fourth in terms of dollars with $12.76 million.
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November 26th, 2010
This weekend is Thanksgiving and that means Black Friday and Cyber Monday plus 48 hours of shopping in between. Personally, I've done my Christmas shopping, and I have been for weeks; in fact, I've even finished wrapping everything. For the rest of you, here is the first part in our annual Holiday Gift Guide. This week we will look at some of the major first-run releases, but we start with a short talk on...
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November 23rd, 2010
Toy Story 3 remained on top of the sales chart this week with 934,000 units / $16.53 million for the week and 4.79 million units and $89.63 million after two. It is now the fourth-best-selling DVD of 2010 in terms of units and dollars, while it could climb another spot by the time Black Friday is over.
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November 16th, 2010
Toy Story 3 dominated the new releases and this week's sales chart with 3.86 million units sold and $73.10 million in revenue. After just five days of sales, it is already in the top ten for 2010 and by now it might already be in the top three. We will find out next week when the numbers are in.
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November 2nd, 2010
It's a good week in terms of quality as the biggest hit and the best movie of the year hits the home market this week. However, it appears that release might have scared away the competition. Of course, that release is Toy Story 3, and the 4-Disc Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack, which is not only the Pick of the Week, it might be the Pick of the Year.
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November 2nd, 2010
Toy Story 3 is the latest from Pixar. ... I'm tempted to leave the review at that. This is the eleventh film from the studio and they've never made a bad movie. They've never made a movie that was anything less than Oscar-worthy. (I still contend that Cars was robbed.) Just because a movie has earned overwhelmingly positive reviews, and more than $400 million at the box office, doesn't necessarily mean I will also love the film.
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September 29th, 2010
Another week, another milestone for Resident Evil: Afterlife, this time crossing $200 million worldwide, which makes it the first in the franchise to do so. Over the weekend it led the international box office with $25.20 million on 6519 screens in 55 markets for a total of $154.71 million internationally and $206.78 million worldwide. It managed top spot during its debut in France with $2.96 million on 408 screens, but that's below average for its run so far. Meanwhile, it added $2.87 million on 633 screens in Japan for a total of $38.51 million after three weeks of release there. That's almost as much as Inception has made in that market, and its been there for ten weeks.
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September 22nd, 2010
It took just two weeks for Resident Evil: Afterlife to become the first film in the franchise to reach $100 million on the international scene. It earned $39.61 million on 6235 screens in 47 markets for a total of $103.58 million internationally and $147.48 million worldwide. Its biggest opening came in Germany where it earned $5.38 million on 434 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $5.85 million. It also took top spot in Mexico with $4.38 million on 658 screens, in South Korea with $3.88 million on 367, and in Brazil with $2.96 million on 298. It did fall 62% during its second weekend in Japan, which is tragic for that market; however, it still managed $5.00 million on 634 screens over the weekend for a total of $27.71 million after two. With debuts in France, Australia, and other markets still ahead of it, this film will have no trouble getting to $200 million worldwide, while $200 million internationally is a solid goal.
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September 15th, 2010
Resident Evil: Afterlife took top spot on the international chart. In fact, it dominated with $41.70 million on 3,935 screens in 33 markets for a total of $68.36 million worldwide. After just one weekend of release, the film is nearly halfway to catching up with Extinction for best in the franchise. It goes without saying that there will be another installment. Its biggest individual market was Japan, where it opened in first place with $13.27 million on 649 screens over the weekend and $15.58 million in total. It also took the top spot in Spain with an impressive $3.36 million on 488 screens, while it was a little softer in the U.K. with a chart topping opening of $2.61 million on 361 screens. On the other hand, it had to settle for second place in Italy with $1.72 million on 270 screens during its debut there.
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September 8th, 2010
It was a busy week for Inception, as it rose to top spot on the international chart and crossed two major milestones in the process: $400 million internationally and $700 million worldwide. Over the weekend, it earned $21.00 million on 7,785 screens in 61 markets for a total of $425.15 million internationally and $702.30 million worldwide. Much of this was due to its debut in China, where it placed first with $13.6 million. It has yet to open in Italy, but it will likely start falling off at an accelerated pace from now till its premiere in that market at the end of the month.
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September 1st, 2010
The Expendables held on to top spot on the international chart with $24.70 million on 4823 screens in 38 markets for a total of $101.46 million after just three weeks of release. It had a few openings over the weekend, most notably in Germany where it placed third with $2.94 million on 531 screens. Meanwhile, it fell from first to fourth in the U.K., but still added $2.02 million on 453 screens over the weekend for a total of $10.52 million after two. With openings in Italy and Japan ahead, the film will have no trouble getting to $250 million worldwide, which is more than enough to ensure a profit.
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August 25th, 2010
Powered by openings in a trio of major markets, The Expendables climbed into top spot with $35.49 million on 4501 screens in 30 markets for a still early international total of $60.30 million. At this point, reaching $100 million internationally and $200 million worldwide is practically a given. The film's best opening of the weekend came from the U.K. where it debuted in the top spot with $6.08 million on 453 screens, while it was also triumphant in France with $4.75 million on 445 screens. On the other hand, it had to settle for fifth place in South Korea with $1.25 million on 298 screens over the weekend and $1.52 million in total. Next up for the film is Germany this weekend, while it opens in Italy next month and in Japan in October.
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August 18th, 2010
As the summer blockbuster season comes to a close, there are few major releases in theaters worldwide. Regardless, there are still a few major milestones being reached, and a few more to come. For instance, Inception maintained its hold in first place with $35.51 million on 6879 screens, in 61 markets, for a total of $320.44 million internationally. It also reached a major milestone worldwide with $568.91 million, making it just one of 78 films to reach $500 million. It is still going strong in a number of major markets, including Spain, where it remained in first place with $2.72 million on 497 screens over the weekend, for a total of $10.15 million after two. It was down just 22% in Brazil adding $1.56 million on 292 screens over the weekend and $4.43 million after two. Its best market overall is the U.K. where it has made $45.53 million after a month of release, including $2.62 million on 472 screens this past weekend. By this time next week, it should have $600 million worldwide, with $700 million becoming a lot more likely.
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August 16th, 2010
Two of the three wide releases that opened this past weekend were able to score at the box office and that was enough to lift the total box office to $144 million. This was 8% higher than last weekend and 1% higher than the same weekend last year. Granted, that 1% improvement is well below the rate of inflation, but a win is a win. Year-to-date, 2010 has earned $7.15 billion compared to 2009's pace of $6.85 billion. As we transition into fall, we are in an excellent position to top $10 billion for the second year in a row and set yet another record. Granted, the lack of a Avatar-like megahit coming out could be an issue, but I think 2010 has built up enough of a lead that it won't prevent the yearly box office from reaching 10 digits.
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August 11th, 2010
Inception remained in top spot on the international box office, with $47.70 million on 7287 screens in 59 markets for a total of $259.27 million internationally and $486.90 million worldwide. It won't have to wait till the weekend to get to $500 million. It opened in first place in Spain with $4.55 million on 491 screens, but had to settle for second place in Brazil with $2.03 million on 313. It also added $3.83 million on 418 screens over the weekend in Australia for a total of $20.64 million after three. While in the U.K., it made $3.60 million on 468 screens over the weekend for a total of $41.02 million after four. With openings in China and Italy ahead of it, $600 million worldwide is virtually guaranteed, while $700 million isn't out of the question.
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August 8th, 2010
Over the past weekend, Toy Story 3 fell to second place on the international chart with $38.69 million on 7806 screens in 42 markets. However, it rose to second place for 2010 on the international chart with $436.65 million overtaking Shrek Forever After. The only 2010 release that has made more internationally is Alice in Wonderland. Worldwide it now has $826.41 million and it has very likely already surpassed Finding Nemo to become Pixar's biggest hit. The film's only major release of the week came in Germany over the weekend, where it made $4.03 million on 740 screens, bringing the total to $4.35 million. While this is a good result, its not great, and prior to this the film had been doing great. It also remained in the top spot in the U.K. over the weekend, with $12.81 million on 564 screens, for a two week total of $62.82 million. It has likely overtaken Alice in Wonderland to become the biggest hit of 2010 released in that market. As for the film's future, it has yet to open in South Korea and Scandinavia. If it does well in those markets, $1 billion worldwide is still within reach.
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July 28th, 2010
For the first time in nearly a month, Toy Story 3 climbed back into first place on the international chart with $63.52 million on 7,612 screens in 46 markets for a total of $366.83 million internationally and $746.25 million worldwide.
It became only the third Pixar film to reach $700 million, and it overtook Up for second place in the company's history.
Overall it is one of only 40 films to reach $700 million, while it it about to overtake the first Chronicles of Narnia film for 35th place all time.
By this time next week, it should be the 25th film to reach $800 million worldwide, and it is still has major market openings next week, and next month.
Where will it go from here?
Well, $500 million internationally and $900 million worldwide is practically guaranteed, and it could become the second release of 2010 to reach $1 billion in total.
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July 26th, 2010
While neither of the two new releases exactly earned blockbuster level openings, Inception made up for this by topping nearly everyone's high end expectations. This helped the overall box office reach still summer-like proportions at $162 million. Granted, this was down 9% from last weekend, but more importantly, it's up 7% from last year.
Year-to-date, 2010 has earned $6.49 billion compared to $6.21 billion for 2009, while ticket sales are still down 2%.
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July 25th, 2010
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse slipped to second place with $43.82 million on 9,527 screens in 61 markets for a total of $295.66 million internationally and $560.45 million worldwide.
This includes a first place debut in Germany with $9.76 million on 767 screens over the weekend and $12.30 million in total.
On the other hand, the film was down a stunning 75% in the U.K. to $5.19 million over the weekend and $33.84 million after two.
The amazing growth the franchise saw from installment one to two is gone, but this is still a fantastically profitable movie.
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July 25th, 2010
An impressive second weekend hold by Inception will give it a relatively comfortable win this weekend, according to studio estimates released on Sunday.
With a decline of just 31%, Christopher Nolan's sci-fi thriller will end up with around $43.5 million, according to Warner Bros., $7 million ahead of Salt, which is set to open with about $36.5 million.
Both movies topped a per theater average of $10,000, and Sony won't be too disappointed with second place.
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July 20th, 2010
Neither of the two new releases were able to match expectations, while the holdovers were not able to compensate. This left the overall box office down 7% to $178 million for the weekend. That was still 11% higher than last year, lifting 2010's lead over 2009 to $6.22 billion to $5.97 billion.
Attendance is still down by 2%, but revenue is higher by 4% thanks to the increased price for 3D tickets.
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July 18th, 2010
Shrek Forever After remained in second place with a hearty $56.42 million on 6,987 screens in 41 markets for a total of $209.55 million internationally and $443.33 worldwide.
There was some excellent news this week, as the film opened in first place in Brazil with $6.86 million on 658 screens, which is an all-time record in that market for an animated film.
Meanwhile in Spain it opened with $4.12 million on 748 screens over the weekend and $4.97 million in total, but Shrek the Third made more than $7.5 million during its opening three years ago. Finally, it opened atop Poland with $2.73 million on 235 screens. Poland isn't normally considered a major market, but when it comes to animated films, it usually is. As far as holdovers go, it held on extremely well in South Korea, down just 20% to $4.66 million on 566 screens over the weekend for a total of $12.81 million after two.
On the other hand, it was down nearly 50% in the U.K. To $6.88 million on 537 screens over the weekend and $25.81 million after two.
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July 15th, 2010
Inception, one of the most anticipated films of the summer, hits theaters this weekend, which should help the box office keep up its torrid pace of the past few weeks.
It will need to, because this time last year saw the release of The Half-Blood Prince, which was one of the most anticipated films of last summer.
Inception likely won't top Half-Blood Prince at the box office, though it could come close.
But combined with the other wide release and holdovers, 2010 should put another win under its belt.
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July 12th, 2010
It was a great weekend at the box office with four of the top five films beating expectations. The helped the overall box office climb to $192 million, which was an increase of 2% from last weekend and considering last weekend was a holiday, this is impressive. (Granted, July 4th did land on a Sunday, which undoubtedly hurt the industry's three-day weekend haul, but I'm still impressed.) Additionally, the weekend saw 34% growth from the same weekend last year, which is beyond impressive. Year-to-date, 2010 now has a 4.9% lead over 2009, $5.94 billion to $5.66 billion.
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July 11th, 2010
In an age of day-and-date global releases, Shrek Forever After is taking the slow route. This week it opened in a number of major markets, which propelled it into second place with $42.57 million on 4,484 screens in 25 markets for a total of $137.12 million internationally and $369.40 million worldwide.
In the U.K. it opened with $13.56 million on 539 screens, which was easily enough for first place.
However, its predecessor made $33.45 million during its opening three years ago. Ouch. In France it made $10.77 million on 842 screens, down from $13.05 million. South Korea produced $6.37 million on 627 screens, including midweek numbers, down from $10.74 million. Finally, in Germany it made $5.11 million on 767 screens, down from $7.84 million. The film is still a major hit and will have no trouble earning a profit; however, it is still the weakest in the franchise when you look at ticket sales.
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July 8th, 2010
It's a post-holiday weekend and that usually means a serious drop-off at the box office. Add in two films with serious Fanboy, and Fangirl, issues, and this is twice as true this weekend. However, we do have two films that are earning strong reviews and this could help mitigate the losses. Also, this time last year wasn't particularly strong either, so we won't need a $40 million debut to keep 2010 close to 2009's pace. Although that would certainly help and it is not out of the question.
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July 7th, 2010
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse not only led the way on the overall chart, but also topped the per theater chart with an average of $14,510 over three days and $18,719 over four. The second placed film overall, The Last Airbender, was second on the per theater chart as well with an average of $12,725 over three days and $16,347 over four. Cyrus expanded to 77 theaters, and earned an average of $10,058 / $14,209, which was enough to reach the top ten on the overall four-day chart. Finally, Toy Story 3 missed the $10,000 club over the three-day weekend with an average of $7,517, but made it there when you add in Monday with an average of $10,689.
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July 6th, 2010
Independence Day long weekend may not have seen as many records fall as some were hoping, but every film in the top five topped expectations (albeit by tiny margins in some cases). Overall the box office pulled in $188 million over the three-day weekend, which was an increase of 15% from last weekend, and $250 million over the four-day weekend, which was up 16% from last year. Year-to-date, 2010 has now amassed $5.66 million in ticket sales, up close to 4% from last year's pace. Higher ticket prices for 3D movies does have something to do with that, but I think the studios should still be happy with these results.
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July 1st, 2010
Yesterday was the first of July, Canada Day! It was also the start of the CFL season. ... Oh yeah, and apparently there's a holiday in the United States. On a serious note, the Independence Day long weekend is usually the second most lucrative weekend of the year (only the Memorial Day long weekend tops it). The Twilight Saga: Eclipse will dominate the box office having already set a few records, while it isn't the only film that should pull in big bucks over the next four days. The overall box office should top last year's totals, even with the front-loaded nature of the top film.
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June 30th, 2010
Toy Story 3 remained in the top spot on the international chart with $39.21 million on 5815 screens in 32 markets for a still early total of $103.90 million internationally and $330.79 million worldwide. The film is only playing in about a third of the international markets, including less than half of the major markets. It's the only major market opening of the weekend was in Australia, where it dominated with $6.47 million on 365 screens, which is a little stronger than Finding Nemo's opening back in 2003 and Pixar's best start in that market. Additionally, school holidays start next week, so the film could have long legs there.
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June 29th, 2010
Restrepo opened in top spot on the per theater chart with an average of $17,791 in two theaters. This was just a hair above Cyrus' average of $17,719 during its second weekend of release. Further expansion is all but assured, as are at least a couple of earning milestones. Toy Story 3 remained in top spot on the overall chart, earning an average of $14,731. Meanwhile, a fellow wide release, Grown Ups, was the only other film in the $10,000 club, opening with an average of $11,462.
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June 28th, 2010
It was no surprise that Toy Story 3 was able to remain on top of the box office chart for the second weekend in a row. Also, the new releases combined did about as well as expected. Unfortunately, "as well as expected" still left the box office down 17% from last weekend at $165 million. Coincidentally, it was also down 17% from last year. 2010 is still leading 2009, but its margin is slipping and, as of the end of the weekend, it is just 2.1% ahead at $5.22 billion to $5.11 billion.
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June 27th, 2010
As expected, Toy Story 3 won a second straight weekend at the box office, and its decline of 47% wasn't bad for a movie that opened with over $100 million -- in fact, it's slightly better than WALL-E managed in its second weekend.
The story of the weekend, however, is the $41 million opening for the critically mauled Grown Ups, which showed that Adam Sandler and gang still have an impressively loyal following.
The day-by-day performance of the movie doesn't look particularly strong though, and the weekend estimate might prove to be a little optimistic.
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June 24th, 2010
Two new wide releases look to unseat Toy Story 3 this weekend, including one that got its start on Wednesday.
There's good news, at least for Pixar, as it appears Toy Story 3 will walk away with the win.
There's bad news for the industry, as it appears both new releases could struggle to match earlier expectations.
And then there's the ugly news.
This time last year saw the release of Revenge of the Fallen, so the year-over-year comparison could be... well... ugly.
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June 23rd, 2010
Despite going up against the World Cup, Toy Story 3 had a record-breaking opening in many markets, including many in Latin America, where soccer is incredibly popular. Overall, it earned first place with $40.34 million on 5102 screens in 28 markets for a total of $43.41 million. This includes a record opening for an animation film in Mexico with $15.23 million on 1098 screens, which was 50% more than the previous record holder, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaur. Since that film made nearly $700 million internationally, this is a great start. Granted, Toy Story 3 won't top Dawn of the Dinosaur by 50% in the end, but it does bode well for the future.
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June 21st, 2010
The winners of our Heading North contest were determined and they are...
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June 21st, 2010
Toy Story 3's record-breaking opening included its run on IMAX, opening with $8.4 million on 180 IMAX screens. That's the record for an animated film. Additionally, it earned $1.2 million on 47 IMAX screens internationally for a worldwide opening of $9.6 million, with scheduled openings in 29 more theaters on the international scene yet to come.
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June 21st, 2010
It was another strong weekend on the per theater chart with Cyrus leading the way with $180,000 in just four theaters for an average of $45,429. This is strong enough to suggest the potential to expand wide, or at least wide enough to secure some measure of mainstream success. The overall box office leader, Toy Story 3, was next with an average of $27,385. I Am Love opened with $120,000 in eight theaters for an average of $15,188. Meanwhile, The Killer Inside Me and The Girlfriends opened with relatively similar results, the former earning $11,083 in one theater while the latter earned $10,092, also in one theater.
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June 21st, 2010
It has been 15 years since Pixar essentially created the digital animation market.
In that time, it has proven to be the most consistent studio both in terms of quality and box office success.
That was reinforced this weekend, as Toy Story 3 easily won the box office race, setting a few records along the way.
Overall, the box office brought in $199 million, which was the best weekend of 2010 since the first weekend of the year (when Avatar was still dominating the chart). Box office was up nearly 32% from last weekend, and more importantly, up just over 32% from last year. 2010 has now earned an impressive $4.95 billion, which is is 4% higher than last year's pace. However, a lot of this is due to the inflated 3D ticket prices and attendance is still down more than 2% from last year.
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June 20th, 2010
As expected, Toy Story 3 is dominating this weekend at the box office, and it is heading for a record opening for Pixar.
Disney is projecting a $109 million opening weekend, which is significantly ahead of the $70 million opening posted by The Incredibles back in 2004.
3D tickets sales and general ticket price inflation helped the cause, of course, but it's still a very impressive result, to go with Disney's success with Alice in Wonderland earlier in the year.
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June 17th, 2010
Pixar releases its eleventh feature-length film this weekend. And considering its previous ten have all opened in first place (assuming you discount prestige limited releases) this is reason for Disney to celebrate.
In fact, it could be reason for the industry as a whole to celebrate, considering more than 10 million tickets could be sold for this movie, which means more than 10 million people watching trailers for upcoming releases, seeing posters for new movies, etc.
Compared to last year, Toy Story 3 could make more than the top five combined, which should help boost 2010's lead over 2009.
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June 11th, 2010
Next week sees the release of Toy Story 3, which could be the biggest hit of the summer, perhaps the biggest hit of the year. Its early reviews are encouraging and at the very least, it should help the overall box office head north. It is also 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 for Toy Story 3.
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 Leave It To Beaver: Season Three 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 win a copy of 180 Degrees South on Blu-ray.
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, 2010
So far this summer the disappointments are outnumbering the pleasant surprises by a disturbing margin. Granted, we've only just finished May, but none of the May wide releases met expectations. None. Iron Man 2 was still a massive hit, but no film since then has come close to matching its box office prowess and we are coming close to hitting the panic button at the box office. Worse still, June of 2009 was better than expected with two massive hits that came out of nowhere. Plus, there was the release of the Revenge of the Fallen, which for much of the year looked like it would be the biggest hit of 2009. So, do we have any films likely to do as well as Revenge this June? Maybe. And hopefully we will have more depth, because outside those three films, the rest of June 2009 struggled.
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December 22nd, 2009
Avatar set records over the weekend on IMAX screens across the nation, pulling in $9.5 million on 178 screens, which is the largest opening for an IMAX film and also the widest release in the format's history.
There were reports of nearly every ticket being sold with theater owners adding shows at 3 am, and in some cases 6 am, to deal with the demand.
Internationally, the film made $4.1 million on 58 screens for a worldwide total of $13.6 million so far.
The film has yet to fully expand internationally, while historically films have had better legs on IMAX than on regular screens, which will undoubtedly help it going forward.
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August 28th, 2008
This week's round of new casting information contains updates for City of Ember, Flash of Genius, Toy Story 3, and more!
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April 10th, 2008
This week's round of new casting information contains updates for Bride Wars, I Love You Phillip Morris, New York, I Love You, and more!
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January 27th, 2008
This week's round of new movie release information contains release dates for The Night Watchman, High School Musical 3, Toy Story 3 and more!
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