2012 Box Office (1 Viewer)

[Sean Bryan]

The Avengers 2nd weekend estimate: $103 M!!!!

 

[Joe Wong]

So, on a list of movies that have had $100m+ weekends (not just opening weekends), Avengers will appear twice

 

[Patrick Sun]

Battleship brought in roughly what Dark Shadows brought in for its midnight showing last night: $500,000.

 

[mattCR]

The reviews on Battleship are TERRIBLE.

Slate's kills me:

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/movies/2012/05/battleship_directed_by_peter_berg_reviewed_.html

Given that it spends a good 85 percent of its 130-minute running time bludgeoning the viewers’ senses with explosions and CGI naval battles and hurtling alien vessels, Battleship has a lot of nerve asking us to care about the hastily sketched human dramas unfolding on the periphery. You know how, even in a terrible movie, there’ll often be one subplot or performance that you find yourself looking forward to during the dull parts? This film offers no such respite. Every storyline, from the ne’er-do-well Navy lieutenant who suddenly finds himself in charge of defending his ship from aliens to the physical therapist scaling a mountain with her double-amputee client, is equally worthy of dread.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Wow, I've read three or four reviews of it so far and they were all positive. They pretty much all boiled down to "it's a big, dumb summer popcorn movie, but a well-done one."

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Ebert called it "Transformers" with better characters and a third act.

 

[mattCR]

Top10 by Friday Estimates


1. Marvel’s The Avengers (Disney) Week 3 [4,349 Runs] PG13 Friday $15.5M, Weekend $52.5M, Cume $454.5M
2. Battleship (Universal) NEW [3,690 Runs] PG13 Friday $9.5M, Weekend $26M
3. The Dictator (Paramount) NEW-Wed [3,008 Runs] R Friday $5.5M, Weekend $16.0M, Cume $23.0M
4. What To Expect When You’re Expecting (Lionsgate) NEW [3,021 Runs] PG13 Friday $4.4M, Weekend $12.0M
5. Dark Shadows (Warner Bros) Week 2 [3,755 Runs] PG13 Friday $3.7M (-61%), Weekend $11.5M, Cume $49.6M
6. The Hunger Games (Lionsgate) Week 9 [2,064 Runs] Friday $850K, Weekend $2.4M, Cume $391.0M
7. Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Fox Searchlight) Week 3 [354 Runs] PG13 Friday $800K, Weekend $3M, Cume $8.7M
8. Think Like A Man (Screen Gems/Sony) Week 5 [1,722 Runs] PG13 Friday $800K, Weekend $2.4M, Cume $85.6M
9. The Lucky One (Warner Bros) Week 5 [2,055 Runs] PG13 Friday $650K, Weekend $1.8M, Cume $57.0M
10. Pirates! Band Of Misfits (Aardman/Sony) Week 4 [1,840 Runs] PG Friday $450K, Weekend $1.4M, Cume $25.7M

Breakdown:

Well, Marvel's Avenger's 3rd week mark of over $50M plus it's daily figures continue to astound. This thing is steamrolling to a domestic total that could break $600M and maybe farther.. we'll have to see how the drops come in the coming weeks (as MiB3, etc. and others hit). But for right now, this is a breakneck pace and the competition just hasn't been competition. Dark Shadows absolutely died at the box office in it's second week, with a 61% drop off a slow first weekend.. OUCH. Meanwhile, Battleship will open at around $26M, and that's also a real problem for a studio with a film that was $209M in production budget.. the production budget on Battleship and Avengers was very close to similar.. but you can definitely tell which studio is getting more bang for the buck.

The Dictator is having a weaker then expected showing; but it was a hard film to market.. more then that, it's costs were quite low. So, while the studio is going to be unhappy with a $23M start, it's at least not something they will lose their shirt on.

The Hunger Games, on the other hand, continues to chug right along - it may not end the year as the biggest blockbuster of the year, but it's got a hard lock on becoming the second film this year to cross the $400M marker, and it's international showing isn't anything to scoff at. Nothing wrong with that kind of take.

 

[mattCR]

Friday's estimates

1. Men in Black 3 3D (Columbia/Sony) NEW [4,248 Theaters] PG13 Friday $18M, 4-Day Weekend $75M

2. Marvel’s The Avengers 3D (Disney) Week 4 [3,918 Theaters] PG13 Friday $9.7M, 4-Day Weekend $45M, Cume $523.5M

3. Chernobyl Diaries (Alcon/Warner Bros) NEW [2,433 Theaters] R Friday $3.5M, 4-Day Weekend $11.5M

3. Battleship (Universal) Week 2 [3,702 Theaters] PG13 Friday $3.0M (-65%), 4-Day Weekend $13.5M, Cume $43.3M

5. The Dictator (Paramount) Week 2 [3,014 Theaters] R Friday $2.7M (-51%), 4-Day Weekend $11.5M, Cume $43.3M

6. What To Expect When You’re Expecting (Lionsgate) Week 2 [3,021 Theaters] PG13 Friday $2.2M (-42%), 4-Day Weekend $9.0M, Cume $24.0M

6. Dark Shadows 3D (Warner Bros) Week 3 [3,404 Theaters] PG13 Friday $2.0M, 4-Day Weekend $9.5M, Cume $65.0M

8. Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Fox Searchlight) Week 4 [1,233 Theaters] PG13 Friday $1.5M, 4-Day Weekend $9.0M, Cume $17.9M

9. The Hunger Games (Lionsgate) Week 10 [1,421 Theaters] PG13 Friday $565K, 4-Day Weekend $2.7M, Cume $395.7M

10. Think Like A Man (Screen Gems/Sony) Week 6 [786 Theaters] PG13 Friday $390K, 4-Day Weekend $2.0M, Cume $88.9M

Men In Black 3 becomes the film that topples "The Avengers" as #1 on the box office; with a tally of $75M.. don't feel bad for Avengers though, it's incredibly strong 4th week showing of about $45M (projected) would be a record, and make it the fastest film to $500M ever (!) At $523M with $45M weekend,s, is there a shot this thing goes for $600M? Definitely. Down the list, Chernobyl has a "EH" opening, Battleship takes a fall.. and it's larger fall makes it and The Dictator dead ties in the US Box Office.. slight difference: while The Dictator is dissappointing in gross, it's cost is about 1/4 that of Battleship.

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (which I enjoyed), is doing still solid business with very limited screens, and so nothing wrong with that. The Hunger Games makes it's way as it inches closer and closer to the $400M mark. It's going to be a real close call how/if it gets there, actually..

 

[Patrick Sun]

Did anyone foresee Snow White and the Huntsman raking in over $50million this weekend? Can't want for the sequel: Snow White 2: Hunt Harder.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Yeah, that's a surprise - I kinda thought that one had "box office disappointment" written on it. Guess not!

 

[Edwin-S]

Out of all of the trailers that I saw in front of BATTLESHIP, SW& The HUNTSMAN was the most interesting. It made the show look like an unusual take on the legend and it was the most visually arresting of the group; however, the lukewarm views on the movie are reducing any urge to see it in the theatre.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Ebert gave it three and a half stars. Kristen Stewart's box office clout just got confirmed, since this was a (potential) franchise without an established literary fanbase and another Snow White adaptation not so long ago bombing big time.

 

[Malcolm R]

I don't know if Kristen Stewart had much to do with it. I think Chris Hemsworth is the bigger name here, having just recently been seen in the hits "Thor,"
"The Cabin in the Woods," and "The Avengers."

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I don't know if Kristen Stewart had much to do with it. I think Chris Hemsworth is the bigger name here, having just recently been seen in the hits "Thor,"
"The Cabin in the Woods," and "The Avengers."

Probably the bigger draw depends on one's gender and sexual orientation. Neither is exactly hard on the eyes.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Isn't Charlize Theron the best-known name of the bunch? I don't think Stewart or Hemsworth have much box office pull, honestly - and the trailers I saw featured Theron more prominently than either of those two...

 

[TravisR]

I don't think Stewart or Hemsworth have much box office pull, honestly...

I think it's a combination of things. Primarily, it's a fantasy action movie and that type of movie is already interesting to many Twilight and Thor fans. And since the public only wants to see movies with elements and stars that they already know, adding Stewart and Hemsworth to a fantasy action movie is only going to help draw those people in. On the other hand if you put Stewart and Hemsworth in a heavy drama, you're probably not going to pull in that many Twilight or Thor fans because it's not the usual thing that they're used to seeing them in.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

On the other hand if you put Stewart and Hemsworth in a heavy drama, you're probably not going to pull in that many Twilight or Thor fans because it's not the usual thing that they're used to seeing them in.

There's a lot of truth to what you say. John Wayne once remarked to Roger Ebert, "Take that girl, Julie Andrews, a refreshing, openhearted girl, a wonderful performer. Her stint was 'Mary Poppins' and 'The Sound of Music.' But she wanted to be a Theda Bara. And they went along with her, and the picture fell flat on its ass." Mass audiences don't just want to see their stars, they want to see them in the kind of roles that fit their on-screen personas. Actors like Stanley Tucci and actresses like Joan Cusack can play the whole spectrum of roles, but they'll rarely if ever headline a picture.

 

[Michael Elliott]

I personally don't buy this "star" thing drawing in numbers. I really do think that the day of stars pulling in money is over. People don't care about the star and their movies. They care about the star and their personal lives.
I probably know more TWILIGHT fans than any other group of fans considering I work with God knows how many of them. None of them are interested in the two leads "other" films. They haven't seen them, have no plans on seeing them and I'm not sure they even realize that they do other movies. You can take a look at the box office and see some rather popular or well known people appearing in movies not even cracking $1 million. DeNiro isn't bringing the millions to a MEET THE PARENTS film. Fans of that FILM might enjoy DeNiro but they're not going to just go out and see something else he's doing.
Jennifer Lawrence appeared in one of the biggest movies of the year and she has became a star but I wonder how many are going to bother renting WINTER'S BONE or THE BEAVER to see her past. She's got a horror movie coming up so you'd think those who enjoyed her in THG would go check out her new movie but the number that does that will probably be small.

 

[mattCR]

1. Prometheus (Fox) NEW [3,396 Theaters] R Friday $21M, Weekend $55M
2. Madagascar 3 (DreamWorks Anim/Paramount) NEW [4,258 Theaters] PG Friday $21M, Weekend $58M
3. Snow White & The Huntsman (Universal) Week 2 [3,777 Theaters] PG13 Friday $7.3M (-64%), Weekend $23M, Cume $98.5M
4. Men In Black 3 (Sony) Week 3 [3,792 Theaters] PG13 Friday $4.3M, Weekend $15M, Cume $137M
5. The Avengers (Marvel/Disney) Week 6 [3,129 Theaters] PG13 Friday $3.3M, Weekend $12M, Cume $573M
6. Best Exotic Marigold (Fox Searchlight) Week 6 [1,298 Theaters] PG13 Friday $874K, Weekend $3.1M, Cume $30.9M
7. What To Expect When (Lionsgate) Week 4 [2,087 Theaters] PG13 Friday $850K, Weekend $2.7M, Cume $35.7
8. Battleship (Universal) Week 4 [1,954 Theaters] PG13 Friday $700K, Weekend $2.4M, Cume $60.0M
9. The Dictator (Paramount) Week 4 [1,651 Theaters] R Friday $625K, Weekend $2.0M, Cume $50.1M
10. Dark Shadows (Warner Bros) Week 5 [1,550 Theaters] PG13 Friday $425K, Weekend $1.5M, Cume $73.9M

Well, Prometheus apparently won Friday, but Madagascar3 looks likely to win the weekend. It's a good weekend for the box office, it's up 35% from last year. Prometheus has had blockbuster earings international, so a solid US showing definitely will help. This weekend several milestones are going to happen, including Hunger Games, which not in the top ten, will cross $400M box office, becoming the second film this year (Avengers being the first) to reach that level.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

That a great opening. An R movie with a strong franchise and behind-the-scenes pedigree but no teenybopper appeal basically tied PG-13 Snow White's opening weekend with huge teenybopper appeal.
It's looking increasingly likely that The Avengers might crawl over the $600 million mark.