DVD and Blu-ray Releases for March 31st, 2015

March 30th, 2015

This week on the home market is another week that is good on top, but shallow in terms of depth. The number one film of the week is Interstellar which is worth checking out, but not Pick of the Week material. There are a quartet of Pick of the Week contenders, including two limited releases (The Imitation Game - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray and Wild - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray) and two TV on DVD releases (VEEP: Season 3 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray and Silicon Valley: Season 1 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray). Of these four, I went with Veep as the Pick of the Week. More...

Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

March 7th, 2014

The Hunger Games came out in 2012 with high expectations. Many thought it was going to be a good movie and do very well, especially for a spring time release. Instead, it broke records, including best mid-night screening for a non-sequel, biggest March weekend, biggest weekend for a non-sequel, etc. And thanks to its high quality, it had better than expected legs. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire came out last fall and earned even more money at the box office. Is it as good as its predecessor? Or can it be even better? More...

2014 Awards Season: Oscar Ceremony Live Blog - And the Oscar goes to... 12 Years a Slave

March 2nd, 2014

The Oscars are being handed out this evening and as usual, we will be live-blogging the event. Here's the last look at the nominations with those chosen by our contest entrants as the likely winners in Bold. If I disagree with the consensus, they are in italics, and sharp-eyed readers will note there are no categories where that's true. Finally, if I am rooting for an underdog, they are underlined. There are only two categories where that is true. I want Chiwetel Ejiofor to win Best Lead Actor for his performance in 12 Years a Slave. I also want Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa to win for Best Hair and Make-up, because Dallas Buyers Club had a hair and make-up budget of $250. Yes it was effective, but the special effects make-up used in Bad Grandpa was just more difficult to pull off, even if the movie wasn't Oscar-bait. Regardless, I don't expect there to be many surprises at this year's awards. More...

2014 Awards Season: Oscar Highlight: Best Picture

February 27th, 2014

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. We wrap up our look at the prestigious categories with the most prestigious of them all: Best Picture. Like last year, there were nine nominees. Unlike last year, none of them were completely out of left field. That's not to say they all have a legitimate shot at winning; there's definitely a favorite. However, politics could become an issue. I don't mean politics as in Democrat vs. Republican. I mean behind-the-scenes issues might play a bigger role than what is on the screen. More...

2014 Awards Season: Oscar Highlight: Best Director

February 27th, 2014

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 end this with the two most prestigious awards, starting with Best Director. You could generously call this a two-horse race, but in reality there is only one director expected to win. More...

IMAX: Gravity Helps IMAX Grow Larger

February 25th, 2014

IMAX announced their fourth quarter and 2013 yearly financial numbers and it was a good year. During the fourth quarter, the IMAX Corporation pulled in $105.1 million for a per screen average of $336,000. Over the full year, it earned $287.9 million for a per screen average of $1.15 million, which is inline with its most recent averages. (This excluded 2010, as Avatar itself earned a per screen average of close to $1 million during the course of its run.) Much of the fourth quarter and 2013 success can be attributed to Gravity, which as we previously reported reached $100 million worldwide. The future for IMAX is just as strong, as the company added 54 new theater systems and upgraded 4 others during the quarter, lifting the number of new and upgraded IMAX theaters to 112 for the year in 23 countries. There were a total of 837 IMAX systems at the end of the year, including 701 commercial screens and 136 educational screens. More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for February 25th, 2014

February 24th, 2014

It's a very impressive week at the top of the new DVD and Blu-ray releases. There's not one, but two $200 million hits coming out this week. Likewise, there are not one, but two major Awards Season hits coming out as well. One film, Gravity, is in both groups. All three films, Gravity, Thor: The Dark World, and Nebraska, are all contenders for Pick of the Week. Gravity is the only one I didn't get a chance to review, but the Blu-ray Combo Pack or the 3D Combo Pack are clearly the Pick of the Week. It's an amazing movie and the Blu-ray releases are loaded with extras. More...

2014 Awards Season: Oscar Highlight: Best Lead Actress

February 20th, 2014

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. This week we will look at the four acting categories, finishing with Best Lead Actress. Unlike last year, this year the race is far more competitive in nearly all of the of the four acting categories this year. The person seen as the favorite has switched, more than once, and at the moment, I'm not sure who is going to win. More...

IMAX: Gravity Swallows Another Record

February 11th, 2014

Gravity hit a major milestone reaching $100 million worldwide on IMAX. Domestically, the film played on 330 IMAX screens earning $48.6 million, while internationally it earned $51.5 million on 309 IMAX screens. Only two other Hollywood releases have crossed $100 million on IMAX, Avatar and The Dark Knight Rises. On the other hand, Avatar's record of $228 million is quite safe. More...

2014 Awards Season: DGA: Gravity adds Weight to its Oscar Chances

January 26th, 2014

The Directors Guild of America handed out the awards over the weekend, including two for theatrical releases. There were no true upsets, but it didn't go exactly as I anticipated it would go. More...

2014 Awards Season: PGA Produces a Rare Tie

January 20th, 2014

Producers Guild of America handed out their awards last night and while there were no real upsets, there was certainly a surprise for the top prize. More...

2014 Awards Season: PGA Buries the Lead

January 19th, 2014

Producers Guild of America announce the winners tonight, but it seems I forgot to upload the story when they announced their nominations. In my defense, they announced them on January 2nd. You don't make an announcement on January 2nd, not unless you are 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. Then again, that's been the norm this year. No one seems to agree on what the best documentaries were. More...

2014 Awards Season: Oscars Understand the Gravity of the Situation

January 16th, 2014

The Oscar nominations were announced this morning and there are some surprises mixed in with the predictable results. Gravity and American Hustle led the way with ten nominations each while 12 Years a Slave was right behind with nine. The fact that 12 Years a Slave wasn't the leader is the first of the surprises. More...

2014 Awards Season: DGA: Telling Stories about Documentaries

January 14th, 2014

The Directors Guild of America finished its theatrical nominations yesterday with the Documentary category. I'm of two minds with the list of nominees. On the one hand, I feel like I should be surprised, because a number of documentaries thought to be Oscar favorites were left off the list. On the other hand, they've been left off the list a number of times. I think it is time to rethink who is and is not an Oscar favorite. More...

2014 Awards Season: Golden Globes: All American Night

January 13th, 2014

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 film would lead with three or more wins. The only other film to earn more than one award was Dallas Buyers Club at just two. That might give you a hint at what the big surprise was. More...

2014 Awards Season: DGA Dips into Nominations

January 7th, 2014

The Directors Guild of America handed out their nominations for Feature Films today and will do the same for Documentaries next week. I have no idea why they do this, but it makes my job harder. Usually, I just wait till the Documentary nominations are announced, but this year I will do two stories. Next week will be mostly cut and paste job. More...

International Box Office: Desolation Brightens The Weekend

December 27th, 2013

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was the biggest draw on the international chart last weekend adding $97.4 million on 16,840 screens in 56 markets for totals 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 made $16.36 million on 2,125 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $19.11 million. This is more or less the same as the first film opened with. (An Unexpected Journey didn't open on Wednesday, but made $17.89 million on 2,128 screens during its three-day opening weekend.) More...

International Box Office: The Hobbit Finds Treasure Abroad

December 19th, 2013

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug opened in first place on the international chart with $135.4 million on 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 on 874 screens, compared to $15.01 million earned by the previous film. The U.K. contributed $15.20 million on 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 on 909 screens, up from $11.12 million. It also placed first in a number of other major markets with Spain bringing in $7.05 million on 859 screens. It earned $6.24 million on 809 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $7.25 million. Mexico was up next with $5.07 million on 2,615 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $5.96 million. Italy and Brazil earned nearly identical results with $4.97 million on 720 screens and $4.86 million on 1,039 respectively. More...

2014 Awards Season: Slave Hustles to the Top

December 14th, 2013

Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced their Golden Globe nominations 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 it and American Hustle both grabbed seven nominations. If you look down the list of other multi-nominated films, you will find a number of familiar faces. More...

2014 Awards Season: SAG a Slave to Slave

December 14th, 2013

SAG handed out nominations over the week, and like with the Independent Spirit Awards, 12 Years a Slave led the way and earned four nominations. It wasn't the only film that was singled out. More...

International Box Office: Fire Holds off the Freezing Cold

December 12th, 2013

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire again earned first place on the international chart, this week pulling in $42.9 million in 83 markets for a total of $340.6 million internationally and $676.5 million worldwide. The film had no major market openings this past weekend, not unless you count India, where the film made $703,000 on 613 screens. The film has already surpassed its predecessor and it has yet to open in Japan. $800 million worldwide is the current target, which is more than enough to cover this film's combined production and P&A budgets, and possibly the combined budgets for the next next two movies as well. More...

International Box Office: Hunger Games Continues to Burn Bright

December 5th, 2013

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire remained in first place on the international chart 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 it is likely the sequel has already topped its predecessor internationally. The film opened in first place in France with $12.11 million on 755 screens. In comparison, The Hunger Games made $14.51 million in total in France, including $3.80 million during its opening weekend. The film also earned top spot in Italy with $5.05 million on 651 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $5.93 million. The original did poorly in that market with $1.29 million during its opening weekend and $3.83 million in total. Holdovers were led by the U.K., where it added $9.04 million on 557 screens over the weekend for a total of $35.36 million, or less than $2 million from its predecessor's total in that market. In Germany, the film pulled in $7.57 million on 670 screens over the weekend for a total of $24.63 million after two. The film film finished with $20.30 million in that market. More...

International Box Office: World Catches Fire

November 27th, 2013

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire had its first wide weekend on the international chart after debuting in Brazil last weekend. It shot up to first place with $146.1 million in 65 markets, including two weeks in Brazil. The film was very strong compared to The Hunger Games in most markets, this was noticeable in the U.K., where it earned $19.8 million compared to $7.78 million for the first film. Germany's haul was $14 million, more than three times the $4.26 million for the original. It grew in Australia as well, but by a more subdued margin of $11.4 million to $9.48 million. More...

International Box Office: Thor 2 Overtakes Original

November 20th, 2013

Thor: The Dark World completed the hat trick earning first place for the third weekend in a row. It pulled in $52.5 million on 3,841 screens in 69 markets for totals of $332.8 million internationally and $477.9 million worldwide. This is already more than the original Thor finished with and possibly already enough to break even. (It depends on its global P&A budget.) The film had no major market openings this past weekend, but it did debut in first place in Argentina with $1.73 million on 256 screens. Its biggest market so far is China at $41.8 million, while Russia is second with $32.07 million. The film has yet to open in Italy and Japan, so it might hit a few more milestones. On the other hand, it will surrender top spot this weekend to The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. More...

International Box Office: Thor 2 Still Strong Second Time Around

November 14th, 2013

Thor: The Dark World debuted last weekend, but thanks to a number of new markets this weekend, it was even more dominant on the international chart. It pulled in $94 million in 66 markets, which lifts its running tally to $240.9 million internationally and $326.6 million worldwide. Its biggest market was China where it made $20.98 million. In comparison, Thor made about $15 million there, in total. This is incredible growth. It grew in Russia rising to $11.44 million on 1,500 screens for a total of $24.04 million after two weeks of release. The original Thor finished with $268.30 million internationally, which is a figure Thor 2 will smash through by the weekend. It might make more internationally than the first film made worldwide and it could help Disney break the all-time single year global box office record, currently at $3.791 billion, which it earned in 2010. More...

International Box Office: Thor Brightens the Day

November 7th, 2013

Thor: The Dark World made its international debut a week ahead of its domestic debut and it crushed the competition with $109.4 million in 36 markets. Its biggest market was the U.K., where it earned first place with $13.80 million on 522 screens. By comparison, the first Thor film managed $9.11 million on 500. If the film has a similar increase in its opening weekend here, it could open with $100 million. That's probably too optimistic; it did show growth in most major markets, just not as much as it did in the U.K. France was the second best new market with an opening of $9.94 million on 609 screens, compared to $8.69 million for its predecessor. Germany and Mexico were neck-and-neck with $8.31 million on 620 screens and $8.26 million on 2,482 respectively. Russia was strong with $7.59 million on 769 screens. Australia made $6.80 million on 609 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $6.98 million. Brazil was close behind with $6.69 million on 1,090 screens. In South Korea it made $6.11 million on 843 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $7.63 million. The only major market to see a decrease was Spain, where the film made $3.34 million on 717 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $3.82 million. By comparison, Thor made $5.58 million on 562 screens. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Ender Has Game, but Box Office Sinks

November 6th, 2013

As anticipated, Ender's Game won the weekend race with ease and no individual film truly bombed. That said, the overall effort was still lacking. Compared to last weekend, the overall box office was up 23% to $127 million, which is nice to see. However, and more importantly, this was 8% lower than the same weekend last year, thus ending 2013's winning streak at one weekend. 2013 is still ahead of 2012's pace, but by a shrinking margin. Currently, this year is ahead of last year by less than 0.5% at $8.66 billion to $8.62 billion. It wouldn't take much to 2013 to lose the lead at this point, and this might happen sometime during this month. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire should end any losing streak when it is released, but perhaps not before 2013 falls behind 2012's pace. More...

Weekend Predictions: Will Box Office Soar, or are the New Releases Turkeys?

October 31st, 2013

November begins with three wide releases of varying quality. Ender's Game is the only one earning overall positive reviews and it is the only one with a real shot at becoming anything more than a midlevel hit. To call Free Birds a second-tier animated family film is being very generous. Its reviews might dip into the single-digit level. Finally, there's Last Vegas, which is flying under the radar for most moviegoers. It is unlikely any of them will become a breakout hit. It is nearly certain that none will match last year's number one film, Wreck-It Ralph. November is going to start off on a losing note. More...

International Box Office: Gravity Grows

October 30th, 2013

Gravity earned first place for the fourth week with $37.7 million on 7,340 screens in 53 markets for a total of $164.4 million internationally and $364.0 million worldwide. This weekend it debuted in first place in France with a very impressive $10.76 million on 398 screens. It also remained in first place in South Korea with $5.29 million on 531 screens over the weekend for a two-week total of $15.55 million. It also repeated in top spot in Mexico with $3.79 million on 1,563 screens over the weekend for a total of $12.04 million after two. The film will likely pull in close to $100 million in just these holdovers, plus it has yet to open in the U.K., Japan and China, so it could make another $100 million in those three markets as well. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Bad Grandpa Makes Box Office Look Good

October 29th, 2013

The month long slump 2013 has been on is finally over, thanks in part to Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa. However, the overall box office still wasn't that good, as it was down slightly from last weekend to $102 million. Granted, "slightly" in this case means a fraction of 1%, so it isn't troubling. On the other hand, it was 10% higher than the same weekend last year. Unfortunately, year-to-date, 2013's lead over 2012 has shrunk to just $50 million or 0.6% at $8.49 billion to $8.44 billion. In fact, 2013 has not sold less tickets than 2012 had at this point in its run. That's not good and it is unlikely things will turn around in the coming few weeks. More...

Weekend Estimates: Jackass Brings Gravity to Earth

October 27th, 2013

As anticipated, Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa will end Gravity's run at the top of the chart this weekend, with the hidden camera comedy set to earn about $32 million according to Paramount Pictures, somewhat less than Jackass 3D, but very much in line with the other films in the Jackass franchise. The 32% decline for Gravity, meanwhile, is its steepest fall so far, but topping $20 million in its fourth weekend is an impressive performance (only 24 other films have done it), and it will end the weekend within a whisker of $200 million. More...

Weekend Predictions: How Bad Will the Box Office Be?

October 25th, 2013

So far October has been a bad month at the box office. Granted, Gravity should crack $200 million over the weekend; however, week after week after week we've seen declines in the year-over-year comparison. Will that losing streak finally end this weekend? We do have some good news. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa should earn $30 million, more or less, easily topping the chart this weekend and earning much more than last year's number one film Argo. In fact, it might earn more than all four new releases from last year. Additionally, The Counselor isn't expected to be the biggest hit, but it still could earn more than Argo did this time last year and should earn more than the best new releases, Cloud Atlas, did. Are we finally going to see 2013's slump end? I really hope so, because 2013 is not that far ahead of 2012's pace and if the slump doesn't end soon, it could find itself slipping behind last year's pace. More...

International Box Office: Gravity Orbits a Milestone

October 24th, 2013

For the third weekend in a row, Gravity led the way on the international chart and reached a major milestone in the process. This past weekend, it pulled in $33.5 million on 7,900 screens in 51 markets for an international total of $114.2 million and a worldwide total $283.8 million. It opened in first place in two major markets led by South Korea where it earned $6.30 million on 636 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $7.29 million. Meanwhile in Mexico, it made $5.75 million on 1,783 screens. Its biggest market overall is Russia where it has earned $17.60 million in total, including $2.19 million on 700 screens this past weekend. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Another Orbit for Gravity

October 22nd, 2013

As expected, Gravity remained on top of the weekend box office chart for the third weekend it a row. It became the first film released in 2013 to earn the hat trick, and very likely the last. Unfortunately, two of the three wide releases missed expectations, which hurt the overall box office numbers. Compared to last week, the overall box office was down by 11% to $103 million. Compared to last year, the box office was down 35%. Ouch. 2013 is still ahead of 2012's pace, but by less than 1% at $8.36 billion to $8.29 billion. More...

Weekend Estimates: Gravity Floats to Third Weekend Win

October 20th, 2013

Gravity will become the first film in 2013 to win three straight three-day weekends, according to studio estimates released on Sunday. With $31 million expected, the film is down just 28% from last weekend and has reached a formidable $170.5 million. That puts in in the top 10 for the year, with plenty more to come. Fellow Oscar-hopefuls 12 Years a Slave, All is Lost and Kill Your Darlins are the other films making waves this weekend (literally in one case). More...

Contest: Born to be Bad

October 18th, 2013

Next week there are two wide releases, but let's be frank, only one of them has a real shot at first place. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa should finally end Gravity's reign on the box office charts and will likely crush The Counselor, the only other wide release of the week. It is the easy choice for 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 Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa. Whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), regardless if they go over or not, will win a copy of Pacific Rim on Blu-ray Combo Pack.

Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay! More...

Weekend Predictions: Will Gravity Remain Out of Reach of New Releases?

October 18th, 2013

There are two wide releases this week, Carrie and Escape Plan. However, neither film is earning critical praise and neither film is expected to be a breakout hit. There is a third film opening semi-wide, The Fifth Estate, but despite being clearly made for Oscars, its reviews are worse than the two more mainstream releases. It looks like Gravity will have no trouble earning the hat trick at the box office. It should also earn more than last year's winner, Paranormal Activity 4. Unfortunately, last year had much better depth than this year will have, so 2013 will likely lose yet again in the year-over-year comparison. More...

International Box Office: Gravity Stable On Top

October 16th, 2013

Gravity remained in first place with a nearly identical result as last weekend. It was up a barely noticeable amount to $28.5 million on 5,785 screens in 38 markets for a two-week total of $68.3 million internationally. This hold is even more impressive, as its only major market debut came in Brazil, where it opened in second place with $1.67 million on 219 screens. On the other hand, it was down just 9% in Australia with $3.03 million on 471 screens over the weekend for a two-week total of $8.29 million. It fell a little more in Germany down 17% to $3.04 million on 614 screens over the weekend for a two-week total of $8.12 million. In both of those markets, it remained in first place. It fell faster in Russia down 48% landing in second place with $3.88 million on 1,155 million screens over the weekend for a total of $14.12 million after two weeks of release. More...

Per Theater Chart: Gravity Completes its Second Orbit

October 15th, 2013

Gravity remained on top of the Per Theater Chart with an average of $11,800. Unfortunately, it was the only film in the $10,000 club. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Gravity Soars Above, but Box Office Lacks Depth

October 15th, 2013

Both Gravity and Captain Phillips topped expectations, which is a reason to celebrate. However, it's practically the only reason to celebrate. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 did well, but from that point on, the box office was a disaster. Overall, the total box office was $116 million, which was down 8% from last week. Compared to last year, the box office was down by 10%. How can this year's top film earn more than twice as much as last year's number one film, but still lose out overall? Last year, the fourth place film was Hotel Transylvania, which earned $17.24 million. This year the fourth place film was Machete Kills, which earned just $3.84 million. The depth this year is simply terrible. Year-to-date, 2013 is still ahead of 2012, but by less than 1% at $8.21 billion to $8.15 billion. More...

Weekend Estimates: Gravity Floats Past Captain Phillips

October 13th, 2013

What could have been a close-run race at the box office this weekend turned into a comfortable win for Gravity, but for all the right reasons. Captain Phillips opened with a sturdy $26 million, on the back of some excellent reviews. But that isn't close to enough to unseat Gravity, which will post one of the best second weekends for a wide release in a long time. Comparisons with Argo are inevitable -- the Oscar-winner fell just 15% in its second weekend, while Gravity will be off 21%, but Gravity opened with over $50 million, compared to Argo's $20 million or so, which makes the performance all the more impressive. More...

Weekend Predictions: Smooth Sailing for Gravity?

October 11th, 2013

There are two wide releases this week: Captain Phillips and Machete Kills. The former is a potential Awards Season player, while the latter is definitely not. Unfortunately, neither seems likely to challenge Gravity for top spot at the box office this weekend. Captain Phillips should come in a solid second place, while Machete Kills will try not to under-perform when compared to Runner Runner's opening from last weekend. Gravity could help 2013 top last year's box office, which was led by Taken 2 in its second weekend of release. The best new release was Argo, but it opened with less than $20 million and Captain Phillips should top that. However, last year had much better depth and might prove to be too much for 2013 to overcome. More...

International Box Office: Gravity Throws Around its Weight

October 11th, 2013

Gravity opened in first place on the international chart with $28.4 million on 4,830 screens in 27 markets. This includes a number of first place openings, led by Russia, where it made $7.57 million on 1,219 screens. It also earned first place in Germany with $3.65 million on 569 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $3.87 million. Australia was right behind with $3.35 million on 469. Italy contributed $2.75 million on 399, while in Spain it earned $2.26 million on 325. More...

Contest: The Gravity of the Situation: Winning Announcement

October 10th, 2013

The winners of our The Gravity of the Situation contest were determined and they are... More...

IMAX: Gravity Reaches for the Stars

October 9th, 2013

Gravity was impressive on IMAX earning a opening weekend box office of $15.1 million on 412 IMAX screens worldwide. This includes $11.8 million on 323 screens domestically and $3.3 million on 89 screens internationally. This is a record opening for IMAX for the month of October. More...

Per Theater Chart: Gravity Escapes Massive Competition

October 9th, 2013

There were a ton of new releases this week, but Gravity was pulled down by the mass of new releases. It lead the way on the Per Theater Chart with an average of $15,604. The only other film in the $10,000 club was Linsanity, which earned an average of $11,051 in nine theaters. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Gravity Earns Tons of Money

October 8th, 2013

Gravity crushed expectations, and records, over the weekend with more than $55 million. This topped the previous biggest October weekend by more than $3 million. On the other hand, Runner Runner went nowhere opening well below the lower end of predictions. Overall, the box office rose 16% from last year reaching $127 million. Unfortunately, last year had much better depth and 2013 was 11% lower in the year-over-year comparison. 2013 is still ahead of 2012, but the lead has been cut to just 0.9% at $8.05 billion to $7.98 billion. More...

Weekend Estimates: Gravity Breaks October Record, Stakes Oscar Claim

October 6th, 2013

Success at the box office is no guarantee of awards, but it certainly doesn't do any harm. And by that metric, Gravity's chances of picking up an Oscar or three is taking a considerable turn for the better this weekend as the sci-fi thriller heads towards a celestial $55.6 million debut, according to Warner Bros.'s Sunday projection. That will comfortably set a record for the biggest weekend in October, overtaking Paranormal Activity 3's $52.6 million back in 2011. With Captain Phillips and 12 Years a Slave opening in the next two weeks, awards season is getting interesting. More...

Weekend Predictions: Gravity has the Weight to Win

October 3rd, 2013

There are two films opening wide this week: Gravity and Runner Runner. However, while the two films share a release date, they are at the opposite ends when it comes to box office potential and critical acclaim. Gravity should have an easy time winning the race for the top of the box office chart, and if its reviews can translate into Awards Season buzz, then it should have very strong legs. On the other hand, many analysts expect Runner Runner to stumble out of the gate and disappear before the end of the month. This weekend last year, Taken 2 opened with just under $50 million, which is too much for Gravity to match. Frankenweenie earned $11 million during its opening weekend, which is a figure Runner Runner should match, but might not. Overall, 2013 looks a lot weaker than 2012 was. More...

2013 Preview: October

October 1st, 2013

October is an awkward month. It sits between the dumping ground that is September and November, the unofficial start of Awards Season / holiday blockbuster season. For the most part, September was stronger than average for the month and there's reason to be optimistic going forward. After all, box office success tends to feed on itself, as does box office struggles. That said, there are not a lot of sure hits over the coming four weeks. Of the nine or ten films opening wide this month, only Gravity has a better than 50/50 chance at $100 million. Captain Phillips could have a shot at the century mark, but only if it becomes a serious Awards Season player. Its early reviews suggest that could be a possibility. Last October, there were two films to reach the $100 million mark, Taken 2 and Argo. On the other hand, pretty much everything else that opened that month crashed and burned. While this October doesn't have as strong a top end, it will hopefully have much better depth. More...

Contest: The Gravity of the Situation

September 27th, 2013

Next week there are two wide releases, Gravity and Runner Runner. Gravity is not only earning much better reviews, it is also expected to dominate the box office. As such, it is the easy choice for 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 Gravity. 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 new Girl: Season Two 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 also win a copy of new Girl: Season Two on DVD. Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay! More...

Territory	Release Date	Opening Weekend	Opening Weekend Screens	Maximum Screens	Theatrical Engagements	Total Box Office	Report Date
Argentina	10/10/2013	$0	0	23	43	$3,724,075	12/30/2018
Australia	10/3/2013	$0	0	179	477	$19,716,220	9/9/2024
Austria	10/4/2013	$0	0	14	55	$1,278,479	12/13/2015
Belgium	10/30/2013	$0	0	47	209	$4,361,830	12/13/2015
Bolivia	10/17/2013	$0	0	1	2	$221,936	12/30/2018
Brazil	10/11/2013	$0	0	28	85	$8,130,131	12/13/2015
Bulgaria	10/4/2013	$0	0	9	18	$352,301	12/30/2018
Chile	10/17/2013	$0	0	33	70	$2,105,528	12/30/2018
Colombia	10/11/2013	$0	0	2	2	$2,631,119	12/30/2018
Croatia	10/3/2013	$0	0	8	16	$382,885	12/30/2018
Czech Republic	10/3/2013	$0	0	22	65	$1,959,150	12/30/2018
Denmark	11/7/2013	$0	0	74	245	$3,426,352	12/13/2015
Ecuador	10/10/2013	$0	0	3	3	$730,357	12/30/2018
Egypt	10/9/2013	$0	0	6	21	$522,005	12/30/2018
Finland	11/8/2013	$0	0	78	244	$1,732,930	12/13/2015
France	10/23/2013	$0	0	739	1833	$38,239,132	12/13/2015
Germany	10/3/2013	$0	0	143	374	$17,393,740	12/13/2015
Greece	11/7/2013	$0	0	64	112	$2,353,711	12/13/2015
Hong Kong	10/3/2013	$0	0	15	42	$3,517,379	12/13/2015
Hungary	10/3/2013	$0	0	31	155	$1,703,788	12/30/2018
Iceland	10/18/2013	$0	0	1	6	$187,259	12/30/2018
Indonesia	10/4/2013	$0	0	1	1	$2,478,203	12/30/2018
Israel	11/7/2013	$0	0	33	150	$2,353,973	12/30/2018
Italy	10/3/2013	$0	0	43	43	$8,726,563	12/15/2015
Japan	12/13/2013	$2,934,143	549	552	1101	$13,062,373	12/13/2015
Jordan	10/17/2013	$0	0	3	9	$373,818	12/30/2018
Kenya	10/18/2013	$0	0	3	7	$65,987	12/30/2018
Latvia	10/4/2013	$0	0	3	7	$291,983	12/30/2018
Lebanon	10/17/2013	$0	0	1	2	$526,341	12/30/2018
Lithuania	10/4/2013	$0	0	3	11	$331,036	6/24/2020
Malaysia	10/3/2013	$0	0	2	3	$1,790,001	12/13/2015
Mexico	10/18/2013	$0	0	199	277	$17,759,504	12/13/2015
Netherlands	10/3/2013	$0	0	67	173	$5,236,503	12/13/2015
New Zealand	10/3/2013	$0	0	55	127	$3,225,558	12/13/2015
North America	10/4/2013	$55,785,112	3,575	3,820	35,020	$274,092,705	4/25/2017
Norway	11/8/2013	$0	0	73	240	$2,226,575	12/13/2015
Peru	11/14/2013	$0	0	104	258	$1,692,327	12/30/2018
Philippines	10/3/2013	$0	0	2	4	$1,977,500	12/30/2018
Poland	10/11/2013	$0	0	67	143	$3,813,301	12/30/2018
Portugal	10/10/2013	$0	0	18	31	$1,003,461	12/13/2015
Romania	10/4/2013	$0	0	15	37	$1,085,599	12/30/2018
Russia (CIS)	10/3/2013	$0	0	31	51	$21,288,226	12/30/2018
Serbia and Montenegro	10/3/2013	$0	0	18	72	$138,246	12/30/2018
Singapore	10/10/2013	$0	0	1	3	$3,052,916	12/13/2015
Slovenia	10/17/2013	$0	0	17	51	$178,126	12/13/2015
South Africa	10/18/2013	$0	0	34	34	$800,519	12/13/2015
South Korea	10/17/2013	$0	0	192	673	$24,110,620	11/1/2023
Spain	10/4/2013	$0	0	118	280	$11,116,162	12/13/2015
Sweden	10/25/2013	$0	0	55	192	$4,121,190	12/13/2015
Switzerland	10/23/2013	$0	0	20	46	$1,925,017	12/13/2015
Taiwan	10/4/2013	$0	0	1	1	$3,233,818	12/13/2015
Turkey	10/11/2013	$0	0	11	11	$2,779,544	12/30/2018
Ukraine	10/3/2013	$0	0	7	22	$2,120,216	12/30/2018
United Arab Emirates	10/17/2013	$0	0	3	7	$3,195,575	12/30/2018
United Kingdom	11/8/2013	$0	0	548	2382	$41,448,202	10/26/2023
Uruguay	10/17/2013	$0	0	6	6	$205,254	12/30/2018
Venezuela	11/1/2013	$0	0	28	67	$2,127,898	12/13/2015
Rest of World						$106,032,584
Worldwide Total						$684,657,731	9/9/2024