Box Office – Page 2 – In Contention

BOX OFFICE: ‘King’s Speech’ goes wide after guild wins

It looks like “The King’s Speech,” which went much wider this weekend, could quietly become a $100-million grossing movie. Meanwhile, that re-expansion for “The Social Network” didn’t make much of a dent and it seems increasingly unlikely it’ll cross that mark, leaving “Black Swan,” “Inception,” “Toy Story 3,” “True Grit” and potentially “The Fighter” as the only Best Picture nominees to ultimately get there.

In more depressing news, “The Way Back” will barely make $3 million when all is said and done.

(Courtesy: Exhibitor Relations)

January 30, 2011

BOX OFFICE: A good weekend for Portman

She’s got two entries on the box office chart and a headwind going into phase two. Nice ink for “The King’s Speech” being in the top four after last night’s big win. “True Grit” closes in on $150 million.

(Courtesy: Exhibitor Relations)

January 23, 2011

BOX OFFICE: ‘Green’ makes green

The new releases finally took the top spots this week, but “True Grit” is chugging along, “The King’s Speech” went wider and is padding its wallet and “Black Swan” will be one of Fox Searchlight’s top grossers when all is said and done.

(Courtesy: Exhibitor Relations)

January 16, 2011

BOX OFFICE: Holy ‘Grit’

So, “True Grit” wins the box office this weekend. It’s lucky to be up against such flimsy competition, but this thing could get close to $150 million when it’s all said and done. I’d say the film has turned into one of the most profound box office stories of the year.

(Courtesy: Exhibitor Relations)

January 9, 2011

BOX OFFICE: ‘Swan’-tastic

A few things of note: “Tangled” passed the $100 million earlier this week; “Black Swan” pulled in $3.5 million on merely 90 screens; “The Tourist” underperformed considerably given the leads. In other news, the Houston Film Critics Society dished out a ton of noms this morning. The LA Film Critics are likely filing in right now and will announce their kudos in two waves, starting around noon.’

(Courtesy: Exhibitor Relations)

December 12, 2010

BOX OFFICE: ‘Tangled’ tops

Nothing too sensational this weekend, though “Black Swan” did extremely well in limited release. (The Academy screening was held this weekend and I hear there was very little response.) “127 Hours,” meanwhile, is crawling to $10 million.

(Courtesy: Exhibitor Relations)

December 5, 2010

BOX OFFICE: ‘Potter’ tops ‘Tangled’

“Megamind” held pretty well for a fourth weekend, though of course it would given the holiday. “The Social Network,” meanwhile, crossed $90 million, which ought to be considered a big deal for a talky fall drama with no movie stars. “127 Hours” added nearly 200 screens and almost pushed into the top 10, while “Love & Other Drugs” opened to a soft $14 million for the five-day. “Tangled” did close to $70 million for the five-day.

(Courtesy: Exhibitor Relations)

November 28, 2010

BOX OFFICE: ‘Potter,’ ‘Potter,’ ‘Potter’

The opening weekend for “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” was good enough for sixth-best all time (I don’t use the adjusted stats Chad did) and the best debut for the franchise yet. But there wasn’t exactly competition with “Megamind” having already been in theaters for two weeks.

(Courtesy: Exhibitor Relations)

November 21, 2010

BOX OFFICE: ‘Unstoppable’ stopped by ‘Megamind’ (lamest headline ever)

It looks like “Secretariat” and “The Social Network” slipped out of the top 10 this week. The former finally had a drop over 40%. Did you guys see any of the dreck that opened this weekend?

(Courtesy: Exhibitor Relations)

November 14, 2010

BOX OFFICE: ‘Megamind’ outsmarts ‘Due Date’

Keep forgetting to post these. “For Colored Girls” opened to respectable numbers, per the usual for Perry. I never saw the film because suddenly there was a cone of silence from the studio on invites (make of that what you will) and I didn’t much feel like chasing it down.

“Secretariat” is holding okay. “Red” even better. Go Malkovich.

(Courtesy: Exhibitor Relations)

November 7, 2010

BOX OFFICE: ‘Jackass Forever After’ surely a go

I’ve been at a friend’s house watching the games all afternoon, so, slow to get this up this weekend. Anyway, we can bet on more poop shenanigans after this monster opening for “Jackass 3D.” I can’t remember what “Life As We Know It” is every time I look at the title, by the way.

[Courtesy: Exhibitor Relations]

October 17, 2010

BOX OFFICE: ‘Secretariat’ slow out of the gate

For the second week in a row, “The Social Network” tops the U.S. box office charts in a photo finish with “Life As We Know It.” (I’m happy to say I offered up some money for the Fincher cause and saw it a second time yesterday.) But the real story is the soft opening for “Secretariat.” Or will it mirror the subject of the film, start out slow out of the gate and prove to have some endurance? Doubtful.

[Courtesy: Exhibitor Relations]

October 10, 2010

BOX OFFICE: ‘Social Network’ confirms a ton of friends

A solid start and a big win for Sony marketing, I should think. “The Town” pulled in a little more than I would have expected. “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” is fading away as it was leapfrogged by “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole.” And “Let Me In” had the life sucked out of it. More importantly: REDSKINS/EAGLES!

October 3, 2010

BOX OFFICE: ‘Money,’ baby

Dropped some dollars on “Devil” Friday night. I didn’t hate it. That’s at least going in the right direction, right?

[Courtesy: Exhibitor Relations]

September 26, 2010

BOX OFFICE: ‘The Town’ robs ‘Easy A,’ ‘Devil’ of the top spot

I figure I’ll offer up a chart and a space for you to discuss now that Chad has moved off the box office beat for us. And by the way, I’m just now realizing “Inception” is still in the top 10 (shows how much I pay attention).

(Courtesy: Exhibitor Relations)

September 19, 2010

SUNDAY CENTS: Photo finish!

*All historical figures cited are adjusted to today’s dollars.

One last bit of excitement before the summer ends and Tapley starts posting random Redskins photos on Sundays. We have a dead heat race for the top spot at the box office, but estimates are handing the crown to “The Last Exorcism.” If it does, indeed, win the weekend, it will be the first time Lionsgate has had two consecutive number one films.

The official estimate is $21.3 million, which puts it just a fraction behind the $23.1 million debut of “Exorcist: The Beginning” on this same weekend of 2004. It’s also a smidge behind the $24.5 mil debut of Lionsgate’s similar looking 2009 shocker, “The Haunting in Connecticut,” but let’s remember that this is a no budget endeavor with no recognizable actors that the studio had to market with smarts and Eli Roth’s name.

Incidentally, they couldn’t use Roth’s name to market his own movie, “Hostel Part II,” to a debut past $9.5 million, but the man can’t win them all. Now we just sit back and wait for the inevitable porno knock-off called “The Last Circumcision.”

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August 29, 2010

FRIDAY FORECAST: End of the Road

*All historical figures cited are adjusted to today’s dollars.

It’s the last full weekend of the summer, the last weekend of me being 27, and the last weekend for Friday Forecast on InContention. A time of introspection. A time of reflection. A time of paying another $20 to see those blue things in 3D again. I can’t wait to not see it again… for the first time.

The dog days of August are notoriously tough on the multiplex as kids start heading back to school so don’t expect any Oscar nominations for this week’s crop of films. Leading the pack is “The Last Exorcism” from Lionsgate. This could be the first time in that company’s history that one of its films takes the top spot away from another one of its films. A low budget faux-documentary, Lionsgate picked up distribution rights and has sold it fantastically with sharp trailers and posters.

Exorcism is a foolproof box office meme, with Sony able to milk a $37.3 million debut for “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” in September 2005. That film had some movie stars and a true story hook, while Lionsgate is definitely no Sony, but we should still be looking at a strong opening for the film. Something like $18 million, but if Lionsgate can get some stories printed about audience members puking, then you can bump that up to $22 million.

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August 27, 2010

SUNDAY CENTS: Six Flags > Movies

*All historical figures cited are adjusted to today’s dollars.

Sorry this is checking in a little late today but I’ve been at Six Flags all day having the time of my life. I hadn’t been since they opened a crazy new ride called Tatsu and it kind of blew my mind, but the X will always be the best ‘coaster. In any case, some movies came out this weekend too and performed with varying degrees of success.

The number one movie, again, is “The Expendables.” Stallone and his fellow band of ‘roid Rangers dropped 53% to $16.5 million but took advantage of a terrible weekend to notch a second frame at the summit. The last time Sly was in a film that spent two weeks at the top was in 1993, when Wesley Snipes was huge and an unknown Sandra Bullock and Jack Black lent support in “Demolition Man.”

“Vampires Suck” confirmed the absence of any justice or God in the world by opening in second place with $12.2 million. $18.6 million has already been conned out of America since Wednesday and I’m pretty sure that’s ten times the total amount of my top 10 favorite films of last year combined.

“Eat Pray Love” takes the bronze, dropping 48% to $12.0 million. Don’t be surprised if this is the real runner-up when actuals are released and even though that drop might seem harsh, “Julie & Julia” did almost exactly the same before leveling out and sticking around through early September.

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August 22, 2010

Category: Box Office