Will 'The Avengers' reach the likes of 'Harry Potter' and 'The Dark Knight'?
Ashlee Simpson says thanks!
Sony's R-rated comedy '21 Jump Street' posts a bigger-than-expected debut as the world prepares for 'The Hunger Games' later this week.
'The Lorax' keeps speaking for trees, 'John Carter' scrambles.
Record your thoughts on the latest sci-fi epic!
'Safe House' jumps to the top of the chart in its second weekend as 'The Vow,' 'Journey 2,'Ghost Rider 2' and 'This Means War' perform well.
Audiences Clearly Loved the Movies This Valentine’s Weekend.
'Chronicle' and 'The Woman in Black' lead a strong Super Bowl weekend at the box office.
A beautiful vampire and a group of fighter pilots lead the charge during a great weekend at the box office!
Follow-ups aren't without their share of talent.
Man, they *really* like this flick.
With no new wide release newcomers this will be one of the lowest grossing weekends of the year with around $82 million in total receipts.
A look back at the best movies released over the holiday weekend.
It’s been awhile since we’ve had a film debut with over $100 million, but the wait is over!
'The Walking Dead's' last run before February and the AMAs hit ABC.
Will someone please watch 'Boss?'
The power of nostalgia compels you.
It's an alien comedy.
At least she was still adorable.
Disney’s 'Real Steel' knocks out the competition with solid $27.3 million weekend.
Why you should see the SXSW 2011 Audience Award Winner.
And then they'll have a party in NYC.
I wonder what his ringback tone is?
At a BBQ. Over a game of beer pong.
A bit fluffy—but the movie's great.
It is nearly impossible to overstate the enormity of the momentous box office achievement that took place this weekend.
Friday's numbers are in...
'The Hangover 2' posts the biggest comedy debut of all-time and propels the Memorial Weekend to record levels!
'Hangover: Part II' and 'Kung Fu Panda 2' pump up Memorial Weekend box office.
'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' earned $90.1 million for the weekend in N. America after $4.7 million in midnight screenings and takes in a record $256.3 million internationally.
'Thor' holds on to its box office crown, but 'Bridesmaids' surprises with a better-than-expected debut.
If you've been tasked with throwing a viewing party, we've got you covered.
This weekend was a massive one for the angry birds of 'Rio' with a second weekend gross of $26.8 million as kids flocked to theaters with their parents.
Having already topped the international box office charts, Fox’s 'Rio' migrates to North America with a solid and better-than-expected debut of $40 million.
'Hop' and 'Arthur' top the weekend box office chart and suddenly Russell Brand is a box office force to be reckoned with.
Universal’s animated 'Hop' leads the weekend with a much better-than-expected $38.1 million
Sony’s sci-fi alien adventure Battle: Los Angeles created a solid weekend of box office mayhem with a better-than-expected debut of $36 million.
Sony’s sci-fi alien adventure 'Battle: Los Angeles' is poised for a solid weekend of box office mayhem.
There’s a new Box Office Sheriff in Town and his Name is Rango!
Audiences likely to get a Hall Pass for Oscar Weekend while Nicolas Cage gets Angry!
'Unknown' starring Liam Neeson leads a very competitive President’s weekend with a chart topping $25.6 million as the box office down streak comes to an end.
Four new wide release openers will try to woo Valentine's Weekend audiences at the multi-plex
The Super Bowl may be the only blockbuster this weekend as audiences look for a 'Roommate.'
Please, can we see the return of Garth?!
'No Strings Attached' to make a date with audiences this weekend while 'The Green Hornet' continues to draw the action crowd.
The final three wide releases of the year hope to bring some Christmas cheer back to the Box-Office with 'Little Fockers,' 'True Grit' and 'Gulliver’s Travels.'
'Narnia' Leads Another Slow Box Office Weekend, but 'Black Swan,' 'The King's Speech' & 'The Fighter' all deliver knockout punches!
A boy wizard cast a huge box office spell this weekend as ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1’ posts the sixth biggest opening weekend of all-time!
'Megamind' leads one of the most star-filled weekends of the year as Brad Pitt, Will Ferrell, Robert Downey, Jr., Denzel Washington, Tina Fey, Rachel McAdams and Harrison Ford do box office battle.
The Holiday Movie Season officially starts as Paramount Exerts “mind” control over family audiences while Downey, Jr. gets his due and Tyler Perry releases his tenth film in five years.
A Halloween Horror Movie Smack-down to take place this weekend at the nation’s theatres as “Saw 3D” and “Paranormal Activity 2” look to mutilate the competition.
Paramount Pictures about to get very Paranormal with the top two slots at the weekend box office.
This is just the beginning for Sony’s “The Social Network” as the David Fincher film earned a solid $23 million in its opening weekend and will now build upon solid word-of-mouth and Oscar buzz to eventually reach the $100 million mark in domestic revenue.
Laremy predicts a scary future where we'll see Vin Diesel and Steven Seagal in Expendables 2
Sony’s “The Other Guys” gives Will Ferrell his second biggest opening weekend ever with a bigger than expected $35.5 million as Warner Bros.’ “Inception” continues strong in its fourth weekend of release and Disney’s “Step Up 3-D” draws the younger crowd.
Warner Bros.' "Inception" has been the number one film every day since the day it opened and again presents a formidable road block to the newcomers’ shot at the top spot. However, "Dinner For Schmucks" looks to pose a major challenge for the top spot.
The mysterious and much-anticipated “Inception” from Warner Bros. tops the weekend box office chart as expected while Universal’s “Despicable Me” crosses the $100 million mark with a strong second weekend.
Universal’s animated “Despicable Me” has an impressive debut while Summit’s “Eclipse” holds well and Fox’s “Predators” does solid R-rated business.
This weekend's box office numbers, revealed
As expected Summit Entertainment’s “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” tops the Fourth-of-July box-office while Paramount’s “The Last Airbender” has a stronger-than-expected debut.
A very happy Fourth-of-July at the Box office in store for Vampires and Werewolves everywhere and a weekend that will redefine the perception of how the Summer of 2010 has performed thus far.
Toys rule the Box Office again as “Toy Story 3” continues to wow a worldwide audience while Adam Sandler proves he is still a major box-office force with Sony’s “Grown Ups”...
It took the eighties to save the box office in 2010 as Sony’s “The Karate Kid” and Fox’s “The A-Team” lead the first solid weekend in a month at the nation’s theatres.....
Paramount/DWA’s “Shrek Forever After” tops the chart for the third consecutive week as overall box office hits a speed bump.....
Get ready for a post-Memorial weekend pileup at the nation’s theaters as four brand new wide release openers debut.....
Paramount/DWA’s “Shrek Forever After” proves that families rule on Memorial Weekend.....
A little pre-weekend "Sex" as the ladies of "Sex and the City" follow up on the hugely successful 2008 big-screen installment of the beloved HBO series.....
Paramount/DWA’s “Shrek Forever After” continues the franchise’s tradition with a number one debut, but came in on the low end of expectations.....
Paramount/DWA's "Shrek Forever After" looks to keep the venerable franchise’s perfect track record alive with another number one debut.....
Paramount/Marvel’s “Iron Man 2” tops the chart for the second consecutive weekend, while Universal/Relativity Media’s “Robin Hood” took the worldwide crown with $111.1 million.....
The second official weekend of the summer is upon us as three wide release newcomers hit the marketplace and have to contend with.....
The summer movie season of 2010 kicks off in high style as Paramount/Marvel’s “Iron Man 2” posts the fifth biggest opening weekend of all-time.....
Disney and Pixar do it again topping the box office chart for the eleventh straight time and posting the second biggest animated opening ever.....
With little competition in the family freindly space, the green guy knocks Iron Man from top spot
“A real movie.” That’s the phrase that one of my industry sources used to describe Eagle Eye (Dreamworks/Paramount), which debuts this Friday at 3,500 or so locations and on more than 4,500 screens. The movie reunites Hollywood’s hottest young star, Shia LaBeouf, with his director from the surprise hit Disturbia, DJ Caruso, and industry tracking is pointing toward a spectacular opening.
Amy Poehler signed off for the last time from 'SNL's' Weekend News Update with an emotional goodbye speech.
The upcoming three-day will be much easier to call than the three-day photo finish between Burn After Reading (Focus), Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys (Lionsgate) and Righteous Kill (Overture). The near-certain winner, according to industry tracking and conversations with multiple sources, will be Neil LaBute’s Lakeview Terrace (Sony).
Top quotes from "Weekend Update" on Saturday Night Live's season premiere...
Coming off of the worst weekend at the box office since September 2003, the movie business could use a needle of adrenaline to the heart (a la Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction) and, although business will improve, there is probably no stealth blockbuster in the cards this weekend.
The first weekend after Labor Day is traditionally, one of, if not the, slowest movie weekend of the year. But this year, business is even worse than expected.
MANDATORY VIEWING OF THE WEEK (UNLESS YOU HATE BILL MAHER) Real Time with Bill Maher (Season Premiere) -- 11/10c on HBO
I am putting my money on a third consecutive weekend win for Tropic Thunder (Dreamworks/Paramount) with another excellent hold.
The Death Race (Universal) vs. Tropic Thunder (Dreamworks/Paramount) weekend battle I was expecting has not materialized. Instead, Anna Faris as The House Bunny (Sony) has managed an upside surprise with a well-above-expectations $5.9M on Friday. Industry tracking pointed toward a strong opening for the Jason Statham action picture and something softer for the PG-13 comedy Bunny, but that audience research does not always pan out.
The Cheetah Girls One World -- 8/7c on Disney
There are four new wide releases this week, but only of them is likely to top $10M for the traditional three-day weekend. The Jason Statham vehicle Death Race (Universal) seems to be getting some traction in industry tracking, although a huge breakout opening is unlikely.
The Dark Knight (Warner Bros) has met his match. Brendan Fraser’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Universal) has scored an excellent $16.5M opening day.
Brendan Fraser and the long-awaited return of The Mummy franchise will likely unseat mega-hit The Dark Knight (Warner Bros) this weekend.
By Monday morning, The Dark Knight (Warner Bros) will likely be the No. 1 movie of 2008. Even the rosiest of forecasts could not have anticipated that the Christopher Nolan-directed Batman Begins sequel would surpass Marvel’s Iron Man (Paramount) and Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull (Paramount) in only 10 days, but it appears that the dark superhero/crime thriller hybrid will do just that
There is no question about which film will be No. 1 at America’s multiplexes this weekend. The Dark Knight (Warner Bros) is posting unprecedented weekday grosses with $24.5M on Monday and $20.9M Tuesday, and it will easily win the upcoming three-day.
Sunday was even stronger-than-expected for The Dark Knight (Warner Bros) with an astounding $43M or so.
Hollywood is gearing for what is certain to be a spectacular 5-day 4th of July holiday movie-going period with two strong holdovers and a brand new PG-13-rated superhero picture starring the world’s biggest box office draw.
Not much change in my weekend predictions from Monday’s early preview. Virtually everyone I talk to has Steve Carell’s Get Smart (Warner Bros) at $35M or so. If the number holds, it will be an excellent start, becoming Carell’s all-time best live action opening as an above-the-title star. His best to-date is last summer’s Evan Alimighty, which managed just $31.2M.
Hollywood is destined for one big hit this weekend and one monumental miss. Marvel Studios is about to demonstrate that Iron Man (Paramount) was no fluke while M. Night Shyamalan’s career seems headed for another disaster of mythic proportions.
According to studio sources, Get Smart (Warner Bros) has the early edge on The Love Guru (Paramount) in industry tracking in next Friday's battle of big studio comedies.
Adam Sandler’s You Don’t Mess with the Zohan (Sony) is aimed squarely at young males, while Kung Fu Panda--the new family-friendly animated pic from Dreamworks--would need to score big in this quadrant to break out in a monstrous way.
The summer blockbuster season moves into full swing this weekend with two sure-fire hits. Dreamworks/Paramount unleashes Kung Fu Panda, and Adam Sandler returns in another of his PG-13-rated, broad comedies You Don’t Mess with the Zohan (Sony). Early industry tracking indicates that both of these titles are on very solid ground.
Sex and the City (Warner Bros), which enjoyed a meteoric $27M in sales in its first 24 hours, had a much quieter Saturday. At least 25 percent quieter. It looks like Sunday could add at least $14M for a truly remarkable $60M opening weekend.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull--Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Harrison Ford's fourth installment--is likely headed to the all-time number one five-day record with $177M-$187M possible.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: There is no mystery about which film will win the weekend. It is more a question of how high the new Narnia saga Prince Caspian can fly.
Iron Man (Paramount) is the almost certain winner at America’s multiplexes this weekend, and it has been well-reported that Speed Racer (Warner Bros.) will have an uphill drive. This should probably not come as a surprise, and it may have less to do with the movie than its release date.
Don't bet the house on Horton, says today’s Hollywood Reporter. Only an exceptional third-session hold by Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! would see it score a hat trick atop the box office and though none of the four wide openers this weekend appears to be a sure shot to hit No. 1, Sony's card-counting drama 21 is a strong lead candidate.
This weekend sees Roland Emmerich’s 10,000 BC enter theaters in the same frame that last year saw 300 pull in a $70.9 million weekend. Estimates for BC are that it will hit somewhere between $30 and $40 million.
Billy Joel weds again, Britney Spears buys Malibu abode, "SNL" unveils all-female "Weekend Update," more...
Most moviegoers' mission Memorial Day weekend will be to see Paramount's "Mission: Impossible 2." The PG-13-rated action adventure sequel -- known for short as "M:I-2" -- got off to a flying start with its Wednesday opening to $12.5 million at a record-setting 3,653 theaters ($3,422 per theater). "It's a 37% first choice in the tracking," an insider points out, predicting blockbuster business for the long holiday weekend. Looking back, he adds, the original "Mission" was a 27% first choice when it opened, and last year's "Star Wars: Episode One -- The Phantom Menace" was a 43% first choice. "M:I-2's" Wednesday gross compares very favorably to the original "Mission: Impossible's" opening day total of $11.8 million for Wed., May 22, 1996, at 3,012 theaters ($3,918 per theater). That gross actually included pre-opening Tuesday night preview showings as well
News, Mar. 8: David Crosby Arrested, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Hits Video Stores in May, Arnold Schwarzenegger Takes a Fitness Weekend Lost in Translation Matthew McConaughey Terrence Malick Benicio Del Toro Colin Farrell
A roundup of the weekend award shows including the Directors Guild of America the Producers Guild of America and the Soul Train Awards
Thanks to Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, which held on to the top spot at the box office this weekend, and Spider-Man, which remained in its No. 2 position, overall ticket sales for Memorial Day weekend topped $200 million for the first time.
Andie MacDowell Antonio Banderas Rebecca Romijn Stamos Melanie Griffith Roman Polanski Paul Thomas Anderson Adam Sandler Jeremy Irons David Lynch Martin Scorsese Naomi Watts Tilda Swinton Michael Moore
Pixar/Disney's Monsters, Inc. is setting the bar high for next week's release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
Unless the Grinch scares people away from their local cinemas, a new record could be set at the box office Christmas weekend as a half-dozen newly released dramas boasting Academy Award-winning casts will compete with several children's films and other holdovers from previous weeks. In each of the past three years, a new box-office record was set on Christmas weekend, and with the release of films such as Warner Bros.' "Any Given Sunday" starring Al Pacino, Dennis Quaid and Cameron Diaz, Paramount's "The Talented Mr. Ripley" starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett and Jude Law, and Universal's "Man on the Moon" with Jim Carrey, industry experts believe movie grosses for Friday through Sunday could surpass $150 million - breaking the Christmas weekend record of $147.5 million set last year, when films such as "Patch Adams," You've Got Mail" and "Stepmom" were hot ite
Actress Katharine Hepburn will probably be released by the weekend, Reuters reports.
"The Grinch" stole the weekend box office with $55 million in very green grosses. Universal and Imagine Entertainment's PG-rated comedy adventure "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" easily evicted "Charlie's Angels" from first place with a record-setting estimated $55.11 million at 3,127 theaters ($17,625 per theater). "Grinch," which is playing on over 4,200 screens, had the highest per-theater average for any film playing in wide or limited release last weekend. "It's the highest non-sequel opener ever," Universal distribution president Nikki Rocco said Sunday morning. "In all-time rankings, it's fifth, including holidays and summer because four others are sequels. It's Universal's biggest non-holiday opening because we have the Number One with 'Lost World.' It's the Number Two November opening ever, behind 'Toy Story 2,' which was the Thanksgiving holid
Hollywood legend Katharine Hepburn spent a second night in a Hartford, Conn., hospital recovering from what was described as a minor infection by Hepburn's brother-in-law, The Associated Press reports.
Even if critics slammed the film as a dud, Pearl Harbor managed to capture the record as the second-highest grossing film for a four-day opening, taking in a healthy $75.1 million box office during the Memorial Day weekend. Industry experts had estimated a $100 million opening, but Disney predicted that the three-hour epic would gross between $45 million and $55 million.
The No. 1 spot is still held by The Lost World: Jurassic Park, which earned $92.7 million during the 1997 Memorial Day weekend. In comparison, other films in this Memorial Day league that came close to World were Mission Impossible 2's $56.8 million in 2000 and Star Wars: Episode I's $64.8 in 1999. Even the recently released The Mummy Returns gave these films a run for its money, opening with $68 million--on a regular three-day weekend.
1. Shrek, DreamWorks, $42347760, ($42,387,348 including figures from limited release in NY and LA from Wednesday);
1. Shrek, $42.1 million; 2. The Mummy Returns, $20.5 million; 3. A Knight's Tale, $10.7 million; 4. Angel Eyes, $9.5 million; 5. Bridget Jones's Diary, $3.8 million; 6. Along Came a Spider, $2.5 million; 7. Driven, $1.9 million; 8. Blow, $1.4 million; 9. Spy Kids, $1.3 million; 10. Memento, $1.29 million.
"The Grinch" should continue to top the chart, but may be hanging by its fingernails as "Vertical Limit" tries to scale this weekend's box office heights. "'Grinch' was down 48% last weekend from Thanksgiving. I would expect this weekend to drop maybe 40%," an insider speculates. "That means it's going to do around $16 million. It doesn't look to me like 'Vertical Limit' can get there." "I don't think it'll fall 40%," another executive counters. "It's falling less than that mid-week. If it falls 35%, it'll do $17.5 million." Universal and Imagine Entertainment's PG-rated comedy adventure blockbuster "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" has already grossed over $176 million. It should hit $200 million on Dec. 15 and be at about $215.5 million on Dec. 22. That would put it slightly ahead of "Mission: Impossible 2," which now ranks as the year's b
Three films should enjoy heaping portions of box office pie over a five-day Thanksgiving period in which the marketplace expands to $240 million or more. Which movie carves itself the biggest slice of holiday business remains to be seen, but insiders say the happy chart-topping trio will be Universal and Imagine Entertainment's "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas," last weekend's Number One film, and Buena Vista's two openings -- Disney's "102 Dalmatians" and Touchstone's "Unbreakable." Also likely to be well fed at the holiday box office buffet are two holdovers -- Paramount and Nickelodeon's "Rugrats In Paris" and Columbia's "Charlie's Angels." After kicking off to $55.1 million last weekend, the PG-rated comedy adventure "Grinch" should have $70 million as it goes into this weekend at 3,134 theaters (up 7 runs from last week). It should have
HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 16, 2000-- "The Grinch" should steal first place from "Charlie's Angels" this weekend. "'Grinch' is going to be number one," an insider predicts without having to think twice. "You can count on $30 million-plus, and it could even be much higher. The question is will the market expand? I believe that it can." The PG-rated comedy adventure "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" from Universal and Imagine Entertainment, opening at 3,127 theaters and on over 4,200 screens, is expected to turn box offices everywhere green. Directed by Ron Howard and produced by Brian Grazer, "Grinch" stars Jim Carrey. Paramount and Nickelodeon Movies' G-rated animated sequel "Rugrats in Paris: The Movie" should be a lively number two, opening at 2,934 theaters. "The first 'Rugrats' opened to $27 million, but there was nothing else in
This weekend's box office election is too close to call, according to insiders who see a close race between "Charlie's Angels" and "Little Nicky" for the popular vote. Columbia's PG-13-rated action adventure comedy kicked off to a record setting $40.1 million last weekend. New Line's PG-13-rated youth appeal comedy "Little Nicky," opening at about 2,910 theaters, is flying high on the Hollywood radar screen. "It probably will fall less than 50%," an insider predicts about "Angels." "Figure 40%. So you're looking at $24 million. It could be a tight race with 'Little Nicky.' I'd have to say $22-24 million for both of them." "I think you've got to figure it's 'Charlie's Angels' again unless 'Little Nicky' just really surges here at the last minute, which it could with young males," another studio executive cautions. Directed by McG, "Angels" s
HOLLYWOOD, Oct 26, 2000 - Look for "Blair Witch 2" to do killer business this Halloween weekend. Artisan Entertainment's R-rated sequel "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2," opening at about 3,000 theaters, should scare up enough ticket sales to end "Meet the Parents'" three week reign in first place. "'Blair Witch' is going to play very young," explains an insider. "They ought to be able to open to $20 million." The original "Blair Witch Project," last summer's sleeper blockbuster, was made independently for about $35,000 and picked up by Artisan. It grossed about $140.5 million in domestic theaters. Directed by Joe Berlinger, "Blair Witch 2" stars Kim Director, Jeffrey Donovan, Erica Leerhsen, Tristen Skylar and Stephen Barker-Turner. Universal's PG-13-rated comedy "Meet the Parents" should slide one slot to second place in its fourth
Moviegoers and "Parents" should meet again in first place given the gloomy expectations for this weekend's new releases. While most top level studio marketing and distribution executives were in Orlando this week for ShowEast, the annual convention of exhibitors and distributors, the handful of Hollywood handicappers left minding the store see the holdovers "Meet the Parents" and "Remember the Titans" as the films most likely to perform well. Universal's PG-13-rated comedy "Meet the Parents," which opened to a sizzling $28.6 million last week, is a safe bet to hold on to the top spot. If it falls 25%, it will still do about $21.5 million. Even a 30% drop would give it a $20 million second weekend. "It's kind of crystal-ballish, but based on what's out there, 'Meet the Parents' could very well be number one again," one insider volunteered while on the
HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 28, 2000 It should be a weekend to "Remember" as "Remember the Titans" hits the box office gridiron. "Titans," Buena Vista/Disney's PG-rated football theme drama, is kicking off at 1,865 theaters. It has insiders seeing green, a box office color that's been invisible so far this fall. "I think we will remember the 'Titans,'" observes one studio executive. "They'll be over $20 million. At last a movie exploits the soft marketplace." "There's no question 'Meet the Titans' will be the number one film -- $20-25 million," predicts another distributor. Driven by "Titans," the weekend should be up sharply from last week when key films only managed to gross about $56 million. The improvement will come, a source maintains, "thanks to one movie, which is all the market ever needs to turn around." "I hope the marketplace wil
SANTA MONICA, Calif., September 14, 2000 -- Hollywood will suffer from the box office blahs this weekend. In fact, insiders anticipate so little moviegoer enthusiasm for the weekend's new wide releases that it won't take much to capture first place. Warner Bros. and Castle Rock Entertainment's R-rated action comedy "Bait" has the best shot at topping the chart thanks to a very wide opening at 2,352 theaters and its likely appeal to urban moviegoers. "I'm sure it's going to play well to African-Americans, but after what happened to 'Turn It Up' last week (you can't expect much)," a source points out. "Bait' is probably $6-8 million, just because it's going out so wide and should have strong black appeal. Depending on what happens to 'The Watcher,' either film could be number one." "I would say 'Bait's got a shot at number one. I would say in the high end of
"Hannibal" bit off much more at the box office than anyone thought it could chew, opening to a record-setting $58 million. The R-rated thriller presented by MGM and Universal in association with Dino De Laurentiis captured first place with a head-spinning estimated $58.0 million at 3,230 theaters ($17,800 per theater). "It is far and away the biggest R-rated opening ever -- beating $42.3 million on 'Scary Movie' (which opened via Miramax's Dimension Films last July 7-9)," MGM worldwide distribution president Larry Gleason said Sunday morning. "It's the third biggest three days of all time. It's behind the three days of 'Lost World: Jurassic Park,' but that was a four-day weekend. That was $72 million. The next one was 'Star Wars: Episode One' (which did $64.8 million via 20th Century Fox the weekend of May 21-23, 1999). That was a three-day weekend. So we came in
Predicting this weekend's box office is enough to drive anyone a little "Nutty." If Eddie Murphy's "Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps" has big legs, it stands to hold on to the top spot. The PG-13-rated comedy sequel from Universal and Imagine Entertainment could drop 50% from last weekend's $42.5 million opening and still place first with around $21 million. Directed by Peter Segal, it stars Eddie Murphy, Janet Jackson and Larry Miller. Columbia's opening of its R-rated sci-fi thriller "Hollow Man" at about 2,800 theaters is shaping up as the most solid competition "Nutty" faces. But there also will be high-profile openings for Buena Vista/Touchstone's PG-13-rated romantic comedy "Coyote Ugly" at 2,650-plus theaters and Warner Bros. PG-13 sci-fi action adventure "Space Cowboys" at 2,700-plus theaters. "'Coyote Ugly,' 'Hollow Man' and 'Space Cow
Moviegoers will go "Nutty" for Eddie Murphy this weekend. With a 31% overall first-choice tracking score among opening and released films, Universal and Imagine Entertainment's PG-13-rated comedy sequel "Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps" is clearly heading for first place. Among African-American moviegoers, "Nutty 2" is a 48% overall first choice. Adding to its potential strength is the fact that Universal is launching "Nutty 2" extremely wide - with 3,242 theaters and 4,430 screens. "It's huge," says one studio executive. "It's going to do north of $30 million." "Based on the fact that the original opened to $25 million and (the similarly-focused PG-13) 'Big Momma's House' opened to $25 million, and this one is PG-13, I don't know why this wouldn't be in the $25-30 million range," observes a slightly more cautious insider. The origin
Get ready for another X-citing box office weekend. After its $54.5 million opening last weekend, 20th Century Fox's "X-Men" should easily hold on to the top spot. Even if it falls 50%, the PG-13-rated sci-fi action adventure will still gross about $27 million. Directed by Bryan Singer and produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Ralph Winter, "X-Men's" extensive cast is headed by Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman and Ian McKellen. DreamWorks' opening of its R-rated supernatural thriller "What Lies Beneath" (co-financed with Fox, which is releasing it internationally) should materialize in second place. Its 17% overall first choice in the tracking should translate into ticket sales of $20-25 million at 2,500-plus theaters. "The overall definite interest is 50%," an insider notes. "With men, it's 36% and with women it's 63%. The highest group is 25-plus
"X" will mark the top spot on the chart this weekend. With "X-Men's" 27% overall first-choice tracking among opening and released films, insiders expect the PG-13-rated 20th Century Fox sci-fi action adventure to open to $25-30 million at over 3,000 theaters. "It could do $35 million if it's really, really front-loaded (with moviegoers running to see it right away)," an insider notes. "X-Men," based on the hit Marvel comic book, should benefit from being this weekend's only new wide release. Who's most interested in seeing it? "It's primarily younger (under 25) and older males," explains one distribution executive, "with very little females. 'Scary Movie' is primarily young males and young females. So 'Scary Movie' gets hurt with young males, but should still have the young females." "Females have 'X-Men' an 11% first choice. Males
"Scary Movie" has a good shot at scaring up this weekend's biggest grosses. "I think it's going to open to north of $20 million, maybe $25 million," a studio executive speculates in view of its 27% overall first-choice tracking. "It's going to be between 'Scary Movie' and 'Perfect Storm' for first place. Both could be in the mid-twenties, but 'Scary Movie' could take it." "It skews very high for the under 25 group," another insider adds. "It's 43% first choice for males and 45% for females. So it's obviously young teenagers. It could open to $25-30 million." The R-rated teen appeal comedy from Miramax's Dimension Films label combines gross-out comedy with a spoof of classic horror flicks. It is opening very wide; Dimension was still doing its final tabulations, but insiders figure it will go into 2,800-plus theaters. Directed by Keenan Ivory
Jim Carrey should be the personality splitting most of this weekend's box office. Carrey and 20th Century Fox's R-rated comedy "Me, Myself & Irene," about a schizoid Rhode Island motorcycle cop, should speed into first place at 3,016 theaters with about $25 million. "Among opening and released films, it has a 27% first choice," explains an insider. "It's 36% for males under 25 and 20% for males over 25. It's 31% for females under 25 and 23% for females over 25. So it's definitely young males." A $25 million launch, this source says, "isn't the 'Liar Liar' opening, but I don't think it has the heat that 'Liar Liar' had." That Jim Carrey comedy opened via Universal to $31.4 million the weekend of March 21-23, 1997. Should Fox be unhappy with a $25 million opening? "No," replies this insider. "$25 million is a huge opening. Who would be unhappy w
"Gone In 60 Seconds" should have no trouble finding first place parking this weekend. With a first-choice tracking of 27%, the PG-13-rated action thriller from Buena Vista/Touchstone is on track to steal $30-35 million at 3,006 theaters. Insiders point out that if it opens as well as "The Rock" - $25.1 million at 2,392 theaters June 7-9, 1996 ($10,481 per theater) - it would gross $31.5 million. Who most wants to go to "Gone?" "It's very much young male," an insider says of the film's appeal. "The overall definite interest is 55%, but for young males (under 25) it's 69% and it's 46% for older men (over 25). It's 57% for young women and 48% for older women." Look for "Gone" to drive Paramount's "Mission: Impossible-2" down one ramp to second place in its third week. The PG-13 blockbuster action adventure sequel's 19% first-choice tracking suggests "M:I-2"
A "Dino"-mite opening by Disney's "Dinosaur" should cut DreamWorks' "Gladiator" down to size this weekend. After its two-week box office reign, "Gladiator" should fall prey to Buena Vista/Disney's opening of its PG-rated computer-animated "Dinosaur" at 3,257 theaters. "Dinosaur's" 21% first-choice tracking doesn't really tell the whole story, according to insiders. "It's just fine, because kids' movies don't track," says one executive. Estimates by Hollywood handicappers of just how big "Dinosaur" will open range from a cautious $25-35 million to a really exuberant $35-40 million. Making projections even more challenging is the fact that a great many "Dinosaur" tickets will be sold at reduced prices to children. "'Lion King' did $40.9 million in its opening weekend," explains one source. "Now, it opened the end of June. Kids were out of school
DreamWorks' "Gladiator" should be victorious again on the box office battlefield this weekend. With "Gladiator" still commanding a 30% first-choice tracking score among opening and released movies, there's little doubt the R-rated action adventure will keep a tight grip on the top spot. If "Gladiator" slips 36% from its $34.8 million opening, its second weekend tribute will still be a handsome sum of about $22 million. DreamWorks is distributing "Gladiator" domestically, while Universal is releasing it internationally. The two studios co-financed the film, which reportedly cost $103 million to make, and are 50-50 partners, sharing equally in its success. Directed by Ridley Scott, it stars Russell Crowe. Warner Bros. and Franchise Pictures' PG-13 rated sci-fi action adventure "Battlefield Earth," opening at 3,307 theaters, should w
Universal's "U-571" should rule the Easter Weekend box office waters.The PG-13 World War II submarine drama, opening at 2,584 theaters, was a 17% first choice in studio tracking studies late in the week. With adult men making it a 29% first choice, it's on track to blast the adult male-driven drama "Rules of Engagement" out of first place. "They could certainly do $18-20 million," predicts one insider. But that sounds high to another source, who cautions: "No females under 25 want to go see this movie. It's Nazis and subs and World War II.""I don't know what the market will bear this weekend," says a distribution executive. Good Friday is typically a very strong box office day, but Saturday should only be fair, and Easter Sunday is never a great day for moviegoing.A key factor affecting Easter weekend ticket sales, adds another studio source, "is the weath
Mel Gibson's "The Patriot" and George Clooney's "The Perfect Storm" should spark big box office fireworks this weekend. "Patriot," the R-rated period piece drama from Columbia Pictures and Centropolis Entertainment, marched into 3,061 theaters Wednesday. It grossed an encouraging estimated $5.0 million ($1,633 per theater) in its first skirmishes with moviegoers. "Patriot's" overall first-choice tracking of 26% has most insiders predicting it will win the five-day battle that ends with the Fourth of July holiday. After its $5 million start, it could wind up with a first place finish of $30 million or more for three days (Friday-Sunday) and $40 million or more for five days (Wednesday-Sunday). "If you extrapolate from other performances on this kind of holiday, it could very well get to $30 million," a studio source explains. "It's a 2 hour 40 minute
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 3, 2000 -- Hollywood should finally have something to scream about at the box office this weekend thanks to "Scream 3." "This weekend there's going to be 'Scream' -- and then everything else," observed one distribution executive. After two consecutive weekends where all it took was a single-digit gross to top the chart, Hollywood is gearing up for some big numbers. Soaring ticket sales are anticipated as Dimension Films -- Miramax's genre label -- launches the third and concluding chapter of its blockbuster "Scream" series at 3,467 theaters. "It's probably going to gross what the next four movies combined gross," one insider said, noting that at mid-week the thriller had a 24 percent first-choice tracking score. (Translation: Of moviegoers polled, 24 percent said they would see 'Scream 3' before any other film in release). "That certain
DreamWorks' "Gladiator" should emerge victorious in this weekend's box office arena. "There's 'Gladiator' and there's everything else," says one studio executive. "I think it's a $30 million opening." The R-rated action adventure will open in 2,938 theaters with about 5,000 prints, which means it will play on more than 5,000-plus screens. Its first-choice tracking score in terms of all opening and released films in the marketplace is an enviable 31% overall. For men, it's a muscular 48%. "There's no doubt about it that this picture could crack $30 million, if not more," an insider notes. "Last year at this time, there was 'The Mummy,' and it was an $80 million weekend (total for films making over $500,000). But there also was 'The Matrix,' which was doing $12.5 million. You don't have that (strength in second place) this weekend." "It's the 'D
"Shaft" should have moviegoers shouting "Right On" at this weekend's box office. Look for Paramount's R-rated urban appeal remake starring Samuel L. Jackson to open to a cool $20 million-plus at 2,337 theaters. "Shaft" is a powerful 19% overall first choice in studio tracking studies, with its strongest appeal to men, especially those under 25. "They're up from 15% first choice earlier in the week to 19%, so they're looking stronger than they did," an insider explains. "They'll do $20 million, maybe more." "$22-25 million would be the number to me," predicts another studio source. "$10,000 a theater gives you $23 million." Directed by John Singleton, "Shaft" stars Samuel L. Jackson and Vanessa Williams. "Shaft" should give Buena Vista/Touchstone's "Gone In 60 Seconds" the first place heave-ho. The PG-13-rated action thrill
Grown ups takes the weekend in a tight race with Knight and Day