June 18, 2013
It's another typical summer week on the home market. That is to say, it's a bad week on the home market. There are several first-run releases, the biggest of which was Jack the Giant Killer, which bombed at the box office. There are some limited releases that help the overall quality, but it is still a bad week. As far as Pick of the Week candidates go, Quartet on DVD or Blu-ray is the best choice. One could argue it is the only choice, but there are three Criterion Collection releases that are worth checking out, as well as some horror films, both old and new, that should please genre fans. On a side note, there are six Disney Channel releases on this week's list. That's a little strange.
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June 17, 2013
It was a very good week at the box office with Man of Steel breaking the record for biggest June weekend topping Toy Story 3 by more than $6 million. Nearly every film in the top five matched or beat expectations, which helped the overall box office reach $204 million. This was 37% higher than last weekend and 57% higher than the same weekend last year. Year-to-date, 2013 is still behind 2012, but is has closed the gap to $150 million, or 3.1%, at $4.56 billion to $4.71 billion.
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June 17, 2013
Movie 43 earned some of the worst reviews of the year so far, with many critics calling it the worst movie they've ever seen. When I got the chance to review the movie, I jumped at it. I had to know if it was really as bad as its reviews. It couldn't possible be, right?
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June 17, 2013
Final weekend numbers:
- 3-Day Weekend Friday-Sunday
- Friday Daily Numbers
- Saturday Daily Numbers
- Sunday Daily Numbers
We are now publishing our weekend and daily charts with updates as they are received from the studios. Most major studios, and many independent distributors report by about 1pm, Pacific Time and final numbers are available by 3.30pm. To be included in our charts, please send box office reports and release schedule updates to bodata@the-numbers.com.
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June 16, 2013
Kung Fu Panda debuted in theaters in 2008. It earned great reviews and became a massive hit earning more than $600 million worldwide. Kung Fu Panda 2 earned reviews that were almost as strong, while its worldwide box office was bigger. Given its success, it makes complete sense that the movie was turned into a TV show. Does it work on the small screen?
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June 16, 2013
Slugterra is one of three shows with nearly identical setups that I've reviewed recently. The setup is extremely close to that of KaiJudo and Monsuno, so much so that it is hard to think it was by accident. I described the setup in the previous review, so there's no need to go over it again and we can jump right into the episodes.
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June 16, 2013
The Die Hard franchise has been around for 25 years. The first Die Hard film cost less than $30 million to make, but earned $80 million. This is $150 million, if you take into inflation. The most recent installment was Live Free or Die Hard, which didn't quite live up to expectations. A lot of people thought that perhaps the franchise was running out of steam, or perhaps it was just a product of its times and it was no longer relevant today. Was A Good Day to Die Hard able to revitalize the franchise? Or is there something seriously wrong here?
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June 16, 2013
2013 has been a nervous time for Warner Bros.. After six straight years as the number one or number two domestic distributor, the studio's main franchise breadwinners, Batman, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and The Hangover are all coming to an end or already played out. They are running in third place for the year to date, and badly need a new money spinner if they are to avoid lean times in 2015 and beyond. This weekend they got their knight in shining armor, or, more accurately, Man of Steel. The reboot of the venerable Superman franchise will open this weekend with $113.08 million, a new record weekend in June and a huge shot in the arm for the studio.
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June 14, 2013
This week's list of limited releases is dominated by horror films and documentaries, which is not a good sign, as neither genre tends to do well at the box office. Documentaries tend to have a better shot at thriving in the art house circuit, but rarely expand wide enough to earn any of mainstream success. On the other hand, one film is opening that has a lot of buzz: The Bling Ring. Given its pedigree, it should open well. But given its reviews, it likely won't last very long.
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June 13, 2013
June continues next weekend with two potential blockbuster releases: Monsters University and World War Z. Both are earning strong reviews and both will have strong marketing behind them. It seems likely that Monsters University will open faster and is the better choice for 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 Monsters University.
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 Burn Notice: Season Six on DVD, as well as $30 of merchandize from 5 Second Films. (That will be two T-shirts of your choice, or a T-shirt and a shot glass pack, or a poster and two shot glasses, or a hoodie, etc.)
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 Burn Notice: Season Six on DVD.
Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay!
In the meantime, check out the 5 Second Films Kickstarter.
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June 13, 2013
This week one of the biggest movies of the summer is coming out. Man of Steel is the latest film in the longest running super hero franchises of all time. Granted, Superman hasn't always been overly popular with moviegoers or critics, but it should still sell lots of tickets. This is the End is the counter-programming for the week, and it has a lot of popular actors and the reviews are strong, but it opened on Wednesday, so its weekend numbers will be softer as a result. Last year the box office was led by Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted and Prometheus, both of which were in their second weekend of release. The new releases were Rock of Ages and That's My Boy, both of which bombed. I foresee a victory in the year-over-year comparison.
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June 12, 2013
The winner of our Binge and Purge contest was determined and it is...
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June 12, 2013
Much Ado About Nothing lived up to the hype earning first place on the per theater chart with an average of $34,388 in five theaters. This is enough to suggest significant expansion, but I think it is too "art house" to expand even semi-wide. Dirty Wars opened in second place with an average of $15,876 in four theaters. This is an excellent start for a documentary. The overall box office leader, The Purge, earned third place with an average of $13,430. The final film in the $10,000 club was Before Midnight with an average of $10,123 in 52 theaters during its third weekend of release.
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June 12, 2013
Another typical summer week on the home market. There are a few first-run releases, but nothing that is a blockbuster. There are more TV on DVD releases, including a couple that were contenders for Pick of the Week. This includes Burn Notice: Season Six, but the screener is late, so I'm holding off. Enter the Dragon gets an Anniversary Edition Blu-ray and it is a contender. However, in the end I went with The Newsroom: The Complete First Season on Blu-ray Combo Pack.
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June 11, 2013
The Newsroom was one of three new shows to debut on HBO last year, and the only drama. It was created by Aaron Sorkin, who has won countless awards including an Oscar, a Golden Globe, numerous Prime Time Emmys, WGAs, PGAs, etc. Needless to say, it had high expectations associated with it. Can it live up to those expectations? Will it appeal to fans of Aaron Sorkin? Will it only appeal to fans of Aaron Sorkin?
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June 10, 2013
We have a good news / bad news situation. The good news is The Purge crushed expectations and dominated the box office over the weekend. Additionally, nearly every film in the top ten held on better than expected. The bad new is... it still wasn't enough. The overall box office fell 9% from last weekend to $149 million. Worse still, this was 18% lower than the same weekend last year. This is terrible, but fortunately things should turn around next weekend.
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June 10, 2013
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters was a high concept action film that came out in January. That suggests it was a good idea on paper, but the execution was weak. On the other hand, it did become a surprise hit earning more than $200 million worldwide. Did the studio underestimate what they had? Or did the film thrive merely by being better than the January competition?
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June 10, 2013
Final weekend numbers:
- 3-Day Weekend Friday-Sunday
- Friday Daily Numbers
- Saturday Daily Numbers
- Sunday Daily Numbers
We are now publishing our weekend and daily charts with updates as they are received from the studios. Most major studios, and many independent distributors report by about 1pm, Pacific Time and final numbers are available by 3.30pm. To be included in our charts, please send box office reports and release schedule updates to bodata@the-numbers.com.
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June 9, 2013
Snitch opened in late February, which is not a great time of year to release a major hit. It is not a complete dumping ground like January or September, but most films released during this month will be lucky just to become a midlevel hit. Snitch topped admittedly low expectations becoming a middling hit. A final box office of $43 million isn't bad for that time of year. Does this also describe its quality. Is it not bad, for a February release? Or is it better than its box office numbers would indicate?
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June 9, 2013
This week the first volume of the final season of Perry Mason comes out on DVD, while the second volume comes out in August. The last couple of seasons have not been as strong as the earlier seasons. Does that trend continue? If so, is it time to stop purchasing Perry Mason? Or is mediocre Perry Mason still better than most of what's on TV?
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June 9, 2013
Coming into this weekend, Universal was already celebrating above-expectations performances this year for their releases Fast and Furious 6, Identity Thief and Mama, but those three successes have been eclipsed by a big surprise in the opening weekend for The Purge. The home invasion movie, made for just $3 million, will top the chart this weekend with an estimated $36.4 million, blowing past all expectations, and putting it on par with big budget movies like Oblivion. Doing so from a modest 2,536 theaters (and with a correspondingly low marketing budget) makes the victory even sweeter for the studio, which now boasts a 15% market share for the year. If it keeps going at this pace, Universal will have its best year since we started keeping records in 1995.
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June 7, 2013
There are not a ton of new releases this week, but there are a few earning good reviews, and even a couple that are earning excellent reviews. Hopefully several will do well enough at the box office to thrive, but the only one I'm really bullish about is Much Ado About Nothing. It has excellent reviews, lots of buzz, and plenty of name recognition on both sides of the camera.
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June 7, 2013
Next weekend is Father's Day and as such we have a Father's Day related prizes: Really ugly ties! No, it's A Good Day to Die Hard, which is a father and son action film. But first we have to come up with a target film. Fortunately there's a really easy choice there. This is the End is the counter-programming and will be playing in less than 3,000 theaters, while Man of Steel is debuting in more than 4,000 theaters. As I said, it's an easy choice to make. In order to win, one must simply predict the opening weekend box office number for Man of Steel.
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 A Good Day to Die Hard on Blu-ray Combo Pack.
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 A Good Day to Die Hard on Blu-ray Combo Pack.
Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay!
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June 6, 2013
The first weekend in June is also the slowest weekend in June as far as wide releases go. Neither The Internship nor The Purge are likely to become more than midlevel hits. Even so, one of them should finish in first place, ending Fast and Furious 6's two-week run on top. Last year there were two major releases, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted and Prometheus earned more than $50 million during their opening weekend. Neither new release will match that figure. They won't make that much combined over the weekend.
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June 5, 2013
The winners of our Scarred for Life contest were determined and they are...
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June 5, 2013
Hannah Arendt earned first place on the per theater chart with $31,270 in one theater. That was well ahead of the second-place film, The East, which earned an average of $19,258 in four theaters. The Kings of Summer also opened in four theaters and it earned a per theater average of $14,741. Before Midnight expanded into 31 theaters earning an average of $13,042. It should still expand further and it will have no problem getting to a major milestone or two... or more likely three or four major milestones. Now You See Me earned a surprise second place on the overall chart, while it just managed to reach the $10,000 club on the per theater chart with $10,002. If it were playing in just one additional theater and earned the same overall box office, it would have missed the $10,000 mark.
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June 4, 2013
It's a typical summer week on the home market with a good mix of first run releases and some summer TV shows coming out on DVD and Blu-ray. There are certainly some releases that are worth picking up, but nothing that will set sell records. Overall, it is solid, but unspectacular. There were a few contenders for Pick of the Week. Breaking Bad: Season Five on DVD or Blu-ray, but it is a split-season release and I'm not happy with the price-per-minute. By comparons, The Newsroom: Season One, which comes out next week, is nearly twice as long but only 25% more money. Brooklyn Castle is another contender; however, while its DVD is certainly worth picking up, I'm not sure it will have wide enough appeal. In the end, I went with Warm Bodies. It may seem like a strange choice, but it is still one of the best wide releases of the year and the DVD and the Blu-ray are loaded with extras.
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June 4, 2013
As per usual, the post-holiday weekend suffers a slump, but it was worse than expected with nearly every film failing to live up to predictions. Fast and Furious 6 fell very far, but it still came out on top. Meanwhile, Now You See Me topped expectations and topped After Earth over the weekend. Now You See Me was the one lone bright spot on an otherwise soft weekend, and the overall box office fell 35% to $164 million. On the other hand, this was still 15% higher than the same weekend last year. 2013 was able to pull out the win thanks to a much deeper box office. Six films earned more than $10 million this weekend compared to just three earning more than $10 million last year.
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June 3, 2013
Warm Bodies was released in theaters in early February, which is a bad time of the year to release a film. Additionally, the early buzz was bad. A lot of people saw the basic premise (romance between a zombie boy and a living girl) and thought it was just another Twilight rip-off. The first trailer showed it was something different, but sometimes first impressions are lasting impressions. Fortunately it was able to top expectations and became a surprise midlevel hit. Will it continue to perform well on the home market? And did the studio thank those who made it a hit in theaters by releasing a fully loaded DVD / Blu-ray?
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June 3, 2013
Bubble Guppies is a animated sketch comedy show for preschoolers that focuses on a school of merfolk. Each episode has a subject, but no real plot. There are a number of short skits, including several recurring bits. What episodes are including on this DVD? And is there enough value here to be worth picking up?
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June 2, 2013
Dora Rocks is the latest Dora the Explorer DVD to hit the home market. What episodes does it have? And is it worth picking up?
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June 2, 2013
May ended on a mixed note, but there was still enough to celebrate. Of the seven films I thought had a legitimate shot at $100 million, four have already gotten there, one more is a sure thing, and another has a good shot as well. Only one, After Earth, will definitely fail to get to that milestone. (Although Now You See Me might get there instead.) Looking forward to June, there are four weekends, each with two wide releases, for a total of eight films. Of those eight, six have a legitimate shot at $100 million. One, Monsters University, should have no trouble getting to $200 million, and another, Man of Steel, should top $300 million. It is hard to compare this June with last June, because last June there were five weekends. Taking that into account and ignoring the first week, which lines up with the final week of May, there were eight wide releases. Of those eight, five hit $100 million, including three $200 million movies. There were no $300 million movies, so if the two big hits this month do as well as expected, 2013 could come out ahead.
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June 1, 2013
There will be a slight delay in the Monthly preview. While saving the June preview, I suffered a BSOD and when the computer rebooted, the file was corrupted and unreadable. So I have to start from scratch. If I'm lucky, I'll be done by Sunday night.
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Wednesday, June 19, 2013
