Howl (2010)

Howl poster
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $617,334Details
Further financial details...

Synopsis

Howl is the story of how Allen Ginsberg’s seminal work broke down societal barriers in the face of an infamous public obscenity trial. In his famously confessional style, Ginsberg—poet, counter-culture icon, and chronicler of the Beat Generation—recounts the road trips, love affairs, and search for personal liberation that led to Howl, the most timeless work of his career. The film interweaves three stories: the unfolding of the landmark 1957 obscenity trial; an animated ride through the prophetic masterpiece; and a unique portrait of a man who found new ways to express himself, and in doing so, changed his own life and galvanized a generation.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$51,185 (8.3% of total gross)
Legs:11.53 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Theater counts:6 opening theaters/29 max. theaters, 7.8 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $843,266

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists


Watch Now On

Amazon VOD:Amazon
Google Play:Google Play
Vudu:Vudu

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: September 24th, 2010 (Limited) by Oscilloscope Pictures
Video Release: January 4th, 2011 by Oscilloscope Video
MPAA Rating: R for strong sexual content including language and images, and for some drug material.
(Rating bulletin 2156, 1/26/2011)
Running Time: 85 minutes
Comparisons: vs. Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し)
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Biography, Writing and Writers, LGBTQ+, Courtroom / Legal Drama, 2010 Sundance Film Festival
Source:Based on Real Life Events
Genre:Drama
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Dramatization
Production/Financing Companies: Rabbit Bandini Productions, Telling Pictures, Werc Werk Works
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Sep 24, 2010 51 $51,185   6 $8,531   $51,185 1
Oct 1, 2010 50 $53,534 +5% 17 $3,149   $125,281 2
Oct 8, 2010 50 $48,306 -10% 18 $2,684   $207,437 3
Oct 15, 2010 50 $38,955 -19% 20 $1,948   $273,211 4
Oct 22, 2010 47 $41,609 +7% 26 $1,600   $332,984 5
Oct 29, 2010 42 $33,966 -18% 27 $1,258   $385,033 6
Nov 5, 2010 47 $32,269 -5% 29 $1,113   $439,581 7
Nov 12, 2010 55 $19,209 -40% 16 $1,201   $484,659 8
Nov 19, 2010 58 $10,544 -45% 10 $1,054   $506,313 9
Nov 26, 2010 68 $8,784 -17% 7 $1,255   $520,029 10
Dec 3, 2010 55 $15,378 +75% 8 $1,922   $540,398 11
Dec 10, 2010 62 $9,848 -36% 8 $1,231   $558,190 12
Dec 17, 2010 58 $6,461 -34% 10 $646   $570,411 13
Dec 24, 2010 69 $2,049 -68% 4 $512   $578,112 14
Dec 31, 2010 65 $6,734 +229% 5 $1,347   $591,812 15
Jan 7, 2011 68 $4,774 -29% 6 $796   $602,360 16
Jan 14, 2011 90 $1,517 -68% 3 $506   $606,228 17
Jan 21, 2011 91 $1,049 -31% 2 $525   $608,257 18
Jan 28, 2011 70 $4,512 +330% 3 $1,504   $613,986 19
Feb 4, 2011 79 $2,341 -48% 1 $2,341   $617,334 20

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Sep 24, 2010 51 $71,747   6 $11,958   $71,747 1
Oct 1, 2010 47 $87,384 +22% 17 $5,140   $159,131 2
Oct 8, 2010 49 $75,125 -14% 18 $4,174   $234,256 3
Oct 15, 2010 49 $57,119 -24% 20 $2,856   $291,375 4
Oct 22, 2010 46 $59,692 +5% 26 $2,296   $351,067 5
Oct 29, 2010 44 $55,830 -6% 27 $2,068   $406,897 6
Nov 5, 2010 48 $58,138 +4% 29 $2,005   $465,450 7
Nov 12, 2010 55 $27,739 -52% 16 $1,734   $495,769 8
Nov 19, 2010 62 $15,556 -44% 10 $1,556   $511,245 9
Nov 26, 2010 66 $13,775 -11% 7 $1,968   $525,020 10
Dec 3, 2010 54 $23,322 +69% 8 $2,915   $548,342 11
Dec 10, 2010 61 $15,608 -33% 8 $1,951   $563,950 12
Dec 17, 2010 62 $12,113 -22% 10 $1,211   $576,063 13
Dec 24, 2010 62 $9,015 -26% 4 $2,254   $585,078 14
Dec 31, 2010 61 $12,508 +39% 5 $2,502   $597,586 15
Jan 7, 2011 66 $7,125 -43% 6 $1,188   $604,711 16
Jan 14, 2011 92 $2,497 -65% 3 $832   $607,208 17
Jan 21, 2011 90 $2,266 -9% 2 $1,133   $609,474 18
Jan 28, 2011 75 $5,519 +144% 3 $1,840   $614,933 19
Feb 4, 2011 84 $2,341 -58% 1 $2,341   $617,334 20

Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.

Leading Cast

James Franco    Allen Ginsburg

Supporting Cast

Jeff Daniels    Professor David Kirk
Jon Hamm    Jake Ehrlich
David Strathairn    Ralph McIntosh
Bob Balaban    Judge Clayton Horn
Mary-Louise Parker    Gail Potter
Treat Williams    Mark Schorer
Alessandro Nivola    Luther Nichols
Jon Prescott    Neal Cassidy
Aaron Tveit    Peter Orlovsky

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Elizabeth Redleaf    Producer
Christine Kunewa Walker    Producer
Rob Epstein    Producer
Jeffrey Friedman    Producer
Gus Van Sant    Executive Producer
Jawal Nga    Executive Producer
Brian Benson    Co-Producer
Andrew Peterson    Co-Producer
Mark Steele    Co-Producer
Rob Epstein    Co-Director
Rob Epstein    Screenwriter
Jeffrey Friedman    Co-Director
Jeffrey Friedman    Screenwriter

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for January 4th, 2011

January 3rd, 2011

The first week of the year and this year starts the same way last year ends, without a whole lot of must have choices. Machete is topping the chart, and it's a good movie, but there are not enough extras on the DVD / Blu-ray to rate as Pick of the Week material. On the other hand, Howl's DVD and Blu-ray are loaded with extras, but the movie didn't live up to expectations with critics. After going over the list for a third time, I have to conclude that there are no Pick of the Week releases this time around. That should change next week. More...

Some Super New Releases on Per Theater Chart

September 28th, 2010

There were three films that topped $10,000 on the per theater chart, including one that topped $30,000. That film was Waiting for Superman, which pulled in an average of $34,758 in four theaters. However, its prospects for a wide expansion are limited, since it is a documentary. Second place went to You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger with and average of $26,684 in six theaters, but it likely has a better chance at significant expansion. The final $10,000 film was Enter the Void with an average of $14,550 in three theaters. More...

Weekend Estimates: Wall Street Opens Up

September 26th, 2010

Twenty-three years after the opening of the original, Wall Street 2 marked the successful return of Gordon Gecko this weekend with a good (though hardly blockbusting) $19 million opening. Intervening years of inflation and radical changes in theatrical distribution make a comparison between the openings of the two movies virtually meaningless, but it is noteworthy that the first Wall Street was more a of cultural icon than a box office hit. It earned $43,848,100 - very respectable for the time, but less than, for example, Outrageous Fortune, Dragnet or La Bamba, which were all also released in 1987. Wall Street 2 looks headed for similar respectability. Whether it'll catch the national mood in the same way is more doubtful. More...

Waiting for Super Limited Releases

September 24th, 2010

It's the last weekend of September, which means Awards Season could start any weekend now. (In fact, it might have started last weekend with the release of Never Let Me Go.) There are a few films that look like they might have been made to be Awards Season contenders, but of those only Waiting for Superman has a real chance. On the other hand, Buried will likely be the biggest box office hit, mainly because it is already scheduled for a wide expansion in a couple weeks. More...


  1. Summary
  2. News
  3. Box Office
  4. International
  5. Video Sales
  6. Full Financials
  7. Cast & Crew
  8. Trailer

Synopsis

Howl is the story of how Allen Ginsberg’s seminal work broke down societal barriers in the face of an infamous public obscenity trial. In his famously confessional style, Ginsberg—poet, counter-culture icon, and chronicler of the Beat Generation—recounts the road trips, love affairs, and search for personal liberation that led to Howl, the most timeless work of his career. The film interweaves three stories: the unfolding of the landmark 1957 obscenity trial; an animated ride through the prophetic masterpiece; and a unique portrait of a man who found new ways to express himself, and in doing so, changed his own life and galvanized a generation.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$51,185 (8.3% of total gross)
Legs:11.53 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Theater counts:6 opening theaters/29 max. theaters, 7.8 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $843,266

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists


Watch Now On

Amazon VOD:Amazon
Google Play:Google Play
Vudu:Vudu

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: September 24th, 2010 (Limited) by Oscilloscope Pictures
Video Release: January 4th, 2011 by Oscilloscope Video
MPAA Rating: R for strong sexual content including language and images, and for some drug material.
(Rating bulletin 2156, 1/26/2011)
Running Time: 85 minutes
Comparisons: vs. Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し)
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Biography, Writing and Writers, LGBTQ+, Courtroom / Legal Drama, 2010 Sundance Film Festival
Source:Based on Real Life Events
Genre:Drama
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Dramatization
Production/Financing Companies: Rabbit Bandini Productions, Telling Pictures, Werc Werk Works
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Leading Cast

James Franco    Allen Ginsburg

Supporting Cast

Jeff Daniels    Professor David Kirk
Jon Hamm    Jake Ehrlich
David Strathairn    Ralph McIntosh
Bob Balaban    Judge Clayton Horn
Mary-Louise Parker    Gail Potter
Treat Williams    Mark Schorer
Alessandro Nivola    Luther Nichols
Jon Prescott    Neal Cassidy
Aaron Tveit    Peter Orlovsky

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Elizabeth Redleaf    Producer
Christine Kunewa Walker    Producer
Rob Epstein    Producer
Jeffrey Friedman    Producer
Gus Van Sant    Executive Producer
Jawal Nga    Executive Producer
Brian Benson    Co-Producer
Andrew Peterson    Co-Producer
Mark Steele    Co-Producer
Rob Epstein    Co-Director
Rob Epstein    Screenwriter
Jeffrey Friedman    Co-Director
Jeffrey Friedman    Screenwriter

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for January 4th, 2011

January 3rd, 2011

The first week of the year and this year starts the same way last year ends, without a whole lot of must have choices. Machete is topping the chart, and it's a good movie, but there are not enough extras on the DVD / Blu-ray to rate as Pick of the Week material. On the other hand, Howl's DVD and Blu-ray are loaded with extras, but the movie didn't live up to expectations with critics. After going over the list for a third time, I have to conclude that there are no Pick of the Week releases this time around. That should change next week. More...

Some Super New Releases on Per Theater Chart

September 28th, 2010

There were three films that topped $10,000 on the per theater chart, including one that topped $30,000. That film was Waiting for Superman, which pulled in an average of $34,758 in four theaters. However, its prospects for a wide expansion are limited, since it is a documentary. Second place went to You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger with and average of $26,684 in six theaters, but it likely has a better chance at significant expansion. The final $10,000 film was Enter the Void with an average of $14,550 in three theaters. More...

Weekend Estimates: Wall Street Opens Up

September 26th, 2010

Twenty-three years after the opening of the original, Wall Street 2 marked the successful return of Gordon Gecko this weekend with a good (though hardly blockbusting) $19 million opening. Intervening years of inflation and radical changes in theatrical distribution make a comparison between the openings of the two movies virtually meaningless, but it is noteworthy that the first Wall Street was more a of cultural icon than a box office hit. It earned $43,848,100 - very respectable for the time, but less than, for example, Outrageous Fortune, Dragnet or La Bamba, which were all also released in 1987. Wall Street 2 looks headed for similar respectability. Whether it'll catch the national mood in the same way is more doubtful. More...

Waiting for Super Limited Releases

September 24th, 2010

It's the last weekend of September, which means Awards Season could start any weekend now. (In fact, it might have started last weekend with the release of Never Let Me Go.) There are a few films that look like they might have been made to be Awards Season contenders, but of those only Waiting for Superman has a real chance. On the other hand, Buried will likely be the biggest box office hit, mainly because it is already scheduled for a wide expansion in a couple weeks. More...

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Sep 24, 2010 51 $51,185   6 $8,531   $51,185 1
Oct 1, 2010 50 $53,534 +5% 17 $3,149   $125,281 2
Oct 8, 2010 50 $48,306 -10% 18 $2,684   $207,437 3
Oct 15, 2010 50 $38,955 -19% 20 $1,948   $273,211 4
Oct 22, 2010 47 $41,609 +7% 26 $1,600   $332,984 5
Oct 29, 2010 42 $33,966 -18% 27 $1,258   $385,033 6
Nov 5, 2010 47 $32,269 -5% 29 $1,113   $439,581 7
Nov 12, 2010 55 $19,209 -40% 16 $1,201   $484,659 8
Nov 19, 2010 58 $10,544 -45% 10 $1,054   $506,313 9
Nov 26, 2010 68 $8,784 -17% 7 $1,255   $520,029 10
Dec 3, 2010 55 $15,378 +75% 8 $1,922   $540,398 11
Dec 10, 2010 62 $9,848 -36% 8 $1,231   $558,190 12
Dec 17, 2010 58 $6,461 -34% 10 $646   $570,411 13
Dec 24, 2010 69 $2,049 -68% 4 $512   $578,112 14
Dec 31, 2010 65 $6,734 +229% 5 $1,347   $591,812 15
Jan 7, 2011 68 $4,774 -29% 6 $796   $602,360 16
Jan 14, 2011 90 $1,517 -68% 3 $506   $606,228 17
Jan 21, 2011 91 $1,049 -31% 2 $525   $608,257 18
Jan 28, 2011 70 $4,512 +330% 3 $1,504   $613,986 19
Feb 4, 2011 79 $2,341 -48% 1 $2,341   $617,334 20

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Sep 24, 2010 51 $71,747   6 $11,958   $71,747 1
Oct 1, 2010 47 $87,384 +22% 17 $5,140   $159,131 2
Oct 8, 2010 49 $75,125 -14% 18 $4,174   $234,256 3
Oct 15, 2010 49 $57,119 -24% 20 $2,856   $291,375 4
Oct 22, 2010 46 $59,692 +5% 26 $2,296   $351,067 5
Oct 29, 2010 44 $55,830 -6% 27 $2,068   $406,897 6
Nov 5, 2010 48 $58,138 +4% 29 $2,005   $465,450 7
Nov 12, 2010 55 $27,739 -52% 16 $1,734   $495,769 8
Nov 19, 2010 62 $15,556 -44% 10 $1,556   $511,245 9
Nov 26, 2010 66 $13,775 -11% 7 $1,968   $525,020 10
Dec 3, 2010 54 $23,322 +69% 8 $2,915   $548,342 11
Dec 10, 2010 61 $15,608 -33% 8 $1,951   $563,950 12
Dec 17, 2010 62 $12,113 -22% 10 $1,211   $576,063 13
Dec 24, 2010 62 $9,015 -26% 4 $2,254   $585,078 14
Dec 31, 2010 61 $12,508 +39% 5 $2,502   $597,586 15
Jan 7, 2011 66 $7,125 -43% 6 $1,188   $604,711 16
Jan 14, 2011 92 $2,497 -65% 3 $832   $607,208 17
Jan 21, 2011 90 $2,266 -9% 2 $1,133   $609,474 18
Jan 28, 2011 75 $5,519 +144% 3 $1,840   $614,933 19
Feb 4, 2011 84 $2,341 -58% 1 $2,341   $617,334 20

Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.