The Numbers News - May 2017

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Technical Delay

May 31, 2017

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

While going through the entries for our latest contest when I noticed my spam filter has been sucking up business emails. I don’t think any contest entries were affected, but I will have to go through the entire spam filter to make sure I didn’t miss any. Because of that, I will have to push back the contest announcement until the weekend. Sorry for the delay.

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Theater Averages: Long, Strange, and Profitable

May 31, 2017

Long Strange Trip

Long Strange Trip topped the theater chart with an average of $21,739 in two theaters over the weekend. (The film also had a special engagement on Thursday in 50 theaters.) This is more impressive, because of how long the movie is, which limited the number of screenings per day. The only other film to reach the $10,000 club was Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales with an average of $14,729. However, Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan came very close with an average of $9,940 in two theaters, plus it was a Wednesday release. More...

Rough Night Trailer

May 31, 2017

Comedy starring Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, Jillian Bell, Ilana Glazer, and Zoë Kravitz opens June 16 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Pirates Sinks Lower with $78.47 million, Takes 2017 With It

May 31, 2017

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Memorial Day long weekend wasn’t as potent as expected as both new releases struggled. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales led the way with $78.47 million over four days. This marks the third year in a row where no film released on Memorial Day long weekend earned at least $100 million over four days. I’ve heard some talk that this means it is losing its importance as a long weekend. However, I think the actual answer is much simpler, as it is also the third weekend in a row where no wide releases have earned overall positive reviews. I don’t think the box office power of Memorial Day has dropped since X-Men: Days of Future Past came out. I just think the quality of films has dropped since then. Speaking of lack of quality, Baywatch was DOA earning just $27.71 million over five days and unlike Dead Men Tell No Tales, it likely won’t do significantly better internationally. Despite both new releases struggling, the holiday helped the overall box office grow 14% from last weekend to $141 million. Unfortunately, this was 14% lower than the same weekend last year. 2017 still maintains its lead over 2016, but that lead as slipped to 2.6% or $110 million at $4.46 billion to $4.35 billion. More...

3 Idiotas Trailer

May 30, 2017

Comedy starring Alfonso Dosal, Christian Vázquez, Germán Valdés, and Martha Higareda opens June 2 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Home Market Releases for May 30th, 2017

May 29, 2017

Ghost

Last week was amazing for this time of year with three top-tier releases. This week, the best first-run release is Before I Fall, which deserves to be seen by more, but there are no extras, so it is not a Pick of the Week contender. The actual contenders are limited to The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Ghost World: The Criterion Collection. It isn’t close as to which one comes out on top. More...

Weekend Estimates: Time for Pirates to Sail into the Sunset?

May 28, 2017

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is dominating proceedings at the box office this weekend, with Disney projecting an opening of $62.2 million for three days, and $76.6 million over the complete Memorial Day holiday weekend. As I’ve said a few times this year, any other studio would kill for numbers like those, but this marks the third straight decline in the franchise’s fortunes. Dead Man’s Chest had the best opening for any Pirates film, with $135.6 million in 2006; At World’s End did $114.7 million over Memorial Day weekend in 2007; and then On Stranger Tides delivered a $90.2-million debut, also over Memorial Day weekend in 2011. With this kind of start, Dead Men will struggle to deliver $200 million domestically, although its international performance will help make up the numbers. More...

Friday Estimates: Dead Men Tops Chart, but Struggles, with $23.40 million

May 27, 2017

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

As expected, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales earned first place at the Friday box office. Unfortunately, it missed the low end of expectations with $23.40 million, putting it on pace for a $62 million three-day weekend and a $73 million total opening. The film’s reviews are just 32% positive, putting it in a tie with On Stranger Tides for worst in the franchise. On the other hand, the film earned an A minus from CinemaScore compared to a B plus for the previous installment, so that should help its legs a little. That said, the film cost $230 million to make, so unless it is a monster hit at the international box office, there’s little hope the sequel teased in the end credits will happen. More...

Buena Vista Social Club: Adios Trailer

May 26, 2017

Music documentary opens today ... Full Movie Details. More...

Theater Counts: Pirates Launches in 4,276 Theaters

May 26, 2017

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales will crash into 4,276 theaters this weekend, according to Disney. That will set a franchise record, ahead of On Stranger Tides’ 4,155-theater debut back in 2011, and equal Avengers: Age of Ultron as the 17th-widest opening of all time. The film certainly has enough ammunition for a $100 million opening, but expectations are much more subdued: we are expecting something around $67 million. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Dead Men are not Lively, Baywatch Going Unseen

May 26, 2017

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales will have no trouble earning first place at the weekend box office, not after earning $5.5 million in previews last night. This would have given it number one for the night, if the numbers weren’t rolled into its Friday debut. On Stranger Tides managed $4.7 million during its midnight shows, but it was truly a midnight show, rather than starting at 7 pm like Dead Men Tell No Tales did. This is 30% higher than Alien: Covenant managed last week, but well behind the $8.2 million X-Men: Apocalypse managed this weekend last year. Dead Men Tell No Tales will need serious growth to match our previous prediction of $67 million / $82 million debut. On the positive side, it is a long weekend and that will undoubtedly help. On the negative side, its reviews are quite terrible. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Strange List this Week

May 26, 2017

Long Strange Trip

A few films on this week’s list are earning 100% positive reviews. This includes Long Strange Trip, the Grateful Dead rockumentary. Despite these reviews, I would suggest waiting a week to see it on Video on Demand. More...

Contest: Wonder Why

May 25, 2017

Wonder Woman

Next weekend is the first weekend of June and Wonder Woman is hoping to get the month off to a very fast start and should become one of the biggest hits of the year so far. (Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie is just hoping to thrive in a counter-programming role.) I’m not saying Wonder Woman will open with $100 million, but it could earn more during its opening weekend than the top four did the same weekend last year. Because it is going to dominate the box office so much, it is the only real choice for the target film in this week’s box office prediction contest. In order to win, one must simply predict the opening weekend box office number for Wonder Woman.

Whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going over, will win a Frankenprise consisting of their choice of either one TV on DVD release, two movies, or a kids package (could be a theatrical release, a couple of single-disc TV on DVD releases, or a full season TV on DVD release). 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 Frankenprize, as described above. Finally, we will be choosing an entrant from the group of people who haven't won, or haven't won recently, and they will win the final Frankenprize, as described above.

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

Wonder Trailer

May 25, 2017

Drama starring Jacob Tremblay, Julia Roberts, and Owen Wilson opens November 17 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Weekend Predictions: Will New Releases Make a Splash, or are They Dead in the Water?

May 25, 2017

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

It’s Memorial Day long weekend, which is historically one of the best long weekends at the box office all year. However, this year the two new releases are far from the best. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales has the worst reviews in the franchise and its domestic box office will likely be the same. Sadly, Baywatch’s reviews are even worse. That said, they should still finish one-two over the weekend, while Alien: Covenant and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 will be in a race for third place. It likely won’t be close. Meanwhile, this weekend last year, X-Men: Apocalypse and Alice Through the Looking Glass opened one-two during the weekend with results that are similar to what Dead Men Tell No Tales / Baywatch are expected to make. I don’t know if 2017 will win in the year-over-year comparison, but it should be close. More...

International Box Office: Dangal Dominates China in Groundbreaking Run

May 25, 2017

Dangal

Dangal became the first Indian film to have its biggest single market not be India. It earned first place in China with $34.22 million over the weekend for totals of $113.55 million in China, $185.6 million internationally, and $198.0 million worldwide. It will shortly become the second Indian film to earn more than $200 million worldwide. More...

Contest: Make an Arrangement: Winning Announcement

May 25, 2017

Alien: Covenant

The winners of our Make an Arrangement contest were determined and the entrants with the closest predictions for Alien: Covenant’s opening weekend were... More...

Spider-Man: Homecoming Trailer

May 24, 2017

Super hero adventure starring Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, and Robert Downey, Jr. opens July 7 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Theater Averages: Abacus Counts its Blessing with $12,528

May 24, 2017

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail

The only film in the $10,000 club was Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, which earned $12,528 in its lone theater during its opening weekend. The only other film that came close was Alien: Covenant, which earned an average of $9,615. More...

Home Market Releases for May 23rd, 2017

May 24, 2017

My Life as a Zucchini

It is a great week on the home market with two monster hits coming out: Logan and Get Out. However, both have previously been named Pick of the Week. Fortunately there was one other release in competition for Pick of the Week, My Life as a Zucchini on Blu-ray. Thank goodness this film comes out this week. Otherwise, John Wick: Chapter Two would have become the third Video on Demand release in a row to win Pick of the Week. More...

The House Trailer

May 23, 2017

Comedy starring Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler opens June 30 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: Get Out

May 23, 2017

Get Out

Get Out is inarguably the biggest surprise hit of the year. It earned over $200 million worldwide on just a $5 million budget. It also earned 100% positive reviews. (Armond White doesn’t count, because he’s not a real critic. Roger Ebert himself called Armond White a Troll.) Does the film live up to its success? Is it even medically possible for it to live up to its success? More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Aliens Crash, but Still Top Chart with $36.16 million

May 23, 2017

Alien: Covenant

As expected, Alien: Covenant earned first place on the weekend box office chart. However, it had a strange journey there. Everything, Everything earned more during its opening weekend than it cost to make, which is great news for the studio. On the other hand, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul will be the last entry in this franchise for a long time. Meanwhile, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 became only the second film released in 2017 to hit $300 million domestically. Unfortunately, the good news didn’t outweigh the bad news and the overall box office fell 10% from last weekend to $122 million. Compared to last year, the weekend box office was 11% lower. Fortunately, 2017 still has a $130 million lead over 2016 at $4.23 billion to $4.10 billion, so there’s no reason to panic. More...

The Mummy Trailer

May 22, 2017

Fantasy adventure starring Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella, and Annabelle Wallis opens June 9 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Friday Estimates: Aliens Dominate Friday with $15.35 million, Everything’s Okay, Wimpy Not so Much

May 20, 2017

Alien: Covenant

As expected, Alien: Covenant earned first place on Friday’s box office chart. This is a little better than originally predicted, but in line with our adjustment after Thursday’s previews. Unfortunately, it is not all good news. The reviews are 73% positive, which is good, but it only managed a B from CinemaScore, which is low enough to hurt its legs. We’re still going with just over $40 million over the weekend and over $100 million in total, but this might not be enough to be a real financial success. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Aliens Take a Bite Out of Thursday with $4.2 million in Previews

May 19, 2017

Alien: Covenant

Alien: Covenant opened with $4.2 million in previews last night, which is about what we expected. Maybe it’s a bit higher that anticipated. In fact, it is a little better than the $3.7 million Kong managed. The film won’t have the same legs, as it is a sequel and those tend to be more front-loaded. Furthermore, its reviews have slipped to 72% positive, which isn’t good enough to truly help its legs. We predicted a little under $40 million, but now a little over $40 million seems more likely. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Will Paint It be in the Black?

May 19, 2017

Paint it Black

There are not a lot of limited releases this week, but most of them are earning great reviews. Sadly, none look like they will be breakout hits. Wakefield has the biggest cast, but it is hitting VOD next week, so most moviegoers will just wait. Perhaps Paint it Black will be a surprise hit. More...

Contest: Tall Tales

May 18, 2017

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

There are two wide releases coming out next week: Baywatch and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. It’s an easy choice for the target film in this week’s box office prediction contest, not only because Dead Men Tell No Tales is expected to open much faster, but also because Baywatch is opening on Thursday. In order to win, one must simply predict the opening weekend box office number for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

Whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going over, will win a Frankenprise consisting of their choice of either one TV on DVD release, two movies, or a kids package (could be a theatrical release, a couple of single-disc TV on DVD releases, or a full season TV on DVD release). 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 Frankenprize, as described above. Finally, we will be choosing an entrant from the group of people who haven't won, or haven't won recently, and they will win the final Frankenprize, as described above.

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

Note: It is a long weekend, but we only use the three-day, Friday through Sunday box office for this contest.

More...

Weekend Predictions: Can Aliens Invade First Place?

May 18, 2017

Alien: Covenant

Alien: Covenant is looking to unseat Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 for top spot on the box office chart this weekend. Meanwhile, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul and Everything, Everything are just trying to survive in counter-programming roles. The prognosis for those two is mixed. Meanwhile, this weekend last year, there were five films that earned more than $10 million over the weekend. This year, there might be only two. Hopefully the new releases aren’t that bad, while the holdovers don’t completely collapse. If this happens, 2017 could win in the year-over-year comparison for the second weekend in a row. If not, then 2017's winning streak will end at one. More...

International Box Office: Guardians Completes the Hat Trick with $52.2 million

May 17, 2017

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2

For the third weekend in a row, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 led the international box office chart, earning $52.2 million in 56 markets for totals of $384.4 million internationally and $632.8 million worldwide. This pushes it into seventh place on the MCU chart. The film opened in second place in Japan, where it pulled in $3.0 million, which is 15% better than the original Guardians of the Galaxy did. On the downside, this is the film’s last market to open in, so it will be coasting on holdovers from now on. Speaking of holdovers, the film’s biggest market is China, where it added $15.16 million over the weekend for a total of $80.56 million. This is the film’s biggest single market and it could hit $100 million there shortly. More...

Contest: Sharp as a Sword: Winning Announcement

May 17, 2017

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

The winners of our Sharp as a Sword contest were determined and the entrants with the closest predictions for King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’s opening weekend were... More...

Theater Averages: Audiences Didn’t Wait to See Paris

May 16, 2017

Paris Can Wait

Paris Can Wait topped the theater average chart earning nearly $100,000 in just 4 theaters for an average of $24,713. The overall number one film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, landed in second place with $15,013. The only other film in the $10,000 club was Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe, which earned $11,729 in its lone theater. Manifesto just missed the mark with $9,628 also in one theaters. However, it was a Wednesday release and managed $11,824 during its five-day opening. More...

Home Market Releases for May 16th, 2017

May 16, 2017

Logan

It is another terrible week on the home market. There are three first-run releases coming out this week, which isn’t a bad number. However, all three earned terrible reviews and bombed in theaters, so you should avoid all of them. There’s not a lot of limited releases, classics, or TV on DVD releases to make up the gap, so for the second week in a row, we have a Video on Demand release topping the list of best new releases. This week it is Logan, which is one of the best wide releases of the year. I would wait for the Blu-ray, on the other hand. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Guardians Matches Original’s Hold Earning $65.26 million

May 16, 2017

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2

As expected, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 crushed the competition this weekend earning more than Snatched and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’s combined openings. However, it held on better than expected down 55% to $65.26 million. The overall box office still fell by 30% from last weekend to $136 million. This is 3.8% higher than the same weekend last year. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 held on better than Captain America: Civil War did during its sophomore stint, but it was strong depth that helped 2017 win the year-over-year comparison. It didn’t win by much, so the overall lead still shrunk to 3.4% at $4.07 billion to $3.93 billion, but any lead is good news. More...

Featured VOD Review: MST3K: Season 11, Volume 2

May 14, 2017

MST3K

MST3K revival hit Netflix in April and I reviewed the first four episodes at that time. I only reviewed the first four episodes, partially because it matched the previous MST3K reviews I’ve done, but also because the show was made without binge watching in mind. This time around, I’m reviewing the next five episodes starting with The Beast of Hollow Mountain and ending with Yongary. Are these episodes as good as the first four? Or does the season start to peter out too quickly? More...

Weekend Estimates: Second Place Snatched from King Arthur

May 14, 2017

Snatched

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword has proved to be a costly bet gone wrong for Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow. The film had a long gestation period, and ended up costing $175 million to make. Once another $100 million or so of marketing is added in, that makes for a target of at least $550 million at the global box office before anyone starts recouping anything from the film. A domestic opening of $14.7 million, and $29.1 million overseas, makes that a laughably-distant prospect. Adding to the embarrassment, King Arthur will start out in third place, behind Mothers Day-play Snatched, and even that film isn’t doing particularly well, when all is said and done. More...

Friday Estimates: New Releases are Feeling Low as Guardians Dominates with $16.43 million

May 13, 2017

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2

The Friday box office had a couple of surprises, but not at the top. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 easily won the race for number one with $16.43 million. This is 70% lower than its opening Friday, which is distressing. Granted, Sunday is Mother’s Day, so it could bounce back more than it would during the average weekend, and our prediction of just over $60 million is still a solid bet. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Farewell to Loved Limited Releases

May 12, 2017

Hounds of Love

It is a busy week for limited releases. Not only are there are lot of films coming out, but most of them have a sizable number of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting there is at least some buzz. Unfortunately, a number of these movies are earning reviews that are mixed, or worse. Furthermore, there are many that are playing in too many theaters for limited release or playing on VOD, neither of which will help their box office chances. As for top picks, I would see Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe in theaters or Hounds of Love on Video on Demand. More...

Thursday Night Previews: King Arthur Pulls $1.15 million from Previews

May 12, 2017

Snatched

As expected, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword topped Snatched at the box office during Thursday night previews earning $1.15 million. This is lower than anticipated and only about half what John Wick: Chapter Two managed earlier this year. Furthermore, its reviews are much worse at 26% positive, so even though it is not a sequel, it likely won’t have a strong multiplier during its opening weekend. It appears our prediction of just over $20 million is a little too optimistic. We will know more tomorrow when Friday’s estimates are released. More...

Contest: Make an Arrangement

May 11, 2017

Alien: Covenant

There are three wide releases coming out next week, but only one of them, Alien: Covenant, has any real chance at earning first place. (Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul and Everything, Everything could become midlevel hits.) Because of this, it’s the only real choice for the target film in this week’s box office prediction contest. In order to win, one must simply predict the opening weekend box office number for Alien: Covenant.

Whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going over, will win a Frankenprise consisting of their choice of either one TV on DVD release, two movies, or a kids package (could be a theatrical release, a couple of single-disc TV on DVD releases, or a full season TV on DVD release). 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 Frankenprize, as described above. Finally, we will be choosing an entrant from the group of people who haven't won, or haven't won recently, and they will win the final Frankenprize, as described above.

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

Weekend Predictions: Can the New Releases Snatch Victory Away from Guardians?

May 11, 2017

Snatched

There are two wide releases coming out this week, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and Snatched. However, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 will likely destroy them at the box office. The real question is whether or not the top three films this year will out-earn the three films from this weekend last year. At the beginning of the month, I thought that would happen, but now I’m not so sure. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 missed expectations last weekend and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and Snatched haven’t seen their buzz grow like most new releases do. I don’t think 2017 will get crushed like it did last weekend, but I also don’t think it will end its mini-losing streak either. More...

Theater Counts (Updated): King Arthur Runs into Guardians Buzzsaw

May 11, 2017

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword will open in 3,702 theaters this weekend, according to Warner Bros.’ Thursday figures. That’s a respectable figure, but nothing like the 4,347 theaters that will continue to play Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. The battle at the box office likely won’t be close this weekend, even if Guardians drops precipitously from its $146.5 million debut. More...

International Box Office: Guardians Protect the Globe for Another Weekend with $123.8 million

May 11, 2017

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 remained in first place on the international chart with $123.8 million in 55 markets for totals of $282.6 million internationally and $429.1 million worldwide. The film is already ahead of the worldwide totals of a couple of MCU alumni, The Incredible Hulk and Captain America: The First Avenger. The film opened in first place in a trio of major markets this past weekend: China, South Korea, and Russia. Its biggest opening came in China, no surprise there, where it earned $48.56 million over the weekend for a total opening of $49.47 million, including limited previews. It earned $12.79 million in 1,370 screens over the weekend in Russia. The film earned $6.92 million on 1,218 screens in South Korea over the weekend for a total opening of $13.20 million. In each of these markets, Vol 2 showed strong growth compared to the original Guardians of the Galaxy. In fact, Vol 2 earned more during its opening weekend than the original earned in total ($11.0 million). At this pace, the film will have no trouble matching the original worldwide and its legs will determine if it can reach $1 billion. More...

All Eyez on Me Trailer

May 11, 2017

Biography of Tupac Shakur starring Demetrius Shipp, Jr. opens June 16 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Contest: Guard These Prizes: Winning Announcement

May 11, 2017

Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2

The winners of our Guard These Prizes contest were determined and the entrants with the closest predictions for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2’s opening weekend were... More...

Theater Averages: Galaxy Grabs $33,704 on Theater Average Chart

May 10, 2017

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2

Not only did Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 earn first place on the weekend box office chart, it was also the top film on the theater average chart earning an average of $33,704. This is the fourth best result of the year so far, second best for a wide release. (Beauty and the Beast is still the best of the year with an average of $41,508.) Second place went to the re-release of Stalker with $20,540 in its lone theater. The Lovers was the only other film in the $10,000 club with an average of $16,572 in four theaters. More...

Wonder Woman Trailer

May 10, 2017

Super hero adventure starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine opens June 2, 2017 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Home Market Releases for May 9th, 2017

May 10, 2017

Get Out

It’s not a good week for top-notch releases. Fifty Shades Darker is the biggest new DVD / Blu-ray release of the week, but it is far from the best. Get Out is clearly the best new release on this week’s list, but while it is the Pick of the Week, it is only coming out on Video on Demand and I would wait for the Blu-ray. Meanwhile we have another Puck of the Week, for best Canadian release. Those are usually rare, but we’ve have a streak of them recently. This week it’s The Void, which is great, but only coming out on DVD. More...

Blade Runner 2049 Trailer

May 9, 2017

Sci-fi thriller starring Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, directed by Denis Villeneuve, opens October 6 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Galaxy gets the Summer Going with $146.51 million

May 8, 2017

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2

For the eighth year in a row, a Marvel movie started the summer blockbuster season. This time around, it was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, which earned $146.51 million, or roughly 75% of the total weekend box office of $194 million. That figure is nearly double the box office from last week, an increase of 97%, to be more precise. Unfortunately, this is also 19% lower than the same weekend last year when Captain America: Civil War dominated the chart. 2017 is still ahead of 2016, but the gap has narrowed to 4.5% at $3.88 billion to $3.71 billion. More...

Featured TV on DVD Review: Divorce: Season One

May 8, 2017

Divorce: Season One

This HBO comedy has an impressive cast, but its reviews were merely good and its ratings were weak compared to most other HBO shows. It did well enough to get a second season, but will audiences come back? Will those who missed it the first time want to check it out on the home market? More...

An Inconvenient Sequel Trailer

May 8, 2017

Documentary with Al Gore opens July 28 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Featured Blu-ray Review: House: Two Stories

May 7, 2017

House

You might be wondering, “Wait a minute. Didn’t this Blu-ray come out nearly a month ago?” Yes. House: Two Stories was released on April 11th and the studio sent a screener to me more than two weeks in advance. Normally, this is plenty of time to get the review done on time. Unfortunately, it got stuck at the border for a month, so the review is late. Was it worth the wait? More...

Weekend Estimates: Guardians Posts Marvelous $145 Million Debut

May 7, 2017

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2

It’s the first weekend in May, and that means it’s time for another installment from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Two years ago Avengers: Age of Ultron blasted out the gates with $191 million. Last year, Captain America: Civil War debuted with $179 million. And now, this weekend, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 will launch with a shade over $145 million, according to Disney’s Sunday morning estimate. The steady decline in opening numbers for those three films raises a few questions about the long-term future of the franchise, but there is no universe in which $145 million isn’t a great performance. More...

Friday Estimates: Galaxy Doesn’t Shine as Bright, but Still Earns $56.26 million

May 6, 2017

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2

As expected, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 dominated the box office chart on Friday. However, it didn’t do quite as well as we predicted with $56.26 million. It would have needed north of $60 million to get to $156 million over the weekend. Its reviews are fantastic, the best in the top ten by quite a margin, while it earned an A from CinemaScore, so it should have solid legs over the weekend. On the other hand, it is a sequel and those tend to be more front-loaded, so look for $138 million over the weekend. It is still very early, but the film appears to be on pace for $350 million domestically and close to $900 million worldwide. This is clearly a monster hit, even if it is not quite as large as anticipated. To put it in perspective, it is the sixth best May opening of all time, so there's plenty of reasons to celebrate this debut. On a side note, four of the five films ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 on that list are from the MCU. The lone exception is Spider-Man 3. Marvel owns May. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Lovers of Limited Releases

May 5, 2017

Chuck

It is one of those weeks where it is hard to find a film with high box office potential. Last Men in Aleppo is the best movie, but as a documentary, it likely won’t expand significantly. Chuck has a great cast, but it’s reviews are merely good. Maybe The Lovers will do the best. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Guardians Vol 2 has a Beautiful Start with $17 million

May 5, 2017

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 started its box office run with $17 million in previews on Thursday night. This is the best previews so far this year, just topping the $16.3 million Beauty and the Beast earned previously. Unfortunately, this is well below the $25 million Captain America: Civil War managed this time last year. Its reviews are 82% positive, which will be the best in the top ten this weekend and that should help its legs. We predicted an opening weekend of $156 million and I’m relatively happy with figure after this result. That might end up a little to optimistic, but close enough to call it a victory. More...

Contest: Sharp as a Sword

May 4, 2017

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

There are two wide releases coming out next week: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and Snatched. Neither is expected to be a monster hit, but both at least have faint hope to earn $100 million domestically, assuming they earn good reviews. Unfortunately, there are no reviews for either film at the moment. Because of this, there’s a lot of guesswork regarding the film’s box office potential. King Arthur’s target audience is more likely to show up on the opening weekend than moviegoers interested in Snatched. Because of that, I think it is the best choice for the target film in this week’s box office prediction contest. In order to win, one must simply predict the opening weekend box office number for King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.

Whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going over, will win a Frankenprise consisting of their choice of either one TV on DVD release, two movies, or a kids package (could be a theatrical release, a couple of single-disc TV on DVD releases, or a full season TV on DVD release). 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 Frankenprize, as described above. Finally, we will be choosing an entrant from the group of people who haven't won, or haven't won recently, and they will win the final Frankenprize, as described above.

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

Weekend Predictions: Guarding the Box Office against Civil War

May 4, 2017

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2

The summer blockbuster season unofficially begins this weekend with the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. There are no other films opening wide this week, so it will dominate the chart like few films are able to. In fact, the film’s only real competition is Captain America: Civil War, which opened this weekend last year. There’s very little chance Vol 2 will start as fast as Civil War started, but it could have better legs. I think 2017 will lose the year-over-year comparison this weekend, but the rest of the month should be better. More...

International Box Office: Guardians Have a Nearly Galaxy-Wide Opening with $101.2 million

May 3, 2017

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 started its international run in first place with $101.2 million in 37 markets. The film’s biggest single market was the U.K., where it dominated the market with a 67% market share and $16.94 million in 632 theaters. This is 86% above the opening the original opened with in that market and the second best opening in that market this year. It also cracked $10 million in Australia earning $6.44 million on 705 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $11.72 million. This is more than half of the total weekend box office and an improvement of 27% from the original film; however, the Wednesday opening reduced its weekend haul. Other major markets include Germany ($8.3 million); Mexico ($8.13 million); France ($7.9 million); and Brazil ($6.9 million). Given this start, the film should be able to reach $500 million internationally, maybe even $600 million, depending on its legs. That would give it a realistic shot at $1 billion worldwide. More...

Contest: Circle of Prizes: Winning Announcement

May 3, 2017

The Circle

The winners of our Circle of Prizes contest were determined and the entrants with the closest predictions for The Circle’s opening weekend were... More...

Theater Averages: Baahubali Won’t Conclude after a $24,712 opening

May 2, 2017

Baahubali 2: The Conclusion

Baahubali 2: The Conclusion opened on top of the theater average chart with $24,712 in just over 400 theaters. It goes without saying that there will be another installment in this franchise; although I hear it won’t follow the same characters. The only other film in the $10,000 club was How to Be a Latin Lover, which earned an average of $10,959 in 1,118 theaters. Obit was relatively close to the $10,000 mark with an average of $8,093 in two theaters over the weekend; however, it was a Wednesday release earning an average of $17,604 over the five days. More...

Baby Driver Trailer

May 2, 2017

Action movie starring Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, and Lily James, directed by Edgar Wright opens June 28 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Home Market Releases for May 2nd, 2017

May 2, 2017

The Red Turtle

We are officially in the worst time of year on the home market. The last of the major Awards Season players have already come out, but it is still too early for the Spring hits to be released. The competition from May Sweeps and the start of the Summer Blockbuster Season means there’s not a lot here that’s going to do well in DVD / Blu-ray sales. Ironically, the lack of a major release means there are a lot of smaller releases that are competing for Pick of the Week, many of which would be lost in the crowd during a busier time of year. This includes I Am Not Your Negro, The Salesman, Real Genius, and Seven Days in May. In the end, I went with The Red Turtle on DVD or Blu-ray as the Pick of the Week. In the meanwhile, Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone on Blu-ray gets the Puck of the Week honor, as the “best” Canadian release of the week. I just wish it were coming out in 3D. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: April’s Conclusion was a Wild Weekend

May 1, 2017

Baahubali 2: The Conclusion

The weekend box office was a wild one with two limited releases in the top five, How to be a Latin Lover and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. The Fate of the Furious remained in first place with $19.94 million, which is better than expected. Unfortunately, the overall box office was still weak down 8.3% from last weekend to just $99 million. Worse still, this is 8.9% lower than the same weekend last year. 2017’s lead over 2016 took a bit of a hit, but still has a 5.1% or $180 million lead, $3.66 billion to $3.48 billion. More...

Cars 3 Trailer

May 1, 2017

Animated adventure starring Owen Wilson opens June 16 ... Full Movie Details. More...

2017 Preview: May

May 1, 2017

Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2

April is over and thank god for that. The Fate of the Furious is currently the only film that was better than a midlevel hit, while Going in Style might end up being the second-biggest release of the month. On the low end, there were seven films on last month’s list that didn’t even manage to open in truly wide release (2,000 or more theaters). Fortunately, May looks a lot brighter. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 should dominate the chart and get the month off to a fast start. Furthermore, every week there’s at least one film with a reasonable chance of earning $100 million domestically. Additionally, last May wasn’t particularly strong, so that should help 2017 overall. Granted, Captain America: Civil War earned more than $400 million, so the month got off to a fast start, but films struggled the rest of the way. The second-biggest film was X-Men: Apocalypse at just $155 million, while only one other movie, The Angry Birds Movie, earned more than $100 million. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 should at least be competitive with Captain America: Civil War, allowing 2017 to win thanks to its superior depth. More...