The Numbers News - December 2013
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Weekend Wrap-Up and Holiday Schedule
December 30, 2013
Some studios are still closed and won't open till this time next week, so we won't have all of the final numbers for the past two weeks till then. We do have some final numbers, as well as some studio estimates that we can look at now. As for the upcoming week, it will look a lot like last week in terms of stories. We won't have a per theater chart, we might have an international top ten, while prediction, contest, and limited releases will be mostly normal. We might even have a review this weekend. (That's assuming some of the late screeners finally arrive, because at the moment I have nothing to review.)
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Weekend Projections: Hobbit Top But Frozen Most Impressive
December 29, 2013
The Hobbit will extend its run at the top of the chart to three weekends, according to studio estimates released on Sunday, but Frozen is the real winner, with a 47% increase in box office from last weekend (the second-best in the top 10 behind Saving Mr. Banks), and a new entry in the record books as the second-most-successful film in its 6th weekend in theaters -- only Avatar tops it.
The rest of the chart is a mess of new releases enjoying varying degrees of success.
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DVD and Blu-ray Releases for December 31st, 2013
December 29, 2013
This Tuesday is New Years Eve, so it should come as no surprise that there are almost no new releases worth talking about. In fact, it is arguably weaker than last week, because last week had Insidious Chapter 2, which was a big hit for a September release. This week the biggest, and best, new release is Don Jon, which earned amazing reviews, but failed to make an impact at the box office. There are almost no extras on the DVD, but the Blu-ray has several exclusive extras and it is the Pick of the Week. It's not the only new release that is worth checking out, but it is close to the other new release that is worth checking out.
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Featured TV on DVD Review: Star Trek: Enterprise: Season Three
December 27, 2013
Star Trek: Enterprise ran for four seasons, which means the series is already halfway done its Blu-ray run. On the seventh of January, the film's third season hits Blu-ray. If you look at various sites that rate episodes, you will find 80% of the bottom twenty episodes of this show's run are from the first two seasons, while 80% of the top twenty episodes are from the third and fourth seasons. That's quite a turnaround. But is it enough? Or is being better than the first two seasons just damning it with faint praise?
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Limited Releases: Last Chance for Oscar Glory
December 27, 2013
There are a quartet of films opening in limited release this weekend hoping, as this is the last weekend they could open and still have a shot at Oscar glory this year. Three of the four films have already earned at least one major nomination, while the fourth has a shot at Oscar nominations in a technical category or two. Overall, however, their reviews are merely good, but not great. With all of the competition, it might be too difficult for any of them to expand wide. August: Osage County has the best combination of reviews and buzz and should win the weekend.
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Contest: Sign Me Up
December 27, 2013
It's the first Box Office Prediction contest of the year and it is an easy week to pick a target film, as the only wide release is Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones. Paranormal Activity is an established franchise, but this is the first film in the series not to open wide in October, so it will be interesting to see how moviegoers reach. In order to win, one must simply predict the opening weekend box office number for Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones. Whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), regardless if they go over or not, will win a signed poster for The Legend of Hercules, signed by Kellan Lutz.
Weekend Predictions: Holiday Treats or Lumps of Coal
December 27, 2013
It's the final weekend of the year and there are a lot of films fighting for spots in the top five, including five films that opened on Christmas Day. Unfortunately for those films, it looks like The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will remain in first place for the third weekend in a row. The Wolf of Wall Street will likely be the biggest of the five new releases, but it is unlikely that it will have a shot at first place; it might only finish fifth. The other new releases are even weaker. Last year there were only three new releases for the final weekend of the year, but none of them bombed, so 2013 might end on a low note. 2013 should still win in the year-over-year comparison, but losing on the final weekend of the year is a bad sign for 2014's debut.
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International Box Office: Desolation Brightens The Weekend
December 27, 2013
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was the biggest draw on the international chart last weekend adding $97.4 million on 16,840 screens in 56 markets for totals of $278.4 million internationally and $406.0 million worldwide after just two weeks of release. This includes a first place debut in Russia where it made $16.36 million on 2,125 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $19.11 million. This is more or less the same as the first film opened with. (An Unexpected Journey didn't open on Wednesday, but made $17.89 million on 2,128 screens during its three-day opening weekend.)
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Holiday Schedule and Early Predictions
December 23, 2013
It's Christmas week and that means most stories will be delayed and / or shortened. Many studios are closed for the next two weeks, and some did so before releasing final box office numbers for the weekend. (This includes Paramount, so we we won't have a winner in our Box Office Prediction contest either.) International numbers will likely be delayed for a couple weeks as well. As far as weekend predictions go...
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DVD and Blu-ray Releases for December 24th, 2013
December 23, 2013
This Tuesday is Christmas Eve, so it should come as no surprise that there are almost no new releases worth talking about. There are so few releases, that I included them in last week's list. I thought I would just cut and paste what I said last week, just so I could include a Pick of the Week. It's More Than Honey on DVD or Blu-ray. On a side note, there are no featured reviews this week. I actually got the review done for Star Trek: Enterprise: Season Three done, but I'm not supposed to upload that earlier than ten days before its release date, so look for that review on Friday.
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2013 - Holiday Gift Guide - Part IV
December 21, 2013
PANIC! If you haven't finished your Christmas shopping yet, it is officially time to panic. Personally, I got the last of my shopping done on Wednesday, although I don't think the gift will arrive in time for Christmas. For those still looking for a last minute gift, Part IV of our Holiday Gift Guide focuses on books, CDs, and of course anything else I missed the first time around, beginning with...
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Limited Releases: Her and Now
December 20, 2013
There are not a huge number of limited releases on this week's list, but all of the ones that have more than a few reviews on Rotten Tomatoes have outstanding reviews. Her isn't earning the best reviews, but it does have the best combined reviews and buzz and has the best shot at mainstream success. The Past could also expand wide enough to earn some measure of mainstream success, if it can translate its reviews into Awards Season glory.
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Weekend Predictions: Will Anchorman Anchor the Box Office or will Smaug Persist
December 19, 2013
This week there are two wide releases, Anchorman: The Legend Continues and Walking with Dinosaurs, as well as two limited releases expanding wide, American Hustle and Saving Mr. Banks. All four films will have to deal with last weekend's champion, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, as well as Frozen, which should do well thanks to the holidays. This weekend last year was pretty bad for a December weekend. Jack Reacher opened with $15.21 million, which put it a distant second place to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The Desolation of Smaug won't make as much as An Unexpected Journey did last year, but Anchorman has a shot at first place and so the combined strength should help the box office grow in the year-over-year comparison.
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International Box Office: The Hobbit Finds Treasure Abroad
December 19, 2013
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug opened in first place on the international chart with $135.4 million on 16,405 screens in 49 markets. This includes a trio of markets where it topped $10 million. Germany led the way with $19.00 million on 874 screens, compared to $15.01 million earned by the previous film. The U.K. contributed $15.20 million on 580 screens, but that wasn't as strong as the $18.77 million earned by the first installment. France was third with $13.38 million on 909 screens, up from $11.12 million. It also placed first in a number of other major markets with Spain bringing in $7.05 million on 859 screens. It earned $6.24 million on 809 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $7.25 million. Mexico was up next with $5.07 million on 2,615 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $5.96 million. Italy and Brazil earned nearly identical results with $4.97 million on 720 screens and $4.86 million on 1,039 respectively.
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2013 - Holiday Gift Guide - Part III
December 19, 2013
Part III of the Holiday Gift Guide is a little late due to reasons you probably don't want to hear the details about. (I believe I've developed a food allergy to something in Eggnog.) The third installment of our holiday gift guide includes independent films, classics, foreign films, etc. The fastest way to find gifts is to go to the Independent Spirit Awards nominations and find any film that is on that list that is already out on DVD / Blu-ray (Frances Ha, Mud, etc.). Unfortunately, most of the films competing for Awards Season glory are still in theaters and not available as gifts. But there are still many films worth picking up, starting with...
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Contest: Spin the Wheel: Winning Announcement
December 17, 2013
The winner of our Spin the Wheel contest was determined and it is...
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Per Theater Chart: Hustle Speeds to the Top
December 17, 2013
American Hustle started its box office run in limited release with a stunning average of $123,409. This is the second best per theater average for the year, behind only Frozen. Saving Mr. Banks opened in 15 theaters earning an average of $27,558. It should do well in its upcoming expansion. Inside Llewyn Davis expanded, playing in 15 theaters over the weekend while its per theater average fell to $23,786. It will continue to expand. The overall box office leader, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, was the final film in the $10,000 club earning an average of $18,869.
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Weekend Wrap-Up: Smaug Descends on Box Office
December 16, 2013
It's a good news / bad news weekend at the box office. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug earned first place with ease earning the fourth biggest December opening weekend of all time. On the other hand, it was a little weaker than expected opening on the low end of predictions. Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas also underperformed by a significant degree, which didn't help the overall box office. The overall box office rose 59% to $147 million, which seems like a huge amount, till you realize last weekend was the weekend after Thanksgiving, which is historically one of the worst weekends of the year. If there wasn't a massive jump at the box office, it would have been fatal for the month. This was also higher than the same weekend last year, albeit by a smaller margin of 6%. Year-to-date, 2013 is still ahead of 2012, but by less than 0.5% at $9.90 million to $9.85 million.
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DVD and Blu-ray Releases for December 17th, 2013
December 16, 2013
It's a busy week with eight or so first-run releases. (It depends on if you count the The Sound of Music Live! as a first-run release.) However, none of them were big hits at the box office. Some of them made enough money to break even sometime on the home market, others struggled more than that, but none were breakout hits. Some of these are still worth picking up. For others, there's a reason they struggled. There are also a few TV on DVD releases this week that are worth picking up, as well as a few limited releases that are strong. All in all, it's a good week on the home market with many DVD and Blu-rays that are worth picking up, some of which I'm looking forward to reviewing... when they show up. This time of year, getting screeners on time tends to be a little harder. I think Burn Notice: Season Seven is the top selection, but I'll have to wait for the screener to make sure. On a side note, next Tuesday is Christmas eve, so there won't be a DVD and Blu-ray Release report. There's only four films worth talking about anyway, so I'm including them on this list. Of next week's films, More Than Honey on DVD or Blu-ray is the Pick of Next Week.
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Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Ghost Team One
December 15, 2013
Ghost Team One is one of four or five comedies released this year set in a haunted house. I don't think a single one of them earned positive reviews. This film didn't earn the worst reviews, so I'm hoping it is at least entertaining, if not truly good. Can it live up to lowered expectations?
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Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: The Lone Ranger
December 15, 2013
Before The Lone Ranger even hit theaters, there was a lot of bad buzz preceding it. Part of the reason was the film's budget. With a combined production and P&A budget of around $400 million, the film would need to make more than $600 million worldwide to have a hope of breaking even sometime during its home market run. However, previous to this film's release, the biggest western was Dances with Wolves, which barely cracked $400 million. On the other hand, Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski helped revitalize the Pirate genre, so perhaps lightning can strike twice. Nope. The film bombed. But is it as bad as its box office numbers? Or was it unfairly overlooked by moviegoers?
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2014 Awards Season: Slave Hustles to the Top
December 14, 2013
Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced their Golden Globe nominations this week, and a clear picture is forming. 12 Years a Slave was again the recipient of the most nominations, but this time it was a tie, as it and American Hustle both grabbed seven nominations. If you look down the list of other multi-nominated films, you will find a number of familiar faces.
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2014 Awards Season: SAG a Slave to Slave
December 14, 2013
SAG handed out nominations over the week, and like with the Independent Spirit Awards, 12 Years a Slave led the way and earned four nominations. It wasn't the only film that was singled out.
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Limited Releases look to Save America
December 13, 2013
On the one hand, this is an amazing weekend for limited releases as there are not one, but two films opening that are very likely going to earn multiple Oscar nominations. On the other hand, most films opening this weekend are earning weak releases. The two main Oscar contenders are American Hustle and Saving Mr. Banks, while The Crash Reel is up for Best Feature-Length Documentary.
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Contest: Not So Family Friendly Prizes
December 12, 2013
Next week is a mess when it comes to new releases with two wide releases and two limited releases that are expanding wide. (There's a third limited release that might expand semi-wide.) The only film with a shot at top spot is Anchorman: The Legend Continues, but it opens on Wednesday, which means by the time the contest ends, there will be a full day's box office number released. This is why we try to avoid Wednesday openers, but in this case, we really don't have a choice. As such, Anchorman 2 is the 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 Anchorman: The Legend Continues. 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 The Family 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 win a copy of The Family on Blu-ray Combo Pack.
We will also have a review for The Family shortly. (It comes out on DVD on and Blu-ray on the 17th, so hopefully the screener arrives soon.) In the meantime, we got some useful French phrases sent to us by the studio that you might find useful if you are ever find yourself in the French countryside hiding from the mob.
- On peut se tutoyer? – Unlike in English, the French have different ways of saying the word ‘you’. One you, ‘tu, is used when you know someone well and is relatively informal. The other, ‘vous’, is much more formal and is usually used when speaking to people who don’t know very well. Simply put, ‘On peut se tutoyer?’ means ‘can I refer to you informally’. When you’ve made your first French friend, this might be a useful phrase to use to cement your first relationship!
- Je Vous prèsente…/ Je te prèsente… – Loaded with your new identity and your status as a US mobster a distant memory, there will come a point where you are going to have to introduce your family by their new names. It certainly won’t be easy remembering your own new name, let alone all of your family members! Add to the equation that you are going to have to do this in fluent French and you have a potential disaster on your hands! Don’t panic. If you use this phrase (which literally means- I present to you) before naming each of your loved ones, you will be successfully conning the locals in no time.
- Je vous remercie de tout cœur - I thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you really want to embrace politeness with the upmost romanticism, this is a great phrase to use (even if it is just a false pretence).
- Mon dieu! Il y a une hache dans ma tete. - Oh my god! There's an axe in my head. This will probably come in handy when you screw up again and the mob learns where you are. ... Actually this is my suggestion and one of only four French phrases I know. "Parlez-vous français?", "Je ne parle pas français.", and "Où est la bibliothèque." are far less useful in this situation.
Weekend Predictions: Clear Skies for Smaug
December 12, 2013
There are four noteworthy releases this week, although a couple of them are opening in limited release and expanding wide over the next couple of weeks. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug expected to be the biggest hit of the month, but not as big as An Unexpected Journey. Meanwhile Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas should be solid as counter-programming and better legs than most Tyler Perry. This weekend last year, An Unexpected Journey opened with $84.62 million. Most expect The Desolation of Smaug to miss that figure, perhaps by more than $10 million. However, the second best film last year was Rise of the Guardians, which only made $7.14 million. 2013 likely won't be as strong at the top, but it will certainly have better depth.
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International Box Office: Fire Holds off the Freezing Cold
December 12, 2013
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire again earned first place on the international chart, this week pulling in $42.9 million in 83 markets for a total of $340.6 million internationally and $676.5 million worldwide. The film had no major market openings this past weekend, not unless you count India, where the film made $703,000 on 613 screens. The film has already surpassed its predecessor and it has yet to open in Japan. $800 million worldwide is the current target, which is more than enough to cover this film's combined production and P&A budgets, and possibly the combined budgets for the next next two movies as well.
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Contest: Out of the Fire: Winning Announcement
December 12, 2013
The winners of our Out of the Fire contest were determined and they are...
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Per Theater Chart: Insider Trading
December 12, 2013
Inside Llewyn Davis had an incredible opening earning more than $400,000 in four theaters for a per theater average of $101,353. This is the third best per theater for the year behind just Frozen and Blue Jasmine. Mandela Long Walk to Freedom had a strong hold with an average of $19,413 in four theaters. The reason for this is obvious, but a little ghoulish to talk about.
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DVD and Blu-ray Releases for December 10th, 2013
December 10, 2013
It's a good week / bad week when it comes to new releases. On the positive side, there are a couple big first run releases, a couple big TV on DVD releases, and even a classic film hitting Blu-ray for the first time. On the other hand, the depth is really bad. If you look at Amazon.com's list of best selling new releases, you will find filler on the second page. That's not to say there are no contenders for Pick of the Week. Despicable Me 2 is the best selling release and the Blu-ray Combo Pack or 3D Combo Pack are also among the best, as is Mary Poppins: 50th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray. There are also a few more contenders where I'm waiting for a screener (Berberian Sound Studio, The Hunt, etc.). and it is a busy week for top notch releases. In the end, I went with Despicable Me 2 for that honor, but it was a real coin toss.
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Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Fast and Furious 6
December 10, 2013
As a franchise, Fast and the Furious appeared burnt out in 2009. Tokyo Drift bombed failing to match its production budget domestically and likely losing a ton worldwide. Fast and Furious saw the return of the original cast, which helped it return to previous heights in terms of box office dollars, but critics eviscerated it. Then, defying logic, Fast Five became the biggest hit in the franchise and earned the most critical praise. Can Fast and Furious 6 maintain this momentum? Or was Fast Five just a fluke?
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Weekend Wrap-Up: Calm Before the Winter Store
December 10, 2013
As expected, the box office was really soft this weekend with Frozen rising to the top with over $30 million. It was the only film that earned more than that amount, while The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was the only other film with significantly more than $5 million. Out of the Furnace was the only new release and while it barely topped $5 million, it still managed third place. The overall box office fell from 56% to just $92 million. As bad as that result is, it is still 15% higher than the same weekend last year. 2013 remains above 2012, albeit by a tiny margin of 0.3% at $9.75 billion to $9.72 billion. It wouldn't take much for 2013 to again lose its lead, so there's a lot to be interested in in the final few weeks of the year.
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Featured Blu-ray Review: Big: 25th Anniversary Edition
December 9, 2013
Big hits the home market this week with a 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray. Or if you want to be snarky, you could call it a 4th Anniversary Edition of the 2009 Blu-ray release. Is there anything new this time around? No. That said, if you didn't grab the Blu-ray the first time around, is the 25th Anniversary Edition worth it?
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Featured Blu-ray Review: Mary Poppins: 50th Anniversary Edition
December 9, 2013
It's the 50th anniversary of Mary Poppins and Saving Mr. Banks is about to hit theaters. It's the perfect time for the film to make its high definition debut. So how does it look on Blu-ray? And is the total package worth picking up? Or should you stick with the 45th Anniversary DVD, which I previously reviewed?
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Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Despicable Me 2
December 9, 2013
Despicable Me came out in 2010 and it was the first digitally animated film released by Universal. There was a lot of pressure to do well, because its level of success would not only determine if more Despicable Me movies would be made, but if the studio would continue to release digitally animated films in general. It beat expectations. Not only was it a great movie, but it earned more than $500 million worldwide on a $69 million budget. Needless to say, Despicable Me 2 was given the greenlight right away. However, can it live up to its predecessor? If not, is it still worth checking out?
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Weekend Projections: Frozen Top During Calm Between the Storms
December 8, 2013
Frozen will come out the winner at the box office this weekend, topping Catching Fire $31.6 million to $27 million, according to studio estimates released on Sunday. Both films are down over 50% from last weekend's holiday frame, but Frozen enjoys an advantage as the more seasonal of the two and will likely maintain its lead, at least until The Hobbit blows them both away on Friday.
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2013 - Holiday Gift Guide - Part II
December 7, 2013
The first full weekend of December and less than three weeks till Christmas. The second installment of our Holiday Gift Guide is where we talks about TV on DVD releases. We limit ourselves to the first season of new shows or the Megasets for complete shows. We do this, because generally speaking, you don't need our advice whether or not to give someone the sixth season of Murdoch Mysteries as a gift. Did they buy and enjoy the first five? Then yes, but the sixth season as a gift. If not, I wouldn't bother. Like with Part I, this year's selection doesn't seem very strong. There were very few new shows that were truly great. According to Metacritic, the best new show of the season was Nashville, which is a bit of a surprise. The second best show was Call the Midwife, but season two has already come out on DVD and Blu-ray, so it is not really a new show. Meanwhile, the third best show was canceled before its first season was completed. It wasn't a good year for high quality TV. There are also not a lot of Megasets for shows that recently ended that are obviously worth picking up, but the best of the group is...
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Limited Releases: Inside Track to the Oscars
December 6, 2013
Like last week, it's not a good week on the limited release front. It's busier, but there are almost no films earning overwhelmingly positive reviews. Inside Llewyn Davis is the biggest exception and it is earning Oscar-worthy reviews. Not only are its reviews stunning, but the buzz suggests it should be a major hit as well. White Reindeer is also earning Award-worthy reviews, but it might not have the buzz to escape art house cinemas.
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Contest: Spin the Wheel
December 6, 2013
Next week there are two wide releases, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas. The Desolation of Smaug is clearly going to be the winner and it is the only real choice for the 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 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
On the other hand, there's no clear prize for this week's winner. We have something a little different this time around. Whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), regardless if they go over or not, will win a random Blu-ray from the following list...
- The Little Mermaid - Diamond Edition
- Monsters University
- Rise of The Guardians
- Despicable Me 2
- White House Down
- Pacific Rim
There are 21 possibly Blu-rays on that list, and the winner won't know which one they won till it arrives. I think this is kind of fun.
Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay!
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Weekend Predictions: Heat Up Some Leftovers
December 5, 2013
The weekend after the Thanksgiving long weekend is nearly always a dead zone for new releases, and that is certainly the case this year. Out of the Furnace is the only wide release this week, but its reviews plummeted compared to the early buzz. It should still reach the top five, but only because it would have to make less than $4 million to earn sixth place or worse. On the positive side, Frozen and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire should finish one-two each earning $30 million or more. By comparison, this weekend last year, the two biggest film earned barely more than $10 million. 2013 will easily win the year-over-year comparison.
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International Box Office: Hunger Games Continues to Burn Bright
December 5, 2013
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire remained in first place on the international chart with $90.0 million in 79 markets for a total of $272.1 million. To put this into perspective, The Hunger Games finished with $276.5 million, so it is likely the sequel has already topped its predecessor internationally. The film opened in first place in France with $12.11 million on 755 screens. In comparison, The Hunger Games made $14.51 million in total in France, including $3.80 million during its opening weekend. The film also earned top spot in Italy with $5.05 million on 651 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $5.93 million. The original did poorly in that market with $1.29 million during its opening weekend and $3.83 million in total. Holdovers were led by the U.K., where it added $9.04 million on 557 screens over the weekend for a total of $35.36 million, or less than $2 million from its predecessor's total in that market. In Germany, the film pulled in $7.57 million on 670 screens over the weekend for a total of $24.63 million after two. The film film finished with $20.30 million in that market.
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December Bankability Index: Brad Pitt Up on Slave and Counselor
December 5, 2013
Brad Pitt is the big gainer in December's update to The Numbers Bankability Index, moving ahead of Adam Sandler and up to 7th place in our Worldwide Bankability Index chart. His move comes on the back of two films, 12 Years a Slave and The Counselor. Meanwhile, in our first extension to the chart since our launch last month, Will Smith makes an appearance in 11th place.
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Contest: FREEZE!: Winning Announcement
December 5, 2013
The winner of our FREEZE! contest was determined and it is...
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Per Theater Chart: Mandela Sprints to the Top
December 4, 2013
Mandela Long Walk to Freedom earned first place on the per theater chart with an average of $21,071 in four theaters. However, its reviews are only good, not great, and it likely won't have great legs. Frozen and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire were neck and neck with averages of $18,009 and $17,819 respectively.
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DVD and Blu-ray Releases for December 3rd, 2013
December 3, 2013
There are a trio first run releases hitting the home market this week; however, all of them missed expectations at the box office to one degree or the other. The Wolverine performed the best and it is definitely the only one worth checking out, but I won't know if it is the best till the screener arrive. (I hope I get the Extended Edition 3D Combo Pack, because I hear it is a much better version of the movie). Contenders for Pick of the Week are limited. The Rutles Anthology was on the short list, but in the end I went with Drinking Buddies on DVD or Blu-ray.
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Weekend Wrap-Up: Cool Films, Hot Box Office
December 3, 2013
Thanksgiving long weekend set records with both The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Frozen breaking records for biggest Thanksgiving weekend and biggest Thanksgiving opening respectively. There was also good news for Thor: The Dark World over the weekend, as it topped predictions, and even while the rest of the new releases struggled, to be polite, it was a really impressive weekend. Over the three-day portion of the weekend, the box office pulled in a total of $208 million, which was 8% lower than last weekend. This is actually a very good decline, as the midweek holiday releases took some of the demand for the weekend. This was 82% higher than the same weekend last year, but this is misleading, because this weekend last year was the weekend after Thanksgiving day. 2013 was stronger than last Thanksgiving, but by 0.0456% over the three-day portion. Over fives days, the box office earned $293 million, which was almost exactly 1% more than last Thanksgiving. 2013 has regained the lead over 2012, albeit by a tiny margin at $9.62 billion to $9.61 billion. Hopefully it can maintain this lead from now till January.
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Featured Blu-ray Review: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (Unrated Rich Mahogany Edition)
December 3, 2013
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is nine years old this year, which makes it an odd time to release a special edition Blu-ray. At least it would be an odd time if Anchorman: The Legend Continues wasn't hitting theaters in a couple of weeks. Is the movie as good as most people remember it? And is the Unrated Rich Mahogany Edition worth the upgrade from the previous edition?
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Final Weekend Numbers
December 2, 2013
Final weekend numbers:
- 3-Day Weekend Friday-Sunday
- Wednesday Daily Numbers
- Thursday Daily Numbers
- 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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Featured Blu-ray Review - The Jack Ryan Collection
December 2, 2013
The Jack Ryan franchise is a strange one. There have been four films so far, with a fifth on the way, and during that time, four different actors will have played the titular role. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit hits theaters in mid-January, so it is a perfect time to release the four earlier movies on a Blu-ray box set. (Or to be more accurate, re-release the 2008 Blu-rays in one box set.) How many of these earlier films are worth checking out? And is the box set good value?
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2013 Preview: December
December 1, 2013
We had some good news and some bad news in November. The bad news is the overall weakness at the box office continued and 2013 lost its lead over 2012. Strong runs by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Frozen did help it bounce back in the end, but 2013 is still going to have a tough time topping 2012. Looking forward to December, we find about a dozen wide releases, sort of. There are several films that are opening in limited release that are expected to expand wide by the end of the month, but I'm not sure that will be the case for all of them. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug should be the easy winner this month and if it is a little lucky, it might even top its predecessor at the box office. There is a huge amount of hype surrounding Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues and it could double the first film's box office numbers. On the other hand, those two films might be the only two December wide releases to reach $100 million. There are a few that have the potential to get to the century mark, if they are big players during Awards Season. Obviously some of the films coming out this month will win awards, but there's already a lot of competition in theaters before the month begins. There were three $100 million movies last December, led by The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, so while it could be close, it looks like December will lose in the year-over-year comparison. This is really bad news, as 2013 can't afford to go out on a losing streak if it wants to top 2012.
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