The Numbers News - November 2018

November 30, 2018

Comedy starring Bryan Cranston, Kevin Hart, and Nicole Kidman opens January 11 ... Full Movie Details.

The true story of the unexpected friendship between Phillip Lacasse, a Park Avenue billionaire left paralyzed after a hang-gliding accident, and ex-con Dell Scott, in need of a job and a fresh start. From worlds apart, Phillip and Dell form an unlikely bond, bridging their differences and gaining invaluable wisdom in the process, giving each man a renewed sense of passion for all of life’s possibilities. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Christmas Time is Nearly Here

November 30, 2018

It’s another slow week for new releases, so like last week, I had to be a little more liberal when it came to including films on this list. There are some films that I think could find an audience, including Alanis and Bathtubs Over Broadway. However, Anna and the Apocalypse is the film I’m most interested in seeing. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Grace has a Lively Debut

November 30, 2018

The Possession of Hannah Grace started its box office run with $625,000 during its previews. This isn’t a huge amount, but it is nearly double what I was expecting. Granted, its reviews are not going to help its legs, but it could compete for a spot in the top five with $7 million over the full weekend. That would be a great start for a film that is rumored to cost just $20 million to make and advertise. More...

At Eternity’s Gate Trailer

November 29, 2018

Biographical drama starring Willem Dafoe, directed by Julian Schnabel opened November 16 ... Full Movie Details.

A journey inside the world and mind of a person who, despite skepticism, ridicule and illness, created some of the world’s most beloved and stunning works of art. More...

Weekend Predictions: New Releases don’t look Very Graceful

November 29, 2018

It’s the weekend after Thanksgiving long weekend, which is one of the worst weekends for a wide release. This weekend, The Possession of Hannah Grace is the only new release and it is only opening in 1,700 theaters. This means Ralph Breaks the Internet will have no trouble remaining in first place. In fact, the top five from last weekend will remain nearly the same. A couple might switch places, but that’s it. This weekend last year, Coco remained in top spot with just under $28 million, while there were no new releases / semi-wide expansions that managed to grab a spot in the top five. Its holdovers vs. holdovers, which gives 2018 a small advantage. More...

Theater Averages: The Favourite Lives Up to Its Name

November 29, 2018

The Favourite had the best theater average, not only of the weekend, but of the year. It pulled in $422,000 in 4 theaters for an average of $105,603, putting it ahead of the previous leader for 2018, Suspiria. It is a lot more mainstream and shouldn’t have a problem expanding significantly beyond this point. Shoplifters was well back with an average of $17,853 in five theaters. The overall box office leader, Ralph Breaks The Internet, was next with an average of $14,000. The World Before Your Feet was the latest documentary to open in the $10,000 club earning an average of $11,241 in two theaters. The final film in the $10,000 club was also a wide release, Creed II, which earned an average of $10,338. More...

International Box Office: Grindelwald Falls, But Remains in First Place

November 28, 2018

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald fell more than $100 million to $83.3 million on 27,922 screens in 80 markets for totals of $322.2 million internationally and $439.2 million worldwide. Its only new market was Japan, where it debuted with $13 million on 1,008 screens. By comparison, the first Fantastic Beasts earned $15.5 million during its debut in that market. The film’s best holdover was Germany, where it added $7.5 million on 1,460 screens lifting its running tally to $23.2 million after two weeks of release. On the other hand, it plummeted 82% during its second weekend in China down to just $6.44 million for a two-week total of $52.11 million. The film likely won’t reach $500 million internationally and its worldwide total might be as much as $200 million shy of its predecessor. This is still enough to be profitable, but there is reason to be concerned about the franchise going forward. More...

The World Before Your Feet Trailer

November 28, 2018

Documentary directed by Jeremy Workman opened November 21 ... Full Movie Details.

There are 8,000 miles of roads and paths in New York City and for the past six years Matt Green has been walking them all—every street, park, cemetery, beach, and bridge. It’s a five-borough journey that stretches from the barbershops of the Bronx to the forests of Staten Island, from the Statue of Liberty to Times Square, with Matt amassing a surprisingly detailed knowledge of New York’s history and people along the way. Something of a modern-day Thoreau, Matt gave up his former engineering job, his apartment, and most of his possessions, sustaining his endeavor through couch-surfing, cat-sitting and a $15-per-day budget. He’s not sure exactly why he’s doing it, only knowing that there’s no other way he’d rather spend his days. More...

Home Market Releases for November 27th, 2018

November 28, 2018

It is the week after Thanksgiving, which is a terrible week to release a DVD / Blu-ray. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over, so a lot gifts are already bought for people who might be interested in a DVD / Blu-ray to watch. That’s not to say there’s nothing on this list that’s worth picking up. There are a few items, but Searching is clearly the best and the Blu-ray is the only real contender for Pick of the Week. More...

Artemis Fowl Trailer

November 27, 2018

Fantasy adventure starring Ferdia Shaw and Lara McDonnell opens August 9, 2019 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Featured TV on DVD Review: Star Trek: Discovery: Season One

November 27, 2018

Star Trek: Discovery is the first TV series in the Star Trek franchise since the untimely, and well-deserved, early death of Enterprise. It was part of the launch of CBS’s streaming service and it helped increase subscriptions to that service, so in that regard, it was a success. Is it also a critical success? Or did it thrive during its first season more out of curiosity than anything else? More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Ralph, Creed Lead Box Office, Break Records

November 27, 2018

The weekend box office was more lucrative than predicted with both Ralph Breaks the Internet and Creed II breaking records. Depending on how technical you want to be. Ralph Breaks the Internet led the way with $55.67 million over the three-day weekend and $84.47 million over five. This is technically the record for biggest Thanksgiving opening, as Frozen had a prestige opening the weekend before and only expanded wide on Thanksgiving. Nearly every other film on this week’s list also topped predictions helping this weekend to rise 26% from last weekend hitting $216 million over the three-day period. This was also 15% higher than the same weekend last year, which is a more important result. I was really expecting 2018’s lead over 2017 to be down significantly from its peak; however, instead it has stretched its lead to $1.04 billion or 11% at $10.53 billion to $9.49 billion. More...

Stan & Ollie Trailer

November 26, 2018

Biographical drama starring Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly opens December 28 ... Full Movie Details.

Laurel & Hardy, one of the world’s great comedy teams, set out on a variety hall tour of Britain in 1953. Diminished by age and with their golden era as the kings of Hollywood comedy now behind them, they face an uncertain future. As the charm and beauty of their performances shines through, they re-connect with their adoring fans. The tour becomes a hit, but Stan & Ollie can’t quite shake the specter of Laurel and Hardy’s past; the long-buried ghosts, coupled with Oliver’s failing health, start to threaten their precious partnership. A portrait of the most tender and poignant of creative marriages, they are aware that they may be approaching their swan song, trying to rediscover just how much they mean to each other. More...

Weekend Estimates: Ralph Wrecks Predictions, Technically Sets Record

November 25, 2018

While Thanksgiving long weekend wasn’t as lucrative as earlier figures suggested, estimates are still better than our predictions. For example, Ralph Breaks the Internet should open with $55.67 million over the three-day weekend for a five-day opening of $84.47 million. This is technically the record for biggest Thanksgiving opening, as Frozen had a prestige opening the weekend before and only expanded wide on Thanksgiving. Internationally, the film reportedly made $41.5 million during its opening weekend. This doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is only playing in about a third of international markets, and only three major markets. It opened with an estimated $19.5 million in China, while it was also dominant in Mexico ($6.3 million) and Russia ($5.7 million). Overall, the film nearly tripled Wreck-it Ralph’s openings in the same markets. The film won’t have the same legs, as sequels almost never do, but this is still an amazing start and it is clearly on pace for $600 million worldwide. More...

Friday Estimates: Ralph Slips Below Moana’s Pace, Still a Monster Hit

November 24, 2018

Ralph Breaks the Internet again led the way on Friday with $21.74 million for a three-day total $50.54 million. Good news: It is still on pace to top our prediction; in fact, depending on when you read this on Saturday, it might have already done so. At this point, a five-day opening of $85 million seems like a safe bet. Bad news: it has fallen behind Moana’s daily pace, despite a much faster start, so it will definitely have weaker legs. It should still have no problem getting to $200 million domestically and still is in a race with Dr Seuss’ The Grinch for biggest hit of November. It’s just no longer a record-setting opening. More...

Daily Box Office: Ralph Slips, but is still Thankful

November 23, 2018

Yesterday was Thanksgiving and some studios were closed for the day, but we have a full list of box office numbers today. Ralph Breaks the Internet continued to lead the way at the box office with $10.3 million on Thursday for a two-day total of $28.8 million. The film is still well above Coco and Moana’s two-day pace, but it fell 44% from its Wednesday debut, which is a sharper decline than either of those two films suffered. It is on pace to dominate the five-day weekend with $85 million, which is below yesterday’s pace and below Frozen’s record-setting wide expansion, but I can’t imagine there are many people at Disney that are disappointed with this result. The film’s reviews and its A minus from CinemaScore, plus its family friendly target audience should help it last in theaters till the new year and it should be profitable enough that the studio will want to turn the franchise into a trilogy. More...

The Lion King Trailer

November 23, 2018

Adventure with the voices of Donald Glover, Beyoncé, and James Earl Jones opens July 19, 2019 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Daily Box Office: Ralph is Breaking Record Books

November 22, 2018

It’s Thanksgiving long weekend, which means many studios are closed and are not reporting official numbers. However, one of the studios that is reporting numbers is Disney and they are reporting record-breaking numbers. Ralph Breaks the Internet earned $18.5 million on Wednesday, which is significantly more than either Coco or Moana managed the previous two years. In fact, this is more than Frozen managed during its record-breaking wide expansion back in 2013. This film’s reviews are great and it earned an A minus from CinemaScore, so it should have good legs and could top Frozen’s $93.59 million five-day opening. In fact, some studios think it has a real chance of $100 million during its five-day opening. I’m not that bullish, but even if it only earns $90 million over five-days, it will still be a monster hit and way more than we predicted. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Limited Releases are Asking for a Favor

November 22, 2018

Thanksgiving is a great weekend for wide releases, but a terrible one for limited releases. That said, while there are almost no films on this week’s list, two of them are earning Award-worthy reviews: The Favourite and Roma. However, Roma is playing on Netflix, so its box office chances are nearly zero. More...

Weekend Prediction: Will Ralph Wreck the Competition?

November 21, 2018

It’s Thanksgiving long weekend, which means it is officially the start of the holiday blockbuster season. This year, three films are opening wide hoping to become hits. One of them, Ralph Breaks the Internet, could become the biggest hit of the month. Creed II is expected to top its predecessor during its five-day opening. Robin Hood is just hoping not to bomb in theaters. Both Green Book and The Front Runner were scheduled to expand wide, but neither will. In fact, The Front Runner isn’t even expanding semi-wide. This weekend last year, Coco opened with nearly $73 million during its five day weekend. Ralph Breaks the Internet likely won’t earn that much over the weekend, but it should come close. Additionally, Justice League earned $60 million during the five-day frame, which is very likely better than Creed II will perform. However, after that point, 2018’s depth becomes stronger than 2017’s depth and we should earn the small win in the year-over-year competition. More...

Theater Averages: Gate Begins Eternity on Top

November 20, 2018

At Eternity’s Gate led the weekend chart with an average of $23,214 in four theaters. The overall box office leader, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, was next with an average of $14,932. Green Book debuted with an average of $12,817 in 25 theaters. This would normally be a good start for a limited release, especially one playing in 25 theaters. However, it isn’t good enough to justify a wide expansion on Wednesday. More...

International Box Office: Grindelwald Has Quarter Billion Dollar Global Debut

November 20, 2018

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald started its international run with $191.5 million on 50,865 screens in 79 markets for a worldwide debut of $253.7 million. Its largest opening was in China, but it had to settle for second place there with $36.68 million on 22,008 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $37.53 million. It had more impressive debuts in the U.K. ($16.3 million on 1,823 screens) and in Russia ($12.36 million on 1,623). The film had the best opening in the Harry Potter franchise in 21 markets, but overall, it was only 3% ahead of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in the same markets. Its much weaker reviews will likely lead to shorter legs, but even so, it should still have no problem getting to $600 million worldwide and becoming Warner Bros.’ biggest hit of the year. If the next installment in the franchise falls just as much, then the studio will have reason to be concerned. More...

The Intruder Trailer

November 20, 2018

Thriller starring Dennis Quaid, Meagan Good, and Michael Ealy opens April 26, 2019 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Home Market Releases for November 20th, 2018

November 20, 2018

This Friday is Black Friday, one of the biggest shopping days of the year. However, while there will be tons of sales, DVDs and Blu-rays that come out on Tuesday tend not to be part of the sales, because they have only been out for a few days. Because of this, it is usually a slow week on the home market. This is certainly true this year, as there’s only one significant first-run release, Crazy Rich Asians (Buy from Amazon). On the positive side, it is a pick of the week contender. Its only competition for that title is the Criterion Collection release for Some Like it Hot (Buy from Amazon). It was close, but in the end I went with Crazy Rich Asians. On a side note, both are lucky they are in competition for Pick of the Week, as it was going to be K-ON Complete Collection Premium Box Set, but it got pushed back from this week till February. I pre-ordered it in July and I’ve been waiting a long, long time for this box set. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Grindelwald Debuts on Top, but Pales Compared to Harry Potter

November 19, 2018

As expected, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald topped the weekend box office chart; however, it failed to meet expectations by about 10%. Additionally, neither Instant Family nor Widows matched expectations and this hurt the overall box office, which fell 2.9% from last weekend to $172 million. More importantly, this is 14% lower than the same weekend last year. Year-to-date, 2018 has reached $10 billion and now has a running tally of $10.18 billion. This is 11% or $1.01 billion ahead of last year’s pace. More...

2018 - Holiday Gift Guide - Part I - First-Run Releases and Franchise Box Sets

November 19, 2018

It's Thanksgiving weekend, which means Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and of course the first installment of our Holiday Gift Guide. This week we will tackle first run releases and franchise box sets as well. Unfortunately, 2018 has not been a good year for blockbusters for any studio not named Disney. In order to be on this list, a film has to be a major release, earn critical praise, and be on out DVD / Blu-ray and that’s a really short list this year. For example, Universal is the second best studio this year in terms of total domestic box office, but they’ve only released one film that has earned $100 million and overwhelmingly positive reviews. That film, Halloween doesn’t come out on DVD / Blu-ray till January. Most of the rest of the big six are lucky to have more than one entry on this week’s list. More...

Once Upon a Deadpool Trailer

November 19, 2018

Action comedy starring Ryan Reynolds opens December 12 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Weekend Estimates: Grindelwald Fails to Match Expectations, at least Domestically

November 18, 2018

As expected, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald topped the chart over the weekend. However, the opening is weaker than expected with an estimated $62.2 million. Additionally, it has weaker reviews (40% vs. 74%) compared to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them; a worse CinemaScore (B plus vs. A); and a lower internal multiplier (2.43 vs. 2.51), so this film's legs will likely be much shorter and getting to $200 million might be asking too much. On the other hand, the film has an estimated $191 million internationally, so there’s no reason to worry for Warner Bros., as this movie will be fantastically profitable in the end. More...

Friday Estimates: Grindelwald Comes in First, but Doesn’t have a Fantastic Friday

November 17, 2018

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald opened in first place with $25.7 million on Friday. The film actually had better previews than Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, but its Friday was 13% below its predecessor. This is a bad sign for its legs. Additionally, its reviews fell to just 40% positive, while it only managed a B plus from CinemaScore. On the positive side, the film is doing much better internationally and the film already has $74.3 million in just two days of international release. It will break even on just its international numbers, but the film’s poor reception with critics and moviegoers could hurt the rest of the installments in the Fantastic Beasts franchise. More...

2018 - Awards Season: Independent Spirit Awards - Nominations

November 17, 2018

The Independent Spirit Awards nominations were announced on Friday and thus the 2018 Awards Season begins. We The Animals topped the list with five nominations, while A24 earned 12 as a studio. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Grindelwald’s Previews were Fantastic and Beastly

November 16, 2018

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald earned $9.1 million during previews on Thursday, which is better than Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them managed. Granted, it was better by mere percentage points, as that earlier film earned $8.75 million during its previews. Where it goes from here is a bit of a mystery. On the one hand, its reviews are much worse than the previous installment’s reviews were and it is a sequel. Both of those facts suggest shorter legs. However, the gap between Fantastic Beasts and the last original Harry Potter film may have resulted in a much more front-loaded run, so The Crimes of Grindelwald could benefit from that. As always, we will know better this time tomorrow when Friday estimates are out. More...

Everybody Knows Trailer

November 16, 2018

Drama starring Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz opens February 8 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Limited Releases get a Green Light

November 16, 2018

This week is filled with films that are earning reviews that are good, but likely not quite good enough to thrive in limited release. There are a few exceptions, mostly documentaries. This leaves Green Book as the only film that has a real shot at mainstream success. In fact, given its reviews, it could earn some Awards Season success. More...

Weekend Prediction: Is Grindelwald Committing Crimes against the Harry Potter Franchise?

November 15, 2018

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is the latest installment in the Harry Potter franchise, but sadly, its reviews are, by far, the worst in the franchise. It should still have no trouble earning first place and will very likely break even just on its international numbers, but this is still troubling for its future. The second biggest release of the week is Instant Family and its reviews are good, but not great. They are certainly fine for a family comedy. Widows is the best-reviewed new release, but its buzz is quiet enough that it will barely finish in the top five. Meanwhile, A Private War is expanding nationwide and that could help it earn a spot in the top ten, but I wouldn’t bet on it. This weekend last year, Justice League opened with $93.84 million, while Wonder debuted in second place with $27.55 million. Add in The Star’s $9.81 million opening and the three wide releases pulled in $130 million. There’s no way the new releases this year will match that and 2018 will likely lose in the year-over-year comparison. More...

Fighting with My Family Trailer

November 15, 2018

Comedy starring Florence Pugh opens February 14 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Theater Averages: Chef is in Like Flynn

November 14, 2018

Chef Flynn debuted on top spot on the theater average chart with $29,869 in one theater. The overall box office chart leader, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, was next with an average of $16,318. The Front Runner followed with an average of $12,886 over the weekend. The film opened on Tuesday, which obviously had some negative effect of its weekend number, but even the full six-day result of $71,742 / $17,936 average isn’t enough to warrant a full wide expansion. El Angel was the final film in the $10,000 club with an average of $11,674 in two theaters. More...

International Box Office: Venom Sinks its Teeth into China

November 14, 2018

Venom roared into first place with $117.30 million on 44,833 screens in 85 markets for totals of $467.71 million internationally and $674.01 million worldwide. Nearly all of the film’s weekend haul came from China, where it made $107.85 million in 40,000 theaters over the weekend for a total opening of $110.40 million. Whoever made the decision to recut the movie to a PG-13 rating feels like a genius after this result. More...

Home Market Releases for November 13th, 2018

November 14, 2018

There are not many big releases on this week’s list. The Meg is the biggest, but not the best. As for the best, I’m going with Pixar Short Film Collection: Volume Three on Blu-ray. More...

Toy Story 4 Teaser 2

November 13, 2018

Animated adventure with the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Annie Potts opens June 21, 2019 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Grinch Matches Expectations, Incredibles’ Record Safe for Now

November 12, 2018

The weekend box office had a few success stories and a couple of misses. Dr Seuss’ The Grinch was one of the success stories with $67.57 million, which matches predictions perfectly. The other two new wide releases were less successful. Overlord did okay, but it will need a lot of help to break even any time soon. On the other hand, The Girl in the Spider’s Web likely won’t break even. The overall box office rose 15% from last weekend hitting $167 million. This is 11% more from the same weekend last year. I really wasn’t expecting 2018’s losing streak to end after just one weekend. This is great news. 2018’s lead over 2017 is practically the same as it was last weekend at $1.01 billion or 11% at $9.95 billion to $8.94 billion. More...

Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: Incredibles 2

November 12, 2018

Incredibles 2 was one of three absolute monster hits Disney released this year, all of them super hero movies. It is the delayed sequel to The Incredibles, which came out in 2004. Fourteen years is a long time for a sequel. Was it worth the wait? Or is Pixar running out of ideas? More...

Toy Story 4 Teaser

November 12, 2018

Animated adventure with the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Annie Potts opens June 21, 2019 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Weekend Estimates: Grinch Grabs First Place, Bohemian Sings a Long Note

November 11, 2018

The Weekend box office is on par with expectations, for the most part. Dr Seuss’ The Grinch is dominating the box office chart with an estimated $66.0 million debut. This isn’t the record for biggest November weekend for an animated film, but it is reasonably close. Its reviews and its A minus from CinemaScore suggest reasonably long legs at the box office. In fact, with the holidays coming up, it has an outside chance at $200 million. Internationally, its start is a little more muted at $12.7 million in 23 markets, including $6.53 in 559 theaters in the U.K. That’s equivalent to a $35 million opening here, given the relative size of the two markets. More...

Friday Estimates: Grinch Steals Top Spot, but Doesn’t have Incredible Start

November 10, 2018

Dr Seuss’ The Grinch debuted in first place on Friday with $18.67 million. This is not quite as good as we were originally expecting, but better than its previews would indicate. This is good news for the film’s long term chances. Its reviews having fallen below the overall positive level. It did earn an A minus from CinemaScore, which is good for a family film, but not great. Universal expects the film to earn $67 million over the weekend, which is close enough to our $68 million prediction to be a success. It is also very close to its $75 million production budget. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Running Down the Long Road to Limited Releases

November 9, 2018

There are not many limited releases on this week’s list, but there are some that have earned louder than average pre-release buzz. This includes The Front Runner and The Long Dumb Road, but out of all of the films on this week’s list, Liz and the Blue Bird is the one I want to see the most. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Grinch Grabs $2.2 million on Thursday Night

November 9, 2018

Dr Seuss’ The Grinch started its box office run with previews in 3,200 theaters earning $2.2 million. By comparison, Smallfoot, the most recent computer animated film, earned $850,000 during its previews. If The Grinch has the same legs, then it would make $60 million during its opening weekend, which is a little lower than our prediction, but still a great start for a film that cost $75 million to make. On the other hand, this film’s reviews are not as good as Smallfoot’s reviews are, which could lead to weaker word-of-mouth. Additionally, it is based on a well-known book, so that could front-load the film’s box office numbers. Hopefully this won’t be an issue and the film will top $60 million with ease. We will know more by this time tomorrow when the Friday Estimates show up. More...

Missing Link Trailer

November 9, 2018

Animated adventure with the voices of Zach Galifianakis, Hugh Jackman, and Zoe Saldana opens April 12 ... Full Movie Details.

Mr. Link is the slightly silly, surprisingly smart and soulful beast who is the last living remnant of Man’s primitive ancestry, the Missing Link. As species go, he couldn't be more endangered; he’s the last of his kind and he’s lonely. Proposing a daring quest to find his rumored distant relatives, he enlists the help of Sir Lionel Frost, the world’s foremost investigator of myths and monsters, and Adelina Fortnight, who possesses the only known map to the group’s secret destination, in an odyssey around the world to find the fabled valley of Shangri-La. More...

Weekend Prediction: Will Grinch Spread the Holiday Cheer?

November 8, 2018

Dr Seuss’ The Grinch could be the biggest hit of the month, if it gets off to a fast start this weekend. There is some good news, as it could break The Incredibles’ record for November weekend for an animated film. This weekend, The Girl in the Spider’s Web and Overlord are both aiming to become midlevel hits. I’m not sure either will get there. Their buzz hasn’t grown as their release date has neared, which is troubling. This does mean Bohemian Rhapsody will very likely earn a solid second place, while The Nutcracker and the Four Realms has a shot at third. This weekend last year, Thor: Ragnarok earned more than $57 million during its second weekend of release, while the combined openings of Daddy’s Home 2 and Murder on the Orient Express were even better. 2018 should be better on top, but it won’t have the same depth leading to a loss in the year-over-year comparison. More...

Capernaum Trailer

November 8, 2018

Drama directed by Nadine Labaki opens December 4 ... Full Movie Details.

The story of Zain, a Lebanese boy who sues his parents for the “crime” of giving him life. The film follows Zain, a gutsy streetwise child as he flees his negligent parents, survives through his wits on the streets, takes care of Ethiopian refugee Rahil and her baby son, Yonas, being jailed for a crime, and finally, seeks justice in a courtroom. More...

Theater Averages: Boy Erased Writes its Way to the Top

November 7, 2018

Boy Erased led the way on the theater average chart earning an average of $41,411 in five theaters. This was nearly three times the second place film, A Private War, which earned an average of $15,123 in four theaters. The only other film in the $10,000 club was the overall box office leader, Bohemian Rhapsody, with an average of $12,765. More...

International Box Office: Rhapsody Gets the Whole World Singing

November 7, 2018

Bohemian Rhapsody rose to first place with $72.5 million in 64 markets for an early international total of $91.7 million. This week it opened in first place in both Mexico ($5.33 million) and Australia ($4.87 million). On the other hand, it only earned second place during its debut in South Korea with $4.40 million on 936 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $5.65 million. The film only fell 40% during its second weekend in the U.K. earning $7.56 million in 681 theaters for a two-week total of $26.88 million. More...

Home Market Releases for November 6th, 2018

November 6, 2018

This is either an amazing week or a terrible week, depending on how you look at things. It is amazing, because there is a trio of releases I was really looking forward to reviewing: BlacKkKlansman, Incredibles 2, and Christopher Robin. It’s a terrible week, because none of those screeners showed up. I normally don’t like giving the Pick of the Week when I’m still waiting for the screener, but that’s not an option this week, so Incredibles 2 wins. More...

Cold War Trailer

November 6, 2018

Historical drama directed by Paweł Pawlikowski opens December 21 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Queen Rocks, but Doesn’t Ragnarok

November 6, 2018

Bohemian Rhapsody’s final weekend numbers beat expectations and it even beat Sunday’s estimates, which is excellent news for Fox. It’s also good news for the box office as a whole, which rose 39% from last weekend reaching $145 million. On the down wide, $145 million isn’t that much more than what Thor: Ragnarok earned this weekend last year and 2018 was behind 2017 by 19% on the year-over-year comparison. Fortunately, the gains during the week were better than the loses over the weekend and 2018’s lead over 2017 grew to $1.002 billion or 11.5% as of the end of business on Sunday, at $9.73 billion to $8.73 billion. This lead will begin to shrink at a rather rapid pace, but there’s not enough weeks left in the year to completely evaporate this lead. More...

Featured DVD Review: Girls vs. Gangsters

November 5, 2018

A couple weeks ago, I got solicitations to review screeners for three different foreign-language films. I decided to grab one, but left it up to chance. One dice roll later and Girls vs. Gangsters was on its way. Was this a lucky dice roll? Or will I regret not doing research to decide? More...

Escape Room Trailer

November 5, 2018

Horror movie opens January 4 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Weekend Estimates: Bohemian has a Bourgeoisie Debut with $50 million

November 4, 2018

Fox is projecting a $50 million opening for Bohemian Rhapsody over the weekend. When I see a studio estimate a number like that, I always assume they overestimated, and not just because it topped predictions, because a “$50 million opening weekend” sounds a lot better than a “$49 million opening weekend” and getting that one day of extra hype could help its box office chances. It would require a 2.71 internal multiplier to get there, which would be a little high for a film like this. Its reviews are good, but not great, while audience scores are better at 4.5 out of 5 from PostTrak and an A from CinemaScore. More...

Friday Estimates: Bohemian Rhapsody makes the Box Office Sing

November 3, 2018

Bohemian Rhapsody dominated the Friday box office chart with $18.4 million. This is better than our prediction, but not quite as good as some were expecting after Thursday’s previews. Its reviews are good, but not great, while it earned an A from CinemaScore and a 4.5 out of 5 from PostTrak, so audiences clearly like the film more than critics did. The film could come close to $50 million over the weekend, but it probably won’t quite get there. More...

Second Act Trailer

November 3, 2018

Comedy starring Jennifer Lopez opens December 21 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Limited Releases won’t be Erased

November 2, 2018

There are a few limited releases on this week’s list that could do well in theaters; A Private War, Bodied, and Boy Erased should do well. On the other hand, if you are not interested in heading out to the theaters, Possum is a great choice for Video on Demand. More...

Spies in Disguise Trailer

November 2, 2018

Animated adventure starring Will Smith and Tom Holland opens September 13, 2019 ... Full Movie Details.

Super spy Lance Sterling and scientist Walter Beckett are almost exact opposites. Lance is smooth, suave and debonair. Walter is… not. Walter is a great mind but perhaps not a great socializer. What he lacks in social skills though, he makes up for in smarts and invention: Walter is the scientific genius who invents the gadgets Lance uses on his missions. But when events take an unexpected turn, Walter and Lance suddenly have to rely on each other in a whole new way. And if this odd couple can’t learn to work as a team, the whole world is in peril. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Queen has Star-Making Debut with $3.9 million

November 2, 2018

Bohemian Rhapsody started its domestic run with $3.9 million in previews, which is in line with our prediction, for the most part. Compared to A Star is Born, it is better or worse, depending on how you look at things. A Star is Born had three days of previews earning $4.5 million in total, but if you only look at Thursday night, its previews were $3.2 million. Had the film only had one day of previews, it would have earned somewhere in-between those two results. Additionally, Bohemian Rhapsody’s reviews are weaker than A Star is Born’s reviews are and its target demographic is more likely to rush out opening night, so its legs won’t be as long. That said, it has an excellent chance at earning more than our $36 million prediction over the full weekend. More...

Weekend Prediction: Queen Biopic Looks to Start the Holiday Season Rocking

November 1, 2018

November is the start of the holiday blockbuster season and practically every week from now until after Christmas is an excellent weekend to release a film. (The weekend after Thanksgiving is the only real exception.) This year, things don’t get off to a tremendously fast start, as there are no monster hits. That said, Bohemian Rhapsody could be a $100 million hit domestically. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms has to deal with terrible reviews and a lot of direct competition from bigger family films coming out this month. Finally, Nobody’s Fool is the first Tyler Perry movie not released by Lionsgate. It is not being heavily advertised as a Tyler Perry movie either. This weekend last year, Thor: Ragnarok opened with $122 million. No film opening this year will match that. All three films combined won’t match that. 2018's winning streak will end. More...

2018 Preview: November

November 1, 2018

October continued 2018’s phenomenal box office run, for the most part. There were a couple of films that missed expectations by $10 million or more, but on the other hand, Vemon and Halloween were smash hits and are now the first and second biggest October debuts of all time. Furthermore, 2018’s lead over 2017 is, as I’m writing this, just shy of $1 billion and if 2018 can maintain this lead, it will be one of the biggest year-over-year increases of all time. It won’t. The fun times end now. Why is that? Last November was amazing. There were only eight wide releases, but six of them earned more than $100 million. Three of those hit $200 million, including Thor: Ragnarok, which earned over $300 million. This year, there are a lot more movies opening in November, but it is a case of quantity over quality. No movie is expected to come close to $300 million and it would take a bit of luck just to have five $100 million hits. The film I’m looking forward to the most is Ralph Breaks the Internet, while it, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald are all aiming for $200 million this month. Fortunately, even if 2018 is behind 2017’s pace by around $300 million, 2018 has built up such a large lead that it should still go into December with an insurmountable lead at the box office. More...

The Numbers News - November 2018

Quick Links