The Numbers News - March 2018

March 31, 2018

Comedy starring Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske opens April 20 ... Full Movie Details.

When an international border dispute arises with Canada, the Super Troopers are called into duty to patrol the border between Vermont and the Great White North. Back on the job, they find themselves at odds with their Canadian counterparts, The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, a confrontation that quickly escalates from pranks to pullovers to all out brawls. As our Troopers navigate the Mountie conflict, they unearth a crime of international proportions: a smuggling ring moving arms, pharmaceuticals and other illegal items across the border. Their skills are put to the test when the Canadian rivalry, the criminal investigation, an illicit Canuck-American romance, and their self-imploding mascot, Farva, all collide in an attempt to bring them down. More...

Friday Estimates: Player One is Ready and Able with $15.2 million Friday

March 31, 2018

Ready Player One earned first place on Friday with $15.2 million, for a two-day total of $27.2 million. Continuing the comparison I’ve been doing with G.I. Joe: Retaliation, this news is mixed. Ready Player One had a much better preview night, which we can attribute to previews being relatively new when Retaliation came out. The two films’ 24-hour Thursday numbers were nearly the same, and now Ready Player One has slipped just behind Retaliation’s pace. Ready Player One does have very good reviews, but the two films both earned A-minuses from CinemaScore, so they should have similar legs. I’m still going to give the edge to Ready Player One at $41 million / $52 million, but it is close. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Love Goes After Limited Releases

March 30, 2018

Many of the films on this week’s list are good, but not great. Some are like After Louie, good enough to rent on VOD, but not worth a trip to the theaters. Fortunately, there are some that are worth a trip to the theaters, including Love After Love and Outside In. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Player Starts Out as Number One

March 30, 2018

Ready Player One pulled in $12.1 million on Thursday, including $3.75 million in previews. If we again compare this start to G.I. Joe: Retaliation, we see some good news, but also some troubling news. Relatiation only managed $2.6 million in previews, but $10.51 million on Thursday, so Ready Player One has shorter legs already. That said, Relatiation came out before previews were as big as they are now, so perhaps it is better just to judge the film’s Thursday numbers. If we use the full Thursday numbers, then Ready Player One is on pace for a $47 million / $59 million opening weekend. If we just use the 24-hour Thursday numbers, then Ready Player One will open with $41 million / $51 million over the weekend. Ready Player One does have better reviews, but they both earned A minuses from CinemaScore, so perhaps having the same legs from now on is more likely than not. We will have a better idea once Friday’s numbers are out. More...

Truth or Dare Trailer

March 30, 2018

Blumhouse horror movie starring Lucy Hale opens April 13 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Theater Counts: Ready Player One Debuts in Blockbusting 4,234 Theaters

March 29, 2018

Ready Player One will open in a monster 4,234 theaters this weekend, according to Warner Bros. Thursday count, making it the 31st-widest opening of all time, and the third-widest release in March, fractionally behind Men in Black 3 (4,248) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (4,242). It’s expected to open much closer to MiB 3’s $54.6 million than BvS’s $166 million. More...

Eighth Grade Trailer

March 29, 2018

Coming-of-age drama starring Elsie Fisher opens July 13 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Weekend Predictions: Is Player One Ready to Dominate the Box Office? (With Preview Numbers)

March 29, 2018

March comes to a close with three wide releases. Of these, only Ready Player One is expected to be even a midlevel hit. In fact, it will likely earn more over its four-day weekend than the other two films earn in total. Acrimony should open in the mid to low teens, while God’s Not Dead: A Light in Darkness will barely make the top ten. This weekend last year, The Boss Baby opened with just over $50 million. Maybe Ready Player One will make that much over four days. Even if it does, 2017’s impressive depth means there’s almost no chance 2018 will win in the year-over-year comparison. More...

The Darkest Minds Trailer

March 28, 2018

Sci-fi thriller starring Amandla Stenberg, Mandy Moore, Gwendoline Christie, and Harris Dickinson opens August 3 ... Full Movie Details. More...

International Box Office: Uprising Starts Out on Up with $122.4 million

March 28, 2018

Pacific Rim: Uprising easily earned first place on the international chart with $122.4 million in 61 markets during its opening weekend. The film earned first place in China with $63.80 million over the weekend for a total opening of $65.19 million including previews. There were two markets who could claim second place: Russia and South Korea. In Russia, the film earned $6.76 million on 1,538 screens. Meanwhile in South Korea, it opened with $5.27 million on 1,143 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $6.80 million. More...

Traffik Trailer

March 27, 2018

Thriller starring Paula Patton and Omar Epps opens April 20 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Theater Averages: Isle Dogpiles the Competition

March 27, 2018

Isle of Dogs had the best theater average of the weekend and indeed the year with an average of $59,825 in 27 theaters. Technically Fantastic Mr. Fox had a better average with $66,475, but it was only playing on 4 theaters, so this is much more impressive. More...

Home Market Releases for March 27th, 2018

March 27, 2018

It’s a short week for one reason: Star Wars: The Last Jedi is coming out on DVD / Blu-ray / 4K Ultra HD and no one really wants to deal with that competition. That’s not to say there are no other releases worth picking up. Last Men in Aleppo is an Oscar nominated documentary and worth picking up. In the end, The Last Jedi was the clear Pick of the Week winner. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Uprising Wins, but Falls Compared to Original

March 27, 2018

Pacific Rim: Uprising opened in first place over the weekend. In fact, it opened better than expected with $28.12 million. Unfortunately, that’s nowhere near enough compared to its production budget, so it will need international numbers to thrive. Black Panther was finally removed from top spot, but it also held on better than expected with $17.10 million. As for the rest of the new releases, they ranged from serious disappointments like Sherlock Gnomes and Paul, Apostle of Christ, to complete bombs like Midnight Sun and Unsane. The overall box office slipped just 2.0% from last week earning $129 million. However, this is 36% lower than the same weekend last year. 2018’s lead has completely evaporated and it is now $60 million or $2.1% behind 2017’s pace at $2.64 billion to $2.69 billion. I don’t see that improving this coming weekend. More...

Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: Star Wars: The Last Jedi

March 26, 2018

Star Wars: The Last Jedi was the biggest box office hit of 2016, both domestically and worldwide. It also earned 91% positive reviews and a solid A from CinemaScore. It is also hated by a minority of very loud, very aggressive people. Are the majority right? Do the minority have a legitimate case to make? More...

God’s Not Dead: A Light in the Darkness Trailer

March 26, 2018

Drama starring David A.R. White opens March 30 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: The Last Movie Star

March 25, 2018

The Last Movie Star is about an aging movie star, played by Burt Reynolds, who has to come to terms with their autumn years. This is far from a unique setup. However, just because a movie deals with subject matter we’ve seen before doesn’t mean it’s a bad movie. Is it better than other recent examples of this film? More...

Weekend Estimates: Pacific Rim Leads Weak Field of Openers

March 25, 2018

Black Panther’s run at the top of the domestic chart will finally come to an end this weekend, with Pacific Rim: Uprising taking over as the most popular film in the US and Canada. The switch over is mostly due to Panther beginning to run out of steam, rather than Uprising showing any particular strength though. Universal’s sci-fi action movie will pick up $28.005 million over its opening weekend in North America, about in line with expectations, but disappointing for a film that cost $150 million to make. Overseas markets, particularly in Asia, are where the box office action is at for this one. More...

Friday Estimates: Pacific Rim Rises to Meet Expectations

March 24, 2018

As expected, Pacific Rim: Uprising earned first place on Friday. In fact, its opening day box office of $10.36 million is actually a little better than expected and it is on pace for a $26 million opening weekend. Granted, this is a terrible opening compared to the film’s production budget, which is reportedly in the $155 million to $175 million range. Neither its reviews, nor its B-rating from CinemaScore will help its legs, but this film was never made to win over domestic audiences. It was made to shine in Asia, specifically China. It is too soon to tell for sure if that’s a viable strategy, or if Universal is going to have to suck up massive losses. Based on Friday numbers, the studio is predicting a $65 million opening weekend China alone and a $120.5 million international debut. That’s obviously better than here, but the film will need at least $400 million internationally to break even any time soon. More...

I Feel Pretty Trailer

March 23, 2018

Comedy starring Amy Schumer opens April 20 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Limited Releases Have Gone to the Dogs

March 23, 2018

There are over two dozen limited releases coming out this week, but many of them had only a handful of, if any, reviews. There are some that should find a receptive audience, whether its on Video on Demand like Pyewacket, or whether it has massive breakout success, like most think Isle of Dogs will manage. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Pacific Rim Rises with $2.35 million from Previews

March 23, 2018

Pacific Rim: Uprising got off to an okay start with $2.35 million from Thursday previews. Given its reviews and the recent results of films like Tomb Raider and last year’s Power Rangers that puts the film’s projected weekend haul at $26 million. That’s a little higher than we predicted, but close enough to call it a victory. More...

The Spy Who Dumped Me Trailer

March 22, 2018

Comedy starring Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon opens on August 3 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Theater Counts: Pacific Rim Widest New Release, Ready Player One Aiming for Big Things

March 22, 2018

Pacific Rim: Uprising takes the prize for widest release this weekend, with a rollout in 3,708 theaters, although Sherlock Gnomes is no slouch, with its start in 3,662 locations. I Can Only Imagine expands from 1,628 theaters last weekend to 2,252, which gives it a shot at a very small weekend-to-weekend drop-off. More...

Weekend Predictions: Kaiju vs. Panther

March 22, 2018

Black Panther will finally give up its hold on first place, that is unless something goes horribly wrong for Pacific Rim: Uprising. There are four other wide or semi-wide releases hitting theaters this weekend, which is at least two too many. Sherlock Gnomes and Paul, Apostle of Christ are the only two that have a legitimate shot at the top five. Meanwhile, Midnight Sun and Unsane are just hoping to not miss the top ten. This weekend last year, there were three wide releases that earned a combined $60 million. This is more than the five wide releases this year will earn. Also, Beauty and the Beast remained in second place with $90 million. 2018 has already lost its lead over 2017 and this weekend it is going to get crushed in the year-over-year comparison. More...

Featured TV on DVD Review: The Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who's Walking

March 22, 2018

Robot Chicken started its ninth season last fall, which is very impressive for any show. It is doubly so for a show with an obviously high-concept beginning. High-concept shows tend to burn out quickly. Does this show still have what it takes to entertain? Or is it running on inertia at this point? More...

7 Days in Entebbe Trailer

March 21, 2018

Real-life thriller starring Daniel Bruhl and Rosamund Pike opened last Friday ... Full Movie Details.

A thriller inspired by the true events of the 1976 hijacking of an Air France flight en route from Tel Aviv to Paris, the film depicts one of the most daring rescue missions ever attempted. More...

International Box Office: Tomb Raider Steals Top Spot with $87.2 million

March 21, 2018

Tomb Raider roared into first place on the international chart earning $87.2 million on 33,290 screens in 65 markets for an early total of $105.2 million. The film’s biggest single market was China, where it opened in first place with $40.79 million on 15,640 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $41.26 million. The film’s second best opening was in the U.K. at $4.29 million in 585 theaters. The only other market where the film opened with more than $4 million was Russia with $4.11 million on 1,457 screens. The film debuted in first place in all three markets and is in a good position to break even early in its home market run. More...

Theater Averages: Flower Doesn’t Smell as Sweet as Stalin

March 20, 2018

The Death of Stalin remained in first place on the theater average chart with an average of $16,791 in 32 theaters, while Flower was right behind with an average of $16,306 in 3 theaters. Keep the Change did really well for a rom com with $12,445 in its lone theater. I Can Only Imagine opened semi-wide managing an average of $10,507. More...

I Can Only Imagine Trailer

March 20, 2018

Drama starring J. Michael Finley opened on Friday ... Full Movie Details.

The true story behind MercyMe’s beloved, multi-platinum song, which has brought hope to millions. More...

Home Market Releases for March 20th, 2018

March 20, 2018

It is a slow week with less than a dozen releases in the main section, and that includes two late reviews. There’s no more than that for the secondary Blu-ray releases. That said, a high percentage of these are worth picking up with many Pick of the Week contenders. For example, the biggest release of the week, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, is one of the best, as is one of the smallest releases, Miss Kiet’s Children. However, in the end, I went with Coco, which technically came out a couple of weeks ago, but the screener arrived late and it really deserves the title of Pick of the Week. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up

March 20, 2018

As predicted, Black Panther remained in first place on the weekend chart. Tomb Raider had an okay opening in second place, while I Can Only Imagine was the biggest positive surprise of the weekend. Love, Simon had a solid opening, especially compared to its production budget. The less said about 7 Days in Entebbe, the better. Overall, the weekend box office was down 4.8% from last weekend to just $132 million. This is 49% lower than this weekend last year. A 49% decline usually only happens when there is a misalignment in holidays, but in this case it’s due to Beauty and the Beast’s debut. 2018 is still ahead of 2017, albeit by a fraction of last week’s lead at just $66 million or 2.8%. In fact, with a margin of just $2.46 billion to $2.39 billion, it is very likely 2018 will lose its lead before the next weekend begins. More...

Can You Ever Forgive Me? Trailer

March 19, 2018

Real-life crime caper starring Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant opens October 19 ... Full Movie Details.

The true story of best-selling celebrity biographer (and friend to cats) Lee Israel who made her living in the 1970’s and 80’s profiling the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Tallulah Bankhead, Estee Lauder and journalist Dorothy Kilgallen. When Lee is no longer able to get published because she has fallen out of step with current tastes, she turns her art form to deception, abetted by her loyal friend Jack. More...

Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: Coco

March 18, 2018

Coco won Best Feature-Length Animated Film at this year’s Oscars, an award Pixar has won so many times that people sometimes refer to it as The Pixar Award. Did Coco deserve this award? Or have voters just become accustomed to voting for whatever Pixar movie came out that year? More...

Featured Blu-ray Review: Ichi The Killer: Definitive Remastered Edition

March 18, 2018

I’ve previously reviewed a couple of Takashi Miike films. However, both of them were period piece martial arts movies and not his more brutal and sadistic films. Ichi The Killer is peak Takashi Miike. Is it as good as his period pieces? Or does it truly earn its infamous reputation? More...

Weekend Estimates: Black Panther Powers Past Tomb Raider

March 18, 2018

A spirited opening by Tomb Raider won’t be quite enough to knock Black Panther off its perch at the top of the domestic box office chart this weekend. The final numbers will be close: Raider is predicted to earn $23.52 million by Warner Bros., while Disney has Panther coming in with $27.024 million. If the numbers hold (and it would be a huge surprise if they don’t), Black Panther will become the first film since Avatar to spend its first five weekends at the top of the chart. More...

Friday Estimates: Raider Opens in First Place, For Now

March 17, 2018

As expected, Tomb Raider opened in first place with $9.06 million on Friday. However, this won’t be enough to stay ahead of Black Panther for long. Its reviews are nearly 50% positive, while it earned just a B from CinemaScore. A $23 million to $24 million opening isn’t a bad start for this time of year, but it is far from impressive for a film that reportedly cost between $90 million and $106 million. More...

Theater Counts: Tomb Raider Swings into 3,854 Theaters

March 16, 2018

Tomb Raider is the latest film to take on Black Panther at the box office this weekend, and it’ll start out in 3,854 theaters. The early signs are that it’ll be a close race at the top this weekend. More...

Avengers: Infinity War Trailer

March 16, 2018

Super hero movie with a cast of thousands opens April 27 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Tomb Raider Steals $2.1 million during Midnight Shows

March 16, 2018

Tomb Raider started its box office run with $2.1 million during its midnight showings. This is almost exactly what the film needed to earn to match our prediction. In fact, it might be a little on the high side. The film’s reviews are, according to Rotten Tomatoes, the best for a video game adaptation of all time, at least for films that got a theatrical release here. If the film can top $25 million over the weekend, then the studio will be mostly happy. They can’t be completely blown away, as the film reportedly cost $90 million to make and it likely won’t have great legs, due to the Fanboy Effect. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Journey to a Theater to see These Limited Releases

March 16, 2018

It’s a relatively slow week for limited releases, at least those not going to VOD release. In fact, if I were strict about the 10 review limit, there would be as many secondary VOD releases as there are entries in the main list. That’s not to say there are no films worth seeing in theaters. Keep The Change and Ramen Heads are on the top of my list. However, Journey’s End is likely the only film that will find success in theaters. More...

Weekend Predictions: Can Raider Capture Top Spot?

March 15, 2018

Another week and another film trying to dethrone Black Panther. This week, it’s Tomb Raider’s chance to finally remove Black Panther from first place on the weekend chart. I don’t like its chances. The only other truly wide release of the week is Love, Simon, which should have a solid, but not spectacular opening. There are two other films with a shot at earning a spot in the top ten: I Can Only Imagine and 7 Days in Entebbe. This weekend last year, Beauty and the Beast opened with nearly $175 million. That’s more than the entire box office is going to earn this weekend. 2018 is going to get crushed. More...

International Box Office: Black Panther Final Earns Top Spot With $100.0 million

March 14, 2018

For the first time, Black Panther earned first place on the international chart, adding $100.0 million in 57 markets to its totals, which now sit at $516,600,000 internationally and $1.078 billion worldwide. It became just the 33rd film to reach $1 billion worldwide and by Tuesday was in the top 20 of all time. Additionally, it is now in fifth place in the MCU and will be in a close fight for third place by the end of the weekend. I’m more bullish that I was last weekend, because the film was a hit in China earning $65.07 million. This is about on par with Thor: Ragnarok and Spider-Man: Homecoming, meaning the film is on pace to hit $1.3 billion worldwide More...

Dolphins Trailer

March 14, 2018

Nature documentary opens April 20 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Theater Averages: Death Has Lively Opening with $46,201 Average

March 14, 2018

The Death of Stalin earned first place on the theater average chart with an average of $46,201 in four theaters. Claire’s Camera was well back with $11,489 in its lone theater. Black Panther remained in the $10,000 club for the fourth weekend in a row with $10,354. More...

Home Market Releases for March 13th, 2018

March 14, 2018

It’s Oscar week on the home market with several Oscar nominees and winners. Many of these films, like Call Me by Your Name and I, Tonya, are contenders for Pick of the Week. The actual winner of this title is The Shape of Water on Blu-ray Combo Pack or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack. It’s not the biggest release on this week’s list, as that honor goes to Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but that’s only coming out on Video on Demand. More...

A Quiet Place Trailer

March 13, 2018

Horror movie starring Emily Blunt and John Krasinski opens April 6 ... Full Movie Details.

A family of four must navigate their lives in silence after mysterious creatures that hunt by sound threaten their survival. If they hear you, they hunt you. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Black Panther and Wrinkle in Time have Record-Breaking Weekend

March 13, 2018

For the first time ever, the top two films at the weekend box office were both directed by African-American directors. That’s amazing and should be the big story. Unfortunately for A Wrinkle in Time, the big story is Black Panther’s continued box office dominance, as that film earned first place over Wrinkle with $40.82 million to $33.12 million. Disney should be happy with both results. The only other new release that didn’t bomb was The Strangers: Prey at Night, which earned third place with $10.40 million, which is excellent for a low-budget horror movie. The less said about The Hurricane Heist and Gringo, the better. Overall, the box office fell 8.3% from last weekend to $138 million. Compared to this weekend last year, the box office fell 16%. Year-to-date, 2018 has earned $2.27 billion, which is still 8.3% or $170 million ahead of 2017’s pace. That lead could be cut in half by this time next week. More...

Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: I, Tonya

March 13, 2018

I, Tonya was a player during this most recent Awards Season earning a lot of nominations and even picked up several wins. The film will finish with $30 million domestically, which is great for a limited release. Did it deserve this success? More...

Paul, Apostle of Christ Trailer

March 12, 2018

Historical drama starring James Faulkner and Jim Caviezel opens March 23 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Weekend Estimates: Black Panther Bests Wrinkle in Time, in Disney vs. Disney Battle

March 11, 2018

A Wrinkle in Time got out the gate a little more slowly than hoped for this weekend, and Disney is projecting an opening weekend of $33.3 million, as of Sunday morning. That’s actually in line with our prediction on Thursday of just under $35 million, but well below what pre-release interest in the film would have made seem possible. That relatively subdued debut left the door open for Black Panther, which will pick up another $41.1 million this weekend to top the chart, and continues breaking records. More...

Friday Estimates: Wrinkle Tops Panther for a Limited Time

March 10, 2018

A Wrinkle in Time earned first place on Friday with $10.21 million, which was enough for first place over Black Panther by a small margin. Unfortunately, this lead likely won’t last long, as the film’s reviews are only 42% positive and it only managed a B from CinemaScore. This is the best scores among the new releases this weekend, but not good for a family film and will hurt its legs. Look for a $33 million opening weekend. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Timely Start for Wrinkle

March 9, 2018

A Wrinkle in Time opened with $1.3 million during its previews. This might seem like a low amount; however, it is a live action family film and those tend to struggle during previews, but bounce back during the weekend. For example, Paddington 2 only managed $325,000 during its previews, but it went on to make $11 million during its opening weekend. A Wrinkle in Time won’t have the same legs, because its reviews are mixed. That said, it has a shot at first place with $35 million or more, which is in line with what we predicted. More...

Chappaquiddick Trailer

March 9, 2018

Historical drama starring Kate Mara, Jason Clarke, Ed Helms, and Bruce Dern opens April 6 ... Full Movie Details.

A recounting of the tragic events of the 1969 car accident involving U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy and a young, female campaign worker who died at the scene. Kennedy left the scene of the accident and didn’t alert authorities for ten hours. What happens over the ensuing days reveals how one of the most powerful and influential political family dynasties in U.S. history orchestrated the truth behind the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. Their efforts to control the story in the press, run damage control, and preserve the family’s legacy is a story of the powerful and the untouchable. This tension-filled war room became Kennedy’s savior and nemesis, ultimately revealing his vulnerabilities, his damaged relationship with his father, Joe Kennedy Sr., all while testing his integrity and political future. As his brother John’s presidential promise to land a man on the moon unfolds, Kennedy considers his own legacy. This infamous incident will become a defining moment in his career, as he wrestles with his own moral compass, and ultimately puts his future in the hands of the American People. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Death of Limited Releases

March 9, 2018

It is one of the worst times of year to release a film in limited release, as the Oscars are still taking up a lot of space and it is too soon for summer to boost the box office numbers. That said, while there are not a lot of limited releases on this week’s list, there are some that might actually have a real shot at box office success. The Death of Stalin has the loudest buzz and the reviews are outstanding. Meanwhile, both Claire’s Camera and Thoroughbreds could be surprise hits. More...

Theater Counts: Wrinkle in Time to Open in Just Shy of 4,000 Theaters

March 8, 2018

It’s Disney vs. Disney in movie theaters this weekend, with A Wrinkle in Time becoming the first film to seriously challenge Black Panther at the box office since it came out four weeks ago. Wrinkle will play in 3,980 theaters this weekend, per the studio, while Panther declines to 3,942 locations. They are both leaving three other new wide releases far behind. More...

Weekend Predictions: Is It Time for Panther to Relinquish Top Spot?

March 8, 2018

There are four wide releases coming out this week, but only one of them, A Wrinkle in Time, has a shot at dethroning Black Panther. Only one other, The Strangers: Prey at Night, has a shot at the top five. The other two, Gringo and The Hurricane Heist, are just hoping to not embarrass themselves. This weekend last year, the top two movies earned nearly $100 million. This year, the top five likely won’t earn that much. 2018 will lose the year-over-year comparison, but hopefully it will be close. More...

Christopher Robin Trailer

March 7, 2018

Family drama starring Ewan McGregor opens August 3 ... Full Movie Details. More...

International Box Office: Red Sea Takes a Victory Lap on Top of the Chart

March 7, 2018

Operation Red Sea remained in first place with $62 million in seven markets for an international total of $472 million. Of this, the film earned $61.90 million in its native China for a two-week total of $471.44 million there. More...

Theater Averages: Black Panther Can’t be Stopped from Taking Top Spot

March 6, 2018

Black Panther was again the top film on the theater average chart earning $16,236. The only other film in the $10,000 club was Death House with $10,295 in its lone theater. More...

Home Market Releases for March 6th, 2018

March 6, 2018

Thor: Ragnarok is by far the biggest Blu-ray release of the week and one of the best blockbusters of 2017. However, it was already named Pick of the Week last week, so we will have to pick a different film this week. There are a few contenders: The Breadwinner, Faces Places, and Lady Bird. All three of them are Oscars nominated films, none of them won. It was a close call, but in the end, Lady Bird won. More...

The Miracle Season Trailer

March 6, 2018

Inspirational sports drama starring Helen Hunt, William Hurt, and Erin Moriarty opens April 6 ... Full Movie Details.

After the tragic death of the school’s star player Caroline “Line” Found, the remaining players must band together under the guidance of their tough-love coach in hopes of winning the state championship. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Black Panther Hits Half a Billion Dollars

March 6, 2018

Black Panther keeps beating expectations to the point where it is my fault for not being overly optimistic. This past weekend, it earned $66.31 million, becoming the third fastest film to reach $500 million. The two new releases weren’t bad either. Red Sparrow earned second place while Death Wish wasn’t that far behind in third. Overall, the box office still fell 24% from last weekend, earning $147 million. It was also down from this week last year last year by a similar 22% margin. Year-to-date, 2018’s lead shrunk by almost exactly $10 million, but we still have a $220 million / 12% lead over 2017 at $2.09 billion to $1.87 billion. That lead will shrink dramatically over the next few weeks. More...

Featured Blu-ray Review: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

March 4, 2018

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes is an intentional B-movie that came out in 1978. It wasn’t a big hit when it came out, but it quickly became a cult classic. It is such a cult classic that the out of print DVD costs $80 on Amazon. The Blu-ray Combo Pack is obviously a lot cheaper, but is it worth picking up for fans of the genre? More...

2017 Awards Season: Oscars: And the Winner is... The Shape of Water for Best Picture

March 4, 2018

It’s Oscar night and we will be live blogging the show. We will announce the winners and have our reactions as they happen, while keeping track of how our readers did in predicting the outcomes. More...

Oscar Predictions: Best Picture Too Close to Call

March 4, 2018

Voting is now closed in our 21st Annual Predict the Academy Awards Competition, and we’re ready to announce the predicted winners in each category.

We have overwhelming favorites in virtually all of the major categories this year, with one glaring exception: Best Picture. That race is a virtual tie between Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Shape of Water. Three Billboards has a very slight edge, with 44% of the vote, while Shape of Water has 43%. Get Out is a long shot, at 6%, and Dunkirk and Lady Bird are the only other films to get a look in, with about 3% each.

With the top two films both getting less than 50% of the votes, it’s fair to say there isn’t a favorite in this race, and any of these five films seems like a conceivable winner. The winner of our contest will likely be someone who makes the right call in this category.

Things are much more clear cut in other categories… More...

Weekend Estimates: Black Panther Tops $500 Million in Third Weekend

March 4, 2018

Black Panther will add another $65.7 million this weekend, according to Disney’s Sunday morning estimate. That’ll be the 3rd-best 3rd weekend in history, behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Avatar. It also will make Panther the 3rd-fastest movie to $500 million at the domestic box office, behind Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. It continues to track extremely closely to Jurassic World, which finished its domestic run with $652 million. More...

Last Chance to Predict the Academy Awards

March 4, 2018

Our 21st Annual Predict the Academy Awards Competition ends at noon, Pacific Time, today. This is our traditional chance for you to win some great prizes, and for all of our readers collectively to predict who will win the Oscars later today. The top selection for Best Picture in our contest has gone on to win the Best Picture Oscar 14 times in the previous 20 years we’ve run the contest, and we’ve correctly predicted the Best Animated Feature 13 times out of 16. That represents a batting average of about 75%—an amazing performance when you consider that there are now nine or ten nominees for Best Picture each year.

Uniquely among Oscar contests, when you make your predictions, we show you how many people have voted for each movie so far, and allow you to go back and change your choices. In fact, you can come back at any time to update your predictions as news breaks and sentiment changes about different nominees. But beware our tie-breaking rule: if multiple people correctly predict the same number of winners, whoever made their picks first will win the prize.

So enter now for your best chance of winning our grand prize: every film nominated for Best Picture on DVD or Blu-ray. We will send you all nine films that are nominated as soon as they become available on the home market, and you get to choose either the DVD or Blu-ray version. Our runner-up will win the Best Picture and Best Animated Feature on DVD or Blu-ray. And, for our long-term players, the best performer from among our all-time top 200 players will win the Best Picture on DVD or Blu-ray.

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2017 Awards Season: Oscars Nominations: Final Look

March 4, 2018

It’s Oscar night and we will be live blogging the show. Before that, let’s take a last look at the nominations with a few annotations. Nominees in Italics are those that have received the most votes from our readers so far in our Oscar contest (which is open to new entries until noon, Pacific, today—enter now!). Bold films are those films I think will win. Meanwhile, those that are Underlined are those I want to win. Not all categories have underlined nominees, because not all categories have someone I’m cheering for, or because there are two nominees I couldn’t pick between. For example, I will be happy no matter who wins Best Supporting Actress. One last note: The contest is still going and the leading for Best Picture Switched from The Shape of Water to Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri to tied over the time I was writing this story. This is the closest I’ve ever seen it. Guessing the best picture correctly will go a long way to winning. More...

2017 Awards Season: Independent Spirit Awards Winners

March 3, 2018

The Independent Spirit Awards were handed out tonight, and Get Out was the big winner, sort of. It earned two Awards, including the two most prestigious, awards. However, it wasn’t the only film to pick up two awards tonight. More...

Friday Estimates: Black Panther Adds $16.30 million

March 3, 2018

Black Panther matched predictions with $16.30 million on Friday. In fact, this is a little bit better than expected, so it should earn a little more than $60 million over the weekend. It now has a small shot of earning $500 million by the end of the weekend. It will likely have to wait to Monday to get there, on the other hand. More...

Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: Murder on the Orient Express

March 3, 2018

Murder on the Orient Express was expected to be a hit; however, it beat expectations earning nearly $350 million worldwide. The studio’s share of the box office was about $150 million compared to $55 million for its production budget and likely under $100 million for its combined budget. A sequel was announced while the film was still in theaters. Is this a smart move? Is the movie good enough to warrant a sequel? Or will those who watched this movie going to want to stay away from any follow-up? More...

Thursday Night Previews: Red Sparrow Pulls In $1.2 million, Death Wish not as Lively

March 2, 2018

Red Sparrow had a respectable start at the box office with $1.2 million during Thursday night previews. Although this is an acceptable start; although it is lower than the $1.52 million earned by Atomic Blonde. However, that film was a summer release and opening in the summer helps midnight showings. I’m still comfortable with our $18 million prediction. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Oscars Scare Away Big Limited Releases

March 2, 2018

Oscar night is on Sunday, so moviegoers who are most interested in limited releases are distracted. This explains why there are no big titles that are expected to do well at the box office. There are some films worth checking out, like Foxtrot and Mohawk, but most on this list will do better on Video on Demand than they will in theaters. More...

Weekend Predictions: New Releases Battle for Season Place as Black Panther Completes Threepeat

March 1, 2018

March will begin the same way February ended, with Black Panther on top of the box office. The two new releases, Red Sparrow and Death Wish, might not make as much over the full weekend as Black Panther will earn on Friday. This weekend last year, Logan opened with $88.41 million, while Get Out held on better than expected with $28.24 million. There’s little chance 2018 will be able to beat that at the top, so 2018’s winning streak might come to an end. More...

2017 Awards Season: Oscar Highlight: Best Picture

March 1, 2018

With our annual Oscar Prediction contest underway, now is the best time to look at the nominees and try and figure out who the favorites are and which films should just feel honored to be nominated. We end with the biggest award of the night: Best Picture. It is actually competitive this year with two films in a tight race, while there is a long shot with a shot. More...

2017 Awards Season: Oscar Highlight: Best Director

March 1, 2018

With our annual Oscar Prediction contest underway, now is the best time to look at the nominees and try and figure out who the favorites are and who should just feel honored to be nominated. Today we look at Best Director, which I think is a more competitive category than most people think it will be. More...

2018 Preview: March

March 1, 2018

February was an amazing month, thanks mainly to Black Panther, but Fifty Shades Freed and Peter Rabbit were also significant hits and overall the month was a massive improvement over last February. Looking forward, there’s nothing opening in March that will earn as much in total as Black Panther did during its opening weekend. That said, A Wrinkle in Time and Ready Player One should have no trouble getting to $100 million, while Tomb Raider has a 50/50 chance of getting there. Unfortunately, compared to last March, this is still a pittance. There’s a chance that no film opening this March will earn as much in total as Beauty and the Beast opened with last march. We will need Black Panther to have good legs to keep 2018 ahead of 2017 by the end of the month. More...

The Numbers News - March 2018

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