The Numbers News - July 2018

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Weekend Wrap-Up: July Ends on an Impossibly Good Weekend

July 30, 2018

Mission: Impossible—Fallout was easily the biggest hit of the weekend earning more than the rest of the top five combined. Its opening weekend of $61.24 million was the best in the franchise, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the overall box office from dropping 9.3% from last weekend earning $156 million. This is 8.0% higher than the same weekend last year, which is the more important result. 2018 is now ahead of 2017 by a margin of 8.5% or $570 million at $7.23 billion to $6.66 billion. More...

Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: Isle of Dogs

July 30, 2018

Isle of Dogs is the latest movie by Wes Anderson. It is a stop-motion animated film that had one of the best theater averages of the year during its opening weekend and is one of the best limited release hits of 2018. Is it also one of the best limited release hits? Or did it get by on star power? More...

Weekend Estimates: Impossible Tops Chart with Franchise Best $61.5 million Debut

July 29, 2018

Mission: Impossible—Fallout dominated the weekend box office chart with $61.5 million over the weekend. This is the best opening in the franchise, unless you take inflation into account. Assuming the film can have the same legs as Rogue Nation, it will be able to top $200 million domestically. The film’s reviews and its A from CinemaScore, and the nearly total lack of quality competition in August, make that seem likely; however, I think we should wait a week before predicting a final box office tally. Internationally, the film made $92 million in 36 markets, which is close to 20% higher than Rogue Nation’s debuts in those markets, which should be enough to keep Paramount happy. Although given the studio’s struggles in the past few years, if the film was just marginally profitable, it would have been reason for Paramount to celebrate. More...

Crazy Rich Asians Trailer

July 28, 2018

Romantic comedy starring Constance Wu and Henry Golding opens August 15 ... Full Movie Details.

Native New Yorker Rachel Chu accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young, to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. Excited about visiting Asia for the first time but nervous about meeting Nick’s family, Rachel is unprepared to learn that Nick has neglected to mention a few key details about his life. It turns out that he is not only the scion of one of the country’s wealthiest families but also one of its most sought-after bachelors. Being on Nick’s arm puts a target on Rachel’s back, with jealous socialites and, worse, Nick’s own disapproving mother taking aim. And it soon becomes clear that while money can’t buy love, it can definitely complicate things. More...

Friday Estimates: Fallout on top Friday with Franchise Record

July 28, 2018

Mission: Impossible—Fallout earned $23.0 million on Friday, putting it on pace for an opening weekend of $58 million, according to Paramount. This is the fastest start in the franchise; although given the age of the franchise and the ticket price inflation, that’s much less impressive. The film’s reviews are among the best we’ve seen from a wide release this year, while it earned an A from CinemaScore, so its legs should be long. That said, this is weaker than we predicted. I really thought the reviews would translate into more ticket sales. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Will Any Release Solve the Box Office Puzzle?

July 27, 2018

We are entering the dog days of summer, which means there are not a lot of limited releases. It’s too late to get a boost from summer vacations while trying to expand, but it is way too early for Awards Season buzz. There are some films that could find smaller audiences in theaters, like Scarred Hearts or Puzzle, but I don’t expect any of them to earn any real measure of mainstream success. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Fallout Rises to the Top

July 27, 2018

Mission: Impossible—Fallout had the best previews in the franchise with $6 million; although that’s a bit of a backhanded compliment, as only Rogue Nation is new enough to be part of the preview era of Hollywood releases. That film pulled in $4 million during its previews; however, it also opened three years ago when previews were not as lucrative, so it is not a good comparison. On the other hand, The Equalizer 2 is a solid comparison as both are action sequels. If the two films have the same legs, then Fallout will open with nearly $70 million. Its reviews strongly suggest it will have better legs, but the long-running franchise suggests slighly longer legs. Overally, I’m still happy with our $67 million prediction and I expect the film to earn a little more than that, but be close enough to call it a victory. More...

Mile 22 Trailer

July 27, 2018

Action movie starring Mark Wahlberg opens August 17 ... Full Movie Details.

James Silva is an operative of the CIA’s most highly-prized and least-understood unit. Aided by a top-secret tactical command team, Silva must retrieve and transport an asset who holds life-threatening information to Mile 22 for extraction before the enemy closes in. More...

Weekend Predictions: Can Teen Titans do the Impossible?

July 26, 2018

The last weekend of the month has two wide releases, both of which are earning stellar reviews. Mission: Impossible—Fallout is the sixth film in the franchise. It wasn’t that long ago where a sixth installment in a franchise would be impressive. Teen Titans Go! To the Movie is the first big screen appearance for most of these characters. There should also be three, maybe four other films with $10 million or more during the weekend. 2018 won’t need that depth to win in the year-over-year comparison, as this weekend last year was pretty weak, so the month should end on a winning note. More...

Operation Finale Trailer

July 26, 2018

Real-life drama starring Oscar Isaac and Ben Kingsley opens August 29 ... Full Movie Details. More...

The Meg Trailer

July 25, 2018

Aquatic thriller starring Jason Statham and Li Bingbing opens August 10 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Theater Averages: Eighth Grade Repeats a Grade

July 25, 2018

Eighth Grade remained on top of the theater average chart with an average of $24,975 in 33 theaters over the weekend. McQueen and Blindspotting were right behind with averages of $24,718 and $24,024 in 4 and 14 theaters respectively. The re-release of Wanda opened with $10,679 in one theater. The two wide releases of the week were next with The Equalizer 2 and Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! in a virtual tie at $10,629 and $10,537 respectively. More...

International Box Office: Skyscraper Rises from the Ashes

July 24, 2018

Skyscraper roared to first place on the international chart, thanks mostly to its debut in China. Overall, it earned $77.8 million in 68 markets for totals of $135.7 million internationally and $182.8 million worldwide. It opened in first place in China with $48.11 million over the weekend for a total opening of $48.51 million. The second biggest new market was Colombia, where it earned $1.38 million on 195 screens. Its best holdover was in Mexico where it was down 50% to $1.68 million on 815 screens for a two-week total of $7.46 million. More...

Home Market Releases for July 24th, 2018

July 24, 2018

It is an incredibly slow week on the home market. Most of the films in the main list would be filler on even a below average week. The only real exception is Ready Player One, which did earn better than expected reviews, but it’s still not Pick of the Week material. There were a few actual contenders for that title, including Gravity Falls: The Complete Series and A Matter of Life and Death, but in the end, I went with In the Mouth of Madness on Blu-ray. More...

Alita: Battle Angel Trailer

July 24, 2018

Sci-fi action movie starring Rosa Salazar and Christoph Waltz, directed by Robert Rodriguez, opens December 21 ... Full Movie Details.

When Alita awakens with no memory of who she is in a future world she does not recognize, she is taken in by Ido, a compassionate doctor who realizes that somewhere in this abandoned cyborg shell is the heart and soul of a young woman with an extraordinary past. As Alita learns to navigate her new life and the treacherous streets of Iron City, Ido tries to shield her from her mysterious history while her street-smart new friend Hugo offers instead to help trigger her memories. But it is only when the deadly and corrupt forces that run the city come after Alita that she discovers a clue to her past—she has unique fighting abilities that those in power will stop at nothing to control. If she can stay out of their grasp, she could be the key to saving her friends, her family and the world she’s grown to love. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Equalizer 2 Also has no Equal

July 23, 2018

The Equalizer 2 was the surprise winner at the weekend box office chart with $36.01 million over the weekend, which put it just ahead of the $34.95 million earned by Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! The overall box office topped expectations with $171 million, up 2.7% from last week. This is 5.1% lower than the same weekend last year, but this is better than expected. Also, 2018 is still ahead of 2017 by a sizable margin of $560 million / 8.8% at $6.98 billion to $6.42 billion. Again, if 2018 just maintains the raw dollar margin for the rest of the year, it will be a reason to celebrate. More...

Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: A Quiet Place

July 23, 2018

A Quiet Place was expected to be a box office hit, but very few people thought it would be this big a hit. It pulled in over $300 million on a budget of just $17 million. It had a very interesting hook, but is that all it had? Does it do something with the hook? More...

Aquaman Trailer

July 23, 2018

Super hero action movie starring Jason Momoa and Amber Heard opens December 21 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Weekend Estimates: Equalizer more than Equals Mamma Mia

July 22, 2018

In a shocking turn of events, The Equalizer 2 overtook Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! over the weekend with $35.83 million. This is better than predicted and is better than the original managed. Its reviews are not great, but it earned an A from CinemaScore and it is aimed at a more mature target audience, so it should have better than average legs. We will have a better picture this time next week. Internationally, the film managed $3.3 million on 704 screens in 11 markets, including $2.2 million in Australia. The film first didn’t do great internationally, so while this is a 30% improvement, it is still nothing special. More...

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Trailer

July 22, 2018

Fantasy adventure starring Eddie Redmayne, Johnny Depp, and Jude Law opens November 16 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Friday Estimates: Mamma Mia is Here to Stay

July 21, 2018

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! had a stellar opening earning $14.28 million on Friday, which is enough to put it on pace for nearly $40 million opening. That’s on the very high end of expectations and more than enough to be considered a hit. With strong reviews and an A minus from CinemaScore, the film should have good legs. It won’t have as good legs as the original did, but $100 million is an easy goal after this opening. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Some Promising Limited Releases are Ready to Bloom

July 20, 2018

It is not a busy week for limited releases, but the majority of the ones on the main list are worth checking out. I think Blindspotting has the best shot at box office success, but personally I’m most interested in seeing Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Equalizer nearly Equals Mamma Mia

July 20, 2018

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! pulled in $3.4 million during its previews on Thursday, which is a figure that is nearly impossible to judge. There simply are not enough live-action musicals released to compare to. The vast majority if those that do come out come out at Christmas time, so it is a poor comparison. Rock of Ages is the closest both in terms of style (Both films are Jukebox Musicals.) and release dates, but that film came out before midnight shows became standard. I’ve seen some compare it to Pitch Perfect 2, but that was a sequel and that messes with the comparisons. That said, $3.4 million is still a good amount. The reviews suggest good legs and a $35 million opening is likely, which is a little better than predicted, by a little bit. More...

White Boy Rick Trailer

July 20, 2018

Real-life drama starring Richie Merritt and Matthew McConaughey opens September 14 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Weekend Predictions: Will Mamma Mia have an Encore on Top?

July 19, 2018

At the beginning of the month, I didn’t have relatively high hopes for this weekend; I thought it could put up a fight in the year-over-year comparison, but would ultimately lose. That has changed and not for the better. Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! is still widely expected to earn first place over the weekend, but it might not do well enough to finish with $100 million domestically. The Equalizer 2 won’t match its predecessor, not with the amount of action films struggling in theaters. Finally, Unfriended: Dark Web is opening in barely more than 1,500 theaters and it is going nowhere. Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation should have a good hold, but I’m not sure about any of the rest. This weekend last year, Dunkirk opened with just over $50 million and five other films earned $10 million or more over the weekend. There’s no way 2018 will match that. I don’t even think it will be close. More...

The Predator Trailer

July 19, 2018

Sci-fi action movie opens September 14 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Theater Averages: Eighth Grade earns an A plus

July 18, 2018

Eighth Grade had the best theater average of the year with $65,949 , topping the previous champ, Isle of Dogs, by nearly 10%. On the other hand, Isle of Dogs opened in 27 theaters vs. 4 for Eighth Grade. Second place went to Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot with an average of $20,835 in four theaters. The only other member of the $10,000 club was the overall box office leader, Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, which pulled in an average of $10,629. More...

International Box Office: Dying Slumps, Still Survives in Top Spot

July 18, 2018

Dying to Survive remained in first place, both in its native China and on the international chart. It earned $69.29 million over the weekend for a total of $367.40 million after two full weeks of release. More...

Home Market Releases for July 17th, 2018

July 18, 2018

It’s a shallow week in terms of the total number of releases, but a lot of films on this list are worth picking up. Rampage is the biggest and it is worth buying, if you are into popcorn action flicks. There are a lot of other releases that are worth picking up, but not quite Pick of the Week contenders, like Disobedience, The Good Place: Season Two, etc. As for true Pick of the Week contenders, we have a limited selection and I’m going with Isle of Dogs on Blu-ray Combo Pack for that title. More...

Overlord Trailer

July 18, 2018

World War II horror movie opens October 26 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Featured Blu-ray Review: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

July 17, 2018

Terminator 2: Judgment Day has been released on the home market countless times. I mean that literally, as I’m not even going to bother to count. Amazingly, I’ve never actually reviewed this movie, despite owning three different versions of the movie on DVD / Blu-ray. I did review the original movie, twice, so it is about time I reviewed this one. More...

Bohemian Rhapsody Trailer 2

July 17, 2018

Drama starring Rami Malek opens November 2 ... Full Movie Details.

A celebration of Queen, their music and their lead singer Freddie Mercury, who defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound, their near-implosion as Mercury’s lifestyle spirals out of control, and their triumphant reunion on the eve of Live Aid, where Mercury, facing a life-threatening illness, leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. In the process, cementing the legacy of a band that were always more like a family, and who continue to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Summer Vacation Boosts Transylvania’s Debut

July 17, 2018

The weekend wasn’t nearly as close as expected. Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation ran away at the box office, while fellow new release, Skyscraper, only managed third place. This did allow Ant-Man and the Wasp to earn second place during its second weekend of release. Overall, the box office fell 12% compared to last weekend, but it was 1.6% higher than the same weekend last year. Granted, this is not a high enough margin of victory to compensate for ticket price inflation, but 2018 has such a large lead that even a small victory like this is more than enough to feel good about the overall box office. Speaking of large leads, 2018’s lead over 2017 remains impressive at $550 million or 8.9% at $6.72 billion to $6.17 billion. More...

A Simple Favor Trailer

July 16, 2018

Thriller starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, directed by Paul Feig, opens September 14 ... Full Movie Details.

A mommy vlogger seeks to uncover the truth behind her best friend Emily’s sudden disappearance from their small town. Stephanie is joined by Emily’s husband Sean in this thriller filled with twists and betrayals, secrets and revelations, love and loyalty, murder and revenge. More...

Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: You Were Never Really Here

July 15, 2018

You Were Never Really Here earned amazing reviews and earned one of the best theater averages of the year during its opening weekend. However, the film couldn’t maintain this explosive start as it expanded. It still managed $2.5 million in limited release, which is better than most limited releases manage, but that’s not enough for true mainstream success. Is there a reason the film failed to maintain its audience as it expanded? Is it simply not a mainstream movie? More...

Weekend Estimates: Transylvania Triumphant, Skyscraper Sinks

July 15, 2018

It was not a close race at the box office this weekend, as Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation topped expectations and Skyscraper did not. Transylvania 3 will open with a projected $44.1 million over the weekend for a total opening of $45.4 million, including June 30th’s special showings. This is average for the franchise, as is its reviews and A minus CinemaScore. The film will have no trouble earning enough to cover its $65 million production budget domestically. Meanwhile, the film opened with $46.4 million on 12,600 screens in 442 markets internationally, representing just under half of the total international marketplace. Its biggest market was Mexico, where it earned $8.6 million, while it was also impressive in Russia with $5.8 million. Its only holdover is Australia, where it added $2.4 million to its running tally, which sits at $10.2 million after three weeks of release. More...

Friday Estimates: Smooth Sailing for Transylvania, Skyscraper Burning Down

July 14, 2018

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation easily won the box office race on Friday with $16.65 million during its opening day. This is a bit better than expected and puts it on pace for an opening weekend of $44 million, including special previews that took place June 30th. Its reviews are just below the overall positive level, while it managed an A minus from CinemaScore. That’s as low as a family film can go before it would hurt its legs. It should get to $100 million domestically without difficulty, but it won’t match the previous films in the franchise. It will break even and could even justify a fourth film. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Grade A Limited Releases

July 13, 2018

There are several films based on real life events on this week’s list, three of which look like they were precision engineered to win Oscars. Of these, only Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot is earning good reviews. It’s not even earning the best reviews of the week, as Eighth Grade takes that title. Those two films could be in a battle for top spot on the theater average chart over the weekend. More...

Mary Queen of Scots Trailer

July 13, 2018

Historical drama starring Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie opens December 7 ... Full Movie Details.

A film that explores the turbulent life of the charismatic Mary Stuart. Queen of France at 16 and widowed at 18, Mary defies pressure to remarry. Instead, she returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne. But Scotland and England fall under the rule of the compelling Elizabeth 1. Each young Queen beholds her “sister” in fear and fascination. Rivals in power and in love, and female regents in a masculine world, the two must decide how to play the game of marriage versus independence. Determined to rule as much more than a figurehead, Mary asserts her claim to the English throne, threatening Elizabeth’s sovereignty. Betrayal, rebellion, and conspiracies within each court imperil both thrones—and change the course of history. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Transylvania Surprises with $2.6 million, Skyscraper is a Little Short at $1.95 million

July 13, 2018

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation opened with $2.6 million in previews on Thursday. It’s hard to compare this number, as many family films don’t bother with previews, so there’s not a lot of numbers we can use in comparison. Hotel Transylvania 2 didn’t have previews, so that’s not helpful. Incredibles 2 earned $18.5 million during its previews, but it’s a Pixar film and those films tend to have a lot of adult fans as well. While there are not a lot of numbers that we can use as comparisons, this is still better than expected and it means the film could top $45 million over the weekend. We will have a better understanding of the film’s box office chances tomorrow. More...

Weekend Predictions: Will Transylvania have a Buoyant Vacation? Or can Skyscraper Stand Tall?

July 12, 2018

There should be a close race at the top of the box office this weekend, as both Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation and Skyscraper have a real shot at $40 million over the weekend. In fact, there’s a good chance both films will earn first place at least one day over the weekend. Meanwhile, Ant-Man and the Wasp will be pushed into third place, but will still be a solid box office performer. It’s this depth that is key, because the top two films from this weekend last year, War for the Planet of the Apes and Spider-Man: Homecoming, both earned more than either of the two new releases this year are expected to earn. 2018 is weak at the top, but the depth gives the weekend a great shot at coming out ahead in the year-over-year comparison. More...

A.X.L. Trailer

July 12, 2018

Sci-fi adventure starring Alex Neustaedter and Becky G opens August 24 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Theater Averages: Sorry isn’t a Bother

July 12, 2018

Sorry to Bother You dominated the theater average chart this week with an average of $45,454 in 16 theaters. As I previously mentioned, this is the sixth-best opening average for a limited release this year. Ant-Man and the Wasp earned top spot on the weekend chart and second place here with an average of $18,025. Three Identical Strangers remained in the $10,000 club with an average of $13,427 in 51 theaters and should have no trouble expanding further. Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda earned $12,827 in its lone theater, which is excellent for a documentary. Leave No Trace remained in the $10,000 club with an average of $10,892 in 37 theaters. It will continue to expand. More...

International Box Office: Dying Does More than Just Survive

July 11, 2018

Dying to Survive opened in its native China with a stunning $152.73 million during its opening weekend for a nine-day debut of $201.56 million—enough for it to easily win the weekend at the international box office. This film is based on the real-life story of a cancer patient who smuggled cheap drugs from India to China. Since Indian films have found an audience in China, perhaps this is another step if forging connections between those two markets. More...

Home Market Releases for July 10th, 2018

July 10, 2018

It’s still summer and that means the home market is still terrible. There are less than a dozen new releases on disc on this week’s list, and a lot of them feel like filler. Half of them wouldn’t make the list during a moderately busy week. Only one of them, A Quiet Place, truly stands out and the Blu-ray Combo Pack is easily the Pick of the Week. It’s not the only release worth picking up, as both Lean on Pete on Blu-ray and The Magicians: Season Three are worth picking up. More...

Life Itself Trailer

July 10, 2018

Drama starring Olivia Wilde and Oscar Isaac, written and directed by Dan Fogelman, opens September 21 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Ant-Man Remains one of the Smaller MCU Hits

July 10, 2018

The two biggest releases of the weekend couldn’t quite match expectations, while the two big holdovers weren’t able compensate, resulting in a rare loss for 2018. Ant-Man and the Wasp still had an excellent opening with $75.81 million over the weekend, the seventh-best opening weekend of the year. The First Purge started out well on Wednesday, but slipped below the pace needed to match predictions by the weekend. That said, the overall weekend haul was still impressive at $188 million, which is 5.8% higher than last weekend. Granted, it is 8.7% lower than the same weekend last year, but Spider-Man: Homecoming opened with $117.03 million, so this is still a good result. Furthermore, 2018 remains ahead of 2017 by a substantial amount: $570 million, or 9.6%, at $6.47 billion to $5.90 billion. If the year ended with a lead of $570 million, we would be very happy. More...

The Favourite Trailer

July 9, 2018

Historical drama starring Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz opens November 23 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Featured Blu-ray Review: Lionheart

July 9, 2018

Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicle Lionheart wasn’t a box office hit when it came out in 1991, nor did it win over the critics. It was profitable, thanks to its $6 million production budget, but largely forgotten. Now that the MVD Rewind Collection has released a Blu-ray Combo Pack, will it be rediscovered? Or did it deserve to remain forgotten? More...

Weekend Estimates: Ant-Man Shrank Over Saturday, Still Finishes Weekend with $76 million

July 8, 2018

Ant-Man and the Wasp did not have as good a Saturday as hoped, and this has left it with a projected $76.03 million over the weekend, according to Disney’s Sunday morning estimate. While, this is more or less in line with original predictions, it is lower than previews and Friday estimates suggested. Fortunately, with great reviews and an A minus from CinemaScore, it should have legs long enough to get to $200 million domestically, with a little help from the studio. This would be a little more than a 10% increase from the first Ant-Man. Internationally, the film opened with $85 million in 41 markets, including a monster opening in South Korea. The film managed $20.9 million debut there, including previews, which was 78% higher that the first film’s opening in that market. Overall, the film saw 45% growth internationally compared to just under 33% growth here. More...

Friday Estimates: Wasp Towers Above the Competition

July 7, 2018

Ant-Man and the Wasp dominated the box office on Friday with $33.80 million. This is about $1 million less than we would have liked to have seen after its Thursday previews, but still above our earlier prediction. Its reviews are 86% positive, and it earned an A minus from CinemaScore, which is good for a blockbuster, but I was expecting an A like the original Ant-Man earned and it is below average for the MCU. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Nothing to be Sorry About

July 6, 2018

It’s a short week for limited releases; however, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to talk about. Sorry to Bother You is earning some of the best reviews of the week and it has the loudest buzz. Meanwhile, Whitney is playing in over 450 theaters and could reach the top ten. More...

Thursday Night Previews: The Wasp Stings Ant-Man

July 6, 2018

Ant-Man and the Wasp opened with $11.5 million during its midnight shows last night. That’s a huge increase from the $6.4 million the first Ant-Man earned during its previews. However, Ant-Man and the Wasp is a sequel, well, more of a sequel than Ant-Man was, so it very likely won’t have the same legs. Unfortunately, this is true of all of the best comparisons. Doctor Strange is the closest in terms of box office expectations, but it opened in November. Guardians of the Galaxy had a more similar release date, but its legs were unusually long and that would skew any calculation. Spider-Man: Homecoming opened this weekend last year, so it is an excellent comparison in that regard. It isn’t a direct sequel, but the character was introduced in Captain America: Civil War, so maybe it’s a little bit more of a sequel than the first Ant-Man was. If we assume the two films will have the same legs, then Ant-Man and the Wasp will open with about $87 million. This is better than our prediction and more than enough to be worth celebrating. Additionally, the film’s reviews have continued to improve and with a Tomatometer Score of 87% and an average score of 7 out of 10, it could have long legs over the weekend, at least when compared to most other similar releases. More...

Weekend Predictions: Will the Wasp Help Ant-Man Grow at the Box Office?

July 5, 2018

It’s technically the July 4th Weekend, although July 4th was yesterday. This is a good weekend to release a film and Ant-Man and the Wasp is looking to take advantage of the holiday. Meanwhile, The First Purge already started its run with $2.5 million in previews. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Incredibles 2 will continue to be a major presence at the box office. This weekend last year, Spider-Man: Homecoming opened with $117.03 million. There’s no way Ant-Man and the Wasp is going to match that. It’s highly unlikely Ant-Man and the Wasp and The First Purge combined will match that. The depth this year is a little better, but I think 2018 will lose in the year-over-year comparison. Hopefully it will be close. More...

Theater Averages: Triplets Top Trio of $10,000 Club Members

July 4, 2018

Three Identical Strangers top the theater average chart with an average of $34,301 in five theaters. The only other members of the $10,000 club were wide releases, with Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom earning an average of $13,581 and Incredibles 2 being relatively close behind with $10,525. More...

International Box Office: Fallen Remains Tops, but Ant-sized Competition Looms

July 4, 2018

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom remained on top of the international chart for the fourth and final time. This past weekend, it earned $57.3 million in 68 markets for totals of $669.2 million internationally and $934.9 million worldwide. The film had no major market openings this past weekend and has no major market opening next week as well, before closing out its international run in Japan on the 13th. The film’s biggest market of the weekend was China, where it earned $14.81 million on approximately 10,000 screens over the weekend for a three-week total of $230.67 million. More...

Home Market Releases for July 3rd, 2018

July 3, 2018

We are deep into the summer doldrums on the home market. Blockers is the biggest first-run release of the week, and also the best. The DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack is a contender for Pick of the Week, thanks in part to the lack of competition. It’s not the only contender, as both Dietrich and von Sternberg in Hollywood: The Criterion Collection and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Set 2: Stardust Crusades Arc are also worthy of that title. In the end, I rolled a dice and Blockers came out on top. More...

Alpha Trailer

July 3, 2018

Family adventure starring Kodi Smit-McPhee opens August 17 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Dinos Help the Box Office Hold On

July 3, 2018

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was within a rounding error of our prediction with $60.91 million over the weekend. Additionally, both new releases, Sicario: Day of the Soldado and Uncle Drew, beat expectations, as did every other film in the top five helping the overall box office reach $178 million. Granted, this weekend still plummeted 36% from last weekend, but last weekend was the biggest ever weekend in June, so falling from that figure isn’t disappointing. In fact, it is 4.8% higher than the same weekend last year, which is higher than the rate of inflation, so I would call that a significant margin. Year-to-date, 2018 has pulled in $6.15 billion, making it the fastest year to get to the $6 billion mark. This is also $560 million or 10.0% higher than the same pace last year. I’m going to make a prediction that is the the peak lead 2018 will have over 2017, at least in terms of percentage. More...

Blindspotting Trailer

July 2, 2018

Drama written by, and starring Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal opens July 20, expands wide August 10 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: Blockers

July 2, 2018

Blockers is a teenage sex comedy with two main differences. Firstly, the teens trying to lose their virginity are girls, not boys. Secondly, the main characters are their parents, who are trying to stop them. Can these two changes revive a tired genre? Or is there only so much you can do with this type of film? More...

Weekend Estimates: The Fallen Jurassic World Still Comes out on Top with $60.0 million

July 1, 2018

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom fell like a typical blockbuster hit, down 59% to $60 million over the weekend for a two-week total of $264.8 million. This matches our prediction perfectly. The film will have no trouble crossing $300 million next weekend and should finish north of $350 million domestically. As for its international numbers, it added $56.1 million to its running tally, which now sits at $667.6 million, while its worldwide total is a hair under $1 billion at $932.4 million. More...

2018 Preview: July

July 1, 2018

June was amazing, with two absolute monster hits and a solid $100 million hit. By the end of the month, 2018’s lead over 2017 will be well over $500 million, or close to 10%. Even if 2018 only managed to maintain this lead in terms of raw numbers for the rest of the year, it will be a massive jump at the box office. As for July, there are a couple of potential monster hits, Ant-Man and the Wasp and Mission: Impossible—Fallout, plus four potential $100 million hits. Last July, there was only one monster hit, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and three $100 million hits. I don’t think 2018 will match 2017 at the top, but 2018 appears to have more depth and that should put it a little ahead over the full month. More...

The Numbers News - July 2018

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