The Numbers News - March 2019

March 31, 2019

Dumbo will open in first place with over the weekend with an estimated $45.0 million. This is lower than expected and not a strong opening for a film that reportedly cost $170 million to make. It did marginally better internationally, earning $71.0 million, but it is also playing in all major markets, so it has almost nowhere to expand at this point. Going forward, the film should have decent legs, in part because it is a family film. Also, while its reviews are not going to be a major asset, it did earn an A minus from CinemaScore, so its word-of-mouth is going to be better than its critical reception. However, unless it has really long legs, it is going to be a real challenge to pay for that production budget any time soon. Part of the reason I think this film is struggling is “Franchise Fatigue”. Granted, I’m not sure I would call Disney’s Live Action Remakes a real franchise, not unless they start doing some crossovers to unite the universe. (Don’t do that. Please don’t do that.) However, I do think it is susceptible to the same fatigue and this is a real problem for Disney, because they have two more major releases for this year, plus about a dozen further releases in various stages of development. More...

Friday Estimates: Dumbo Flies, But Doesn’t Reach Blockbuster Heights

March 30, 2019

Dumbo opened with $15.32 million on Friday. This is weaker than expected, but hardly a bad start. Its reviews are merely mixed, while it got an A minus from CinemaScore, so its legs should be decent. I don’t think it will reach $50 million over the weekend, so it will miss even low end expectations. That said, a $46 million opening is more than enough to get it to $100 million domestically and if it can find an audience internationally, it will break even sometime during its home market run. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Dumbo Doesn’t Fly High During Previews

March 29, 2019

Dumbo earned $2.6 million during its previews, which is on the low end of expectations. It is just a fraction of the $16.3 million Beauty and the Beast managed in 2017. Additionally, this film’s reviews are the weaker and this could also affect its legs. On the other hand, Beauty and the Beast had such massive buzz is was destined to be more front-loaded that Dumbo will be. I still think Dumbo will miss our $58 million prediction, but I don’t think it will be as bad as this number first makes it appear. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: New Releases have Gone Screwy

March 29, 2019

It’s another short week for limited releases. That said, five of the seven films on this week’s list are earning 80% positive reviews or better, so what we lack in quantity, we make up for with quality. On the downside, the film with the best reviews, Diane, is also playing on Video on Demand, so its box office chances are not great. More...

Weekend Predictions: Can Dumbo Soar Like the Original Did?

March 29, 2019

Dumbo essentially has the weekend to itself and should earn first place with ease. Both The Beach Bum and Unplanned are opening in just over 1,000 theaters, but neither is expected to be a major player at the box office. Finally, Hotel Mumbai is expanding into nearly 1,000 theaters and could reach the top ten. At least one of these smaller films will reach the top ten; in fact, all three of them could reach the top ten. However, this is due to really weak competition, not any box office strength these films possess. This weekend last year, Ready Player One led the way with $41 million, while Acrimony earned second place with $17 million. There’s a chance Dumbo will earn more than those two films earned. There’s also a chance Us and Captain Marvel will match those two films at the box office. It should be a good weekend for 2019 in the year-over-year comparison. More...

Theater Averages: Hotel Mumbai is Fully Booked

March 28, 2019

Hotel Mumbai led the way on the theater average chart with an average of $22,016 in 4 theaters during its opening weekend. The only other film in the $10,000 club was Us with an average of $19,010. More...

International Box Office: Captain Marvel Nears $1 Billion Mark

March 28, 2019

Captain Marvel completed the threepeat earning first place on the international chart for the third weekend in a row. It managed $52.1 million in 54 markets over the weekend for totals of $588.8 million internationally and $909.5 million worldwide. The film will have no trouble becoming the seventh installment in the MCU to reach $1 billion worldwide, but it likely won’t rise any higher on the franchise chart. More...

The Angry Birds Movie 2 Trailer 2

March 28, 2019

Animated adventure opens August 16 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Home Market Releases for March 26th, 2019

March 27, 2019

It is an amazing week for home releases. Not only do we have the biggest hit of last winter on this week’s list, but Aquaman is actually worth owning. That’s only the second time I can say that about the D.C.E.U. Additionally, there are a huge number of contenders for Pick of the Week, ranging from Oscar contenders (If Beale Street Could Talk on Blu-ray Combo Pack); limited releases (The Miseducation of Cameron Post: Special Edition Blu-ray); animated imports (My Hero Academia: Two Heroes on Blu-ray); TV movie aimed at teens (Kim Possible on DVD); and classics (For A Few Dollars More: Special Edition Blu-ray). It was an exceptionally close call, but in the end, I went with If Beale Street Could Talk. More...

The Sun is also a Star Trailer

March 27, 2019

Romantic drama starring Yara Shahidi and Charles Melton opens May 17 ... Full Movie Details.

College-bound romantic Daniel Bae and Jamaica-born pragmatist Natasha Kingsley meet—and fall for each other—over one magical day amidst the fervor and flurry of New York City. Sparks immediately fly between these two strangers, who might never have met had fate not given them a little push. But will fate be enough to take these teens from star-crossed to lucky in love? With just hours left on the clock in what looks to be her last day in the U.S., Natasha is fighting against her family’s deportation as fiercely as she’s fighting her budding feelings for Daniel, who is working just as hard to convince her they are destined to be together. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Us vs. Them Wasn’t Even Close

March 26, 2019

Us topped the weekend chart and expectations with $71.12 million during its debut. This was more than double what Captain Marvel earned during this weekend and it helped the overall box office grow 6.8% from last weekend to $148 million. More importantly, this is 14% higher than the same weekend last year. Granted, 2019 is still way behind 2018, but it is chipping away at the deficit and is now behind by 17% or $450 million at $2.15 billion to $2.60 billion. Furthermore, 2019 is no longer an historically bad year at the box office. It used to be the worst year at box office in terms of dollars in over a decade. Now it’s the worst year since 2013 and if April is as good as March was, it could be in the top five best years in box office dollars by the beginning of May. More...

Dora and the Lost City of Gold Trailer

March 25, 2019

Adventure starring Isabela Moner opens August 2 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Featured Blu-ray Review: Pet Sematary

March 25, 2019

For a while, the 1989 version of Pet Sematary was the highest grossing Stephen King film, in terms of raw dollars and not ticket sales. Is it also one of his best adaptations? Finally, is the Blu-ray / 4K Ultra HD release worth the upgrade? More...

Weekend Estimates: Us Appeals to a lot of us with $70 Million Opening

March 24, 2019

Us made the most of its opening weekend with an estimated debut of $70.25 million, which is much higher than even the high end of expectations. If this opening holds, it would be the tenth-biggest March opening, but that’s a big if. It’s just behind 300 and just ahead of The Lorax, so I expect it to change a spot when Monday’s final numbers are released. The film should have reasonable legs going forward, as its reviews are a major asset, while it earned a B from CinemaScore, which is a good result for a horror film. Internationally, the film is opening ahead of Get Out, but far behind its domestic debut with an estimated $16.7 million in 47 markets. This includes the U.K., where it earned $3.7 million during its opening weekend. However, it only cracked $1 million in three other markets: France ($2 million); Germany ($1.4 million); and Spain ($1.2 million). More...

Friday Estimates: Us Ends Captain Marvel’s Run on Top with $29 million

March 23, 2019

Us topped expectations, and even beat Friday’s revisions, with an opening day of $29.06 million on Friday. Universal is projecting an opening weekend of $67 million after this result; however, studios tend to lowball these projections, so there’s a good chance it’ll do even better. That said, it would be wise to treat the movie like a horror sequel when it comes to predicting its legs. Granted, its reviews are more than 90% positive, and it earned a B from CinemaScore. That might seem low, but it is actually quite strong for a horror film. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Us Scares up $7.4 million in Previews

March 22, 2019

Us opened with $7.4 million in previews, which is far better than expected. In fact, it’s not that far behind the $7.7 million earned by the most recent Halloween film. That film opened with $76.22 million during its opening weekend, but it was also playing right before Halloween, so that had an effect on the multiplier. Even so, with stellar reviews and being a new IP, Us should have decent legs and top our $54 million prediction. In fact, $60 million to $65 million seems more likely at this moment. We will know more this time tomorrow when the Friday Estimates come out. More...

John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum Trailer 2

March 22, 2019

Action movie starring Keanu Reeves opens May 17 ... Full Movie Details.

John Wick returns with a $14 million price tag on his head and an army of bounty-hunting killers on his trail. After killing a member of the shadowy international assassin’s guild, the High Table, John Wick is excommunicado, but the world’s most ruthless hit men and women await his every turn. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: New Releases are Getting Lost in a Maze

March 22, 2019

I missed last week. Last week there were a number of films that earned great reviews. This week, none of the films with more than a handful of reviews are doing well enough to be optimistic about their box office chances. Both Buddy and Maze are earning 100% positive reviews, so maybe one of them will beat the odds. More...

Weekend Predictions: Us will be Lonely at the Top

March 21, 2019

Us is the only wide release of the week and it should easily earn top spot on the box office chart. It won’t dominate the box office chart, as Captain Marvel should still be a powerful draw this weekend. Unfortunately, there will be a huge gap between those two films and the rest of the box office, as no other movie is expected to crack $10 million at the box office. Fortunately, this weekend last year wasn’t particularly strong. Granted, there were five films that earned more than $10 million over the weekend, but the best, Pacific Rim: Uprising, only managed $28.12 million. There’s a chance the top two films this year will earn more than the top five did last year, giving 2019 only its third win of the year so far. It would also be its third win in a row. More...

Theater Averages: Real Horse Race on Top of the Chart

March 21, 2019

The Mustang topped the theater average chart with an average of $17,914 in four theaters. Last week’s number one film, Captain Marvel, slipped to second with a still impressive average of $15,775. The final film in the $10,000 club was The Aftermath with an average of $11,284 in five theaters. More...

International Box Office: Captain Marvel Hits $750 million Worldwide in Two Weeks

March 20, 2019

Captain Marvel continued to dominated the competition earning first place on the international chart with $119.7 million in 54 markets for totals of $494.0 million internationally and $758.9 million worldwide. This is already ahead of 10 previous installments in the MCU. The film opened in its last market, Japan, earning first place with $5.6 million. It also earned $23.83 million in China for a two-week total of $131.84 million. This is down by 72% from its opening weekend, which is a sharp decline, even for China, but not a disaster. The film held on better in the rest of the international markets; in fact, on average, it held on better than it did here. This puts $1 billion worldwide within reach, likely by next week, and it might even reach the top five for the MCU. More...

Home Market Releases for March 19th, 2019

March 20, 2019

It is a strong week on the home market with two major releases, Mary Poppins Returns and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, both of which are worth picking up. There are also several smaller releases that are contenders for Pick of the Week, including Born in East L.A., Detour: The Criterion Collection, and Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection: Volume 10.2. However, as good as those releases are, the Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse DVD / Blu-ray / 4K Ultra HD is the clear choice for Pick of the Week. More...

Toy Story 4 Trailer

March 19, 2019

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

Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

March 18, 2019

Before Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse was released, there was some trepidation among the fans. It wasn’t connected to the MCU and Sony’s non-MCU Spider-Man offerings have been weak to awful. However, the film earned stunning reviews and even went on to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. Is it as good as this? Or was it praised because it topped low, low expectations by such a large degree? More...

Penguins Trailer

March 18, 2019

Nature documentary opens Earth Day (April 17) ... Full Movie Details. More...

Weekend Estimates: Captain Marvel Continues to Fly High, Most New Releases Open Strong

March 17, 2019

Captain Marvel will remain in top spot on the weekend chart with an estimated $69.32 million, giving it a two-week total of $266.21 million. This is higher than predicted and a 55% decline bodes well for its future. It is already ahead of the lifetime domestic totals of eight previous installments in the MCU and it will quickly rise into the top ten. Internationally, the film added $119.7 million to its running tally, which now sits at $494.0 million, while its worldwide total rose to $760.2 million. Yesterday, I said the film could be in the top ten for the MCU. If these estimates hold, it will miss that mark by about $10 million. In fact, given its holds this weekend, it has a pathway to enter the top five. The film’s only, and last, new international opening was Japan. There the film’s estimated weekend opening was $5.6 million, which was the highest opening for a standalone film in the MCU. Meanwhile, outside of China, the film held on even better than it did domestically. China tends to be a very front-loaded market, but the film held on well enough there to get to $132.0 million after just two weeks, making it the fourth highest grossing film in the MCU already. It is even better in Indonesia where its two week total of $16.1 million is the fourth highest total of all-time. We will have more details on the international numbers later in the week. More...

Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: Mary Poppins Returns

March 17, 2019

Mary Poppins Returns was widely expected to be the big hit of last December and it was almost assumed it would be a monster hit. Most people expected the film to cruise past $250 million domestically and many thought it would top $300 million with ease. It barely topped $300 million worldwide. Its reviews weren’t bad, but it isn’t considered a classic like the original. Is that the issue? Is it simply a matter of expectations being too high for this film, or any film, to match? More...

Friday Estimates: Captain Marvel Hits $200 million Domestically and $600 million Worldwide

March 16, 2019

Captain Marvel held on a little better than expected to earn $19.05 million on Friday, which pushes it past the $200 million mark in just 8 days. This is 69% lower than its opening Friday, but is still a fantastic start to its sophomore weekend. In fact, it should top our prediction with $68 million over the full weekend for a two week total of nearly $265 million. Disney hasn’t released Friday’s international numbers, but it is widely expected to top $400 million internationally and $600 million worldwide. The film has already surpassed five previous installments in the MCU on the worldwide chart and did so in just eight days. By the end of the weekend, it could be in the top ten for the franchise. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Which Limited Releases Will Crack the Case of the Box Office?

March 15, 2019

It’s a good week for limited releases with a lot of different films. This includes some made for mainstream appeal (Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase and No Manches Frida 2) as well as more art house fair (The Mustang and Starfish). There are even some documentaries (Combat Obscura and The Eyes of Orson Welles) and foreign-language films (Ash is Purest White and Iceman). I just hope the competition isn’t too much and at least some of these films thrive in theaters. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Five Feet Barely Ahead of Wonder Park

March 15, 2019

As expected, Five Feet Apart led the way when it came to previews; however, Wonder Park made it a very close race. The young adult adaptation earned $715,000 during its previews, which isn’t a good start for a film like this. Then again, it has been a while since this genre had a good start. Unfortunately, the film’s reviews are not good enough to suggest things will turn around during the rest of the weekend. That said, it likely won’t miss our prediction by a huge margin either. More...

After Trailer

March 15, 2019

Thriller starring Josephine Langford and Hero Fiennes Tiffin opens April 12 ... Full Movie Details.

Tessa, a dedicated student, dutiful daughter and loyal girlfriend to her high school sweetheart, enters her first semester in college. Armed with grand ambitions for her future, her guarded world opens up when she meets the dark and mysterious Hardin Scott, a magnetic, brooding rebel who makes her question all she thought she knew about herself and what she wants out of life. More...

Weekend Predictions: Will Captain Marvel Give the New Releases Room to Breathe?

March 15, 2019

Captain Marvel will undoubetedly dominate the box office again this weekend with some thinking it will avoid a 50% drop-off. I think that is overly optimistic, but there are some good signs. This includes a lack of top-notch new releases. Wonder Park is the biggest new release, at least in terms of theater count, but it also has the worst reviews of the three wide releases. Five Feet Apart has better reviews, but they can best be described as mixed. Meanwhile, Captive State still has barely any reviews and its buzz is so quiet that it might not top the Mendoza Line. Finally, some sources have Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase opening wide, but that isn’t happening. That’s too bad, because if it were opening wide, it would have the best reviews of the weekend. This weekend last year, Black Panther completed its month at the top of the chart, while Tomb Raider was the best new releases. Those two films earned almost exactly $50 million combined, which Captain Marvel will top by itself, leading 2019 to the victory in the year-over-year comparison. More...

Captain Marvel has a Glorious Opening

March 14, 2019

Captain Marvel led the way on the Theater Average Chart, but it didn’t dominate like it did on the overall weekend chart. It did earn the best average of the year so far at $35,599. The second place film, Gloria Bell, had the third best theater average of the year so far with an average of $29,044 in five theaters. Finally, Babylon opened with $21,214 in its lone theater, which is enough for the seventh place for the year. It was a good weekend at the box office. More...

Avengers: Endgame Trailer 2

March 14, 2019

The grand finale opens worldwide May 3 ... Full Movie Details. More...

International Box Office: Captain Marvel Takes Command of the Box Office

March 14, 2019

Captain Marvel dominated the international chart even more than it dominated the domestic chart earning $302.0 million in 53 markets during its opening weekend for a worldwide debut of $455.3 million. Unsurprisingly, the film’s biggest market was China, where it earned $86.57 million over the weekend for a total opening of $88.86 million in the market. The film’s second best market was South Korea, where it earned $18.11 million in 2,098 screens for a total opening of $23.98 million. The film managed $16.59 million on 655 theaters in the U.K. and $13.3 million in Brazil. The film also cracked $10 million in Mexico ($12.71 million); Indonesia ($10.8 million); and Russia ($10.71 million). The only market the film didn’t open in is Japan, but it opens there this weekend. More...

Home Market Releases for March 12th, 2019

March 13, 2019

It’s not a good week on the home market. There are some big releases, like Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, but none of them are good. There are a couple of contenders for Pick of the Week, but the The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends: The Complete Series DVD is a re-release at a more reasonable price, while it is worth waiting to get the The Miseducation of Cameron Post: Special Edition Blu-ray. In the end, I went with a late screener, The Forbidden Photos Of A Lady Above Suspicion: Collector’s Edition Blu-ray. It is definitely the best bet for fans of Giallo and / or Film Noir. More...

Aladdin Trailer

March 12, 2019

Fairytale adventure starring Mena Massound, Naomi Scott, and Will Smith opens May 24 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Captain Marvel Cracks $150 million During Debut

March 12, 2019

That burst of hot air you feel is box office analysts and movie executives breathing a sigh of relief as 2019 finally has its first win in the year-over-year comparison. Captain Marvel beat expectations earning $153.43 million over the weekend. This is more than the entire box office earned last weekend, helping the box office grow 85% week-over-week to $209 million. The year-over-year growth wasn’t as explosive, but this was still 51% more than the same weekend last year. 2019 is still way behind 2018, $480 million or 22% to be more precise at $1.75 billion to $2.23 billion. However, this gap is about 10% smaller than it was this time last week, so while 2019 has a long, long way to go to catch up to 2018, it at least looks like it is possible instead of just wishful thinking. More...

Featured Blu-ray Review: The Forbidden Photos Of A Lady Above Suspicion

March 11, 2019

The Forbidden Photos Of A Lady Above Suspicion is a relatively early Giallo film made by a director, Luciano Ercoli. Neither this film nor the director are among the best-known names in this genre. Does it deserve to be seen by more? Or is there a reason it doesn’t get the same level of recognition as other films in its genre? More...

The Curse of La Llorona Trailer

March 11, 2019

Horror movie starring Linda Cardellini opens April 19 ... Full Movie Details.

La Llorona. The Weeping Woman. A horrifying apparition, caught between Heaven and Hell, trapped in a terrible fate sealed by her own hand. In life, she drowned her children in a jealous rage, throwing herself in the churning river after them as she wept in pain. Now her tears are eternal, and those who hear her death call in the night are doomed. La Llorona creeps in the shadows and preys on the children, desperate to replace her own. In 1970s Los Angeles, La Llorona is stalking the night—and the children. Ignoring the eerie warning of a troubled mother suspected of child endangerment, a social worker and her own small kids are soon drawn into a frightening supernatural realm. Their only hope to survive La Llorona’s deadly wrath may be a disillusioned priest and the mysticism he practices to keep evil at bay, on the fringes where fear and faith collide. Beware of her chilling wail… she will stop at nothing to lure you into the gloom. More...

Weekend Estimates: Captain Marvel Starts Higher. Further. Faster.

March 10, 2019

Captain Marvel is opening with $153.0 million over the weekend, according to Disney’s estimate. This is on the high end of the studio’s projections based on Friday’s estimates. Additionally, it is more than the entire box office pulled in this weekend last year, as well as the third biggest March opening and the seventh biggest opening in the MCU. The film is already the biggest domestic hit of 2019 and the fifth-biggest hit worldwide. Its legs should be relatively long for a blockbuster, as it earned certified fresh reviews and a solid A from CinemaScore. More...

Friday Estimates: Captain Marvel Sets 2019 Weekend Record in One Day

March 9, 2019

It took just one day for Captain Marvel to set the record for biggest 2019 weekend, as it dominated the chart with $61.38 million. In fact, it is already in sixth place on the 2019 domestic chart, just behind Alita: Battle Angel. The reviews are on the lower end of the MCU average, but that says more about the high quality of the MCU than the low quality of the film, as its Tomatometer Score is 79% positive. The audience reactions are even more positive; Disney released its CinemaScore and it is a solid A. The film should have no trouble topping our prediction with Disney projecting a $145 million to $155 million weekend. I think they are being a little conservative here, but we will see tomorrow when the weekend estimates show up. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: There are some Glorious Films to Watch this Weekend

March 8, 2019

There are not many releases on this week’s list. However, most of the ones here are earning reviews that are well over 90% positive, so it is a week where quality reigns over quantity. Of these films, Gloria Bell has the best shot at earning some measure of mainstream success. More...

Thursday Night Previews: $20.7 million Debut for Captain Marvel

March 8, 2019

Captain Marvel earned $20.7 million during its Thursday previews, which is easily the best of the year so far. This is nearly double Wonder Woman’s start and enough for fifth best in the MCU. It isn’t too far back from the $25.2 million Black Panther managed last year, although previews for this film started at 6 pm rather than 7 pm. I’m a little concerned about the film’s legs. Its reviews are great for a potential blockbuster, but below those earned by Black Panther, Wonder Woman, etc. Additionally, I think this film has a stronger Fangirl Effect in play and that will shorten its legs. On the positive side, Spring Break is starting for a significant number of students, so that should help its legs somewhat. That said, it would have to have really short legs for the film to not top our $140 million prediction. We will have a better idea where it’s going tomorrow when the Friday Estimates come in. More...

Late Night Trailer

March 8, 2019

Comedy starring Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson opens June 7 ... Full Movie Details.

Katherine Newbury is a pioneer and legendary host on the late-night talk-show circuit. When she’s accused of being a “woman who hates women,” she puts affirmative action on the to-do list, and—presto!—Molly is hired as the one woman in Katherine’s all-male writers’ room. But Molly might be too little too late, as the formidable Katherine also faces the reality of low ratings and a network that wants to replace her. Molly, wanting to prove she’s not simply a diversity hire who’s disrupting the comfort of the brotherhood, is determined to help Katherine by revitalizing her show and career—and possibly effect even bigger change at the same time. More...

Weekend Predictions: Will Captain Marvel have a Marvelous Start?

March 7, 2019

This should easily be the best weekend of 2019 as Captain Marvel is widely expected to become the biggest domestic hit of 2019 and it should take just three days to get there. It could take just two days to get there. This film has no competition, at least when it comes to this year. However, the main competition is Black Panther, A Wrinkle in Time, and the rest of the box office from this weekend last year. Those films pulled in $139 million and hopefully Captain Marvel will top that by itself. More...

Theater Averages: Climactic Results Over the Weekend

March 7, 2019

It was a really busy week on the Theater Average Chart with a ton of films to talk about, including six films in the $10,000 club. This list was led by Climax with an average of $23,885 in five theaters. Transit was next with an average of $15,966 in two theaters. Giant Little Ones and Apollo 11 had nearly identical averages of $13,500 and $13,392 respectively, but were playing in vastly different number of theaters at 1 and 120 respectively. Furie was a surprise entry in the $10,000 club with an average of $11,151 in 14 theaters. There was only one wide release in the $10,000 club, as Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral earned an average of $11,082. More...

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu Trailer

March 7, 2019

Adventure starring Ryan Reynolds opens May 10 ... Full Movie Details. More...

International Box Office: Dragons Regain Top Spot

March 7, 2019

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World returned to first place on the international chart in almost exactly a month. It earned $54.9 million in 60 markets for totals of $280.9 million internationally and $378.6 million worldwide. The film debuted in first place in China with $33.38 million in approximately 10,000 theaters. It has yet to open in Japan and could break even before it gets there. It depends on how long its legs are and how much its advertising budget was. More...

Home Market Releases for March 5th, 2019

March 6, 2019

It’s a weird week at the box office. There are no massive releases; Creed II, is by far the biggest release of the week. However, there are a ton of releases that would make the regular list in a normal week, but have been pushed into the Secondary Blu-ray list, mainly because I have nothing to say about them. There are some contenders for Pick of the Week, including The Favourite on Blu-ray Combo Pack and Liz and the Blue Bird on Blu-ray. It came down to a literally coin-toss here and The Favourite won. More...

Shazam! Trailer

March 5, 2019

Superhero adventure starring Zachary Levi and Asher Angel opens April 5 ... Full Movie Details.

We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson’s case, by shouting out one word—SHAZAM!—this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam, courtesy of an ancient wizard. Still a kid at heart—inside a ripped, godlike body—Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he’ll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Dragons Don’t Dominate, as Madea Makes the Most of its Final Debut

March 4, 2019

2019 has hit its low point, I hope. While Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral opened faster than anticipated, Greta couldn’t pull its weight and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World slipped faster than expected. The overall box office fell 9.4% from last weekend to $113 million. Worse still, this is 23% lower than the same weekend last year. Unfortunately, this is actually better than average for the year so far, as 2019 is now 26% or $540 million behind 2018’s pace at $1.51 billion to $2.04 billion. Fortunately, Captain Marvel should help things turn around when the film debuts in a few days. More...

Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: Instant Family

March 4, 2019

Instant Family earned 81% positive reviews, but struggled at the box office. It wasn’t a bomb exactly, but it only managed just over $110 million worldwide on a $48 million budget. Did it deserve more? Or is the Tomatometer Score a little deceptive? More...

Featured Blu-ray Review: Double Dragon

March 4, 2019

Double Dragon came out 25 years ago. It failed to find an audience in theaters and one look at its reviews explains why. Is it as bad as its reviews / box office struggles? Or does it deserve to find a more receptive audience 25 years after it first came out? More...

X-Men: Dark Phoenix Trailer

March 4, 2019

Superhero action movie starring Sophie Turner opens June 7 ... Full Movie Details.

The X-Men face their most formidable and powerful foe: one of their own, Jean Grey. During a rescue mission in space, Jean is nearly killed when she is hit by a mysterious cosmic force. Once she returns home, this force not only makes her infinitely more powerful, but far more unstable. Wrestling with this entity inside her, Jean unleashes her powers in ways she can neither comprehend nor contain. With Jean spiraling out of control, and hurting the ones she loves most, she begins to unravel the very fabric that holds the X-Men together. Now, with this family falling apart, they must find a way to unite—not only to save Jean’s soul, but to save our very planet from aliens who wish to weaponize this force and rule the galaxy. More...

Weekend Estimates: Dragons Stay Afloat, Medea Ends on a High Note

March 3, 2019

According to estimates, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World really bounced back on Saturday and its Sunday number will help it earn first place over the weekend with $30.05 million. This is lower than predictions and a sophomore decline of 48% is a little steep for a family film. That said, the film is nearly at $100 million domestically after just 10 days and its worldwide total is at $375 million, again according to estimates. The film opened in first place in China with $33.38 million in approximately 10,000 locations. The film’s only remaining major market is Japan, but it doesn’t open there until August. In the meantime, the film should have little trouble getting to $500 million worldwide before then. More...

Friday Estimates: Medea Takes on Dragons and Wins

March 2, 2019

Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral got off to a faster than expected start on Friday earning $9.2 million. This might be enough to keep it in first place over the full weekend. It depends on its legs. Its reviews are only 29% positive, which normally would be a disaster, but the Madea franchise has been critic-proof for its entire history, so this really shouldn’t have an effect and opening with $26 million or more is likely. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Climactic Change in Pace

March 1, 2019

After two weeks of almost no releases, there are nearly 30 limited releases coming out this week. However, it’s a case of quantity above quality, for the most part, as the majority of films have no or almost no reviews. That said, the majority of films with a substantial number of reviews are earning overwhelmingly positive reviews. Some of these films, like Climax and Apollo 11, are even earning a combination of amazing reviews and loud buzz. Hopefully this means we will have some hits on this week’s list and the competition won’t sink everyone’s chances. More...

The Angry Birds Movie 2 Trailer

March 1, 2019

Animated adventure opens August 16 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Funeral Springs to Life

March 1, 2019

Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral got off to a great start by earning $1.1 million during previews on Thursday. This is the biggest previews result for a Tyler Perry film, topping the $1 million Acrimony earned last year. Madea tends to attract older women who are the demographic least likely to rush out for previews, so this start is more impressive than its raw number would suggest. The early reviews are mixed, which is better than expected, but there are only four reviews on Rotten Tomatoes at the moment, so that could change rapidly. More...

2019 Preview: March

March 1, 2019

2019 has been terrible so far and by the end of February, will be about half a billion dollars behind 2018’s pace. March should be the first step in 2019’s attempt to recover from this hole it has dug for itself. Captain Marvel will be the biggest film of the year so far and tracking has it opening with more than $100 million during the second weekend of March. While that film is undoubtedly going to become the biggest hit of the month, it isn’t the only potential hit opening in March, as both Us and Dumbo are expected to earn $100 million domestically; Dumbo might even top $200 million domestically. As for last March, there were only two films that hit $100 million, A Wrinkle in Time and Ready Player One, and neither of them came close to $200 million. There’s a slim chance this March will be better than last year, even if we ignore Captain Marvel. We could cut the deficit in half by the end of the month, if everything goes well. Then again, if everything went well during the first two months of the year, we wouldn’t be in such a deep hole at this point. More...

The Numbers News - March 2019

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