The Numbers News - July 2019

July 31, 2019

The Lion King remained in first place on the overall chart and the theater average chart. It managed an average of $16,216 on the latter, putting it ahead of Honeyland, which landed in second place with an average of $15,000 in two theaters. The Farewell remained in the $10,000 club with an average of $11,246 in 135 theaters. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood was the final film in the $10,000 club with an average of $11,228. More...

International Box Office: Lion King Remains Top Dog

July 31, 2019

The Lion King remained in first place on the international chart earning $142.8 million in 53 markets for totals of $611.9 million internationally and $962.7 million worldwide. The film’s only opening this weekend was in Hong Kong, where it earned $2.0 million opening in first place. The film has yet to open in Italy and Japan, so it will have no trouble getting to $1 billion before it finishes its international run. More...

Brittany Runs a Marathon Trailer

July 31, 2019

Drama starring Jillian Bell opens August 23 ... Full Movie Details.

Brittany Forgler is a hilarious, friendly, hot mess of a New Yorker who always knows how to have a good time, but at 27, her late-night adventures and early-morning walks-of-shame are starting to catch up to her. When she stops by a Yelp-recommended doctor's office in an attempt to score some Adderall, she finds herself slapped with a prescription she never wanted. Forced to face reality for the first time in a long time, Brittany laces up her Converse and runs one sweaty block. The next day, she runs two. Soon she runs a mile. Brittany finally has direction—but is she on the right path? More...

Home Market Releases for July 30th, 2019

July 31, 2019

Avengers: Endgame is coming out on Video on Demand and it is scaring away all of the competition. It is a really shallow week, but there are several contenders for Pick of the Week. The biggest first run Blu-ray release of the week is Long Shot and it is among the contenders. As is Bojack Horseman and The Good Place. However, in the end I went with The Thin Man on Blu-ray, because I really want the full series to come out sooner rather than later. More...

After the Wedding Trailer

July 30, 2019

Drama starring Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore, and Billy Crudup opens August 9 ... Full Movie Details.

The manager of an orphanage in Kolkata travels to New York to meet a benefactor, who, she discovers, is married to a man from her past. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Once Upon a Time has a Fairy Tale Start

July 30, 2019

It was a mixed weekend at the box office with Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood becoming Quentin Tarantino’s biggest opening film in his career, but The Lion King falling much faster than expected. The overall box office was down 38% from last weekend, hitting $162 million. However, this was 4.1% more than the same weekend last year and that’s a much more important result. 2019 is still behind 2018 by a 6.4% or $460 million margin at $6.73 billion to $7.19 billion, but at this point, I will celebrate any victory, no matter how small. More...

Bennett’s War Trailer

July 29, 2019

Drama starring Michael Roark and Allison Paige opens August 30 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: Long Shot

July 29, 2019

Long Shot is a romantic comedy starring Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen that opened in May. It missed expectations at the box office barely matching its $40 million production budget worldwide. Was there a reason moviegoers were smart to stay away? Or was it an unfortunate victim of a soft box office? More...

Weekend Estimates: Hollywood Can’t Tame Lion King

July 28, 2019

As expected, The Lion King is easily topping the box office chart this weekend. Unfortunately, it is doing so despite falling much faster than expected, down 61% to an estimated $75.52 million during its third weekend of release for a running tally of $350.78 million. Fortunately, it could still be on pace to reach $500 million domestically, while it earned $142.8 million internationally for totals of $611.9 million internationally and $962.7 million worldwide. It will reach $1 billion shortly, making it yet another profitable disappointment. We’ve had too many of those this year, but I guess it is better than having these films lose money. More...

Friday Estimates: The Lion King Plummets, Hollywood Celebrates

July 27, 2019

The Lion King had a decidedly un-family-friendly fall on Friday, earning $22.30 million. This is 71% lower than the film’s opening Friday and this is a terrible result for a family film. The movie will bounce back over the rest of the weekend, but a 60% decline to about $76 million is much lower than our prediction. Granted, the movie will still make more than enough money to break even, but it will be yet another profitable disappointment. We’ve had far too many of those and not enough films matching their potential at the box office this year. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Hollywood is Quentin Tarantino’s Fastest Debut

July 26, 2019

Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood earned $5.8 million during previews on Thursday, making it the fastest starting film in Quentin Tarantino’s career. Granted, his most recent film, The Hateful Eight, came out in December of 2015 and it was a box office disappointment. Meanwhile, his biggest hit, Django Unchained, came out in December of 2012 and midnight previews have come a long way since then. That said, this is still an impressive opening and does put the film on pace to beat Quentin Tarantino’s top opening in his career with about $40 million. Add in its reviews and it should last long enough to break even relatively soon. More...

Zombieland: Double Tap Trailer

July 26, 2019

Action comedy starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin opens October 18 ... Full Movie Details.

After a fight between Columbus and Wichita creates a deep rift in the make-shift family that causes Little Rock to leave with a strange man, the group must band together to find Little Rock and mend the family ties. Facing new kinds of zombies along the way, the group are forced to adjust their strategies until they find an incredible new zombie hunter known only as Nevada. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: Staying Grounded

July 26, 2019

It is an interesting week on the limited release front as there are four films that are earning 100% positive reviews, including three documentaries. I think this level of competition might be too much for any of them to thrive. Additionally, the only non-documentary to earn perfect reviews so far is The Ground Beneath My Feet, a foreign-language film. More...

Weekend Predictions: Once Upon a Time at the Box Office

July 25, 2019

Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood is Quentin Tarantino’s first film in four years and it is generating a ton of buzz. However, it is going up against The Lion King, which set records last weekend and has a slim chance at $100 million this weekend. Fortunately, the two films don’t share much of their respective target audiences, so they shouldn’t cannibalize each other at the box office too much. As a result, 2019 should easily beat the same weekend last year in the year-over-year competition. It is too soon to get excited about a potential comeback, but any victory is worth celebrating when you are this far behind. More...

Gemini Man Trailer

July 25, 2019

Action movie starring Will Smith, directed by Ang Lee opens October 11 ... Full Movie Details.

Henry Brogan is an elite assassin who is suddenly targeted and pursued by a mysterious young operative that seemingly can predict his every move. More...

Theater Averages: Lion King Says Goodbye to the Competition

July 25, 2019

The Lion King not only earned first place on the overall chart, but it topped the theater average chart with an average of $40,586. Last week’s winner, The Farewell, landed in second place with an average of $32,723. David Crosby: Remember My Name was the final film in the $10,000 club earning an average of $10,871 in four theaters. More...

International Box Office: Lion King has a Regal Expansion

July 24, 2019

After an early start in China, The Lion King expanded nearly worldwide earning $269.4 million in 52 markets for two-week totals of $346.0 million internationally and $537.8 million worldwide. The film’s best new market was the U.K. at $20.84 million in 713 theaters, but France wasn’t too far behind at $19.6 million. It also had stellar starts in Mexico ($18.43 million) and Brazil ($17.9 million), as well as is in Russia ($17.06 million). Other major markets include Australia where it earned with $14.46 million over the weekend for a total opening of $17.43 million and in South Korea with $13.44 million over the weekend for a total opening of $17.45 million. The film has yet to open in Japan and Italy and it will be over $1 billion before it gets there. More...

Home Market Releases for July 23rd, 2019

July 24, 2019

We are still in the summer doldrums on the home market. The biggest first run release of the week is Alita: Battle Angel, which is much better than its box office numbers and one of the best releases on this week’s list. Other contenders for Pick of the Week include Do the Right Thing and Nichijou: My Ordinary Life: The Complete Series. In the end, I went with Nichijou: My Ordinary Life: The Complete Series. In part because it is an amazing series, but also in part in solidarity with the victims of the Kyoto Animation arson attack. More...

Harriet Trailer

July 24, 2019

Real-life drama starring Cynthia Erivo opens November 1 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Featured Blu-ray Review: Double Impact: Collector’s Edition

July 23, 2019

Double Impact stars Jean-Claude Van Damme playing twins with opposite personalities, which was the actor’s idea. The film’s 28% positive reviews is, sadly, about average for his career at this point, but it got a Blu-ray special edition at the end of May. Does it deserve to find a new audience? Or is this for hardcore JCVD fans only? More...

David Crosby: Remember My Name Trailer

July 23, 2019

Musical documentary opened July 19 ... Full Movie Details.

A cultural force for over fifty years, David Crosby faced an uncertain future after the 2015 dissolution of Crosby, Stills and Nash. Racked with health issues and personal obstacles, Crosby forged a new path at the age of 76. Seeking out younger musicians and recording a pair of critically praised new albums, Crosby now sets out to make a mark in a world now so different from the generation he came to define in the 1960s. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: The Lion King Reigns Over July Record Book

July 23, 2019

The Lion King finished on the very high end of expectations opening with $191.77 million topping the previous July weekend record by well over $20 million. It also made more than the rest of the weekend box office combined, as the total weekend haul was $263 million. In fact, The Lion King made more than the entire box office made last weekend ($126 million) and this weekend last year ($172 million). Needless to say, there was strong growth both week-over-week at 109% and year-over-year at 53%. Granted, 2019 is still well back from 2018’s pace, down 7.1% or $490 million at $6.44 billion compared to $6.93 billion, but at least that gap is down significantly from where it was last week. More...

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Trailer

July 22, 2019

Real-life drama starring opens November 22 ... Full Movie Details.

After a jaded magazine writer is assigned a profile of Fred Rogers, he overcomes his skepticism, learning about empathy, kindness, and decency from America’s most beloved neighbor. Based on the true story of a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod. More...

Weekend Estimates: Lion King is Deadly to the Competition, and the Record Book

July 21, 2019

The Lion King is setting records this weekend with a projected opening of $185.0 million, destroying the previous July weekend record of $169.19 million, set by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II. This is also the biggest opening for an animated film and biggest opening of any of Disney’s “live-action” remakes. Additionally, not only is the film getting off to a faster than expected start, it should have good legs. Granted, its reviews are mixed, but it is a family film and it did earn an A from CinemaScore, so that should help its longevity. Additionally, the next family film is Dora and the Lost City of Gold, which has only about a 50/50 chance of reaching $100 million in total. As for the film’s international numbers, it added $269.4 million in 52 markets to its early international total, which now sits at $346.0 million, while its worldwide total is already $531.0 million. The film didn’t set many records internationally, but it is earning the second-biggest opening weekend in Brazil with $17.9 million and in Russia at $16.7 million. This would have looked a lot more impressive had Endgame hadn’t set so many records earlier this year, but more on that in a bit. More...

Friday Estimates: Lion King Stampedes the Box Office with $78 million

July 20, 2019

The Lion King was widely expected to be a monster hit; however, this year there have been countless potential monster hits that have missed expectations. There have been so many that I deemed it wise to be a little more pessimistic in my predictions to prevent being disappointed yet again. Turns out I didn’t need to worry, as the film earned $78 million on Friday. It wasn’t able to match the record for biggest July day; however, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II was the epitome of a Fanboy Film and had very short legs in theaters. The Lion King should have longer legs. Granted, its reviews won’t help, but it did earn an A from CinemaScore, so it is clear its target audience are a lot happier with the film. I still don’t think the legs will be great, but it should top the July weekend record with around $180 million. The industry needed this good news, and it doesn’t end there, as every other film in the top five either matched or exceeded expectations. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Lion King Breaks Records and Sets Eye on Harry Potter

July 19, 2019

The Lion King broke records for the biggest previews earning $23 million on Thursday. This is the best for a so-called live-action Disney remake topping Beauty and the Beast’s previous record of $16.3 million. This is also the biggest preview for an animated film overtaking Incredibles 2’s previous record of $18.5 million. This should put it on pace to have the biggest opening weekend in July, a record that is currently held by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II at $169.19 million. The ability to get there depends on if the audiences like the movie more than the critics did. We will know tomorrow when the CinemaScore is released. More...

Cats Trailer

July 19, 2019

Musical with an ensemble cast led by Francesca Hayward, Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, and Judi Dench opens December 20 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: For the Luz

July 19, 2019

It’s an odd week for limited releases, as at first glance there were so many films coming out this week that I feared I would have to be a little more judicious when it came to trimming the list to a manageable size. However, it turns out that wasn’t a problem, as so many films have no, or almost no, reviews. There are some films that are worth checking out, but I don’t know if any of them will find an audience. Rosie does have the best shot, but even then, I’m not bullish about its chances. David Crosby: Remember My Name, I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians, and Luz also deserve to find audiences, but they all have serious obstacles in their way. More...

Weekend Predictions: Will Lion King Live Up to the Hype?

July 18, 2019

The Lion King has the weekend to itself and it is widely expected to have one of the biggest openings of the year. This is true, despite its mixed reviews. In fact, it should earn more during its opening day than the rest of the top five will earn combined over the full weekend. It should also easily earn more than the top five earned this weekend last year, giving 2019 a rare win in the year-over-year competition. More...

Theater Averages: Endgame Bids Farewell to One of Its Records

July 18, 2019

The Farewell topped the theater average chart with an average of $87,833 in four theaters. This was not only the best of the weekend, it overtook Avengers: Endgame for the best theater average of the year. Anytime a film does better than Endgame, it is serious reason to celebrate. The Art of Self-Defense was well back with an average of $16,339 in seven theaters. This is still a good start, but I don’t know if it is good enough for its planned wide expansion. The final film in the $10,000 club was Sword of Trust with an average of $11,256 in two theaters. More...

Ad Astra Trailer

July 18, 2019

Sci-fi thriller starring Brad Pitt opens September 20 ... Full Movie Details.

Astronaut Roy McBride travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father and unravel a mystery that threatens the survival of our planet. His journey will uncover secrets that challenge the nature of human existence and our place in the cosmos. More...

International Box Office: Spider-Man’s Worldwide Vacation

July 18, 2019

Spider-Man: Far from Home ended its international run by opening in Italy this past weekend and this helped it remain in top spot on the international chart. Overall, the film pulled in $97.50 million on 30,559 screens in 86 markets for totals of $569.88 million internationally and $844.47 million worldwide. The film earned first place in Italy with $4.38 million on 829 screens over the weekend for a four-day opening of $6.08 million. If we compare just the three-day weekend, which is unfair to Far From Home, this result is still 45% more than Homecoming’s debut in that market. The film’s top holdover was South Korea, where it remained in first place with $9.80 million on 1,708 screens over the weekend for a two-week total of $48.97 million. China wasn’t too far behind with $9.61 million over the weekend for a three-week total of $192.18 million. The film has very likely overtaken Homecoming at the global box office by the time you read this and could top $1 billion this weekend, assuming The Lion King doesn’t take too big a bite out of Far from Home’s box office numbers. More...

Home Market Releases for July 16th, 2019

July 18, 2019

It’s the middle of summer, at least according to the movie industry, which explains why there are so few prime releases this weekend. In fact, after Shazam!, there’s almost nothing here that can be considered a real box office hit. As for the competition for Pick of the Week, well, that list is just as short with only one contender from this week, Klute: Criterion Collection. Although both late reviews, Bachman (DVD or Blu-ray) and Furie (DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack), are worth picking up as well. More...

Playing with Fire Trailer

July 17, 2019

Comedy starring John Cena, Brianna Hildebrand, and Keegan-Michael Key opens November 8 ... Full Movie Details.

A crew of rugged fighters meet their match when attempting to rescue three rambunctious kids. More...

Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: Furie

July 17, 2019

Furie is a Vietnamese martial arts movie that many compared to Taken. The film earned stellar reviews and did incredibly well in limited release for a foreign-language film. Did it deserve this success? Or did it get lucky? More...

Good Boys Trailer

July 16, 2019

Comedy starring Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, and Brady Noon opens August 16 ... Full Movie Details.

After being invited to his first kissing party, 12-year-old Max is panicking because he doesn’t know how to kiss. Eager for some pointers, Max and his best friends Thor and Lucas decide to use Max’s dad’s drone—which Max is forbidden to touch—to spy (they think) on a teenage couple making out next door. But when things go ridiculously wrong, the drone is destroyed. Desperate to replace it before Max’s dad gets home, the boys skip school and set off on an odyssey of epically bad decisions involving some accidentally stolen drugs, frat-house paintball, and running from both the cops and terrifying teenage girls. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Spider-Man Repeats on Top, but 2019 Takes Another Hit

July 16, 2019

It was a mixed weekend at the box office. On the one hand, nearly every film in the top five topped expectations, albeit by small margins in most cases. This includes Spider-Man: Far From Home, which led the way with $45.35 million over the weekend. On the other hand, we still saw a serious decline with the overall box office down 31% from last weekend to $126 million. Worse still, this was 24% lower than the same weekend last year and this left 2019 further behind last year’s pace. It is now behind 2018 by 8.6% or $570 million at $6.10 billion to $6.67 billion. More...

The King’s Man trailer

July 15, 2019

Action comedy starring Ralph Fiennes and Harris Dickinson opens February 14, 2020 ... Full Movie Details.

As a collection of history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man must race against time to stop them. More...

Weekend Estimates: Spider-Man Leads the Way, But Lion King Roars

July 14, 2019

As expected, Spider-Man: Far From Home is going to remain in first place at the box office this weekend. Fortunately for the box office as a whole, it is beating expectations in terms of dollars with an estimated haul of $45.3 million, which would give is a two-week total of $274.5 million. Internationally, the film is earning $100 million in 67 markets for totals of $573 million internationally and $847 million worldwide. It opened in first place in Italy over the weekend with $6.1 million. This is the film’s final market, but even coasting on holdovers won’t stop it from reaching $1 billion worldwide. More...

Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: Bachman

July 13, 2019

Bachman is a rockumentury about Randy Bachman, one of a musicians to have number one hit songs with two different bands. I tried to figure out how many other musicians can make that claim, but my Google-Fu failed me. You would think that would be an easy task. As a Canadian, I am patriotically bound to watch this movie, but will it appeal to others who loved The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive while growing up? More...

Friday Estimates: Spider-Man’s Place on Top is not in Jeopardy

July 13, 2019

Spider-Man: Far From Home will have no competition for top spot on this weekend’s chart, which was expected. Fortunately, it beat expectations at the box office with $13.65 million on Friday and Sony is projecting a $43.35 million sophomore stint. Its reviews and its A from CinemaScore obviously has had a positive effect on the film’s word-of-mouth and the film will have no trouble steaming past $300 million soon. More...

Thursday Night Previews: Crawl Stands Tall

July 12, 2019

Crawl looks poised to top expectations after earning $1 million during its previews. It looks likely to grab third place, possibly with $12 million for the weekend. It depends a lot on if audiences like it as much as critics did. That’s a big if, because horror fans tend to be very fickle. More...

Limited and VOD Releases: The Art of Goodbyes and Swordplay

July 12, 2019

For the first time in a while, there are a lot of limited releases to talk about. This includes a trio that have a real shot at mainstream success: The Art of Self-Defense, The Farewell, and Sword of Trust. It is very unlikely all three will thrive at the box office, but hopefully one of them will. More...

Weekend Predictions: Can the New Releases Crawl to the Top?

July 11, 2019

Last weekend, Spider-Man: Far From Home was the first pleasant surprise at the box office since Aladdin came out in May. This weekend, we have two new releases hoping to continue the pleasant surprises. Unfortunately, neither Stuber nor Crawl are expected to be big hits. In fact, they likely won’t match Far From Home’s sophomore stint combined. Worse still, this weekend last year, both Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation and Skyscraper opened with more than Stuber and Crawl are expected to open combined, meaning 2019 will lose once again in the year-over-year competition. More...

Aquarela Trailer

July 11, 2019

Nature documentary opens August 16 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Theater Averages: Spider-man is Lonely at the Top

July 11, 2019

Spider-Man: Far From Home led the way on the theater average chart with an average of $19,978. This is even more impressive, because it was a Tuesday opening. It earned a theater average of nearly $40,000 over its six day debut. The only other film to reach the $10,000 club was Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love with an average of $11,235 in four theaters. More...

International Box Office: Spider-Man’s Worldwide Vacation

July 11, 2019

Spider-Man: Far from Home expanded nearly worldwide over the weekend, and earned $236.74 million on 53,120 screens in 85 markets for a still early international total of $393.37 million, and $578.43 million worldwide. The film’s biggest new market was South Korea, where it earned $24.55 million on 2,173 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $33.45 million. Far From Home also cracked $10 million in the U.K. with $10.53 million on 979 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $17.77 million and in Mexico with $10.39 million on 3,806 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $13.42 million. The film earned a total opening of $12.11 million in Australia, including $7.26 million on 332 screens over the weekend. The film’s biggest holdover was China, where it earned $29.88 million over the weekend for a two-week total of $166.63 million. Italy was the only market the film wasn’t playing in over the weekend, but that changed on Wednesday and we will have those numbers next week. More...

Home Market Releases for July 9th, 2019

July 11, 2019

It’s a very shallow week on the home market. There are two wide releases, but neither are worth picking up. There were several that are worth owning: Dead of Night, Mothra: SteelBook Edition, Silent Hill: Collectors Edition, and This Island Earth: Blu-ray. However, there was only one true contender for Pick of the Week, Alphaville: Special Edition. More...

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Trailer

July 10, 2019

Fantasy adventure starring Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning opens October 18 ... Full Movie Details. More...

Featured Blu-ray Review: Terra Formars

July 10, 2019

Terra Formars was directed by Takashi Miike, best known for his ultra-violent films like Ichi the Killer or 13 Assassins. This film is a Sci-fi action film based on a Manga, which is very different than any of the previous films by this director that I’ve seen and this was the main reason I jumped at the chance to watch this film. Is this among his best films? Or is novelty the film’s main strength? More...

Mulan Teaser Trailer

July 9, 2019

Historical adventure starring Liu Yifei opens March 27, 2020 ... Full Movie Details.

The eldest daughter of an honored warrior, Hua Mulan is spirited, determined and quick on her feet. When the Emperor issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army, she steps in to take the place of her ailing father as Hua Jun, becoming one of China’s greatest warriors ever. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Spider-Man Hits a Home Run

July 9, 2019

Spider-Man: Far From Home really brightened up the box office earning $92.58 million over the three-day weekend for a six-day opening of $185.06 million. This is one of the biggest positive surprises of the year and we desperately needed some good news after June. Toy Story 4 and Aladdin held on better than expected and the overall box office surged growing 21% from last weekend to $183 million. This is still lower than this weekend last year, but by only 2.7% and at this point, I’m willing to call that a victory. Year-to-date, 2019 did manage to close ground with 2018, thanks mostly to Far From Home’s strength before the weekend. However, this year is still 8.4% or $540 million behind last year at $5.88 billion to $6.42 billion. More...

Knives Out Trailer

July 8, 2019

Murder mystery, written and directed by Rian Johnson, with an ensemble cast led by Daniel Craig and Chris Evans opens November 27 ... Full Movie Details.

When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan’s dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan’s untimely death. More...

Weekend Estimates: Spider-Man Is Marvelous Worldwide

July 7, 2019

Spider-Man: Far From Home is getting off to a fantastic start with a three-day weekend haul of $93.6 million giving it a six-day debut of $185.1 million. This is more than it cost to make and it means the film is nearly guaranteed a healthy profit before it reaches the home market, even if it has soft legs. Additionally, its reviews are outstanding and it earned an A from CinemaScore, so its legs should be long for a blockbuster film. Internationally, the film pulled in $238 million on 52,800 screens in 66 markets for totals of $395 million internationally and $580 million worldwide. This was led by a six-day, $33.8 million first place debut in South Korea, while it earned $30.6 million during its second weekend in China for a two-week total of $167.4 million there. More...

Friday Estimates: Has Spider-Man Saved the Summer?

July 6, 2019

Spider-Man: Far From Home got off to a record-breaking performance and it has since shown better-than-expected legs by earning $32.5 million on Friday for a four-day running tally of $124 million. Because it opened on Tuesday and not Friday, the film should have a better than average internal multiplier, giving it a better than 50/50 chance of cracking $90 million over the three-day weekend. The film cost $160 million to make and it will match that domestically on Sunday. Additionally, its reviews suggest strong word-of-mouth (The CinemaScore still hasn’t been released. I blame the Fourth of July holidays.) and with no direct competition for the rest of the month, it should have a long stay in theaters. It is yet another success story for the M.C.U. and enough to lift 2019 to a rare win over 2018 in the year-over-year competition. This could be a good omen going forward and perhaps we will look back at this weekend as the weekend that 2019 turned things around. More...

Spies in Disguise Trailer

July 5, 2019

Animated adventure with the voices of Will Smith and Tom Holland opens December 25 ... Full Movie Details.

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

Limited and VOD Releases: Have Mercy on the Limited Releases

July 5, 2019

It’s a really slow week for limited releases. It is so slow that I had to relax my normal limitations for what makes the list and there is still barely anything to talk about. The best movie on this week’s list is My Days of Mercy, which is also earning the loudest buzz. However, it is playing on Video on Demand, so almost no one will see it in theaters. More...

Weekend Predictions: Can Spider-Man Snap the Streak?

July 3, 2019

It has been a long time since we’ve had a pleasant surprise at the box office. In fact, the last film to really beat expectations and earn first place was Aladdin, which came out in May. However, it appears that streak is over, as Spider-Man: Far From Home broke the record for biggest Tuesday with $39.26 million. Additionally, Midsommar earned $1.1 million during its previews, which means July should get off to a faster than expected start. Additionally, there should be some strong holds in the top five as well, with Toy Story 4, Annabelle Comes Home, and Yesterday all looking to earn more than $10 million over the three-day weekend. This weekend last year, Ant-Man and the Wasp opened with $75.81 million. Spider-Man: Far From Home could top that after its record-breaking start and the overall box office does look a little healthier as a result. More...

Theater Averages: Chambermaid Cleans Up the Competition

July 3, 2019

The Chambermaid topped the theater average chart with $28,490 in one theater, which is double The Other Story’s opening of $14,163, also in one theater. The only other film in the $10,000 club was Toy Story 4, which remained in first place on the overall chart, while earning an average of $13,049. More...

International Box Office: Spider-Man Swings into First Place

July 3, 2019

Spider-Man: Far from Home made its international debut the weekend before its domestic start earning $111.20 million on 35,187 screens in three markets. Those three markets where led by China, where it earned $97.72 million on 34,300 screens. It was also very potent in Japan with $9.36 million on 465 screens and in Hong Kong with $4.12 million on 422. More...

Home Market Releases for July 2nd, 2019

July 3, 2019

It’s Anime week on the Home Market Release Report with more than half a dozen titles on the main list, as well as a few more in the secondary Blu-ray list. In fact, the only real contender for Pick of the Week is an Anime title, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Set 4, Part 1, but it is not the only Anime title worth owning, as Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card - Part Two, Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin, and Steins;Gate 0 Part One and Part Two are also worth picking up. If you want something live action, then go with We Have Always Lived in the Castle. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Toy Story Can’t Overcome Box Office Woes

July 2, 2019

June ended with shrug, as the weekend was neither a success nor a disaster. Toy Story 4 was the top draw, but it fell faster than most family films do, down 51% to $59.70 million. Annabelle Comes Home had the weakest opening in the franchise, while Yesterday did well as counter-programming, but that’s all. The overall box office fell 26% from last weekend and, more importantly, 15% from the same weekend last year. Year-to-date, 2019 has fallen behind 2018’s pace by a margin of 9.5% or $580 million at $5.52 billion to $6.10 billion. At the beginning of June, I thought 2019 would have cut into 2018’s lead by $100 million, but that clearly didn’t happen. More...

Jumanji: The Next Level Trailer

July 1, 2019

Adventure starring Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, and Jack Black, and Kevin Hart opens December 13 ... Full Movie Details. More...

2019 Preview: July

July 1, 2019

June was a disaster, with no pleasant surprises for the entire month, and a boatload of disappointments. In fact, one could argue Aladdin was the biggest hit of the month, despite it opening in May. Toy Story 4 is the biggest hit released in June, but it still missed expectations by a huge margin. In fact, so many films missed expectations by huge margins I’m rethinking my predictions for July. I still think there will be monster hits and I seriously doubt Spider-Man: Far from Home and The Lion King will bomb, but I also don’t think they will reach the heights some of the tracking data suggests they will. The only other film that has a shot at $100 million is Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but the overall box office is so weak that I’m no longer sure it will get there. Meanwhile, last July wasn’t as strong on top with just two films topping $200 million, Mission: Impossible - Fallout and Ant-Man and the Wasp, neither of which came close to $300 million. However, last year had a lot better depth and I think that could result in 2019 merely breaking even in the year-over-year competition. More...

The Numbers News - July 2019

Quick Links