The Jake Gyllenhaal movie “Nightcrawler” opened on Halloween. Yes, in 2014, October 31st was a Friday. Studio Open Road was originally intending on releasing the film on October 17th. In fact, I have a poster hanging up in my house with that release date on it. But instead of having the film go up against […]
Audiences are now returning to indoor movie theaters in much of the country. So let’s take a moment to celebrate the Drive-Ins and recognize the films and studios that led the box office during the unconventional “in-between” time period from the middle of March to the middle of August: “TROLLS: WORLD TOUR” The DreamWorks Animation […]
Over the past five months, many films that were originally supposed to get traditional theatrical releases have shifted to VOD or streaming debuts. And a hefty percentage of the big releases all have something common: they’re approx. 90 minutes long. For animated movies, 90 minutes is fairly standard. DreamWorks & Universal’s “Trolls World Tour” and […]
In 2012, Sony’s Columbia Pictures had their biggest year ever at the U.S. box office… by a lot. Their top 5 films (“Skyfall”, “The Amazing Spider-Man”, “Men in Black 3”, “Hotel Transylvania” and “21 Jump Street”) grossed more than $1 Billion combined. At the time, “MIB 3” served as the conclusion of that franchise. Sony […]
Here are 20 Movies you may not remember topped the Weekend Box Office this decade: “Takers” (2010)? – This Screen Gems crime drama earned $20.5 million from August 27-29, edging out fellow newcomer “The Last Exorcism” ($20.4M). “The American” (2010) – ?George Clooney’s Focus Features drama began its run with $13.2 million, good enough for […]
Drive-In movie theaters are still going strong – and not just for summertime. Films like “Joker” and “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” should benefit from outdoor audiences (as long as the weather is good). Studios tend to make package deals for drive-in owners: show our new movie as the first feature IF you play an older […]
Here are 7 takeaways from the Summer 2019 Box Office: DISNEY IS UNSTOPPABLE… SORTA “The Lion King” and “Toy Story 4” lead the box office, with “Aladdin” in 4th place overall. They are undeniable juggernauts under the Walt Disney Pictures brand. But Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox has proven to be a so-so one […]
I’ve written about it, posted about it and talked about it numerous times over the past seven years. But it’s worth reinforcing: one of the only positive things to come out of the horrific “Dark Knight Rises” movie theater shooting in Aurora, CO in 2012 was the elimination of Midnight showings. (This went hand-in-hand with […]
Last weekend’s box office saw new releases “Night School”($27 million) and “Smallfoot” ($23 million) lead the way. However, their box office openings were underwhelming. Using Box Office Mojo as a guide, I ask this question about 14 other recent films: Why didn’t these movies make more money? “The A-Team” (2010) You could argue that this […]
A number of movies released so far in 2018 have succeeded in winning a Box Office day, but not a weekend. Here’s how it’s happened: “INSIDIOUS: THE LAST KEY” These days, new movies tend to open on Thursday nights. Since this trend began about six years ago, all the studios decided that money a film […]