Weekend predictions: Quantumania looks to top $100 million on debut

February 17th, 2023

The Ant-Man sub-franchise has always been one of the quieter corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the first Ant-Man film opening with $57.2 million back in 2015, and Ant-Man and the Wasp debuting to $75.8 million in 2018. With that track record, and the post-pandemic market, an opening over $60 million should be considered a success for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. It’s been tracking ahead of that number for a while though, and its Thursday previews suggest it will top $100 million this weekend—a welcome boost for a market that’s been waiting quite a while for a major release. More...

2018 - Awards Season: SAG - Nominations

December 12th, 2018

The Screen Actors Guild were the third group to announce their nominations for this awards season. There’s not a lot of surprises on this week’s list. A Star is Born led the way with four nominations, while The Favourite was right behind with three. More...

2018 - Holiday Gift Guide - Part I - First-Run Releases and Franchise Box Sets

November 19th, 2018

It's Thanksgiving weekend, which means Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and of course the first installment of our Holiday Gift Guide. This week we will tackle first run releases and franchise box sets as well. Unfortunately, 2018 has not been a good year for blockbusters for any studio not named Disney. In order to be on this list, a film has to be a major release, earn critical praise, and be on out DVD / Blu-ray and that’s a really short list this year. For example, Universal is the second best studio this year in terms of total domestic box office, but they’ve only released one film that has earned $100 million and overwhelmingly positive reviews. That film, Halloween doesn’t come out on DVD / Blu-ray till January. Most of the rest of the big six are lucky to have more than one entry on this week’s list. More...

Home Market Releases for October 16th, 2018

October 16th, 2018

Ant-Man and the Wasp is coming out on DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack this week and it is scaring away most of the competition. Fortunately, it is also an amazing movie and a Contender for Pick of the Week. It isn’t the only contender, as both Mamoru Hosoda Movie Collection (Blu-ray) and Whitney (DVD or Blu-ray) were in the race. However, in the end, I went with Ant-Man and the Wasp. More...

Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: Ant-Man and the Wasp

October 15th, 2018

Ant-Man and the Wasp is the second film in the Ant-Man franchise and the 20th film in the MCU. I liked the first film more than the average critic, because I’m a huge fan of heist movies. This film won’t have the same heist angle, so will it not work with me as much? More...

Home Market Releases for October 2nd, 2018

October 2nd, 2018

It’s an off week on the home market with no blockbusters to deal with. There are two solid midlevel hits, The First Purge and Sicario: Day of the Soldado, but neither of those are Pick of the Week contenders. (Ant-Man and the Wasp is also coming out this week, but only on Video on Demand). There are some high quality picks: Leave No Trace, Three Identical Strangers, Molly, The Spiral Staircase, and Hyouka. It was a close race, but in the end, I went with Leave No Trace Blu-ray as Pick of the Week. More...

International Box Office: The Nun is Number One with $79.3 million

September 12th, 2018

The Nun topped the chart with $79.3 million on 15,835 screens in 60 markets for a global opening weekend of $133.1 million. This might be enough to give Warner Bros. a small amount of profit already. It depends on how much the studio will end up spending on advertising. The film’s biggest opening was in Mexico, where it earned $10.5 million on 3,967 screens. It also earned impressive first place debuts in Indonesia ($7.6 million on 1,289 screens); Brazil ($6.6 million on 1,235 screens); and India ($5.2 million on 1,603 screens). It earned first place in the U.K., but with $5.3 million on 593 screens, which is quite a bit weaker than its debut here, relative to the size of the two markets. This is also true of its first place, $2.7 million debut on 326 screens in Australia. More...

International Box Office: Fallout Spreads to China with $77.64 million

September 5th, 2018

Mission: Impossible—Fallout rocketed into first place with $89.1 million in 65 theaters over the weekend for totals of $442.7 million internationally and $647.1 million worldwide. The film debuted in first place in China with $76.14 million over the weekend for a total opening of $77.64 million. It had to settle for second place in Italy with $2.22 million, as Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation remained in first place in that market. It won’t take long before this film takes over top spot in the franchise. More...

International Box Office: Ant-Man has a Giant-Sized Chinese Debut

August 29th, 2018

Ant-Man and the Wasp jumped into first place on the international chart earning $71.2 million in 28 markets for totals of $332.6 million internationally and $544.1 million worldwide. This past weekend, the film debuted in first place in China with $66.62 million over the weekend for a total opening of $68.14 million. This is the fourth biggest opening for the MCU in that market and 66% more than the original opened with. The film opens in Japan, its final market, next weekend. It should get to $600 million worldwide shortly after it debuts there. More...

Weekend Estimates: Crazy Getting Richer over the Weekend

August 19th, 2018

Crazy Rich Asians beat expectations and easily came out on top of the box office over the weekend. The film earned $25.24 million between Friday and Sunday, for a five-day opening of $34.00 million, which is amazing for a film that cost $30 million to make. It not only beat our original prediction, but its weekend estimates have grown since it debuted on Wednesday, which is a very good sign that the word-of-mouth is helping ticket sales. Its 92% positive reviews and its A-rating from CinemaScore back up that explanation. With this opening, the film would have to have terrible legs and completely bomb internationally to not break even. Having terrible legs seems unlikely, but we will know more about that next weekend. As for its international numbers, the film hasn’t opened in any major international markets, so it is too soon to tell. It does debut in Australia before the end of the month, so that will be the film’s first big test. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Meg Chows Down on Moviegoers

August 14th, 2018

The Meg was arguably the biggest box office surprise of the summer, earning more during its opening weekend than many thought it would earn in total and it doubled our prediction. It also earned more than the next three films earned combined, so it was a rather one-sided affair at the box office. Its $45.40 million debut did help the overall box office rise 5.6% from last weekend reaching $147 million. More importantly, this is 26% higher than the same weekend last year. Year-to-date, 2018 now has a 9.1% / $640 million lead over 2017 at $7.68 billion to $7.04 million. More...

International Box Office: Over $100 million for Mr. Billion

August 1st, 2018

Hello Mr. Billionaire, a Chinese remake of Brewster’s Millions, opened in first place in China and the international market with $132.26 million. That’s more than 800 million in the local currency, while it took just one more day to live up to its name and reach 1 billion Yen in revenue. More...

International Box Office: Skyscraper Rises from the Ashes

July 24th, 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...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Equalizer 2 Also has no Equal

July 23rd, 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...

Weekend Estimates: Equalizer more than Equals Mamma Mia

July 22nd, 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...

Friday Estimates: Mamma Mia is Here to Stay

July 21st, 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...

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

July 19th, 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...

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

July 18th, 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...

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

July 17th, 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...

Weekend Estimates: Transylvania Triumphant, Skyscraper Sinks

July 15th, 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 14th, 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...

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

July 12th, 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...

Theater Averages: Sorry isn’t a Bother

July 12th, 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 11th, 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...

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

July 10th, 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...

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

July 8th, 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 7th, 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...

Thursday Night Previews: The Wasp Stings Ant-Man

July 6th, 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 5th, 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...

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

July 4th, 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...

2018 Preview: July

July 1st, 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...

Ant-Man and the Wasp Trailer

May 1st, 2018

Super hero action movie starring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly opens July 6 ... Full Movie Details. More...