SHOWBUZZDAILY WEEKEND BOXOFFICE SCORECARD
WEEKEND STUDIO ESTIMATES March 2-4
The weekend studio estimates (based on Friday and Saturday actuals and projections for Sunday) are coming in slightly stronger than the weekend numbers posted yesterday (based on Friday actuals only). The box office volume for the top 12 films is now looking like an excellent $153 million for the weekend, up 27% from last year's weekend and up 23% from the weekend's average for the past four years. The Lorax exceeded expectations Friday and absolutely blew them away Saturday, while Project X opened very decently.
The ShowbuzzDaily Domestic Final estimates now show that the films opening wide this weekend are headed for: Dr. Seuss' The Lorax ($227 million) and Project X ($67 million).
The second week movies: Act of Valor ($77 million, adjusted upward), Tyler Perry's Good Deeds ($39 million, steady), Wanderlust ($22 million, steady) and Gone ($12 million, adjusted up slightly).
The third week movies: Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance ($51 million, adjusted down again slightly), This Means War ($51 million, steady) and Secret World of Arrietty ($23 million, adjusted down).
The fourth week movies: The Vow ($130 million, adjusted down a touch), Safe House ($129 million, adjusted down slightly), Journey 2: The Mysterious Island ($103 million, adjusted back down) and Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace in 3D ($42 million, down slightly).
March 2-4 Wknd vs Showbuzz
(millions) Studio Last Domestic
Proj. Wknd Final*
The Lorax (Uni) $70.7 $227
Project X (WB) $20.8 $ 67
Act of Valor (Rel) $13.7 -44% $ 77+
Safe House (Uni) $ 7.2 -34% $129
Tyler Perry's Good Deeds (LG) $ 7.0 -55% $ 39
Journey 2 Myster. Island (WB) $ 6.9 -48% $103
The Vow (Sony) $ 6.1 -38% $130
This Means War (Fox) $ 5.6 -33% $ 51
Ghost Rider 2 (Sony) $ 4.7 -48% $ 51
The Artist (Wein) $ 3.9 +34% $ 50
Total Box Office Volume
The Top 12 Films this weekend are looking like a very good $153 million total Friday-Sunday, up 27% from the same calendar weekend last year and up 23% from the more typical volume for this weekend in other years.
Top 12 Films: Weekend #9
2012 $153 The Lorax $71, Project X $21
2011 $121 Rango $38, Adjustment Bureau $21, Beastly $10
2010 $186 Alice in Wonderland $116, Brooklyn's Finest $13
2009 $102 Watchmen $55
2008 $ 91 10,000 B.C. $36, College Road Trip $14
2008-11
Avg $125
Next Weekend
Opening next weekend are John Carter from Disney, Silent House from Open Road Films and A Thousand Words from Paramount. These films will be compared to Battle: Los Angeles ($35.6 million opening weekend), Red Riding Hood ($14.0 million) and Mars Needs Moms ($6.9 million).
Check back later today for our update on international grosses.
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SHOWBUZZDAILY EARLY WEEKEND BOXOFFICE
INTERNATIONAL BOX OFFICE NUMBERS through February 26
Four new films opened this weekend in North America and have joined our worldwide box office tracking chart. Three of the four are toward the bottom of the chart and are destined to stay there. The other film, Act of Valor, is currently in the middle of the pack but should rise as moderate overseas box office comes in. We are currently projecting Act of Valor to hit $68 million in domestic box office, and the current zero overseas tally should go to about $40 million given the track record of movies about the U.S. military. That would put the film ranked around 16th or 17th among the films released in the last three months. (Click "read more" to see the latest chart.)
In contrast, Tyler Perry's Good Deeds, Wanderlust and Gone will not receive much -- if any -- box office overseas. Tyler Perry's films generally receive no international distribution at all, while bombs like Wanderlust and Gone do not visit foreign theaters in almost all territories.
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island continues to do brisk business overseas, now up to $159 million outside North America to go along with the projected $118 million domestic final. The film has an outside shot of reaching $300 million worldwide. The Vow and Safe House remain in the low-$30 million range overseas.
SHOWBUZZDAILY WEEKEND BOXOFFICE SCORECARD
WEEKEND STUDIO ESTIMATES February 24-26 (Updated with Daily Totals)
The weekend studio estimates (based on Friday and Saturday actuals and projections for Sunday) are coming in slightly stronger than the weekend numbers posted yesterday (based on Friday actuals only). The box office volume for the top 12 films is now looking like a very good $116 million for the weekend, up 21% from last year's weekend and up 25% from the weekend's average for the past four years. Act of Valor will still win the weekend, but the weekend total has been adjusted down about $1 million to $24.7 million. Tyler Perry's Good Deeds has been adjusted up about $1 million to a second-place $16.0 million. The rest of the field is looking like it did yesterday at this time. (Updated weekend numbers in the chart after the jump.)
Act of Valor was #1 both Friday and Saturday and will be #1 Sunday. The film was front-loaded, however, with 37% of its expected weekend total coming on Friday and a similar 38% on Saturday. The other three films opening this weekend had more typical daily distributions, about one-third of the weekend total on Friday and over 40% on Saturday (the so-called "Saturday bump" we see with most films). Additionally, the returning films exhibit the pattern we see with holdovers: a heavier reliance on Saturday (closer to 50% of the weekend total), while a family film like Journey 2 relies more on daytime-skewed Sunday than night-time focused Friday (with the opposite the case for a date movie like The Vow).
The ShowbuzzDaily Domestic Final estimates now show that the films opening wide this weekend are headed for: Act of Valor ($68 million), Tyler Perry's Good Deeds ($42 million), Wanderlust ($20 million) and Gone ($9 million).
The second week movies: Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance ($54 million, adjusted down slightly), This Means War ($51 million, up slightly) and Secret World of Arrietty ($30 million, up slightly).
The third week movies: The Vow ($133 million, adjusted down), Safe House ($134 million, adjusted down slightly), Journey 2: The Mysterious Island ($118 million, adjusted up again) and Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace in 3D ($47 million, steady).
February 24-26 Wknd vs Showbuzz
(millions) Studio Last Domestic
Proj. Wknd Final*
Act of Valor (Rel) $24.7 $ 68
Tyler Perry's Good Deeds (LG) $16.0 $ 42
Journey 2 Myster. Island (WB) $13.5 -32% $118+
Safe House (Uni) $11.4 -52% $134-
The Vow (Sony) $10.0 -57% $133-
SHOWBUZZDAILY EARLY WEEKEND BOXOFFICE
SHOWBUZZDAILY FRIDAY BOXOFFICE SCORECARD
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24 BOX OFFICE RESULTS
Tyler Perry's Good Deeds (from Lionsgate) opened with $5.4 million Friday for $14.6 million Friday-Sunday, missing the $17.0 million prediction. The latest from Tyler Perry should average around $6,800 at 2,132 theaters this weekend. Good Deeds is headed for a preliminary $38 million domestic. No, it's not going to be the $90 million when Perry dressed up for Madea Goes to Jail or the $63 million when he did the same thing for Madea's Family Reunion. But give the man some credit for trying some other things and not sticking to a formula.
Wanderlust (from Universal) opened with $2.2 million Friday -- on track for $6.2 million this weekend, badly missing a very modest $9.0 million forecast. The Paul Rudd-Jennifer Aniston comedy should average $3,100 this weekend at 2,002 theaters. Wanderlust is on track for $19 million total domestic.
Gone from Summit Entertainment opened with only $1.7 Friday, on its way to $4.5 million this weekend, also missing a very soft $6.0 million forecast. The Amanda Seyfried film should average a pitiful $2,000 this weekend at 2,186 theaters. Gone is on pace for $8 million total domestic.
The third weekend films are the pick of the holdovers, with Journey 2: The Mysterious Island holding the best, down a very good 32% from its second weekend. Safe House should be down 54% and The Vow down 57%. Through Sunday, Safe House should trail The Vow by about $5 million ($97.7 million versus $102.9 million to date), but we expect both films to ultimately finish with about $133 million. This Means War is on track to drop 50% in its second weekend, compared to a huge 65% decline for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.
(millions) Showbuzz Early FRI Domestic
Forecast Proj. Actual Final
Act of Valor (Rel) [$18.0] $25.7 $ 9.0 $ 70
TP's Good Deeds (LG) [$17.0] $14.6 $ 5.4 $ 38
Journey 2 (WB) [$12.8] $13.5 $ 3.2 $118+
Safe House (Uni) [$13.0] $11.0 $ 3.1 $133
This Means War (Fox) [$ 9.5] $ 8.8 $ 2.7 $ 53+
Total Box Office Volume
The Top 12 Films this weekend are looking like $113 million total Friday-Sunday, up 18% from the same calendar weekend last year and up 22% from the more typical volume for this weekend in other years.
Top 12 Films: Weekend #8
2012 $113 Act of Valor $25.7, Good Deeds $14.6, Wanderlust $6
2011 $ 96 Hall Pass $13.5, Drive Angry 3D $5
2010 $107 Cop Out $18, The Crazies $16
2009 $ 87 Jonas Brothers 3D Concert $12.5, Street Fighter $5
2008 $ 80 Semi-Pro $15, Other Boleyn Girl $8
2008-11
Avg $ 92
Check back tomorrow for updated weekend figures and revised estimates for domestic final grosses.
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WEEKEND BOX OFFICE PREDICTIONS February 24-26
The eighth weekend of the year should generate about $116 million for the top 12 films -- up 21% from last year's comparable weekend and up 25% from the four-year average for this weekend. The big studios are sitting out Oscar weekend, leaving it to Relativity, Lionsgate and Summit to open films as attention shifts to the Kodak Hollywood and Highland Theater Sunday. Well, OK, Universal is opening a film this weekend with a tepid theater count of under 2,000 locations. We are giving the slight edge to Act of Valor, although we will probably regret this as we have underestimated Tyler Perry before. It should be a good race to #1 throughout the weekend, with the top film probably coming in under $20 million.
Opening at over 3,000 theaters, Act of Valor from Relativity should average an okay $5,900 per theater (for $18.0 million Friday-Sunday). [The average wide-release film the past two years has had an opening three-day weekend of $5,525 per theater.] No reviews yet for this war movie featuring real Navy SEALs -- the entire crop of films opening this weekend is being hidden from film critics. Act of Valor is on track for a preliminary $47 million domestically.
Opening in around 2,000 theaters, Tyler Perry's Good Deeds from Lionsgate should average a decent $8,600 per theater ($17.0 million Friday-Sunday). Good Deeds is headed for a total domestic gross of $45 million, a notch below recent Tyler Perry films: Madea's Big Happy Family ($53.3 million) in April 2011, Why Did I Get Married ($60.1 million) in April 2010 and I Can Do Bad All By Myself ($51.7 million) in September 2009. Perry's biggest hit so far was Madea Goes to Jail ($90.5 million) in February 2009.
In around 1,900 theaters, Universal's Wanderlust (starring Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston) should average a soft $4,800 per theater ($9.0 million from Friday-Sunday). The R-rated comedy is on track for a final tally of maybe $34 million domestic.
Finally, Amanda Seyfried in Gone from Summit is opening in about 2,000 theaters and should average a meager $3,100 per theater ($6.0 million opening weekend). The film is headed for a final domestic total of $14 million.
(millions)
New Films Critics Opening Domestic
February 24-26 Positive Weekend Total*
Act of Valor Rel R n/a $18.0 $ 47
Tyler Perry's Good Deeds LG PG13 n/a $17.0 $ 45
Wanderlust Uni R n/a $ 9.0 $ 34
Gone Sum PG13 n/a $ 6.0 $ 14
Note: Although critic reviews are not related to the size of the opening weekend, they are significantly correlated with the size of the declines in the opening weeks of a movie.
* The Domestic Total is a very early ShowBuzzDaily projection of the total North American gross, based on the Weekend Forecasts.
After Act of Valor and Tyler Perry's Good Deeds at #1 and #2, there should be a pretty good battle for third through fifth place between third weekend entries Safe House, Journey 2 and The Vow. The bottom should drop out of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance in its second weekend.
(millions)
Major Returning Films Change This Domestic
February 24-26 vs wknd 1 Weekend Total*
Safe House Uni -46% $13.0 $139
Journey 2 WB -36% $12.8 $104
The Vow Sony -48% $12.0 $143
This Means War Fox -46% $ 9.5 $ 49
Ghost Rider Spirit of V Sony -62% $ 8.5 $ 58
Secret World Arrietty Dis -34% $ 4.5 $ 25
Box Office Volume
For the past four years, the top 12 films in the comparable weekend have averaged $92 million total, ranking 42nd of 52 weeks. Last year this weekend's total was $96 million, and the same weekend in 2010 was $107 million. This Friday-Sunday is looking like a solid $116 million, up 21% from this weekend last year and up 25% from an "average" comparable weekend over the past four years.
This Weekend Last Two Years
Come back throughout the weekend to see how the movies actually perform. Saturday morning we will have an early look at how the weekend is shaping up, on Sunday we will have initial studio estimates (based on Friday and Saturday actuals), and Monday we will have the final weekend numbers.
Enjoy the Academy Awards Sunday, and be sure to look for Mitch Salem's take on the winners and losers, the telecast itself and the movie spots airing inside the big show. Happy Oscars, everybody.
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FULL WEEK BOX OFFICE ACTUALS and YEAR TO DATE February 13-19
Seven full weeks into 2012, domestic box office continues to run well ahead of last year's slow pace and now has moved solidly ahead of the comparable period's average for the last several years.
(millions) 4yr vs vs
Week #7 $180 $180 $217 +20% +20%
Year to Date $1040 $1250 $1317 +27% + 5%
Safe House $139 million (87 percentile)
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island $104 million (79 percentile)
Chronicle $71 million (67 percentile)
Contraband $68 million (67 percentile)
Underworld Awakening $65 million (65 percentile)
The Woman in Black $60 million (62 percentile)
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance $59 million (60 percentile)
The Grey $56 million (59 percentile)
Red Tails $51 million (56 percentile)
This Means War $49 million (54 percentile)
Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace 3D $48 million (54 percentile)
Beauty and the Beast 3D $46 million (53 percentile)
The Artist $33 million (40 percentile)
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close $32 million (38 percentile)
Joyful Noise $31 million (35 million)
The Iron Lady $28 million (31 percentile)
One for the Money $25 million (27 percentile)
Secret World of Arrietty $25 million (28 percentile)
Big Miracle $22 million (23 percentile)
Haywire $19 million (18 percentile)
Man on a Ledge $18 million (18 percentile)
Weekend Predictions for February 24-26 should be posted late Wednesday.






