This Week at the Box Office: Goosebumps Beats Crimson Peak and Spielberg/Hanks
Posted on October 19, 2015 at 3:04 pm
Once again, a PG-rated film wins the box office. “Goosebumps” came in ahead of the Steven Spielberg/Tom Hanks drama, “Bridge of Spies,” and last week’s other scary movie, the big budget “Crimson Peak.” They were third and fourth, with holdover blockbuster “The Martian” at number two.
Hollywood needs to be reminded again that there is an audience for family films. You’d think $23.5 million in ticket sales, almost twice the combined sales of the other new releases, would send that message.
Who is Surprised that a Faith-Based Film Beat Zac Efron and Owen Wilson?
Posted on August 31, 2015 at 5:00 pm
The end of August is traditionally one of the year’s low points when it comes to Hollywood releases. So it was not surprising that the powerhouse “Straight Outta Compton” lead the box office, far ahead of the two new releases, the Owen Wilson/Pierce Brosnan action film “No Escape” and the Zac Efron EDM DJ movie, “We Are Your Friends.” But the people who predict box office returns for a living were surprised that a small faith-based film was #2, ahead of both studio films, with a healthy $11 million. The more important number was per-theater, where it made more than double what “Straight Outta Compton” took in. The numbers guys always underestimate faith-based films, but the rest of us were not surprised. “The War Room” was made by Alex and Stephen Kendrick, whose films like “Fireproof,” “Mom’s Night Out,” and “Facing the Giants” have not just reached audiences — they have reached audiences too often overlooked by Hollywood, and, as they have shown, audiences looking for faith-based entertainment. It is especially good to see a primarily African-American cast, as well. The Kendricks make movies that show the role of faith in complicated, sometimes painful lives. Their films do not promise to fix everything or everyone, but their stories show how faith can help, and clearly, that is a story more welcome than another shoot ’em up or coming of age story.
The Real Winner At the Box Office This Week: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Posted on March 9, 2015 at 11:05 am
Copyright Magnolia 2015
The headlines about the box office over the weekend are misleading. “Chappie” was number one in overall revenue, but still disappointing. The top box office winner in a given week is usually in the $20-40 million range, with special-effects films like “Chappie” often going up as high as $60 million or more. Last week, “Focus” was at the top with a weak $19 million. “Chappie” only made $13 million. And “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” was listed as third with just $8.6 million. But the much more important number is how much it made per theater. In that category, “Marigold Hotel 2” was substantially ahead of “Chappie,” and that, in my opinion, makes it the real #1 for the week. Maggie Smith and Judi Dench did better than the big budget robots and Hugh Jackman. Dev Patel, who was in both movies, must have mixed feelings.
Box Office This Week: Despicable Me Beats Lone Ranger — So Does Kevin Hart
Posted on July 8, 2013 at 3:43 pm
The 4th of July weekend is always one of the biggest box office weeks of the year and this year broke the record again. Sequel Despicable Me 2 was the undisputed champ, with a whalloping $82 million, helped out a bit by the 3D surcharge. This was a big boost from the original’s $56 million open. For me, the meaningful number is not the total but the per-theater take. For “DM2” it was an impressive $20,645. “Lone Ranger,” battling bad reviews and, with a two and a half hour running time, fewer shows to sell tickets to, made $29 million, with an anemic $7539 per theater.
The movie that performed above expectations — Hollywood expectations, not the predictions of anyone who’s been paying attention to Hart’s mastery of viral marketing and popularity with his audience — was Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain, with $10 million in box office receipts and $11,530 per theater. “The Heat” held on for a strong second-week showing against tough competition. But perhaps the most impressive ticket sales number of the weekend was for the film that could be this year’s breakout indie, The Way Way Back, starring Steve Carell and Sam Rockwell. It made a stunning $30,263 per theater.
This Week at the Box Office: Hotel Transylvania Breaks the Record
Posted on October 1, 2012 at 8:00 am
“Hotel Transylvania” became the biggest September opening ever with $43 million, perhaps surprising because it is one of three animated 3D horror movies for kids to be released within a 12-week period. But what should no longer be surprising is that there is an enthusiastic audience for family movies. I enjoyed this one and am happy to see it doing so well. Hollywood, over to you.
Also this week — a strong showing for “Pitch Perfect,” with a per-theater take even higher than “Hotel Transylvania,” while the ambitious, provocative “The Master” and “Looper” struggled to find an audience. Fall is usually a time for character-driven drama, but at the moment it looks like people are looking for something light and entertaining.
