“Twilight: New Moon” sets midnight screening record with $26.3 million
“The Twilight Saga: New Moon” has set a box-office record for midnight screenings, according to the Associated Press.
Summit Entertainment estimated today that the sequel earned $26.3 million after opening in the wee hours of the morning, the AP reports.
If the estimate proves on-target, it would break the previous midnight record, held by “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” which earned $22.2 million in its early-morning screenings this summer.
The 2008 sequel “The Dark Knight” comes in third on the midnight screenings list with $18.5 million.
“New Moon,” the second film in the supernaturally popular “Twilight” franchise, opened at midnight in 3,514 theaters with a per-theater average of $7,476.
Paul Dergarabedian, a box-office analyst for Hollywood.com., says the record-setting midnight start “portends an opening weekend that could be one of the biggest of the year.”
-BAM
Box office report for Nov. 16, 2009
Global disaster meant big box-office dollars as ”2012,” doomsday specialist Roland Emmerich’s (”Independence Day,” “The Day After Tomorrow”) latest film, opened at No. 1 domestically with $65 million and blew up $225 million worldwide.
The Sony Pictures actioner, starring John Cusack, Danny Glover and Chiwetel Ejiofor, has the remnants of humanity boarding giant arks as the earth’s crust shifts and waters flood most of the planet, according to the Associated Press.
“2012″ did $17.2 million in France, $15.3 million in Russia, $9.9 million in South Korea and $8.1 million in Spain.
Here in the U.S., “2012″ came in just short of the $68.7 million opening weekend for Emmerich’s “The Day After Tomorrow.”
The weekend’s other new wide release, Focus Features’ rock ‘n’ roll comedy “Pirate Radio,” opened at No. 11 with a week $2.9 million in 882 theaters. The film stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy and Kenneth Branagh in a tale about 1960s disc jockeys blasting illicit rock music into stodgy Britain from an offshore radio station aboard a tanker.
“Disney’s A Christmas Carol” slipped to No. 2 with $22.3 million, down only 26 percent from its No. 1 opening gross a weekend earlier. The Jim Carrey holiday adventure, directed by high-tech specialist Robert Zemeckis, raised its 10-day total to $63.3 million.
Big films typically can drop 50 percent or more in the second weekend, but the solid continued business for “A Christmas Carol” indicates it could have a strong legs to take it through the holidays.
While the George Clooney satire “The Men Who Stare at Goats” came in at No. 3, Lionsgate’s acclaimed drama “Precious: Based on the Novel `Push’ by Sapphire” broke into the top 10 at No. 4 as it expanded to more theaters after a huge debut in limited release the previous weekend.
“Michael Jackson’s This Is It” notched another $5.1 million domestically to raise its total to $67.2 million. The Sony release became the all-time top-grossing music documentary, passing the $65.3 million total of 2008’s ”Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert.”
Paramount’s micro-budget horror flick “Paranormal Activity” pulled in $4.2 million to cross the $100 million mark. Shot for just $15,000, the supernatural tale rode a surge of online buzz to become a horror sensation, with a domestic gross now standing at $103.8 million.
Starting in limited release, Fox Searchlight’s animated comedy “Fantastic Mr. Fox” drew big audiences with $260,000 in four theaters, for a whopping average of $65,000 a cinema. The film, directed by Wes Anderson (”Rushmore,” “The Darjeeling Limited”), expands to nationwide release the day before Thanksgiving.
George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Bill Murray lead the voice cast of “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” adapted from the Roald Dahl children’s book about a poultry-thieving fox and three wicked farmers.
Despite the big opening for “2012,” box-office business dipped. Overall revenues came in at $140 million, down 6 percent from the same weekend a year ago, when the James Bond adventure “Quantum of Solace” led with $67.5 million, according to the AP.
But box-office fortunes seem destined to improve as the eagerly anticipated sequel “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” opens Friday in theaters.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. “2012,” $65 million.
2. “Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” $22.3 million.
3. “The Men Who Stare at Goats,” $6.2 million.
4. “Precious: Based on the Novel `Push’ by Sapphire,” $6.1 million.
5. “Michael Jackson’s This Is It,” $5.1 million.
6. “The Fourth Kind,” $4.7 million.
7. “Couples Retreat,” $4.3 million.
8. “Paranormal Activity,” $4.2 million.
9. “Law Abiding Citizen,” $3.9 million.
10. “The Box,” $3.2 million.
-BAM
“Paranormal Activity” scares up $100 million
The hit $15,000 thriller ”Paranormal Activity” has grown from its midnight-only showings in a handful of college towns to become a bona fide movie phenomenon. Distributor Paramount Pictures anticipated that the film would cross $100 million at the box office on Friday, after only five weekends of national release.
According to a Paramount news release, the movie has become the top grossing R-rated thriller of the past decade.
“Paranormal Activity” began its theatrical run with midnight-only screenings in 12 college towns across the U.S. and quickly developed into a nationwide hit, with fans visiting www.ParanormalMovie.com and demanded the film be brought to their city. After more than 1 million such requests, Paramount expanded the film nationally, where it has been playing to packed theaters since.
“What is truly amazing about ‘Paranormal Activity’ is the depth of commitment from fans who demanded to see it,” said Paramount Pictures Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brad Grey in the release. “Adam Goodman, our head of production, believed in the film and championed it from the very first screening. This box-office milestone is also a testament to Oren Peli’s considerable talents as a filmmaker. All of us at Paramount are proud to have been involved with his revolutionary project.”
In “Paranormal Activity,” after a young, middle-class couple moves into what seems like a typical suburban “starter” tract house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be demonic, but is certainly most active in the middle of the night.
Especially when they sleep. Or try to.
Directed, written and produced by Oren Peli, the innovative thriller stars Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat. The film was produced by Jason Blum. Steven Schneider served as executive producer.
Fans can follow the film at www.Twitter.com/TweetYourScream, where they can find fan reactions, press reviews and theater information.
-BAM
Box office report for Nov. 9, 2009
“Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” Robert Zemeckis and Jim Carrey’s high-tech take on the Charles Dickens holiday classic, took in $31 million over the weekend to debut in the top spot at the box office.
Zemeckis shot the movie using the same performance-capture technology used on his 2004 holiday offering “The Polar Express.” Carrey and his co-stars acted on a bare soundstage as digital cameras captured their performances, with computer animators later adding costumes, sets, props and other effects.
“A Christmas Carol” came in ahead of “Polar Express,” which had an opening weekend of $23.5 million, according to the Associated Press. But it fell short of the $55.1 million opening for Carrey’s previous holiday tale, “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” in 2000.
But Christmas films tend to have strong legs and keep chugging along through the holiday season. After its modest start, “The Polar Express” went on to become a $160 million hit by the end of its run and has become a perennial holiday rerelease in IMAX theaters.
“A Christmas Carol” did three-fourths of its business in theaters showing 3-D versions. IMAX theaters, which represented only 5 percent of the theater count, accounted for $4.5 million, or 14.5 percent, of the movie’s total gross, according to the AP.
“A Christmas Carol” knocked the King of Pop out of the top spot as “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” slipped to No. 2 with $14 million.
Sony’s “This Is It,” featuring rehearsal performances Jackson shot before his death last June, raised its domestic total to $57.9 million. “This Is It” has taken in $186.5 million worldwide, according to the AP.
Several new releases hit theaters over the weekend, including Ewan McGregor and George Clooney’s comedy “The Men Who Stare at Goats,” which came in at No. 3 with $13.3 million. The comedy is a hilarious satiric look at U.S. military efforts to create “warrior monks” who could predict the future or walk through walls.
Opening in fourth place with $12.5 million was Universal’s “The Fourth Kind,” starring Milla Jovovich as a psychologist studying alien abductions in Alaska.
Cameron Diaz and Oklahoma native James Marsden’s sci-fi tale “The Box” opened at No. 6 with $7.9 million. The Warner Bros. thriller , which was not screened in advance for critics, centers on a couple given a mysterious box that can provide them $1 million, but at the cost of a stranger’s life.
Here are the top 10 movies over the weekend, according to the AP:
1. “Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” $31 million.
2. “Michael Jackson’s This Is It,” $14 million.
3. “The Men Who Stare at Goats,” $13.3 million.
4. “The Fourth Kind,” $12.5 million.
5. “Paranormal Activity,” $8.6 million.
6. “The Box,” $7.9 million.
7. “Couples Retreat,” $6.4 million.
8. “Law Abiding Citizen,” $6.2 million.
9. “Where the Wild Things Are,” $4.2 million.
10. “Astro Boy,” $2.6 million.
-BAM
Box office report for Nov. 2, 2009
The Halloween weekend was friendly to “Thriller” star Michael Jackson’s farewell film.
“Michael Jackson’s This Is It,” which opened last Wednesday, made $101 million worldwide in its first five days in theaters. According to the Associated Press, distributor Sony plans to extend the performance film beyond its originally planned two-week theatrical run.
The film was the No. 1 Halloween thriller domestically with a $21.3 million opening weekend, the AP reported. It raised its domestic total to $32.5 million.
The movie made $68.5 million overseas, including $10.4 million in Japan, $6.3 million in Germany, $5.8 million in France and $3.2 million in China.
In the United Kingdom, where Jackson had planned a marathon series of 50 sold-out London concerts starting last July, the movie earned $7.6 million. “This Is It” features Jackson in behind-the-scenes performances the weeks before his death last June, as he rehearsed his biggest hits for the London shows.
Sony plans to extend the run of “This Is It” overseas on a country-by-country basis, with most territories probably getting one to three weeks of extra playing time, according to the AP.
The previous weekend’s No. 1 movie, Paramount’s mico-budget horror sensation “Paranormal Activity,” dropped to No. 2 with $16.5 million. That brings its total to a whopping $84.8 million.
“Paranormal Activity” may have proved the killing blow for Lionsgate’s long-running gorefest franchise “Saw.” After a lackluster debut the previous weekend, “Saw VI” fell to No. 5 in its second weekend. It made $5.6 million, raising its total to just $22.8 million after 10 days. Previous sequels in the serial-killer series all had topped $30 million during opening weekend alone.
Here’s the list of the weekend’s top 10 movies, according to the AP:
1. “Michael Jackson’s This Is It,” $21.3 million.
2. “Paranormal Activity,” $16.5 million.
3. “Law Abiding Citizen,” $7.3 million.
4. “Couples Retreat,” $6.1 million.
5. “Saw VI,” $5.6 million.
6. “Where the Wild Things Are,” $5.1 million.
7. “The Stepfather,” $3.4 million.
8. “Astro Boy,” $3.04 million.
9. “Amelia,” $3 million.
10. “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant,” $2.8 million.
-BAM
Box office report for Oct. 26, 2009
he gory and seemingly endless “Saw” franchise finally met its match over the weekend.
The micro-budgeted fright flick “Paranormal Activity” ascended to the No. 1 spot after its nationwide release over the weekend.
In contrast, “Saw VI” debuted with just $14.8 million for second place. According to the Associated Press, the “Saw” franchise that has been an annual fixture before the Halloween holiday since 2004.
This was the worst opening ever for Lionsgate’s “Saw” series, whose previous low was $18.3 million for the original movie. Subsequent installments of the “Saw” franchise all opened at $30 million or better.
This time, horror fans simply opted for the documentary-style chills of “Paranormal Activity” instead of the bloody thrills of the new “Saw” installment.
After four weeks in narrower release, distributor Paramount released “Paranormal Activity” into 1,945 theaters. That still was just under two-thirds of the 3,036 theater count for “Saw VI.”
“Paranormal Activity” raised its total haul to $62.5 million. The movie was shot for a reported $15,000 but has become a horror sensation because of online fan buzz. The fictional movie unfolds like a homemade documentary as a couple copes with apparitions and supernatural phenomena in their home.
It has a strong shot at topping $100 million, something none of the “Saw” movies ever managed.
Paramount already is toying with the prospects for sequels or prequels.
“Given the success of this and the passion of the online community, I think our guys have got a number of different ideas they’re percolating,” said Rob Moore, Paramount vice chairman, to the AP. “Once we’ve gotten to the end of this run, we’ll see what other fun we can have with this.”
According to the AP, the overall box office declined, with Hollywood revenues totaling $121 million, down 9 percent from the same weekend a year ag, when ”High School Musical 3: Senior Year” debuted with $42 million and “Saw V” opened with $30.1 million.
That was despite the number of new releases in theaters, most of which notched lackluster numbers. Summit Entertainment’s “Astro Boy” opened at No. 6 with $7 million, Universal’s “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant” debuted at No. 8 with $6.3 million, and Fox Searchlight’s “Amelia” premiered at No. 11 with $4 million.
The previous weekend’s No. 1 movie, the Warner Bros. tale “Where the Wild Things Are,” fell to No. 3, just behind “Saw VI” with $14.4 million. Spike Jonze’s adaptation of the beloved Maurice Sendak’s beloved picture book raised its total to $54 million.
The box-office should get a jolt over the Halloween holiday as “Paranormal Activity” expands to as many as 2,500 theaters and Sony’s “Michael Jackson: This Is It” heads into its first weekend after debuting late Tuesday night.
Here are the weekend’s top 10 movies, from the AP:
1. “Paranormal Activity,” $22 million.
2. “Saw VI,” $14.8 million.
3. “Where the Wild Things Are,” $14.4 million.
4. “Law Abiding Citizen,” $12.7 million.
5. “Couples Retreat,” $11.1 million.
6. “Astro Boy,” $7 million.
7. “The Stepfather,” $6.5 million.
8. “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant,” $6.3 million.
9. “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” $5.6 million.
10. “Zombieland,” $4.3 million.
-BAM
Box office report for Oct. 19, 2009
Director Spike Jonze’s long-awaited “Where the Wild Things Are,” a big-screen adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s beloved children’s book, debuted at No. 1 at the weekend box office with $32.5 million, according to the Associated Press.
Moviegoers 18 and older accounted for 43 percent of the audience, while parents with children made up 27 percent, the AP reported. Jonze viewed his version as a story about a child, but not necessarily a children’s movie, so those statistics seem appropriate.
It was a happy ending for the long-delayed film: During production, Jonze clashed with Warner Bros., which had wanted a more kid-friendly film. The studio gave Jonze more time and money to finish the movie and ultimately backed his vision with a huge marketing campaign, according to the AP.
Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler’s vengeance thriller “Law Abiding Citizen,” debuted with $21.3 million for the No. 2 spot.
Expanding into wider release, Paramount’s micro-budget fright flick “Paranormal Activity” took the No. 3 spot with $20.2 million.
Shot for a reported $15,000, “Paranormal Activity” outperformed the debut of Sony’s horror remake “The Stepfather,” which cost $19 million, played in nearly four times as many theaters but opened at No. 5 opening with just $12.3 million.
Paramount plans to keep expanding “Paranormal Activity” into more theaters as Halloween approaches; the documentary-style haunted house tale will take on another horror film this week with the opening of “Saw VI.”
Here is the weekend’s top 10 list, from the AP:
1. “Where the Wild Things Are,” $32.5 million.
2. “Law Abiding Citizen,” $21.3 million.
3. “Paranormal Activity,” $20.2 million.
4. “Couples Retreat,” $17.9 million.
5. “The Stepfather,” $12.3 million.
6. “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” $8.1 million.
7. “Zombieland,” $7.8 million.
8. “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2″ in 3-D, $3 million.
9. “Surrogates,” $1.92 million.
10. “The Invention of Lying,” $1.9 million.
-BAM
Box office report for Oct. 12, 2009
Benefiting from a dearth of competition, the comedy “Couples Retreat,” which reunited “Swingers” co-stars Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau, topped the weekend box office with $35.3 million.
Despite poor reviews (it scored only 14 percent at RottenTomatoes.com), ”Couples Retreat,” the directing debut for Peter Billingsley (AKA “Ralphie” of ”A Christmas Story” fame) exceeded expectations for Universal Pictures. According to the Associated Press, the distributor hoped the movie would top the $20 million range.
The No. 1 opening came just days after a management shake-up that followed a summer of poor box office performers for Universal, which released the Will Ferrell dud “Land of the Lost” and such commercial underachievers as Adam Sandler’s “Funny People” and Jennifer Aniston’s “Love Happens.”
The week’s previous No. 1, the horror-comedy “Zombieland,” came in second place with $15 million, raising its take to $47.8 million.
The micro-budgeted fright film “Paranormal Activity” jumped to No. 5 after distributor Paramount expanded into daylong release after two weeks of midnight screenings.
Shot for a reported $15,000, “Paranormal Activity” played in narrow release of just 160 cinemas. It averaged a huge $44,163 a theater, compared with $11,780 in 3,000 theaters for “Couples Retreat.”
“Paranormal Activity” was acquired by former Paramount partner DreamWorks at 2007’s Slamdance Film Festival with the idea that writer-director Oren Peli would re-shoot it on a bigger budget, according to the AP.
But after audiences responded well to a test screening, Paramount decided to sneak “Paranormal Activity” out in a manner befitting its raw, independent roots. The studio began two weekends ago with midnight screenings in 13 cities, the movie building buzz online much as “The Blair Witch Project” did 10 years ago.
Only Paramount has the advantage of social media now: Fans spread the word about the documentary-style horror flick on Twitter and Facebook, and the movie expanded to more cities based on which markets received the most requests to see it on a Web site Paramount set up. According to the AP, the weekend’s 46 markets included mostly big cities, but mid-sized cities such as Norfolk, Va., also made the cut as fans there voted to bring the movie.
According to Paramount, “Paranormal Activity” had a record weekend for a movie playing in fewer than 200 theaters, surpassing the $3.7 million haul for “Platoon” in 174 theaters early in its run in 1987. Factoring in today’s higher prices for movie tickets, which average nearly twice as much as in 1987, “Paranormal Activity” sold about the same number of tickets as “Platoon.”
“Paranormal Activity” has grossed $8.3 million so far. And Paramount plans to expand it to several hundred more theaters this weekend, again adding new markets based on where it gets the most requests.
Here are the weekend’s top 10 movies, from the AP:
1. “Couples Retreat,” $35.3 million.
2. “Zombieland,” $15 million.
3. “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” $12 million.
4. “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2″ in 3-D, $7.7 million.
5. “Paranormal Activity,” $7.1 million.
6. “Surrogates,” $4.1 million.
7. “The Invention of Lying,” $3.4 million.
8. “Whip It,” $2.8 million.
9. “Capitalism: A Love Story,” $2.7 million.
10. “Fame,” $2.6 million.
-BAM
Box office report for Oct. 5, 2009
The undead took over the box office over the weekend, with the horror-comedy “Zombieland” coming in No. 1 with $25 million.
Although several new releases entered theaters, some familiar favorites fared well: After two weeks at No. 1, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” didn’t roll far. The animated movie made another $16.7 million for second place, according to the Associated Press.
Disney/Pixar’s double feature re-release of “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2″ in 3-D made $12.5 million for third place. The double feature is getting a limited two-week run to prep audiences for the long-awaited arrival of “Toy Story 3″ in 3-D next year.
The comedy “The Invention of Lying,” starring Ricky Gervais and Jennifer Garner, opened at No. 4 with $7.4 million. The sci-fi thriller “Surrogates,” starring Bruce Willis, fell to No. 5 from No. 2 the previous weekend.
In sixth place was a tie between Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, the roller derby flick “Whip It,” and Michael Moore’s latest documentary, “Capitalism: A Love Story.” Both films made $4.85 million.
In limited release, Joel and Ethan Coen’s latest film, “A Serious Man,” notched a big opening with $251,510 in six theaters, averaging a whopping $41,918 per cinema.
Sports fans turned out for Lionsgate’s basketball documentary “More Than a Game,” which chronicles the high school years of NBA star LeBron James, opened with $196,681 in 14 theaters, averaging a solid $14,049 a cinema.
And the fright flick “Paranormal Activity” took in $535,000 from midnight-only screenings in 33 cities. The studio plans to expand the movie to all-hours show times on Friday, according to the AP.
Here is the top 10 list, from the AP:
1. “Zombieland,” $25 million.
2. “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” $16.7 million.
3. “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2″ in 3-D, $12.5 million.
4. “The Invention of Lying,” $7.4 million.
5. “Surrogates,” $7.3 million.
6 (tie). “Capitalism: A Love Story,” $4.85 million.
6 (tie). “Whip It,” $4.85 million.
8. “Fame,” $4.8 million.
9. “The Informant!”, $3.8 million.
10. “Love Happens,” $2.8 million.
-BAM
Box office report for Sept. 28, 2009
The animated movie “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” was still appetizing to movie-goers in its second week in theaters.
Over the weekend, the tasty 3-D adventure topped the box office for the second straight week with $24.6 million. Based on the famed children’s book, “Cloudy” follows the exploits of Flint Lockwood (voice of Tulsa native Bill Hader), a geeky aspiring inventor who devises a machine that turns water into food.
The Sony release raised its domestic haul to $60 million after 10 days in theaters, according to the Associated Press.
The sci-fi thriller “Surrogates,” based on the graphic novel and Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele, debuted at No. 2 with $15 million. Set in a future in which people live in isolation and interact mostly through surrogate robots, the Disney release stars Bruce Willis as a cop forced to leave his home to investigate the murder of others’ surrogates.
“Pandorum,” another sci-fi thriller opening over the weekend didn’t fare as well. The film, which stars Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster as two astronauts who awaken on a spaceship with no memory of their identities or mission, came in No. 6 with $4.4 million.
The weekend’s other new wide release, MGM’s new take on the 1980 musical hit “Fame,” opened in third place with $10 million. Oklahoma City-raised Megan Mullally plays one of the teachers in the film, set in a prestigious New York performing arts school.
According to the AP, Michael Moore’s new film, “Capitalism: A Love Story,” opened strongly in limited release with a $240,000 weekend take in four theaters. The Overture Films release boosts its total to $306,586 since it debuted last Wednesday. It expands to theaters nationwide on Friday.
Here are the weekend’s top 10 movies, from the AP:
1. “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” $24.6 million.
2. “Surrogates,” $15 million.
3. “Fame,” $10 million.
4. “The Informant!”, $6.9 million.
5. “Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself,” $4.8 million.
6. “Pandorum,” $4.4 million.
7. “Love Happens,” $4.3 million.
8. “Jennifer’s Body,” $3.5 million.
9. “9,” $2.8 million.
10. “Inglourious Basterds,” $2.7 million.
-BAM
