Summer movie season officially kicked off on Friday, May 6, 2011, and we'll be bringing you the actual box office results for the domestic market (USA+Canada) each Monday in an easy-to-read chart. Which will be the hits, and which will be the bombs? Follow your favorite movies throughout the summer and see whether they live up to box office expectations.
In this final weekend of the summer movie season, The Help surges almost 37% to capture the top spot for a third straight week. This uniquely American tale isn't really translating overseas, but its bargain-priced $25 million budget has been recouped a few times over anyway.
2
The Debt
(Focus Features)
$12,851,600
debut
$14,753,014
3
Apollo 18
(Weinstein/Dimension)
$10,705,556
debut
$10,705,556
4
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
(20th Century Fox)
$10,325,485
+16.4%
$162,550,178
5
Shark Night 3D
(Relativity)
$10,126,458
debut
$10,126,458
It's got sharks. It's got 3D. It just doesn't have an audience. Along with Judy Moody, Relativity chalks up another bomb in this bummer summer.
6
Columbiana
(TriStar)
$9,570,213
-8.1%
$24,132,335
7
Our Idiot Brother
(Weinstein Company)
$7,038,249
+0.4%
$17,273,593
8
Spy Kids: All the Time in the World
(Weinstein/Dimension)
$6,801,885
+13.2%
$31,201,190
9
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
(FilmDistrict)
$6,382,227
-25.1%
$17,822,416
10
The Smurfs
(Sony Pictures)
$5,724,093
+20.4%
$133,676,705
11
Crazy, Stupid, Love
(Warner Bros.)
$4,261,090
+37.1%
$75,464,794
12
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
(Warner Bros.)
$3,401,110
+32.6%
$375,552,093
We were wrong. Potter logs yet another week in the top 12 thanks to the four-day weekend.
Great word of mouth continues and The Help has the smallest drop in the top 10 allowing it to remain on top and hold off three new releases.
2
Columbiana
(TriStar)
$10,408,176
debut
$10,408,176
3
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
(20th Century Fox)
$8,867,741
-45.0%
$148,674,018
4
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
(FilmDistrict)
$8,525,728
debut
$8,525,728
5
Our Idiot Brother
(Weinstein Company)
$7,011,631
debut
$7,011,631
Lackluster debut for this Paul Rudd comedy that is getting some good reviews. However, it was made on an impossibly miniscule production budget of $5 million, so it might actually make a small profit during its theatrical run.
6
Spy Kids: All the Time in the World
(Weinstein/Dimension)
$6,007,180
-48.4%
$21,990,229
Another failed remake.
7
The Smurfs
(Sony Pictures)
$4,754,766
-39.1%
$125,948,234
8
Conan the Barbarian (2011)
(Lionsgate)
$3,185,094
-68.2%
$16,660,669
There won't be a sequel to this $90 million budgeted disaster. The audience simply didn't care about this film.
9
Crazy, Stupid, Love
(Warner Bros.)
$3,108,178
-35.2%
$69,732,502
10
Fright Night (2011)
(Disney)
$3,103,227
-59.8%
$14,281,778
Another of last week's openers that suffered a huge dropoff. We'd like to hope that this signals the ending of the 80s remakes, but we know better – especially with both Footloose and Dirty Dancing coming up.
11
30 Minutes or Less
(Sony Picutres)
$2,687,165
-58.0%
$31,789,438
12
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
(Warner Bros.)
$2,564,370
-43.2%
$370,805,062
The final Harry Potter flick logs its final week in the top 12, and will likely top out around the $375 million range domestically. Add about $1 billion more in international sales, and this last chapter goes out with a bank.
Logs a second week at the top in spite of an almost 50% drop. On track to make $160-170 million.
2
The Help
(Disney)
$26,044,590
debut
$35,918,416
Excellent debut for this civil rights drama. Will undoutedly recoup its meager $25 million production budget.
3
Final Destination 5
(New Line Cinema)
$18,031,396
debut
$18,031,396
New Line went to the well once too often as the fifth installment opens weaker than any of the previous four.
4
The Smurfs
(Sony Pictures)
$13,733,081
-33.7%
$101,778,741
Superb holdover vaults the kiddie favorite over the $100 million mark. Also doing quite well overseas, which is no surprise given the international appeal of the property.
5
30 Minutes or Less
(Sony Picutres)
$13,330,118
debut
$13,330,118
Comedy caper failed to find an audience and will likely drop out of the top 10 in a week or two.
6
Cowboys and Aliens
(Universal)
$7,811,305
-50.3%
$81,674,015
7
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
(Warner Bros.)
$7,251,414
-41.7%
$357,337,355
8
Captain America: The First Avenger
(Paramount)
$7,210,902
-44.6%
$156,971,108
9
Crazy, Stupid, Love
(Warner Bros.)
$7,054,228
-41.3%
$55,526,524
10
The Change-Up
(Universal)
$6,306,645
-53.4%
$25,838,850
11
Glee: The 3D Concert Movie
(20th Century Fox)
$5,961,231
debut
$5,961,231
Glee's appeal extends beyond television to music, but stops at the cinema with a dead-on-arrival opening weekend outside the top 10.
Box office came in about the same as Thor in May, but had a larger audience due to fewer people opting to see it in 3D.
2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
(Warner Bros.)
$47,422,212
-72.0%
$273,539,281
Enormous drop in box office, but mitigated by the record-breaking first weekend.
3
Friends with Benefits
(Sony Screen Gems)
$18,622,150
debut
$18,622,150
Could not have ranked higher than third given the competion, and box office was on par for a film of this type and stars of this caliber. Did only $1.1 million less than Ashton Kutcher's & Natalie Portman's No Strings Attached.
4
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
(Paramount)
$12,051,735
-43.5%
$325,841,185
Already 2011's highest grossing movie, but Harry Potter just might unseat it before each ends its theatrical run.
5
Horrible Bosses
(Warner Bros.)
$11,884,319
-33.1%
$82,566,703
Doing slightly better than fellow R-rated, high concept comedy Bad Teacher did at this point. Both will likely cross the $100 million mark domestically.
6
Zookeeper
(Sony Pictures)
$8,702,055
-29.4%
$59,206,255
$80 million budget greenlit when it was thought that Kevin James was a movie star after Paul Blart hit big two years ago. James did not deliver the goods a second time.
7
Cars 2
(Disney-Pixar)
$5,655,857
-32.7%
$176,375,295
Not a good summer for Disney toons as both Cars and Winnie the Pooh are performing below expectations.
8
Winnie the Pooh
(Disney)
$5,162,046
-34.3%
$17,594,297
Is Pooh past his prime? Not doing well either domestically or internationally.
9
Bad Teacher
(Sony Pictures)
$2,610,925
-49.3%
$94,365,688
Should just make it over the $100 million mark if it can stay in theaters a few more weeks.
10
Midnight in Paris
(Sony Pictures Classics)
$1,804,662
-3.8%
$44,783,206
Woody Allen's biggest hit in years holds relatively steady in its tenth weekend.
11
Bridesmaids
(Universal)
$1,325,985
-23.0%
$163,832,870
Sleeper hit of the summer stays in the race in its eleventh weekend. With a $32.5 million production budget, Bridesmaids has already made tons of profit.
12
Larry Crowne
(Universal)
$1,019,475
-61.7%
$34,327,405
High profile failure for stars Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.
Obviously the best debut of the year, but does noticeably less than the previous entry in the series. It's not accurate to call this an underperformer, but it's another franchise that is seeing diminishing returns this summer.
2
Cars 2
(Disney-Pixar)
$31,629,695
-52.2%
$122,560,310
Big drop considering it's $200 million production budget.
3
Bad Teacher
(Sony Pictures)
$17,261,534
-45.4%
$62,707,505
Holding over quite well. Made on a miniscule $20 million budget, Bad Teacher will make a tidy profit just on theater grosses alone. DVD, pay-per-view, and cable revenues are just gravy.
4
Larry Crowne
(Universal)
$16,098,795
debut
$16,098,795
Surprisingly low number considering the star power here, but it was made on a $30 million budget, which makes it a worthy investment.
5
Super 8
(Paramount)
$9,527,129
-20.8%
$110,070,156
6
Monte Carlo
(20th Century Fox)
$8,588,318
debut
$8,588,318
7
Green Lantern
(Warner Bros.)
$7,928,176
-56.0%
$103,616,460
Once again, GL has the steepest drop in the top 12, and it lost many 3D screens to Transformers.
Just-ok debut for the latest Pixar feature in terms of audience attendance.
2
Bad Teacher
(Sony Pictures)
$31,603,106
debut
$31,603,106
R-rated comedy came in around expectations. Opened better than Bridesmaids, and if word of mouth is strong, it can be another sleeper hit.
3
Green Lantern
(Warner Bros.)
$18,028,056
-66.1%
$88,989,477
The news keeps getting worse for GL as it suffers the largest percentage drop in the top 12. Will likely not even hit the $120 million mark domestically. Foreign box office is likewise lackluster. Won't get anywhere near recouping its $200 million production budget in theaters.
4
Super 8
(Paramount)
$12,028,092
-44.0%
$95,114,324
In contrast to GL, Super 8 will break even on its $50 million production budget with theatrical grosses alone.
5
Mr. Popper's Penguins
(20th Century Fox)
$10,145,662
-45.0%
$39,293,341
Not a terrible drop, but considering how low opening weekend was, this really does count as a high-profile bomb for Carrey.
Relatively soft debut given the hype. A manageable budget of $50 million may still allow a profit to be made even before it gets to DVD and cable.
2
X-Men: First Class
(20th Century Fox)
$24,128,986
-56.2%
$98,023,335
Standard drop for the genre. First Class will likely top out at under $160 million domestically.
3
The Hangover Part II
(Warner Bros.)
$17,667,329
-43.7%
$215,727,461
Even with another big drop, Hangover II has already more than doubled its $80 million production budget.
4
Kung Fu Panda 2
(DreamWorks)
$16,543,166
-30.7%
$126,813,240
5
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
(Disney)
$10,945,764
-39.0%
$208,873,258
6
Bridesmaids
(Universal)
$10,066,290
-16.4%
$123,815,865
7
Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer
(Relativity Pictures)
$6,076,859
debut
$6,076,859
Looks like the summer will be a bummer for Judy after all. Will likely not even get to $20 million.
8
Midnight in Paris
(Sony Pictures Classics)
$5,830,723
+110.5%
$13,909,196
Woody Allen's latest opens wide and becomes his highest grosser since Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Still needs to make more than $10 million to exceed it, though.
9
Thor
(Paramount)
$2,435,215
-42.7%
$173,664,723
10
Fast Five
(Universal)
$1,727,330
-45.4%
$205,094,205
11
The Tree of Life
(Fox Searchlight)
$827,009
+33.8%
$2,361,655
Terrence Malik's latest, which stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, is doing nice business at fewer than 50 theaters domestically.
Prequel entry becomes the worst opener in the series. Excellent film may prove to be a costly failure given its $160 million budget.
2
The Hangover Part II
(Warner Bros.)
$31,381,234
-63.5%
$185,808,194
Huge drop considering it was a comedy, a genre which tends to hold over better in succeeding weeks
3
Kung Fu Panda 2
(DreamWorks)
$23,887,914
-49.9%
$100,028,372
4
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
(Disney)
$17,954,603
-54.9%
$190,200,880
Box office has been very lopsided for this film. It's already made $615 million overseas, but this fourth entry will undoubtedly be the lowest grosser domestically.
Summer movie season is upon us, and to help you with your many viewing choices, we've put together a comprehensive listing of all the movies that are set to be released during the months of May through August, which Hollywood has deemed to be "summer."
Keep checking back as further information, trailers, and photos are added as we get them.
US Townhall RealStories presents BATMAN movie producer, Michael Uslan
Written by Scott Katz
Sunday, 14 November 2010 19:28
We had the pleasure of sitting down to talk with one of the most successful producers in Hollywood: Michael Uslan, who is the Executive Producer of the Batman series of films that began with Tim Burton's imaginative take on the character back in 1989 and continues to this day with Christopher Nolan in the director's chair.
Mr. Uslan is a longtime fan of comic books, and he acquired the rights to produce Batman movies back in the late 1970s. We spoke about his 10+ year journey to get Batman on to the big screen with Tim Burton's 1989 smash hit, Batman. There's a new Batman film due in Summer 2012, The Dark Knight Rises, and director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale will both be back to deliver another thrilling installment in the successful franchise.
Among Mr. Uslan's other film projects are the Swamp Thing movies and its associated cable television series, The Spirit, Constantine, Catwoman, and National Treasure. Another of Mr. Uslan's many accomplishments is that he is the first person to teach an accredited course on the serious study of comic books – "The Comic Book in America" at Indiana University.
To listen to the interview, click the "play" button on the graphic below.
Weekend Box Office - October 1-3, 2010
Written by US Townhall staff
Thursday, 07 October 2010 02:35
As expected, the quasi-biographical Facebook story, The Social Network, took the top spot, and the other two new releases, Case 39 and Let Me In, both of which were horror movies, were dead on arrival. For this time of year, the $22 million haul for The Social Network was okay, but given the amount of publicity and hype this movie has received, we have to wonder just how happy Sony is with this number. At a cost of $50 million before marketing, this movie should turn a profit once all revenue streams are counted, but it likely won't make more than $60 million at the domestic box office.
Next week comes three new wide releases: the romantic comedy Life as We Know It, yet another horror flick, My Soul to Take (albiet directed by Wes Craven), and the equine biopic, Secretariat. We're not seeing any of these open above $20 million.
Here are the domestic box office actuals for the weekend of October 1-3, 2010:
In spite of the struggling economy that many people blame, rightly or wrongly, on irresponsible behavior on Wall Street, the Michael Douglas / Shia LaBeouf sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, was bullish with the public and landed at the top spot ahead of the family friendly animated flick, Legend of the Guardians and way ahead of the dead-on-arrival comedy, You Again. Guess Betty White can't save everything.
On Friday, the film to beat seems to be The Social Network, which purports to tell the origins of the website Facebook. Will Facebook's reported 500 million users tear themselves away from their computers long enough to see this? Also two horror movies vie for audience attention, Case 39 and Let Me In.
Here are the domestic box office actuals for the weekend of September 24-26, 2010:
Movies
We had the pleasure of sitting down to talk with one of the most successful producers in Hollywood: Michael Uslan, who is the Executive Producer of the Batman series of films that began with Tim Burton's imaginative take on the character back in 1989 and continues to this day with Christopher Nolan in the director's chair.
As expected, the quasi-biographical Facebook story, The Social Network, took the top spot, and the other two new releases, Case 39 and Let Me In, both of which were horror movies, were dead on arrival. For this time of year, the $22 million haul for The Social Network was okay, but given the amount of publicity and hype this movie has received, we have to wonder just how happy Sony is with this number. At a cost of $50 million before marketing, this movie should turn a profit once all revenue streams are counted, but it likely won't make more than $60 million at the domestic box office.
In spite of the struggling economy that many people blame, rightly or wrongly, on irresponsible behavior on Wall Street, the Michael Douglas / Shia LaBeouf sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, was bullish with the public and landed at the top spot ahead of the family friendly animated flick, Legend of the Guardians and way ahead of the dead-on-arrival comedy, You Again. Guess Betty White can't save everything.
