Atom Tickets reveals public’s most anticipated movies and stars for 2019

PRESS RELEASE – SANTA MONICA, CA, December 31, 2018: Established franchises top the list for fans’ most anticipated movies to see in 2019, according to a survey by Atom Tickets, the social movie ticketing platform. Avengers 4: Endgame, starring Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, and Mark Ruffalo topped multiple lists by wide margins, including overall “most anticipated,” “most anticipated superhero movie,” and “most excited ensemble cast to see.” Captain Marvel and Toy Story 4 claimed the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, respectively, on the overall “most anticipated” list of films to see in 2019. The bulk of the top 10 most anticipated movies are tentpole films that have strong four-quadrant appeal, meaning they appeal to both males and females, and both over- and under-25 years old.

“Although we expect to see some movement in preferences as release dates near and studios ramp up marketing efforts, there were clear winners in each category. The battles for box office dominance between Dwayne Johnson, Lupita Nyong’o, The Avengers, and Star Wars will be epic, and the 2019 slate looks great overall,” said Matthew Bakal, chairman and co-founder of Atom Tickets.

“Despite all the headlines about streaming formats dominating the industry, our survey found that consumers are still very enthusiastic about seeing movies in the theater,” added Bakal. “In fact, an overwhelming 86% of survey respondents said they are likely to see movies in theaters in 2019. Interestingly, a large majority of consumers — 76% — plan to watch the movies they loved and saw in the theater again at home.”

Below are the top 10 overall most anticipated movies for 2019, according to Atom Tickets:
1. Avengers 4: Endgame
2. Captain Marvel
3. Spider-Man: Far From Home
4. Toy Story 4
5. The Lion King
6. Star Wars: Episode IX
7. Aladdin
8. X-Men: Dark Phoenix
9. Glass
10. Jumanji Sequel

Most anticipated superhero movies for 2019 are:
1. Avengers 4: Endgame
2. Captain Marvel
3. Spider-Man: Far From Home

Most anticipated family films for 2019 are:
1. The Lion King
2. Toy Story 4
3. Aladdin

Most anticipated horror films for 2019 are:
1. It: Chapter 2
2. Pet Sematary
3. Annabelle 3

The top three ensemble casts fans are most excited to see in 2019 are:
1. Avengers 4: Endgame with Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, and Mark Ruffalo
2. Star Wars: Episode IX with Oscar Isaac, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Lupita Nyong’o, and John Boyega
3. Jumanji Sequel with Karen Gillan, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, and Kevin Hart

Fans are most excited to see the following actors in 2019:
1. Ryan Reynolds
2. Chris Pratt
3. Dwayne Johnson
4. Will Smith
5. Keanu Reeves

Moviegoers are most excited to see the following actresses in 2019:
1. Kristen Bell
2. Lupita Nyong’o
3. Brie Larson
4. Beyoncé
5. Zendaya

Fans are most excited to see the following actors/actresses in their breakout movie roles:
1. Sophie Turner in X-Men: Dark Phoenix
2. Mena Massoud in Aladdin
3. Millie Bobby Brown in Godzilla: King of the Monsters

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Studio Weekend Estimates: ‘Aquaman’ ($51.5M) and ‘Mary Poppins’ ($28M) Remain on Top; ‘Vice’ ($7.7M) and ‘Holmes & Watson’ ($7.3M) Open Soft

Despite seeing competition from two new wide releases over the weekend, Aquaman and Mary Poppins Returns remained on top with an estimated $51.5 million and $28 million, respectively, while Bumblebee also continued strong in third place. Freshman titles Holmes & Watson and Vice, meanwhile, were no match for the powerhouse holdovers, both opening with disappointing totals further down the chart.

After debuting to a solid $67.4 million last weekend, Aquaman held up remarkably well in its sophomore frame, dipping just 23% from its debut. That ranks as the best sophomore hold of any title in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), besting Wonder Woman‘s 43% drop in its second weekend. With a powerful $188.7 million in the bank so far and $560 million overseas, the Warner Bros. superhero tentpole is firing on all cylinders and looks poised to continue playing well into the new year, with no major new competition on the horizon until the release on Universal’s highly-anticipated Glass on January 18.

In second place, Mary Poppins Returns improved on its first-weekend performance, besting its debut frame by a whopping 19%. The Disney hit, whose domestic cume now stands at $98.9 million, started a bit more slowly than expected but held up well throughout the week, posting an $11.4 million total on Christmas Day alone. The belated sequel has taken full advantage of the holiday break with kids out of school, and has done equally well in ginning up nostalgia among the older set who remember watching the original film as children. With several Golden Globe nominations and excellent word-of-mouth (the film has an “A-” Cinemascore), the musical follow-up certainly has lots of momentum heading into the new year.

Third place again went to Bumblebee, which brought in an estimated $20.5 million in its sophomore frame. The Transformers spin-off dipped a scant 5% from its $21.6 million debut weekend thanks to excellent reviews and apparently strong word-of-mouth. The total for the $135 million Paramount title now stands at $66.7 million after ten days of release.

In fourth was Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the animated spin-off that improved on last weekend’s performance with an estimated $18.3 million, a gain of over 11%. That gives the Sony title a solid $103.6 million after three weeks of release. With strong word-of-mouth and the highest Rotten Tomatoes average of any Spider-Man movie in history (97%), it looks likely to continue sticking the proverbial landing well into the new year.

Fifth place went to The Mule, which took in an estimated $11.7 million in its third weekend of release. Like so many returning titles this weekend, the Clint Eastwood drama actually improved on its performance from last weekend, posting a 23% increase. It now has $60.7 million to date.

In sixth place was Annapurna’s Vice, which faltered out of the gate with a so-so $7.7 million in seventh place (and $17.6 million since debuting on Christmas Day) despite featuring an all-star cast including Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Steve Carell. The Dick Cheney biographical comedy-drama came from the director of The Big Short (Adam McKay), but unlike that title, Vice was given a wide release immediately rather than beginning in just a few theaters before expanding later. Despite garnering a number of Golden Globe nominations, reviews for the film weren’t up to the same level as those for The Big Short (88% vs. 64%). Audiences don’t seem to have particularly taken to it either; while Short garnered an “A-” CinemaScore, Vice managed only a “C+.” As a result, Vice doesn’t seem likely to enjoy the same kind of shelf life as McKay’s previous film, which finished its domestic run with a healthy $70.2 million.

In seventh, the weekend’s other wide freshman release Holmes & Watson brought in an estimated $7.3 million (and $19.7 million since debuting on Christmas Day), a poor start for the Will Ferrell-John C. Reilly reunion. The comedy has suffered some of the worst reviews of the year (it’s at a mere 9% on Rotten Tomatoes) and hasn’t been helped on the P.R. front by multiple reports of walkouts by dissatisfied moviegoers. The debut is about in line with Ferrell’s similarly poorly-reviewed comedy The House in the summer of 2017 ($8.7 million opening) and a far cry from his previous team-ups with Reilly, 2006’s Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby ($47 million opening, $148.2 million total) and 2008’s Step Brothers ($30.9 million opening, $100.4 million total). With such a poor reception, look for the Sony release to slip from theaters in fairly short order.

In eighth, STX’s Second Act held up well with an estimated $7.2 million in its sophomore frame, an 11% improvement on its $6.4 million opening weekend. That brings the total for the Jennifer Lopez rom-com to $21.7 million after ten days – an encouraging cume for a production budgeted at $16 million.

Rounding out the Top 10 were two animated holdovers, Ralph Breaks the Internet and Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, which brought in an estimated $6.5 million and $4.2 million in ninth and tenth place, respectively. The Disney sequel now stands at $175.7 million after six weeks of release, while the Universal retelling of the classic children’s book has officially surpassed the live-action Jim Carrey version ($260 million total, not adjusted for inflation) with $265.5 million in North America after eight weeks.

Chugging right along in semi-wide release are Fox Searchlights’ The Favourite and Focus Features’ Mary Queen of Scots, both of which fell just outside the Top 10 with $2.6 million and $2.4 million, respectively. Mary Queen of Scots has $9 million after four weeks, while The Favourite stands at $15.2 million after six weeks.

Limited Release:

Newcomer On the Basis of Sex grossed $689K from 33 screens in its opening frame, good for a per-screen average of $20.8K. The Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic garnered reasonably good reviews (it has 74% on Rotten Tomatoes), though the real test will come in its January expansion.

Opening on just three screens this weekend, Annapurna’s Destroyer took in an estimated $58K, bringing its total to $116K since opening on Christmas Day. The gritty Nicole Kidman drama finished with weekend with a per-screen average of over $19K.

Expanding to 65 screens, If Beale Street Could Talk brought in an estimated $759K this weekend, giving the Annapurna drama a per-screen average of over $11K. The total for the acclaimed Barry Jenkins effort now stands at $1.95 million after three weeks of limited release.

Overseas Update:

Remaining the No. 1 movie worldwide for the fourth weekend in a row, Aquaman brought in an estimated $85.4 million overseas this weekend. The Warner Bros. blockbuster’s international total now stands at an eye-popping $560 million, while its global cume is a massive $748.8 million.  In China alone, the film has brought in $260.4 million, making it the sixth highest-grossing imported film of all time in the country. As for DC Universe titles, it’s now the second highest-grossing entry in the franchise internationally, behind only The Dark Knight Rises.

Mary Poppins Returns brought in an estimated $28.9 million overseas this weekend, bringing its international total to $74.4 million and its global cume to $173.3 million.

Bumblebee brought in an estimated $27.4 million this weekend in 60 markets, bringing its international cume to $109.6 million and its global haul to $176.3 million. Its total in China is

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse brought in an estimated $27.4 million this weekend in 60 markets, bringing its international cume to $109.6 million and its global haul to $213.2 million.

Bumblebee brought in $45.7 million this weekend from 55 markets, bringing its international total to $90 million and its worldwide cume to $156.7 million. The Transformers spinoff is slated for release in China on January 4.

With another $17.5 million in international territories this weekend, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch has now surpassed $200 million overseas ($203.9 million) and stands at $469.4 million worldwide.

Ralph Breaks the Internet brought in an estimated $13.7 million overseas, boosting its international total to $174.7 million and its global tally to $350.4 million.

Bohemian Rhapsody crossed the $500 million mark internationally this weekend and the $700 million mark globally after bringing in an estimated $17 million overseas. The blockbuster Freddie Mercury biopic, which now stands at $513 million internationally and $702.1 million globally, is currently Fox International’s seventh highest-grossing release of all time – a pretty incredible feat for a non-tentpole film.

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Weekend Estimates: ‘Aquaman’ ($48M+) & ‘Mary Poppins Returns ($28M+) Continue Holiday Reign; ‘Vice’ ($8M+) & ‘Holmes and Watson’ ($7M+) Debut

Saturday, December 29 Report: Warner Bros.’ Aquaman continues to float atop the box office after posting another $17.1 million on Friday. Domestically, that brings the DC title’s haul up to $154.3 million after eight days of release, putting it 32 percent ahead of the pace of Venom and 37 percent ahead of Ant-Man and the Wasp. We’re projecting a sophomore weekend around $48.5 million leading into New Year’s Eve on Monday.

Internationally, Aquaman added $18.4 million on Friday — including $2.4 million in China and $2.0 million from Australia, the latter being the film’s opening weekend. The Chinese total stands at $251.4 million, bringing the overseas total to $511.8 million and the global haul to $666.1 million thus far.

Back on the domestic side, Mary Poppins Returns continues to display encouraging holds with $10.62 million added on Friday. That gives the sequel $81.5 million in all through ten days of play, setting it on a course to likely exceed our most recent weekend forecast. Current projections now sit around $29.8 million for the three-day frame.

Bumblebee ($6.82 million), Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse ($6.435 million), and The Mule ($3.97 million) capped off the top five yesterday, while Vice added $2.73 million in sixth place for a four-day total thus far of $12.64 million. Holmes and Watson added $2.7 million yesterday, giving it $15.1 million earned since Tuesday.

On the award season front, If Beale Street Could Talk expanded to 65 locations with $228K yesterday, while Mary Queen of Scots ($886K) and The Favourite ($775K) continues to perform well in limited release.

Early Weekend Estimates (Domestic)
FRI, DEC. 28 – SUN, DEC. 30

WIDE (1000+)

#	TITLE	WEEKEND		LOCATIONS		AVG.	TOTAL	WKS.	DIST.
1	Aquaman	$48,500,000	-29%	4,125	0	$11,758	$185,735,000	3	Warner Bros.
2	Mary Poppins Returns	$29,800,000	27%	4,090	0	$7,286	$100,710,758	2	Disney
3	Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse	$19,000,000	14%	3,813	0	$4,983	$104,500,000	3	Sony / Columbia
4	Bumblebee	$19,000,000	-12%	3,550	0	$5,352	$65,278,020	2	Paramount Pictures
5	The Mule	$11,200,000	18%	2,787	131	$4,019	$60,158,000	3	Warner Bros.
6	Vice	$8,400,000	—	2,442	—	$3,440	$18,306,116	1	Annapurna
7	Holmes and Watson	$7,600,000	—	2,776	—	$2,738	$19,995,000	2	Sony Pictures
8	Second Act	$7,200,000	11%	2,607	0	$2,762	$7,200,000	3	STX Entertainment
9	Ralph Breaks the Internet	$6,800,000	45%	2,343	-152	$2,902	$175,981,583	6	Disney
10	Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch	$4,600,000	-46%	2,555	-225	$1,800	$265,935,485	8	Universal
11	Welcome to Marwen	$2,300,000	-2%	1,911	0	$1,204	$7,837,090	2	Universal Pictures
12	Creed II	$1,600,000	3%	1,068	-59	$1,498	$112,163,646	6	MGM / Warner Bros
13	Mortal Engines	$1,000,000	-43%	2,995	-108	$334	$14,652,905	3	Universal

LIMITED (100 — 999)

#	TITLE	WEEKEND		LOCATIONS		AVG.	TOTAL	WKS.	DIST.
1	Mary Queen of Scots	$2,800,000	23%	841	46	$3,329	$9,151,320	4	Focus Features
2	The Favourite	$2,500,000	20%	809	19	$3,090	$15,321,022	6	Fox Searchlight
3	Bohemian Rhapsody	$2,300,000	17%	868	-300	$2,650	$189,156,515	9	20th Century Fox
4	Green Book	$1,900,000	37%	621	-111	$3,060	$31,492,816	7	Universal Pictures
5	Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald	$1,000,000	11%	515	-167	$1,942	$156,620,000	7	Warner Bros.
6	Instant Family	$985,000	52%	744	0	$1,324	$64,600,775	7	Paramount Pictures
7	A Star is Born	$500,000	45%	236	-26	$2,119	$201,040,000	13	Warner Bros.
8	The Nutcracker and the Four Realms	$185,000	-10%	218	-23	$849	$54,557,150	9	Walt Disney Pictures
9	Robin Hood	$115,000	28%	189	-41	$608	$30,634,519	6	Lionsgate / Summit

PLATFORM (1 — 99)

#	TITLE	WEEKEND		LOCATIONS		AVG.	TOTAL	WKS.	DIST.
1	If Beale Street Could Talk	$725,000	564%	65	60	$11,154	$1,923,810	3	Annapurna
2	Destroyer	$38,000	—	3	—	$12,667	$95,189	1	Annapurna Pictures

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B&B Theatres wraps up record year of new builds and remodels, sets sights on 2019

[Adapted from a company press release.]

The folks at B&B Theatres have been busy this year, setting a high bar for growth and expansion going into 2019.

The past twelve months have been explosive for the family-owned and -operated company, with completed remodels or new builds taking place on 85 screens across eight sites. Each of the remodels and builds has brought the latest and greatest of the premier theater company’s innovative amenities, signature aesthetic, and quality presentation.

This year’s process started with massive, full-scale remodels of existing locations in three states: Lee’s Summit, MO, Leavenworth, KS, and Tulsa, OK. Each project brought unique challenges and opportunities, and each has been dramatically enhanced by the installation of reserved leather electric recliners, extended food and beverage options,  lobby and restroom remodels, exterior façade updates, and much more. Tulsa and Lee’s Summit received PLF B&B Grand Screens, MX4D, and screenPLAY! enhancements.

New locations were built in 2018 in New Longview (the company’s second location in the Lee’s Summit area) and in B&B’s longtime hometown headquarters of Liberty, MO. The New Longview 7 is a quaint and upscale boutique theater, located in a beautiful commercial district. The B&B Theatres Liberty 12 is the company’s flagship, boasting every amenity B&B has to offer, from heated leather recliners to family-friendly screenPLAY! to rollicking MX4D to the luxurious and intimate Lyric theater. Liberty is also home to Johnnie’s, a full restaurant and jazz bar with live music virtually every night.

[Read Boxoffice’s October article about the flagship Liberty, Missouri remodeling here.]

As the fourth quarter loomed, remodels wrapped on locations in Moberly and Festus, Missouri, two longtime B&B markets that were due for updates. Sweeping changes to the lobby, restrooms, concessions, auditoriums, food and beverage menus, and the installation of reserved electric recliners brought these foundational theaters into the modern scope of B&B’s current standard.

But the crown jewel of B&B’s visionary innovation has yet to be completed (but will be by year’s end). The B&B Theatres Ankeny 12 is set to open in mid-December, and will feature many of the signature amenities that drew such attention at the Liberty opening: screenPLAY!, MX4D, PLF B&B Grand Screens, and heated recliners. But the massive theater in Ankeny will also house a gigantic redemption arcade as well as 12 lanes of bowling, representing B&B’s first foray into the world of entertainment centers. Located in the Des Moines suburbs, the B&B Theatres Ankeny 12 w/B-Roll bowling promises to be a destination entertainment venue, and to put B&B on the map in Iowa in a major way.

For early 2019, B&B Theatres plans to open a new 9-screen theater in Topeka, Kansas.

With the sun setting on 2018, an optimistic and strategically-positioned B&B Theatres gears up for the new year with continued emphasis on deliberate growth, responsible expansion, and revitalized focus on guest experience and quality of service.

Company History
B&B Theatres has been family owned and operated since 1924 when Elmer Bills Sr. opened a movie house in Salisbury, Missouri where the future Mrs. Bills played the piano for silent movies.  During the company’s 94 years, and four generations of family involvement, it has seen the coming of sound, color, Technicolor, stadium seating, multiplexes, and now digital cinema.

Current Operations
B&B Theatres is the 7 th largest theatre chain in North America and operates over 400 screens at 50 locations in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa, Mississippi, and Florida.

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Peter Jackson’s ‘They Shall Not Grow Old’ Cumulative Box-Office Gross Reaches $5.7 Million, Becoming Top U.S. Event Cinema Release

PRESS RELEASE —

DENVER – December 28, 2018 – Peter Jackson’s groundbreaking WWI documentary“They Shall Not Grow Old” grossed $3.375 million at the domestic box office on Thursday, December 27, bringing its cumulative gross to $5.702 million and setting a record as the highest-grossing U.S. cinema event to date, both for Fathom Events and for the event-cinema industry. The encore showing on December 27 exceeded all expectations generating the second-highest per-screen average of any U.S. theatrical release. The film played on only 1,007 screens, for a per-screen average of $3,351. Due to such intense interest from moviegoers, some locations sold out of tickets more than a week ago, despite strong competition from wide holiday film releases. In its first North American cinema presentation on December 17, “They Shall Not Grow Old” played on more than 1,000 total screens and grossed $2.327 million; it was the second-highest-performing film on that day. “The success of this release is a result of tremendous teamwork between Fathom Events, Warner Bros. and our exhibition partners,” said Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events. “Peter Jackson has created a film of remarkable technical achievement that is also a deeply emotional and truly unforgettable experience for anyone who sees it. It has been an honor to be part of Mr. Jackson’s cinematic achievement.” “They Shall Not Grow Old” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film, by Academy Award®-winning director Jackson, restores, colorizes and applies 3D technology to original film footage from World War I – and The New York Times says, “The result is a transformation that is nothing less than visually astonishing.” Cinema audiences can anticipate further showings on January 11, 2019 and February 1, 2019. More details to be released by Warner Bros. “They Shall Not Grow Old” now ranks as the largest-ever U.S. event cinema release, far surpassing the recent BTS documentary and eclipsing Fathom’s previous records. In 2015, Fathom’s “Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F” reached $4.6 million; in 2013, Fathom’s release of “Dr. Who, The Day of the Doctor” delivered $4.49 million and in 2016, Fathom’s “Batman: The Killing Joke” reached $3.4 million in gross revenue. For artwork/photos related to “They Shall Not Grow Old,” visit the Fathom Events press site.

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AMC Theatres Celebrates the Holidays with More Than 600,000 AMC Stubs A-List Members in 2018

PRESS RELEASE —

LEAWOOD, Kan.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– AMC Theatres® (NYSE:AMC) is spending the holidays with its AMC Stubs A-List family; a family that is growing by leaps and bounds every day. Six months to the day that the A-List launched, AMC is excited to announce the program has surpassed more than 600,000 members.

More than 600,000 members are enjoying all of the amazing aspects of A-List, including:

• Up to three movies per week, in every available AMC showtime and format, including IMAX at AMC, Dolby Cinema at AMC, RealD 3D and Prime at AMC.
• AMC Stubs A-List can be used at the spur of the moment or also can make planning ahead days or weeks in advance possible, as securing tickets is made easy via reservations capabilities on the AMCTheatres.com web site, or on the AMC Theatres mobile app.
• AMC Stubs A-List members also enjoy all the discounts and benefits of AMC Stubs Premiere, including free upgrades on popcorn and soda, free refills on large popcorn, express service at the box office and concession stand, no online ticketing fees and 100 points for every $1 spent for the AMC Stubs A-List monthly fee, tickets purchased for friends and family, and food & beverage spending at AMC.
• AMC Stubs Premiere and A-List members receive a $5 reward for every 5,000 points earned, which translates to a 10% credit toward future AMC purchases.

AMC Theatres introduced A-List on June 26, 2018 and at the time, the Company expected to hit 500,000 members only a full year after launch.

Adam Aron, AMC CEO and President said, “What an incredible 2018 for AMC Theatres and our AMC Stubs A-List members. When we launched A-List in June, we fully expected the program to be popular, but to exceed our 1-year goal of 500,000 members in 4 ½ months, then add another 100,000 members in the last six weeks of the year is astounding. There can be no doubt that A-List has contributed to the record box office in 2018, and with the titles guests can expect in 2019, we remain extremely excited about what’s to come.”

For information about AMC Stubs A-List and to sign up, guests can inquire at their local AMC, or at AMC’s web site amctheatres.com/alist or on AMC’s iOS and Android mobile apps after downloading or updating them with the latest app release.

About AMC Stubs A-List

AMC Stubs A-List rewards guests with up to three movies per week. Through A-List, members can enjoy every available showtime, at every AMC location, in every format — including IMAX at AMC, Dolby Cinema at AMC, RealD 3D, Prime at AMC and BigD. AMC Stubs A-List can be used at the spur of the moment or also can make planning ahead days or weeks in advance possible, as securing tickets is made easy via reservations capabilities on the AMCTheatres.com web site, or on the AMC Theatres mobile app. A-List joins AMC Stubs Insider and AMC Stubs Premiere in AMC’s fast-growing AMC Stubs loyalty program. AMC Stubs A-List members also enjoy all the benefits of AMC Stubs Premiere, including free upgrades on popcorn and soda, free refills on large popcorn, express service at the box office and concession stand, no online ticketing fees and 100 points for every $1 spent for the AMC Stubs A-List monthly fee and food and beverage spending at AMC theatres. AMC Stubs Premiere members receive a $5 reward for every 5,000 points earned, which translates to a 10% credit toward future AMC purchases.

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Long Range Tracking: ‘How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World’

The final report of 2018 takes an early look at the weekend of February 22, 2019 — currently slated with three wide releases. We’ll offer up forecasts on the other two at a later date, but here’s our first analysis on the weekend’s marquee opener.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Opening Weekend Range: $40 – 50 million

PROS:

• The franchise has proven very successful with two critically and commercially successful chapters in 2010 and 2014, earning a combined $395 million domestically.
• Opening two weeks after The LEGO Movie 2 should provide just enough breathing room for this to open well along the lines of the studio’s own Kung Fu Panda 3 ($41.3 million in January 2016).
• The promise of a trilogy-capper helmed by returning director Dean DeBlois should bring back most fans of the series, especially the considerable adult segment of that audience.
• Early social media buzz is very encouraging.

CONS:

• If LEGO Movie 2‘s word of mouth proves comparable with its own direct predecessor, that may cut slightly into Dragon 3‘s potential.
• Similarly, Captain Marvel opens in Hidden World‘s third weekend and could leech some of the target younger audience.

8-Week Tracking

Release Date	Title	3-Day Wide Release Tracking	% Chg from Last Week	Domestic Total Forecast	% Chg from Last Week	Estimated Location Count	Distributor
1/4/2019	Escape Room	$13,000,000		$32,000,000		2,700	Sony / Columbia
1/11/2019	A Dog’s Way Home	$12,000,000		$40,000,000		2,900	Sony / Columbia
1/11/2019	Perfect Strangers	n/a		n/a		n/a	Lionsgate / Pantelion Films
1/11/2019	Replicas	n/a		n/a		n/a	Entertainment Studios
1/11/2019	The Upside	$13,000,000		$39,000,000		3,000	STX
1/18/2019	Glass	$67,000,000		$180,000,000			Universal
1/25/2019	The Kid Who Would Be King	$15,000,000		$50,000,000			Fox
1/25/2019	Serenity (2019)	$10,000,000		$30,000,000			Aviron
1/25/2019	Untitled STX Action/Thriller	n/a		n/a			STX Entertainment
2/1/2019	Jacob’s Ladder	n/a		n/a			LD Entertainment
2/1/2019	Miss Bala	$10,000,000		$28,000,000			Sony / Columbia
2/8/2019	Cold Pursuit	$13,000,000		$40,000,000			Lionsgate / Summit
2/8/2019	The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part	$60,000,000		$213,000,000			Warner Bros.
2/8/2019	The Prodigy	n/a		n/a			Orion Pictures
2/8/2019	What Men Want	$25,000,000		$63,000,000			Paramount
2/13/2019	Isn’t It Romantic	$14,000,000		$54,000,000			Warner Bros.
2/14/2019	Alita: Battle Angel	$14,500,000		$41,000,000			Fox
2/14/2019	Fighting with My Family	n/a		n/a			MGM
2/14/2019	Happy Death Day 2U	$24,000,000		$52,000,000			Universal
2/22/2019	How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World	$44,000,000	NEW	$155,000,000	NEW		Universal
2/22/2019	Rhythm Section	n/a		n/a			Paramount
2/22/2019	The Turning	n/a		n/a			Universal / Amblin

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Tracking and forecasts are subject to change each week as marketing, reviews, and other factors are taken into consideration.

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CineLux to Open New Luxury Theater in Gilroy, California

PRESS RELEASE

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Silicon Valley based CineLux Theatres is expanding into Gilroy and will create a first class movie going experience at CineLux Gilroy Café and Lounge, at the former Platinum Theaters site. Construction will commence in January when CineLux’s newest South County venue will feature an expanded lobby, café and lounge, spacious reclining seats, modern decor, and two premium format screens which will debut CineLux VPX – VIP Extreme Experience. CineLux VPX at Gilroy will feature giant wall to wall screens complemented with Dolby Atmos immersive sound.

The new luxury venue in Gilroy will showcase local wines and craft beers produced in South County, and freshly prepared meals and desserts. Auditoriums will feature spacious reclining seats, pristine digital projection and state-of-the- art sound systems. The theatre will close on January 1 for its extensive remodel and will launch in late Spring.

“Our goal is to redefine going to the movies in Gilroy. We are creating a comfortable lounge where movie-goers can relax before and after their film. We believe that our Café & Lounge concept, complemented with reclining seats and two PLF (Premium Large Format) screens is the perfect complement to traditional movie-going and we can’t wait to introduce it to the community of Gilroy,” said Paul Gunsky, President of CineLux Theatres.

CineLux Theatres is a regional motion picture theatre company based in the Silicon Valley. CineLux is known for setting a high standard in presentation and takes great pride in providing attentive guest service and working closely with each community that it serves.

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New Year’s Weekend Forecast: ‘Aquaman’ & ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ Look to Repeat as Top Two; ‘Holmes and Watson’ & ‘Vice’ Open

The final weekend of 2018 will see a number of strong holdovers as the Christmas-New Year’s corridor carries on, offering something for a wide variety of audiences. Holmes & Watson and Vice debuted in wide release on Christmas Day this past Tuesday and are included in the forecast below.

Top 10 vs. Last Year

Boxoffice projects this weekend’s top ten films will earn approximately $158 million. That would represent a 9 percent decline from the same weekend last year when Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle ruled the box office on New Year’s Eve weekend as part of an overall $173.3 million top ten frame.

Weekend Forecast

Film	Distributor	3-Day Weekend Forecast	Projected Domestic Total through Sunday, December 30	% Change from Last Wknd
Aquaman	Warner Bros.	$48,700,000	$185,700,000	-28%
Mary Poppins Returns	Disney	$26,200,000	$92,700,000	+11%
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse	Sony / Columbia	$19,000,000	$104,500,000	+14%
Bumblebee	Paramount	$17,900,000	$63,700,000	-17%
Holmes and Watson	Sony / Columbia	$11,000,000	$24,000,000	NEW
The Mule	Warner Bros.	$10,600,000	$59,400,000	+12%
Second Act	STX	$8,100,000	$22,900,000	+25%
Vice	Annapurna	$7,700,000	$17,100,000	NEW
Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch	Universal	$5,100,000	$266,300,000	-40%
Ralph Breaks the Internet	Disney	$4,000,000	$171,600,000	-15%

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Forecasts subject to change as location counts are finalized before Friday.

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Box Office 2018 Recap: Domestic Top Ten

As we close out a record-setting 2018 at the domestic box office, we take a look at the year’s 10 biggest earners in the North American market. 

1. BLACK PANTHER

Disney

Domestic Total: $700,059,566

Domestic Opening Weekend: $202,003,951

Release Date: February 16

A film that exceeded every expectation. Black Panther roared through the domestic box office with a $202 million opening weekend. By the culmination of its $700 million run, it had become the highest-grossing superhero film of all time. Black Panther ranks third among the biggest box office earners of all time in North America. 

2. AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR 

Disney

Domestic Total: $678,815,482

Domestic Opening Weekend: $257,698,183

Release Date: April 27

After ten years building up to this film, Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe scored the biggest domestic opening weekend of the year with Avengers: Infinity War. The latest Avengers film is also the franchise’s the top earner—and has raised expectations for a monster performance for its upcoming sequel, Avengers: Endgame.

3. INCREDIBLES 2

Disney

Domestic Total: $608,581,744

Domestic Opening Weekend: $182,687,905

Release Date: June 15

Disney claimed the top three spots at the domestic box office with a one-two punch from Marvel Studios and this Pixar superhero sequel. Incredibles 2 not only became the biggest movie of the summer—it is also the highest earning animated movie of all time.  

4. JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM

Universal

Domestic Total: $416,769,345

Domestic Opening Weekend: $148,024,610

Release Date: June 22

The Jurassic World sequel helped make June the biggest month of the year at the domestic box office. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom couldn’t quite live up to the monster success of its predecessor’s $652.2 million run—but it does stand out as the year’s highest earner from a studio other than Disney. The Dino-sequel is also the only movie among the year’s top 5 hits that isn’t about superheroes. 

5. DEADPOOL 2

Fox

Domestic Total: $318,491,426

Domestic Opening Weekend: $148,024,610

Release Date: May 18

Fox struck gold with the original Deadpool, which embraced an irreverent, cynical take on the superhero genre—along with an R-rating—to become the biggest hit in the studio’s tentpole X-Men franchise. Deadpool 2 fell just short of the original, but did join its predecessor as the only other X-Men title to cross $300 million at the domestic box office. 

6. DR. SEUSS’ THE GRINCH

Universal

Domestic Total: $257,900,050 (Still in Release)

Domestic Opening Weekend: $67,572,855

Release Date: November 9

The run-away box office winner of the 2018 holiday season. The latest Grinch movie held on to one of the top 3 spots at the weekend box office for its first six weeks in release. The strong holds helped push Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch past the $200 million domestic benchmark after its first month in release. 

7. JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE 

Sony

Domestic Total: $404,515,480 ($235,512,923 in 2018)

Domestic Opening Weekend: $36,169,328

Release Date: December 20, 2017

Sony’s Jumanji reboot seemed to have nine lives at the box office, recording sterling hold-over business into Q1 of 2018. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was an early year word-of-mouth hit; the film opened second in the Christmas 2017 corridor with a $36.1 million haul. Its 2018 earnings amounted to a robust $235.5 million.

8. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT

Paramount

Domestic Total: $220,159,104

Domestic Opening Weekend: $61,236,534

Release Date: July 27

Tom Cruise has starred in Paramount’s Mission: Impossible franchise since 1996, making it 22 years of death-defying stunts for one of the studio’s marquee properties. Mission: Impossible – Fallout emerged as Paramount’s top domestic earner of the year—and the franchise’s most lucrative entry—with a $220.1 million run. At age 56, it doesn’t look like Cruise’s days as an action star are anywhere close to finished. 

9. ANT-MAN AND THE WASP

Disney 

Domestic Total: $216,648,740

Domestic Opening Weekend: $75,812,205

Release Date: July 6

The ignominiously named Ant-Man crawled its way to the domestic top 10 by outperforming its predecessor, one of the few sequels from 2018 to achieve such a feat. Ant-Man and the Wasp was the third Marvel Studios release of 2018, and the third to break into the year’s top performing titles. 

10. SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY

Disney 

Domestic Total: $213,767,512

Domestic Opening Weekend: $84,420,489

Release Date: May 25

While it’s not a surprise to see a fifth Disney title among 2018’s top ten box office hits, it is peculiar to see this Star Wars (or any Star Wars title) so far down the list. Solo was released during a packed early summer corridor on the release schedule and was unable to gain the same traction we’ve grown accustomed to from the franchise. 

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Trailer Impact: ‘Lego Movie 2’ Posts Highest Recall w/ 23.9%; ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Posts Near-Record Interest in a Cinema View at 77.4%

Top Three Trailers with Highest Recall Score Among Moviegoing Audiences

Moviegoers tell us the trailers they most recall seeing at their most recent visit to a cinema, among films opening in the next 10 weeks.

However, we’re making an exception to our usual “next 10 weeks” rule… read on…

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part

Warner Bros.

Friday, February 8

• 23.9% of moviegoers (247 respondents) saw and recalled this trailer.
• That’s a new peak, up from 14.9% last week and a prior 17.0% peak.
• It spends its first week both in the top three and at #1, having previously reached as high as #4 last week.
• Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks star in this animated sequel about the adventures of the popular building-block toys.

The Lion King

Disney

Friday, July 19

• While Trailer Impact usually only measures films coming out in the next 10 weeks, we added The Lion King to the survey three weeks ago, after it posted the second-most global views online ever for a trailer within its first 24 hours.
• 20.6% of moviegoers (213 respondents) saw and recalled this trailer.
• That’s a new peak, up from 13.6% last week and a prior 15.3% peak.
• It spends its first week in the top three, at #2, having previously reached as high as #5 last week.
• Donald Glover voices the title character in the CGI remake of the original 1994 2D-animated musical classic.

A Dog’s Way Home

Sony

Friday, January 11

• 18.3% of moviegoers (190 respondents) saw and recalled this trailer.
• That’s a new peak, up from a prior 12.9% peak last week.
• It spends its week in the top three, at #3, having previously ranked as high as #6 last week.
• The family-friendly movie about a lost dog hopes to replicate the sleeper success of 2017’s A Dog’s Purpose, both based on books by W. Bruce Cameron.

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Top Three Trailers with Highest Cinema Interest Among Moviegoing Audiences

Moviegoers tell us the wide release titles they’re most likely to see at a cinema, based on trailers recently played at theaters, among films opening in the next 10 weeks.

However, we’re making an exception to our usual “next 10 weeks” rule. In fact, “exception” might be an understatement, because NONE of this installment’s top three movies are coming out in the next 10 weeks.

Avengers: Endgame

Disney

Friday, April 26

• While Trailer Impact usually only measures films coming out in the next 10 weeks, we added Avengers: Endgame to the survey last week, after it posted the most global views online ever for a trailer within its first 24 hours.
• 77.4% of respondents who saw the Endgame trailer this week said they intend to see it in theaters.
• That’s the second-highest number measured since the metric’s March inception, behind only Endgame‘s own record 78.6% last week.
• It spends it second week in the top three, both at #1.
• Considering its new records on the “interest in a cinema view” metric, it might surprise that Endgame only ranks #7 on the recall metric this week, at 15.3%.
• However, that’s an improvement from last week’s debut in both rank (from #10) and score (from 9.0%).
• A massive ensemble cast led by Robert Downey Jr., Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, and Jeremy Renner star in this intended final installment of the blockbuster Avengers superhero franchise.

Captain Marvel

Disney

Friday, March 8

• While Trailer Impact usually only measures films coming out in the next 10 weeks, we added Captain Marvel to the survey this week, 12 weeks out.
• 70.7% of respondents who saw the Captain trailer this week said they intend to see it in theaters.
• That’s the third-highest number measured since the metric’s March inception, behind only the past two weeks’ numbers for Avengers: Endgame. (See above.)
• Captain spends its first week in the top three, at #2.
• Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson star in this superhero origin story, Marvel’s first female lead after rival DC Comics struck box office gold with Wonder Woman.

The Lion King

Disney

Friday, July 19

• While Trailer Impact usually only measures films coming out in the next 10 weeks, we added The Lion King to the survey three weeks ago, after it posted the second-most global views online ever for a trailer within its first 24 hours.
• 63.9% of respondents who saw the Lion trailer this week said they intend to see it in theaters.
• That’s down slightly from 64.2% last week and a prior 64.6% peak, but still ranks as one of the highest scores Trailer Impact has ever measured.
• Donald Glover voices the title character in the CGI remake of the original 1994 2D-animated musical classic.

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Trailer Impact is a service provided by Boxoffice Media parent company Webedia Movies Pro. To subscribe to the full service, which includes exclusive data about the top 25 trailers of the week, click here.

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Diversity Matters: Marcus Theatres CEO Rolando Rodriguez on the Importance of Diversity & Inclusion in the Cinema Industry

What role does diversity play in our industry today?

If you think about it, the type of year we’re having is largely driven by a diverse audience. The top three films of 2017 were female led; we need to start there: Beauty and the Beast, Wonder Woman, Star Wars. Then you have Black Panther, which really energized the African American community, and rightfully so, it’s a Marvel movie solely dedicated to an African American superhero. I’m out there pounding the pavement saying this. It’s time for El Tigre Latino. It’s time for that Hispanic superhero; with almost 60 million of us, it makes a ton of sense.

The audiences are certainly there, but do you think there has been enough progress overall for diverse casts and filmmakers to break out?

We’ve already started to make some inroads. You think about Coco winning Best Animated Feature, Una Mujer Fantastica winning Best Foreign Film, and Best Picture happened to go to a Mexican director for The Shape of Water. I think there’s a movement, a realization that these diverse audiences, which were once considered niche, form a much bigger part of the consumerism that’s taking place in our country.

What is the potential of embracing diversity on a corporate level?

Part of my messaging in our communities is that it’s about workforce, the workforce of today and tomorrow, the leadership of today and tomorrow, and the consumerism of today and tomorrow. If you look at Hispanic consumers, we represent more than $1.6 trillion in consumerism and heading towards two trillion. Depending on the statistics you look at, there are somewhere between 55 and 60 million of us in the U.S. We’re 18 percent of the population, yet we represent less than 2 percent of public company boards of directors, and an equal number or less in the key leadership positions. I’m a proponent that everybody needs to earn their spot. You have to have the capabilities; you have to have the drive, the commitment, and the ability to deliver results. I have to believe that there are a heck of a lot more Hispanics delivering great results than just 2 percent. That’s where I’m hopeful that we can continue to broaden our perspectives.

When you were starting out in the industry, did you feel there were enough people to provide a road map for your own career? Or did you have to blaze your own path?

I had to find a way. The best example I gave you is Black Panther movies, where the African American community can look up and say, hey, that superhero is just like me. Well, that wasn’t around in our industry. If you look at the Hispanic roles in the industry when I was growing up, most of the time we were being represented as either banditos, drug dealers, or some type of villain. We’re a heck of a lot more than that. I started in an era when diversity and inclusion wasn’t really talked about. I was always given opportunities by all different types of people, who I am very grateful for because they served as mentors along the way. But look, today, I serve as the only Hispanic CEO of the top 10 largest companies in our industry. There are a couple of others that are doing very well, great entrepreneurs, and I’m very proud to see that. But I still look around and can see that I stand out in a crowd. It’s my hope and, I think, my responsibility, to pave the way for more Hispanics. I serve as the vice chairman of NATO, and one of their committees is the diversity and inclusion committee. I’m very proud of that; I think that’s terrific. We’re bringing in young people, women, African Americans, Hispanics—and I think that gives us a broader understanding of the consumers out in the marketplace. It takes little steps to build bigger steps, and it’s my hope that as we get more representation in leadership positions, we’ll have 10- and 12-year-olds who can look at what we’re doing confidently and say, “I want to be the next editor, the next CEO.”

How can the exhibition community fortify its commitment to diversity and inclusion?

It has to start somewhere, and I think every company and all leaders need to take a position of recognizing that diversity and inclusion is not just a set of words; they actually have to have meaning. The way we recruit has to ensure that we’re providing the proper training and development, and then making sure we can keep doors open for the candidates who are delivering the results along the way. That might include courageous decisions; you’re going up sometimes against the norm, but they are necessary decisions.

What does this mean to you personally, as a Hispanic American, to help lead this change in the corporate culture?

I have four daughters. I want them to be highly successful at their careers and be recognized for the contributions that they make, their capabilities, the results orientation, and the type of individuals they are. As Hispanic women, I want them to at least have the opportunity to succeed in the same way this country has given me that very opportunity. I was born in Cuba; my family came here with the clothes on our back—that’s it. This country gave us that opportunity to make something of ourselves: go to school, work hard, and climb the corporate ladder. I want to provide opportunities in the same way my own mentors gave me opportunities along the way. I want to pay it forward and make sure our organization is committed to ensuring diversity and inclusion.

One of Marcus Theatres’ initiatives that I believe has helped foster more inclusion is your $5 Tuesday offer, where anyone can walk into your theaters and purchase a ticket for $5—with a free popcorn if they’re a loyalty member. How did that idea come about?

One of my key learnings from the five years I spent at Walmart was not forgetting about the underserved communities. And that’s one of the things that company does well—they understand there’s a large portion of the population base who feels underserved. When I came back into the industry, it was one of the key learnings that I brought with me: finding a way to engage a large segment of the population out there that has very limited means. This was during the recession, and when you think about the alternative out-of-home entertainment options available—what are they? A baseball game nowadays costs 50 bucks for one ticket; a football game will cost you $100. And is it the same experience without the popcorn and a drink? We’ve always been known for catering to general audiences, and somewhere along the line we forgot a little bit about the underserved communities. We forgot that there’s a sector of the population out there—moms and dads, hardworking people—who are living on $40,000 a year. I can’t tell you how many letters I got thinking us. I think it’s good for business and from a corporate-citizenship perspective

The fact that we’re in the movie theater business means we have to cater to all general audiences, and if we’re forgetting that underserved community, we’re missing a large portion of the population. We are about the only venue where most people can enjoy a fantastic experience for a very reasonable price.

What I like most about it is that you’re including more people without sacrificing any aspect of the experience.

As an organization, we’ve spent over $350 million over the past five years on upgrading our facilities. So when these folks come on a Tuesday, they’re getting the best. They’re getting the recliner seating, the Dolby sound, the large-screen format.

Do you believe cinema is uniquely positioned to help push the message of diversity and inclusion?

Absolutely. Think about a movie like Crazy Rich Asians. I went to see it with my wife and we walked out thinking it was one of the best films we had seen in a long time. We’re in an industry that can take you around the world and introduce you to a lot of different people and cultures.

On a more general level, what other factors are crucial in order to see success in this area?

It starts with education. We need a better system to help empower more African Americans, more Hispanics, more women to graduate and go on to higher levels. We also need to focus on job growth. It’s not just about jobs; it’s about the ability to project a journey for individuals. Today’s young men and women, millennials, are the most diverse and fastest-growing group in America. These are going to be our future leaders. The responsibility will eventually pass onto them; how will they look at diversity and inclusion and promote it moving forward? These are important elements to become a better community. The third key piece of this is that we really need to aspire to see more leaders on boards of directors, in key leadership positions, so we can truly see that potential in action.

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IMAX Earns First $1B Year

IMAX, the large-format moviegoing option, has reached $1 billion at the global box office for the first time in a calendar year.

They had been gaining towards this milestone, with $965.7 million earned in fiscal year 2016 and then $976.5 million earned in fiscal year 2017.

The top IMAX films globally of the year so far are Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Mission: Impossible — Fallout, and Ready Player One.

Aquaman, which currently ranks #6 on IMAX’s top rankings, is still going strong and could likely crack the top three or four releases of 2018 when it’s all said and done.

IMAX has improved its box office as customers continue to seek premium viewing options as the share from 3D has consistently slid this decade. The format, which took in 21% of box office revenue at its peak in 2010, dropped to 12% by 2017.

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Disney Breaks Record For Best Domestic Box Office in a Calendar Year

On Sunday, Disney set a new record for most money earned by a studio in North America during a single calendar year. With an estimated $3.001B through December 23, they eclipse the $3.0009B record that they themselves set in 2016.

With eight more days remaining in the calendar year, Disney could potentially cross $3.1B when it’s all said and done, depending on how well Mary Poppins Returns and Ralph Breaks the Internet continue to perform during the holiday week.

Disney had crossed the $3B mark in 2016 on December 31 exactly — and it also didn’t hurt that 2016 was a leap year with an extra added day.

The studio has soared this year with blockbusters such as Black Panther with $700.0M,  Avengers: Infinity War with $678.8M, and Incredibles 2 with $608.5M. They also earned $102.9M this calendar year from The Last Jedi, which premiered in mid-December 2017.

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Studio 3-Day Weekend Estimates: ‘Aquaman’ Surfaces w/ $67.4M; ‘Mary Poppins’ Sings w/ $22.2M; ‘Bumblebee’ Buzzes to $21M

With a slew of new releases targeting every possible audience over Christmas weekend, Warner Bros.’ Aquaman predictably swam to the top with an estimated $67.4 million (including Thursday night previews). Meanwhile, Mary Poppins Returns and Bumblebee also had strong starts, while the Jennifer Lopez vehicle Second Act proved to be a healthy counter-programmer. At the other end of the spectrum, the Steve Carell drama Welcome to Marwen was essentially dead on arrival. Below are three-day grosses, with updates to come on Monday and Tuesday as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day results roll in.

Debuting on over 4,100 screens, Aquaman‘s opening gross finished in roughly the same superhero ballpark as films like this year’s Ant-Man and the Wasp ($75.8 million debut) and 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse ($65.7 million), falling essentially in line with pre-release expectations. The film benefitted from a smart marketing campaign that played up the film’s lighter, more Marvel-esque tone, better-than-average reviews for a DCEU title, and mainly positive word-of-mouth leading up to release. The solid start in North America is only icing on the cake at this point, with the film having already racked up an incredible overseas haul (particularly in China) prior to hitting our shores. The opening is impressive when you consider that Aquaman isn’t exactly one of DC’s A-grade superheroes – he has, in fact, been openly mocked for years in some quarters – giving the film a tougher hill to climb with viewers than, say, Batman v. Superman, Justice League, or even Wonder Woman. Factoring in $4.7 million from the film’s special Amazon Prime screenings last Saturday and again on Wednesday, Aquaman‘s current total stands at $72.1 million through Sunday.

Coming in second, Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns enjoyed a reasonably healthy debut with an estimated $22.2 million, which is somewhat below expectations but not necessarily a disappointment given its older-skewing fanbase (nearly half the opening-weekend audience was over the age of 35), which tends not to rush out to see films on opening weekend. With two weeks of holiday play ahead, a positive early audience reaction (it has an “A-” Cinemascore), and the potential for continued strong returns as the film garners further awards-season attention (it’s already up for four Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy), it would appear to be primed for a leggy performance well into 2019. Indeed, look no further than last year’s The Greatest Showman, 2016’s La La Land, and 2014’s Into the Woods for historical case studies in the staying power of splashy, end-of-the-year musicals. Notably, Returns got an early jump on the weekend by opening on Wednesday, bringing its total to $31 million over the five-day period.

In third place, Paramount’s Bumblebee also got off to a good start with an estimated $21 million, aided by the strongest reviews of the Transformers live-action franchise yet (it’s at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes). While that’s by far the lowest opening of any Transformers live-action movie yet (the previous low was last year’s Transformers: The Last Knight with $44.6 million), it’s not exactly a fair comparison, as Bumblebee is the first of the films to debut outside the summer frame, not to mention the first to aim for a more family-friendly audience. It’s also up against much stiffer competition than usual for the franchise, debuting opposite such heavy hitters as Aquaman and Mary Poppins Returns. Luckily, with such a positive response from critics, an “A-” Cinemascore, and kids out of school for the holidays, its prospects moving forward look relatively bright.

Swinging into fourth is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which followed up its impressive $35.3 million opening last weekend with an estimated $16.7 million, bringing its cume to $64.8 million after ten days of release. That’s a drop of 52% from its debut, which isn’t bad considering the plethora of competitors entering the marketplace this weekend including Aquaman and Bumblebee.

Fifth place went to The Mule, which dipped 46% to an estimated $9.3 million, bringing its ten-day total to $35 million. The Clint Eastwood drama had no real direct competitors in the crop of new releases, giving it a lane more or less to itself.

In sixth place, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch took advantage of the final pre-Christmas frame with an estimated $8.1 million, raising the cume for the Universal animated blockbuster to $253.2 million after seven weeks of release.

Newcomer Second Act debuted in seventh place with an estimated $6.5 million. That’s a decent start for the Jennifer Lopez comedy, which boasts a reported budget of $16 million. The STX release served as a counter-programmer in the midst of the weekend’s tentpole releases and more or less succeeded in that goal, despite decidedly lackluster reviews (its Rotten Tomatoes rating is 42%). This is Lopez’s first wide live-action release since 2015’s The Boy Next Door ($14.9 million opening, $35.4 million total) and her first comedic starring vehicle since 2012’s What to Expect When You’re Expecting ($10.5 million opening, $41.1 million total). Notably, women made up 70% of the opening-weekend audience. (You can read our interview with Second Act director Peter Segal here.)

Ralph Breaks the Internet finished in eighth with an estimated $4.6 million, bringing the domestic total for the Disney release to $162.1 million after five weeks. That puts it just slightly ahead of Wreck-It Ralph at the same point in its run.

In ninth, Universal’s Welcome to Marwen brought in an estimated $2.36 million, a disappointing debut that ranks as the lowest-grossing wide opener of both Steve Carell and Robert Zemeckis’s careers. Indeed, the actor and filmmaker’s combined starpower couldn’t overcome limited hype, the sheer avalanche of big-name competition this weekend, and largely-negative reviews (the film’s Rotten Tomatoes rating is just 25%). Adding to the film’s troubles, it received the lowest CinemaScore of any new wide release this weekend, with opening day audiences grading it a “B-“.

Rounding out the Top 10 was Focus Features’ Mary Queen of Scots, which brought in an estimated $2.24 million from 795 locations. The film’s total now stands at $3.5 million in North America after three weeks.

Expanding to 790 screens was Fox Searchlight’s The Favourite, which brought in an estimated $2.06 million from 790 locations. The total for the critically-acclaimed film now stands at $10.08 million after five weeks.

Overseas Update: 

Aquaman took in an estimated $91.3 million overseas this weekend, bringing the film’s international total to an incredible $410.7 million and its global tally to $482.8 million. (You can read more about the film’s international performance here.)

Mary Poppins Returns brought in an estimated $20.3 million overseas, bringing its global debut to $42.5 million and its worldwide running total to $51.3 million since Wednesday.

Bumblebee opened to $31.1 million in 38 markets, including $4.9 million each in both Russia and Indonesia and $3.9 million in Mexico. The film is slated to open in China on January 4.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse grossed an estimated $38 million overseas this weekend including $26.1 million in China, making it the No. 1 film in the country and the best foreign animated opening of 2018 there. That brings the film’s international tally to $64.8 million.

Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch crossed the $400 million mark globally this weekend with an estimated $23.7 million overseas. Its worldwide cume now stands at $422.5 million.

The post Studio 3-Day Weekend Estimates: ‘Aquaman’ Surfaces w/ $67.4M; ‘Mary Poppins’ Sings w/ $22.2M; ‘Bumblebee’ Buzzes to $21M appeared first on BoxOffice Pro.

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Overseas: ‘Aquaman’ Adds $18.9M on Friday ($4.8M from China), Stands at $350.7M Internationally

Saturday, Dec. 22: Warner Bros. reports this morning that Aquaman added $18.9 million from 70 markets internationally on Friday, including $4.8 million from China. That brings the overseas tally to $350.7 million thus far, of which China counts for $214.3 million.

Opening Highlights:

• Korea (Day 3): Won 1.6b ($1.4m) on 1,061 screens, continuing to rank as the #1 U.S. title.  The running cume is now Won 4.0b ($3.5m).
• Germany (Day 2): €850k ($964k) on 775 screens, ranking #1 with nearly 40% share of the Top 5 films.  The running cume is now €1.8m ($2.1m).
• France (Day 3): €825k ($935k) with 110k admissions from 607 screens, ranking #1 with a 42% share of the Top 5 films.  The cume to date is now €2.4m ($2.7m).
• Spain (Opg Day): €675k ($765k) on 511 screens debuting at #1 with a 45% share of the Top 5 films.  These results are tracking on par with BLACK PANTHER, +8% ahead of ANT-MAN AND THE WASP and +37% ahead of WONDER WOMAN.
• Hong Kong (Day 2): HK$4.6m ($593k) on 126 screens ranking a dominant #1 with a 55% share of the Top 5 films.  The cume to date is HK$ 10.3m ($1.3m).

Top 5 Holdovers (sorted by Fri totals):

• China (3rd w/e): $4.8m, ranking #3. Cume to date: $214.3m and has now moved up the ranks to claim the3^rd highest grossing superhero film ever in the market!
• Brazil (2nd w/e): $1.0m, ranking #1 with a good hold of -40% and continuing to dominate with a 74% share of the Top 5 films. Cume to date: $14.2m.
• Mexico (2nd w/e): $997k, rank #1 with a 43% share of the Top 5 films and a drop of just -38%. Cume to date: $13.3m.
• UK (2nd w/e): $849k, rank #2 with a strong hold of -33%. Cume to date: $10.6m. 
• Philippines (2nd w/e): $539k, rank #1 with an outstanding drop of just -19%!  Cume to date: $6.8m. 

Top 12 Market Cumes:

China: $214.3m

Brazil: $14.2m

Mexico: $13.3m

Russia: $10.7m

Indonesia: $10.4m

UK: $10.6m

Taiwan: $7.1m

Philippines: $6.8m

India: $6.4m

Malaysia: $5.6m

Thailand: $5.4m

UAE: $3.7m

The post Overseas: ‘Aquaman’ Adds $18.9M on Friday ($4.8M from China), Stands at $350.7M Internationally appeared first on BoxOffice Pro.

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Long Range Tracking: ‘Happy Death Day 2U,’ ‘Isn’t It Romantic,’ & ‘Alita: Battle Angel’

Our final report of 2018 takes an early look at a trio of titles slated for release over Valentine’s Day weekend. Notable is the fact that the date night holiday lands on a Thursday this year, so studios are taking varied approaches with mid-week releases in lieu of traditional Friday openings. Presidents’ Day will also follow that Monday.

Isn’t It Romantic
Opening Weekend Range: $12 – 17 million (Friday through Sunday)

PROS:

• Rebel Wilson’s starring presence should aid appeal to fans of her previous work, particularly the Pitch Perfect franchise.
• This film’s time-loop plot device calls back on a variety of successful films like Groundhog’s Day and Happy Death Day. The romantic comedy aspect will naturally appeal to date night audiences this time of year.

CONS:

• With a slew of holiday releases on the minds of moviegoers right now, it’s possible the film’s interest and awareness levels won’t truly pop until after the new year. That said, competing with the teen-driven Happy Death Day 2U will be a minor challenge.

Alita: Battle Angel
Opening Weekend Range: $12 – 20 million (Friday through Sunday)

PROS:

• Fans of the graphic novel have long anticipated a big screen version of the series.
• Producer James Cameron and director Robert Rodriguez’s credentials should only add to the enthusiasm of genre fans.
• A long lead time in marketing, due partly to multiple release delays, means awareness shouldn’t be a major concern.

CONS:

• Following the under-performance of films like Ghost In the Shell and Valerian, we’re cautious in expectations for this title given the strong potential of niche appeal.
• Early social trends are mixed.

Happy Death Day 2U
Opening Weekend Range: $19 – 26 million (Friday through Sunday)

PROS:

• The first film was yet another micro-budget hit for Blumhouse, whose name alone has become synonymous with quality horror films — especially those targeting teen and young adult audiences. Not unrelated, the horror genre has been on fire at the box office in recent years.
• Horror titles are popular choices for date night crowds, making the Valentine’s release a smart move. The added comedic angle offers a fresh take as well.

CONS:

• At this time, there’s little to be concerned about with what should be a fairly review-proof sequel aiming for a built-in audience.

8-Week Tracking

Release Date	Title	3-Day Wide Release Tracking	% Chg from Last Week	Domestic Total Forecast	% Chg from Last Week	Estimated Location Count	Distributor
12/25/2018	Holmes & Watson	$12,000,000		$65,000,000		2,719	Sony / Columbia
12/25/2018	Vice	$9,000,000		$60,000,000	-8%	2,378	Annapurna
1/4/2019	Eli (2019)	n/a		n/a		n/a	Paramount
1/4/2019	Escape Room	$13,000,000		$32,000,000		2,750	Sony / Columbia
1/11/2019	A Dog’s Way Home	$12,000,000		$40,000,000			Sony / Columbia
1/11/2019	Perfect Strangers	n/a		n/a			Lionsgate / Pantelion Films
1/11/2019	Replicas	n/a		n/a			Entertainment Studios
1/11/2019	The Upside	$13,000,000		$39,000,000			STX
1/18/2019	Glass	$67,000,000		$180,000,000			Universal
1/25/2019	The Kid Who Would Be King	$15,000,000		$50,000,000			Fox
1/25/2019	Serenity (2019)	$10,000,000		$30,000,000			Aviron
1/25/2019	Untitled STX Action/Thriller	n/a		n/a			STX Entertainment
2/1/2019	Jacob’s Ladder	n/a		n/a			LD Entertainment
2/1/2019	Miss Bala	$10,000,000		$28,000,000			Sony / Columbia
2/8/2019	Cold Pursuit	$13,000,000		$40,000,000			Lionsgate / Summit
2/8/2019	The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part	$60,000,000		$213,000,000			Warner Bros.
2/8/2019	The Prodigy	n/a		n/a			Orion Pictures
2/8/2019	What Men Want	$25,000,000		$63,000,000			Paramount
2/13/2019	Isn’t It Romantic	$14,000,000	NEW	$54,000,000	NEW		Warner Bros.
2/14/2019	Alita: Battle Angel	$14,500,000	NEW	$41,000,000	NEW		Fox
2/14/2019	Fighting with My Family	n/a		n/a			MGM
2/14/2019	Happy Death Day 2U	$24,000,000	NEW	$52,000,000	NEW		Universal

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Tracking and forecasts are subject to change each week as marketing, reviews, and other factors are taken into consideration.

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The post Long Range Tracking: ‘Happy Death Day 2U,’ ‘Isn’t It Romantic,’ & ‘Alita: Battle Angel’ appeared first on BoxOffice Pro.

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