John Carter opening weekend

'THE LORAX' STAYS #1; 'JOHN CARTER' HOLD TIGHT WITH $30.603 MILLION

Studio Weekend Estimates (Domestic)FRI, MAR. 9 - SUN, MAR. 11

#	TITLE	WEEKEND	Change	LOCATIONS		AVG.	TOTAL
1	Dr. Seuss' The Lorax	$39,108,240	-44%	3,746	17	$10,440	$121,987,070
2	John Carter	$30,603,000	--	3,749	--	$8,163	$30,603,000
3	Project X (2012)	$11,550,000	-45%	3,055	0	$3,781	$40,124,995
4	Silent House (2012)	$7,010,024	--	2,124	--	$3,300	$7,010,024
5	Act of Valor	$7,000,000	-48%	2,951	-102	$2,372	$56,100,597
6	A Thousand Words	$6,350,000	--	1,890	--	$3,360	$6,350,000
7	Safe House	$4,952,640	-33%	2,144	-409	$2,310	$115,756,455
8	The Vow	$4,000,000	-33%	2,478	-348	$1,614	$117,613,746
9	This Means War	$3,750,000	-33%	1,949	-393	$1,924	$46,889,350
10	Journey 2: The Mysterious Island	$3,685,000	-44%	2,525	-535	$1,459	$90,715,611
11	Tyler Perry's Good Deeds	$3,000,000	-57%	1,516	-616	$1,979	$30,542,449
12	The Artist	$2,304,000	-36%	1,505	-251	$1,531	$40,459,023
13	Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance	$1,965,000	-58%	1,804	-683	$1,089	$48,065,147
14	Wanderlust	$1,726,300	-55%	1,220	-782	$1,415	$15,590,420
15	Gone	$906,000	-70%	1,144	-1042	$792	$10,737,282

Worldwide Forecast: John Carter (Updated)

Updates:  Disney's super-budget spectacle John Carter debuted to a moderate $9.82 million on Friday, which is a significant drop from other March releases. However, John Carter's opening was 4% less than Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time opening day of $10.2 million. With such results, John Carter is headed to gross a below par $29.4 million over its opening weekend. 

With an enormous budget of $250 million (4th most expensive film), John Carter lacks the energy in ticket sales that a movie with such a budget would have. In North America, all signs point out to a paltry opening of around $30 million. Not only is it going to debut to a low gross but it is also going to land second on the top-ten opening of this week--right behind The Lorax. With all the competition in March, John Carter will be lucky to garner more than $120 million in North America. Expect it to gross $88.7 million in North America.

Andrew Stanton’s big-budget film John Carter grossed a mediocre $500,000 in its American midnight rollout, which portends a gross similar to that of   Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, which ultimately grossed $90.8 million in the US, and Canada with an opening weekend of $30.1 million. However, Prince of Persia is a more acquainted brand that grew out of a lucrative video game unlike John Carter.

Usually, movies that perform relatively bad in North America rise in international markets. However, in this case the film does not look poised to follow this trend. International marketing falls short compared to that of North America. Opening in a few markets already, John Carter did not call in many audiences and opened to average results. Nonetheless, with huge markets left to open it still could compensate for its losses in other markets.

It earned approximately $13 million on its first day, which is quite low considering the fact that the money came from all around the world save China and Japan.(Numbers may be incomplete) Rising from the dark waters into refulgent light, John Carter oddly enough opened to an outstanding $6.5 million in Russia, marking the highest opening day in history. With good business in some parts of Asia namely Hong Kong and Thailand, Carter may perform well in China and other Asian Countries. John Carter is set to open in China next week and Japan April 13. Expect it to gross $207 million internationally. 

Worldwide Forecast: $290 million

Note:

If John Carter opens to outstanding results in China, an international gross greater than $200 million would be expected. With low expectations in North American box office results, the film also has a bad of word of mouth amongst critics--it currently holds a 51% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Hunger Games--March 22, 2012

Next Week: Full box-office predictions

March: What to expect?

1) March Issue 2012: Movies from April ~March 20, 2012
2) Overall review of February ~March 9,2012
3) Notable reviews of previous films(if found)~??

February Issue 2012: Movie News

Movie News:

·   As of February 29, Transformers 4 is set to be released on July 27, 2014. Michael Bay is expected to reprise his role as director, but Shia La Beouf will not return to the Transformers series. Although “Sam ” is out of the coming picture, some stars from the previous films can still play a role in the upcoming Transformers.
·        As of February 29, the new official release year for Avatar 2 is 2016, a delay of 2 years from 2014. News suggests that James Cameron’s high tech equipment will need time for the sublime oceans of Pandora.

Upcoming Movies:

Although February 2012 had relatively good results, March seems to be another ordinary month that will follow the same trend projected by box office analysts.  For March 2012, over four films will be released at the theaters.  However, the most successful of the four films is likely to be Wrath of the Titans—sequel of Clash of the Titans.

1-      Wanderlust (1 March, 2012)

Starring Jennifer Aniston, one of the many booming stars in the movie business, Wanderlust can easily garner $40 million internationally. However, without any good marketing techniques the film doesn’t look well-prepared to rake in good numbers  globally. Expect a worldwide gross of around $60 million. Worldwide Forecast: $62 million

Synopsis: George and Linda  are an overextended and stressed out Manhattan couple. After George is downsized out of his job, they find themselves with only one option: to move in with George's awful brother in Atlanta. On the way there, George and Linda stumble upon Elysium, an idyllic community. Careers? Who needs them? Clothes? Only if you want them. Is Elysium their fresh start? Or…

2-      A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas In 3D(8 March, 2012)

Scheduled a few months after Christmas, A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas doesn’t seem to be very eye-catching during March. Nonetheless, who knows, sometimes Christmas can always have a comeback in March. Without any recent good marketing and a low gross at North America, Kumar Christmas will rest safely with $50 million worldwide. Worldwide Forecast: $50 million

Synopsis:  Following years of growing apart, Harold Lee and Kumar Patel have replaced each other with new friends and are preparing for their respective Yuletide celebrations. But when a mysterious package mistakenly arrives at Kumar's door on Christmas Eve, his whole plan changes.

3-      Dr. Seuss' The Lorax (15 March, 2012)

 The Dr. Seuss brand has a strong track record globally—How the Grinch Stole Christmas made $345 million in 2000, and The Cat in the Hat earned $134.0 million in 2003. Although The Lorax story isn't quite as popular, it still has a strong vibe in many of its previews. Worldwide Forecast: $412 million

Synopsis: The 3D-CGI feature The Lorax is an adaptation of Dr. Seuss' classic tale of a forest creature who shares the enduring power of hope. The animated adventure follows the journey of a boy as he searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams.

4-      Wrath of the Titans In 3D (29 March, 2012)

The sequel of Clash of the Titans is poised to kick-start the year with the largest- international opening weekend of 2012. The second film in the Clash of the Titans franchise, distributed by Warner's Bros., will star Sam Worthington and Liam Neeson. The predecessor brought in $493 million globally while most critics disparaged its 3D post-conversion. The sequel is also supposed to be released in 3D. However, in order to avoid any 3D-conversion criticism, producer Basil Iwanyk, chose to shoot the film in 3D. WoT should gross more money in non-north America markets than its predecessor. However, in North America, it's less likely that it will make a huge increase due to the lack of interest in 3D and sequels. Expect it to gross around $485 million worldwide. Worldwide Forecast: $490 million

Other movies that will be available at the theaters during March include: J. Edgar (1 Mar, 2012), Gone (1 Mar, 2012), Young Adult (8 Mar, 2012), Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (15 Mar, 2012), How I Spent My Summer Vacation (15 Mar, 2012), BEL AMI  (22 Mar, 2012), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (29 Mar, 2012), and The Devil Inside (29 Mar, 2012) [All dates are International Release Dates] 

Ghost Rider: The Chain of Fire fails to extend

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance(February 17, 2012)

Our sequels don't seem to stop with 2011; Ghost Rider 2 follows the first rider starring Nicholas Cage. The first film in the series didn't perform very well at the box office but at least it doubled its production budget of $110 million to rake in $229 million worldwide with equal shares domestically and internationally. The upcoming sequel is supposed to be released in 3D, increasing the revenue of the film. 

The film is set to open in 3,000 theaters which is considerably less than the predecessor 3,600+. With a run-time that is only 90 min. long, the film is the shortest in the series. Without any novel additions to this sequel, it doesn't have any punch that will    make it gross big amounts. Including Nicolas Cage's star power fall, the film has no chance to gross anywhere above $200 million. With an opening weekend that is 48% of the predecessor, Ghost Rider 2 has a very low chance to gross above the first film in North American markets. Including all the results, Ghost Rider will probably end its run with $54 million domestically. The opening weekend of Ghost Rider 2 internationally will determine the overall success of the film. However, without any  improvements in Facebook likes, the film doesn't seem to have any avid fans in international markets. Although the film under-performed in the US, the international debut opened well with $22 million. With such a trend, it has the potential to gross around $80 million internationally.

Chance*: 0%

Final Gross: $135 million

February Issue 2012: Coming Soon

Late February~29, 2012
What to expect:
1) Monthly overview
2) Predictions
3) The Avengers Update study(postponed to March 2012 issues)
4) Coming new instead is what to expect in sequels from well-known films:
    --Likelihood of Sherlock Holmes 3
    -- Mission Impossible 5???
5) Review of previous films, and how our predictions turned out.
However, we will have a specific analysis for Ghost Rider 2(really soon)

Why Avatar 2 was procrastinated to 2016???

January Issue 2012: Box office news

"Full coverage...comprehensive, detailed, and concise box office news." ICN

In a year with so many sequels and 3D films, the total North American 2011 gross decreased to $10.17 billion from 2010’s $10.57 billion, a significant difference of approximately $400 million. 2011’s yearly gross ranks as the third-highest grossing year ever, which is behind both 2009 and 2010. However, 2011 was behind in a big way from the very start. 2010 benefited greatly from the fact that Avatar, a film released in December 2009, grossed more than $478 million during 2010. Since an Avatar-level blockbuster doesn't occur every year, it's no shock that 2011 basically wasn't able to catch up. And here are the statistical data:

·         January 1 - December 31, 2011: $10,180,000,000

·         January 1 - December 31, 2010: $10,570,500,000

·         Total Decrease: $390,500,000, -3.7%(from 2010)

·         Estimated Attendance Decrease: 4.5%

Top 9 highest-grossing films of 2011 in North America:

#	Movie Title	Total gross	Theatre	Opening
1	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2	$381,011,219	4,375	$169,189,427
2	Transformers: Dark of the Moon	$352,390,543	4,088	$97,852,865
3	The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1	$279,897,264	4,066	$138,122,261
4	The Hangover Part II	$254,464,305	3,675	$85,946,294
5	Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides	$241,071,802	4,164	$90,151,958
6	Fast Five	$209,837,675	3,793	$86,198,765
7	Cars 2	$191,452,396	4,115	$66,135,507
8	Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol	$191,065,602	3,555	$12,785,204
9	Thor	$181,030,624	3,963	$65,723,338

For the first month of 2012, many new movies are expected to hit theatres with grosses above $50 million for each film. Although many of the new films can’t bring about the same revenue as that of January 2010, it is still worth noting that some of the films are well-received from critics. The movies of January 2012 and the beginning of February are as follows:

1)    Underworld: Awakening In 3D (19 Jan, 2012)

The Underworld franchise has never been very successful in global figures, but compared to its low budget many of the films have out-grossed there budget. For some studios, films which have grossed more than double or triple the production budget have been appealing and considered to be profitable. An exemplar of this is the Underworld movies. The first Underworld film grossed $95.7 million globally with $52.0 from North American markets and $43.7 million from international markets. The film’s production budget was estimated to be around $22 million which means the total revenue of the film was four times more than its budget. The same trend was followed for the 2^nd and 3^rd film. However, the latest film in the series will be released in 3D. With higher-ticket pricing, the film may become the highest-grossing entry in the film both globally and internationally. Worldwide Forecast: $130 million


2)    Contraband (26 Jan, 2012)

With an R rating, Contraband doesn’t seem to have the large group of fans that PG films would have but it still has some attractive energy for adults. Although the film doesn’t have a very good rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes (48% approval rating), audience ratings are better with 66% positive. As of January 20, 2012, the film has grossed $33,823,270 globally, with 95.6% of the total revenue from North American markets. The film is poised to gross around $85 million worldwide. Worldwide Forecast: $85 million

Synopsis: Chris Farraday long ago abandoned his life of crime but after his brother-in-law, Andy, botches a drug deal for his ruthless boss, Tim Briggs, Chris is forced back into doing what he does best- running contraband-to settle Andy's debt.




3)    One for the Money (26 Jan, 2012)

Starring one of the many booming stars—Katherine Heigl--, One for the Money has the potential to gross more than $75 million. Although Katherine’s previous movie—The Killers—wasn’t a big hit, this film appears to be a turning point for Katherine.  North American grosses will depend on the success of Man on a Ledge since both movies are released at the same time in the USA and Canada.

Worldwide Forecast: $79 million

Synopsis: A proud, born-and-bred Jersey girl, Stephanie Plum's got plenty of attitude, even if she's been out of work for the last six months and just lost her car to a debt collector.

4)    Man On a Ledge (2 Feb, 2012)

 Coming out as a totally new movie, Man on a Ledge aims at opening with $8 million at the North American box-office. However, in a global point of view, it should gross more than $65 million. Man on a Ledge may end up grossing similar to Phone Booth which is in the same genre as of Man on a Ledge. However, ticket prices have increased approximately $2 since 2003. So a higher debut wouldn’t be much of a surprise. Moreover, the international market has grown larger since 2003, suggesting an increase in international grosses. Overall, the film looks well-prepared in order to gross more than $95 million worldwide. Worldwide Forecast: $100 million

Synopsis: An ex-cop and now wanted fugitive (Sam Worthington) stands on the ledge of a high-rise building while a hard-living New York Police Department negotiator (Elizabeth Banks)tries to talk him down. The longer they are on the ledge, the more she realizes that he might have an ulterior objective. 

5)    Chronicle (9 Feb, 2012)

Being the first super-hero film of the year, it seems to have quite a lot of energy in it in order to attract young and avid fans. Chronicle seems to be very similar to Push which grossed a disappointing $48 million. Moreover, without any good marketing the film will not be able to gross good amounts. Worldwide Forecast: $66 million

Synopsis: Three high school students make an incredible discovery, leading to their developing uncanny powers beyond their understanding. As they learn to control their abilities and use them to their advantage, their lives start to spin out of control, and their darker sides begin to take over. 

6)    Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace In 3D (9 Feb, 2012)

With the recent success of 3D re-releases, Star Wars: Episode 1 has a high chance to gross around $100 million worldwide which will add to its amazing total revenue of $924,317,558, totaling up to $1,024,317,558. If this film is successful then the whole saga is expected to be re-released in 3D. Worldwide Forecast: $96 million

Edward Ghazaley