Thompson on Hollywood

'Iron Man 3' Adds U.S. to Its Huge Take

Box Office

Disney/Marvel's "Iron Man 3" added the U.S. and Canada as the last major territories to open Thursday night, amassing a $68,312,000 total through Friday to end up as the #8 best (in unadjusted figures) opening gross ever. More relevantly, that strong number was about $12 million less than last year's phenomenally successful "The Avengers," also aided by 3-D and IMAX surcharges, which was also already playing in most of the rest of the world.

By Tom Brueggemann
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May 4, 2013 3:52 PM
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Weekend Preview: 'Iron Man 3' a Smart Superhero Flick; Critics Applaud 'What Maisie Knew' and 'Something in the Air,' Mixed on 'Post Tenebras Lux'

Box Office

This weekend, the latest installment of "Iron Man" soars through multiplexes after racking up more than $300 million overseas. Could it score a $150 million opening, or beat 2012's number one movie, "The Avengers"' $1.5 billion total worldwide gross? It is a Marvel sequel, after all.

By Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio
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May 3, 2013 12:32 PM
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Arthouse Audit: 'Mud' Scores Sole Strong Indie Opener Amid Specialized Market Struggles

Box Office

"Mud" nearly made the weekend box office top 10 in only 363 theaters, towering over all the other new openings this week, none of which had a PSA of even $12,000 with limited New York/Los Angeles two to four theater openings. For the third time in several weeks, and in this case already in the first one, much of the money came from a wide variety of upscale theaters.

By Tom Brueggemann
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April 28, 2013 4:16 PM
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'Iron Man 3' Outpaces 'Avengers' Worldwide Grosses and U.S. Top 10 Totals

Box Office

The big news this weekend: Disney/Marvel's "Iron Man 3" opened in most of the world between Wednesday and Friday; its $195 million gross in 42 territories is running ahead of even last year's "number one global blockbuster "The Avengers," which initially grossed $185 million in similar dates.

By Tom Brueggemann
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April 28, 2013 12:50 PM
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More 'Pain' Than 'Gain' in Friday Box Office

Box Office

The expected May blockbusters can't come quickly enough. Yesterday's top 10 grosses, including two underperforming new releases with prominent stars, had the smallest total since early February. At $23 million, this marked not only a sharp drop from last week's $29 million, but last year's $28 million, as the slump of 2013 continues.

By Tom Brueggemann
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April 27, 2013 3:36 PM
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CinemaCon Heavyweight Panel Debates Windows, Social Media, State of Industry

Box Office

It's easy to look at the Hollywood studios and national theater chains as old sticks-in-the-mud who are refusing to change with the times, but truth is, a lot of smart folks are trying to get ahead of the game--in order to beat out their rivals.

By Anne Thompson
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April 26, 2013 9:04 PM
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'Django Unchained' Will Show in China: Tarantino Agrees to SARFT Demand for More Cuts

News

Hollywood sees dollar signs when they look at China. It's the land of new opportunity. But navigating with this burgeoning market has its hazards. The main issue is one that will never be resolved, not on the creative co-production side and not at the distribution end either. And that is SARFT, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the government censorship entity which is set up to protect its citizens.

By Anne Thompson
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April 26, 2013 2:45 PM
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'Iron Man 3''s Big Overseas Opening Fans High Stateside Expectations; Why AMC and Regal Wrangled with Disney (VIDEO)

Box Office

Disney/Marvel's "Iron Man 3" opened in 11 territories Wednesday, with a reported $13.2 million gross. That's more than previous series entries and more than the first day for last year's Disney/Marvel smash "The Avengers" in France.

By Tom Brueggemann
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April 25, 2013 9:24 PM
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CinemaCon: Sony Relies on Low-Risk Sequels, Comedies, and Faithfuls Adam Sandler, Will Smith

Box Office

After seeing several CinemaCon studio presentations in a row, you start to see the retreads coming. The requisite rehash of 2012 hits, adding up to $4.1 billion worldwide, did not reveal that both "The Amazing Spider-Man" and "Men in Black 3" cost too much to return serious profits, or that the global bounty from "Skyfall" was shared with Eon and MGM. As I watched Sony's dog-and-pony show, led off by studio star Adam Sandler trumpeted by Romans in tunics and breastplates, I was checking off a grid.

By Anne Thompson
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April 23, 2013 9:56 PM
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Arthouse Audit: 'Home Run,' 'Filly Brown' Show Surprise Indie Strength

Box Office

The top arthouse performers this week were unexpected outsiders that did not follow the usual release patterns for high-end critically-driven openings, which is increasingly the norm among independent and specialized releases. In fact "Home Run" from Samuel Goldwyn (distributed by partner IDP Films) managed to be the #12 film for the whole weekend without even opening in some core areas, and was showcased at theaters far removed from anything remotely considered art house.