Thompson on Hollywood

Kick-Ass Takes Number One After All

For the second weekend in a row, the top two films were in such a neck-and-neck race that the Sunday box office estimates were turned around on Monday. So this weekend, Lionsgate's Kick-Ass, while not scoring the $20-30 million weekend some were forecasting, did win the weekend b.o. derby. UPDATE: According to Box Office Mojo, Thursday night numbers are included in the total.

By Anne Thompson
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April 19, 2010 7:35 AM
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Dragon Trumps Kick-Ass

Picking up word-of-mouth as it continues to pull audiences, Paramount/DreamWorks Animation's How to Train Your Dragon bested all comers at the weekend box office, kicking Kick-Ass to second place. TOH box office analyst Anthony D'Alessandro reports:

By Anthony D'Alessandro
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April 18, 2010 4:34 AM
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Kick-Ass Rides Buzz for OK Opening, Reveals Critics' Divide

Controversy sells, and Lionsgate rode a swell of debate over the R-rated superhero action comedy Kick-Ass to a robust box office lead on Friday, an estimated $7.5 million in 3,065 runs. It may or may not make the $20 million opening benchmark some predicted; Date Night could wind up number one. This is the sort of movie that is banking on a core fan following--the folks that responded enthusiastically to early footage at Comic-Con last year--but needs to widen its appeal in order to really score. Lionsgate only invested $15 million to acquire it plus some $25 million in marketing, so it should come out ahead.

By Anne Thompson
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April 17, 2010 5:04 AM
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Movie Futures Exchange: Healthy Financing or Legalized Gambling?

Despite considerable opposition from the studios and their lobbying arm the MPAA, on Friday the Commodities Futures Trading Commission unanimously approved one of two box office futures exchanges. The question seems to be whether wagering on box office performance is a healthy way to raise film financing or a more sinister form of gambling that could lead to manipulation and abuse.

By Anne Thompson
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April 16, 2010 9:02 AM
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Goldstein Uses Date Night to Bash Fox

Wait a second.

By Anne Thompson
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April 13, 2010 5:36 AM
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Breaking Upwards: Wein and Lister Jones Give DIY Primer

"Nothing is better than five weeks of word of mouth in a movie theater."

By Anne Thompson
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April 12, 2010 9:15 AM
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Date Night Scores as Titans Crashes

Twentieth Century Fox execs woke up Sunday morning to the news that their Steve Carell-Tina Fey action romantic comedy Date Night stole the No. 1 box office spot away from Warner Bros.’ Clash of the Titans. It was a matter of dollars and cents, reports TOH box office analyst Anthony D'Alessandro, with an estimated $27.1 million at 3,374 venues versus $26.9 million for the Greek epic, which crashed 56%. UPDATE: By Monday, though, Titans squeaked ahead on the numbers ($26.7 million), thanks to premium 3D ticket prices and an overestimation by Fox on Date Night, which only scored $25.2 million.

By Anthony D'Alessandro
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April 11, 2010 4:43 AM
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Clash of the Titans Breaks Easter Weekend Record; Tyler Perry, Miley Cyrus Score

Clash of the Titans smashes Easter weekend records, while Tyler Perry and Miley Cyrus also delivered strong holiday grosses, reports TOH box office analyst Anthony D'Alessandro:

By Anthony D'Alessandro
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April 4, 2010 3:36 AM
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Duncan Jones is Unhappy About Moon

In a series of tweets this morning UK filmmaker Duncan Jones--who won an emerging filmmaker prize from BAFTA for his low-budget sci-fi film Moon---bares his rage about not making money on the film. Sorry, but these days few indies do. Sony Worldwide Acquisitions Group acquired the film in many territories, some of which were sold to various distribs. Sony Pictures Classics liked the film and asked to release it in the US. Among theatrical distribs SPC is relatively good about not overspending and sharing money with their filmmakers, although there wasn't much to share in this case.

By Anne Thompson
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April 1, 2010 4:29 AM
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3-D Divide: Upfront vs. Retrofit

No one in Hollywood will listen now that Avatar and Alice in Wonderland have scored the mother-lode of grosses as 3-D movies. Could Alice have done as well in 2-D as a perfect match between name director, beloved children's book, and family-friendly studio? No, confirms Disney, because 70% of its grosses came from 3-D screens.