Sunday 27 October 2013

The End of an Era

I've taken the decision to stop writing a weekly box office report. It's been a huge part of my life for many years, and I've done my best to turn in a report every Sunday evening, but all (quite) good things must come to an end.

Writing about film box office is a strange game, and offers something a little different most weekends. You're writing about film, but in a different way to a critic or a fan. I've never been a very good reviewer but in brief moments, I considered myself a pretty good box office reporter. I will miss writing each week, but for reasons I can't quite explain, now seems like the right time to stop.

I want to thank every one who has read, commented and shared the weekly reports, I hope people found something entertaining and informative within. I tried to fill them with things that you'd not often see in other similar work, and I hope that made them different enough for people to seek out and enjoy. I did my best to research any facts and figures I used because I felt that if people were willing to give up their time to read my work, they deserved something worthy of that effort in return. I hope I succeeded in that.

Box Office Voodoo will stay online until the domain name expires, and if I get chance one day, I'll compile all the reports I have into one document and make it freely available. If you're in need of an excellent replacement, I can't recommend Scott Mendelson's Forbes column highly enough.

Thank you for your time and support over the days, months and years, it has always been very much appreciated.

Tuesday 15 October 2013

Short Hiatus

Due to a personal issue, the box office report will be taking a short break of around two weeks. All being well, normal service will resume after that. Thank you for your patience.

Sunday 6 October 2013

U.S Box Office Report - 3rd - 6th October 2013

1. Gravity - $55.6M - $55.6M
2. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2  - $21.5M - $60.5M
3. Runner Runner- $7.6M - $7.6M
4. Prisoners - $5.7M - $47.8M
5. Rush - $4.4M - $18M
6. Don Jon - $4.16M -$16M
7. Baggage Claim - $4.10M -$15.1M
8. Insidious Chapter 2 - $3.8M - $74.7M
9. Pulling Strings - $2.5M - $2.5M
10. Enough Said - $2.1M - $5.3M

This weekend finally sees the long-awaited release of the science fiction thriller Gravity. It was set to take on Runner Runner, a low key drama with a fairly high profile cast. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 dominated last weekend and looked to build on that this frame, especially with no direct competition to get in its way. Ahead to next weekend and we have the Tom Hanks real life drama Captain Philips, which is set to take on Robert Rodriguez' Grindhouse themed sequel, Machete Kills.

Sunday 29 September 2013

U.S Box Office Report - 20th - 22nd Sept 2013

1. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2  - $35M - $35M
2. Prisoners - $11.2M - $38.9M
3. Rush - $10.3M - $10.5M
4. Baggage Claim - $9.3M -$9.3M
5. Don Jon - $9M -$9M
6. Insidious Chapter 2 - $6.7M - $69.5M
7. The Family - $3.6M - $31.6M
8. Instructions Not Included- $3.3M - $38.5M
9. We're The Millers - $2.8M - $142.4M
10. Lee Miller' The Butler - $2.4M - $110.2M

After a few quieter weeks, it's business as usual at the box office, with four major releases joining the fray. The Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs sequel looked to take on Baggage Claim, Don Jon and an expanding Rush. Prisoners was hoping to build on its impressive start but with the increased competition, it would need to rely on the strong word of mouth it had been accumulating. Next weekend brings the Justin Timberlake/Ben Affleck drama, Runner Runner, plus the long awaited release of Gravity.

Sunday 22 September 2013

U.S Box Office Report - 20th - 22nd September 2013

1. Prisoners - $21.4M - $21.4M
2. Insidious Chapter 2 - $14.5M - $60.8M
3. The Family - $7M - $25.6M
4. Instructions Not Included- $5.7M - $34.2M
5. Battle of the Year - $5M - $5M
6. We're The Millers - $4.7M - $138.1M
7. The Butler - $4.6M -$106.4M
8. Riddick - $3.6M -$37.2M
9. The Wizard of Oz 3D - $2M - $88.3M
10. Planes - $2.8M - $86.5M

Another slightly shorter box office report this weekend. With two releases, only one of which saw a roll out above 3,000 theatres, there was some breathing space for last weekend's releases, Insidious Chapter 2 and The Family. The horror flick got off to a great start and was hoping to avoid the usual second frame curse. Next weekend already looks set to be dominated by the Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs sequel, while further ahead we have the release of the long-awaited Gravity.

Sunday 15 September 2013

U.S Box Office Report - 13th - 15th September 2013

1. Insidious Chapter 2 - $41M - $41M
2. The Family - $14.5M - $14.5M
3. Riddick - $7M -$31.3M
4. The Butler - $5.5M -$100M
5. We're The Millers - $5.4M - $131.6M
6. Instructions Not Included- $4.2M - $20.3M
7. Planes - $3M - $82.9M
8. One Direction: This Is Us: Extended Fan Cut - $2.4M - $26.8M
9. Elysium - $2M - $88.3M
10. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters- $1.8M - $62M

Two new movies saw release this weekend, both hoping to shake up a somewhat stagnating box office. The supernatural themed Insidious Chapter 2 took on Robert De Niro & Co. in The Family. Last weekend's winner, Riddick, was hoping for a decent second frame after its $19M start. Holdovers continued to play well thanks to a lack of new blood and with only a few films due for release in the coming weeks, they may be around a while longer yet.

Sunday 8 September 2013

U.S Box Office Report - 6th - 8th Sept 2013

1. Riddick - $18.6M -$18.6M
2. The Butler - $8.9M -$91.9M
3. Instructions Not Included- $8.1M - $20.3M
4. We're The Millers - $7.9M - $123.8M
5. Planes - $4.2M - $79.2M
6. One Direction: This Is Us - $4.1M - $23.9M
7. Elysium - $3.1M - $85M
8. Blus Jasmine - $2.6M - $25.4M
9. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters- $4.3M - $14.7M
10. The World's End- $4.7M - $16.5M

Another relatively quiet weekend with just one major release, leaving the older pictures to battle it out amongst themselves. The One Direction movie was set to falter in its second frame as a result of heavy front loading over its first three days, while Lionsgate expanded the surprise hit, Instructions Not Included. Next weekend brings horror and comedy, while further ahead is the Hugh Jackman drama, Prisoners, along with Rush, the Ron Howard Formula 1 feature based on the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda.

Sunday 1 September 2013

U.S Box Office Report - 30th Aug - 1st Sept 2013

1. One Direction: This Is Us - $17M - $17M
2. The Butler - $14.7M -$74M
3. We're The Millers - $12.6M - $109.5M
4. Planes - $7.7M - $70.8M
5. Instructions Not Included- $7.5M - $7.5M
6. Elysium - $6.3M - $78.4M
7. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones - $5.2M - $22.6M
8. The World's End- $4.7M - $16.5M
9. Getaway - $4.5M - $4.5M
10. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters- $4.3M - $14.7M

A much shorter box office report this week. As August comes to a close, we have a somewhat quiet release frame before we gear up for the likes of Riddick, Prisoners and The Family in the coming weeks. But that doesn't mean no surprises - far from it in fact. The Butler and We're The Millers both continued to play strong, but it was a Spanish language comedy-drama that will be making the headlines over the coming days.

Sunday 25 August 2013

U.S Box Office Report - 23rd - 25th August 2013

1. The Butler - $17M -$52.2M
2. We're The Millers - $13.5M - $91.7M
3. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones - $9.3M - $14M
4. The World's End- $8.9M - $8.9M
5. Planes - $8.5M - $59.5M
6. Elysium - $7.1M - $69M
7. You're Next - $7M - $7M
8. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters - $5.2M - $48.3M
9. Blue Jasmine - $4.3M - $14.7M
10. Kick Ass 2 - $4.2M - $22.4M

This is arguably the last weekend of major summer releases, and two of those are still fairly low key. To be fair, August's line up has been stronger than in recent years, though at this point cinema-goers are somewhat burnt out from blockbuster season. Hoping for one last shot at the top was The Mortal Instruments, which was joined by Edgar Wright's The World's End and horror flick You're Next. The Butler and We're The Millers were set to offer some strong competition too. Next weekend looks to be a bit of a free-for-all, with Closed Circuit, Getaway and the One Direction movie all seeing release.

Sunday 18 August 2013

U.S Box Office Report - 16th - 18th August 2013

1. The Butler - $25M -$25M
2. We're The Millers - $17.7M - $69.5M
3. Elysium - $13.6M - $55.9M
4. Kick Ass 2 - $13.5M - $13.5M
5. Planes - $13.1M - $45M
6. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters - $8.3M - $38.9M
7. Jobs - $6.7M - $6.7M
8. 2 Guns - $5.5M - $59.2M
9. The Smurfs 2 - $4.6M - $56.9M
10. The Wolverine - $4.4M - $120.4M
(13. Paranoia - $3.5M - $3.5M)

We're almost in the August dumping ground period, when studios put out films that they just want off their hands or know they have little prospect of making money on. It's arguable that at least one of this weekend's releases would fall into that category. Another busy frame sees four new major films set to take on Elysium and We're The Millers. Wednesday brings the release of teen fantasy The Mortal Instruments, which is hoping to become the next Twilight style franchise. Further ahead to next weekend and we have the long-delayed release of horror flick You're Next, along with the final Pegg/Frost/Wright collaboration, The World's End.

Monday 12 August 2013

U.S Box Office Report - 9th - 11th August 2013

1. Elysium - $30.4M - $30.4M
2. We're The Millers - $26.5M - $38M
3. Planes - $22.2M - $22.2M
4. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters - $14.6M - $23.4M
5. 2 Guns - $11.1M - $48.5M
6. The Smurfs 2 - $9.5M - $46.6M
7. The Wolverine - $8M - $111.9M
8. The Conjuring - $6.7M -$120.7M
9. Despicable Me 2 - $5.7M - $338.3M
10. Grown Ups 2 -  $3.7M - $123.8M

A busy weekend with four major releases all vying for the public's attention. Percy Jackson and We're The Millers aimed to get a jump on Planes and Elysium by opening on Wednesday, but would that early start also knock the wind out of their sails come Friday? Last weekend 2 Guns and The Wolverine did solid, if unspectacular business, and they'd both have to take on Elysium this frame. Next weekend is equally as busy, with Paranoia taking on Kick Ass 2, The Butler and Jobs.

Monday 5 August 2013

U.S Box Office Report - 2nd - 4th August 2013

1. 2 Guns - $27.3M - $27.3M
2. The Wolverine - $21.7M - $95M
3. The Smurfs 2 - $18.2M - $27.7M
4. The Conjuring - $13.6M - $108.5M
5. Despicable Me 2 - $10.3M - $326.6M
6. Grown Ups 2 - $8.1M - $116.4M
7. Turbo - $6.4M - $69.4M
8. Red 2 - $5.6M - $45.1M
9. The Heat - $4.7M - $149.5M
10. Pacific Rim - $4.5M - $M

A shorter box office report this time around. Two new releases open this weekend, aimed at opposite ends of the market. Action thriller 2 Guns takes on the Smurfs sequel, and they'll both be up against the second frame of The Wolverine, which was hoping to avoid the usual 55%+ fall that has inflicted the rest of the X-Men series. Elsewhere, horror smash The Conjuring had $100M firmly in its sights. Next week will be a busy one, with the R-rated We're The Millers facing off against the Percy Jackson sequel on Wednesday. They'll be joined by the long-awaited Elysium and Disney's Planes on Friday.

Monday 29 July 2013

U.S Box Office Report - 26th - 28th July 2013

1. The Wolverine - $55M - $55M
2. The Conjuring - $22.1M - $83.8M
3. Despicable Me 2 - $16M - $306.4M
4. Turbo - $13.3M - $55.7M
5. Grown Ups 2 - $11.5M - $101.6M
6. Red 2 - $9.4M - $35M
7. Pacific Rim - $7.5M - $84M
8. The Heat - $5.8M - $24.3M
9. R.I.P.D - $5.9M - $24.4M
10. Fruitvale Station - $4.6M - $6.3M

Something of a calm before the storm moment this weekend, as only one new movie sees a wide release. The Wolverine brings back Hugh Jackman as the titular hero, hoping to serve as a successful stop-gap between X-Men movies. Last weekend's surprise hit, The Conjuring was expected to hold much stronger than the usual horror fare, while Turbo and Red 2 would be hoping there was still room for them after their lacklustre opening frames. Ahead and Wednesday brings us The Smurfs 2, followed on Friday by the action comedy, 2 Guns.

Monday 22 July 2013

U.S Box Office Report - 20th - 22nd July 2013

1. The Conjuring - $41.5M - $41.5M
2. Despicable Me 2 - $25M - $276.1M
3. Turbo - $21.5M - $31.2M
4. Grown Ups 2 - $20M - $79.5M
5. Red 2 - $18.5M - $18.5M
6. Pacific Rim - $15.9M - $68.2M
7. R.I.P.D - $12.7M - $12.7M
8. The Heat - $9.3M - $129.2M
9. World War Z - $5.2M - $186.9M
10. Monsters University - $5M - $248.9M

One of the busiest weekends of the summer sees four new wide opening releases set to do battle with each other, and the rest of the top ten. Studios looked to cover all the bases - the family market, the horror crowd and the action comedy fans. Last weekend saw Grown Ups 2 narrowly miss out on the top spot, while the well received Pacific Rim ended up making a solid, if slightly underwhelming debut. Oddly, after the four major releases this frame, there is only The Wolverine next weekend.

Monday 15 July 2013

U.S Box Office Report - 12th - 14th July 2013

1. Despicable Me 2 - $44.7M - $229.2M
2. Grown Ups 2 - $42.5M - $42.5M
3. Pacific Rim - $38.3M - $38.3M
4. The Heat - $14M - $112.3M
5. The Lone Ranger - $11.1M - $71.1M
6. Monsters University - $10.6M - $237.7M
7. World War Z - $9.4M - $177M
8. White House Down $6.1M - $62.9M
9. Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain - $5M - $26.3M
10. Man of Steel - $4.8M $280.9M

This weekend sees the return of Adam Sandler in the comedy sequel, Grown Ups 2. He was set to take on both monsters and robots in Guillermo Del Toro's Pacific Rim, a huge risk that Warner Brothers were hoping would pay off. After a spectacular opening last frame, Universal were ready to see Despicable Me 2 cross the $200M point while the critical and financial disappointment The Lone Ranger would be hoping for any interest it could get. Next weekend looks to be a busy one with the release of Red 2, R.I.P.D and The Conjuring, all joining Turbo, which opens on Wednesday.

Monday 8 July 2013

U.S Box Office Report - 5th - 7th July 2013

1. Despicable Me 2 - $82.5M - $142M
2. The Lone Ranger - $29.4M - $48.9M
3. The Heat - $25M - $86.3M
4. Monsters University - $19.5M - $216.1M
5. World War Z - $18.2M - $158.7M
6. White House Down $13.5M - $50.4M
7. Man of Steel - $11.4M $271.2M
8. Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain - $10.1M - $17.4M
9. This Is The End - $5.8M - $85.5M
10. Now You See Me - $2.7M - $110.4M

The lucrative July 4th Weekend in North America is the perfect set up for the summer blockbuster. With the new releases opening on the 3rd and many Americans taking the 4th and 5th off work, the box office was set to do some serious business. Despicable Me 2 was hoping for an easy win over Disney's risky (and costly) Lone Ranger. But they wouldn't have it all to themselves, with strong shows from Monsters University and The Heat also expected. Next weekend promises more risk as Warner Brother's Pacific Rim faces off against the Adam Sandler sequel, Grown Ups 2.

Monday 1 July 2013

U.S Box Office Report - 28th - 30th June 2013

1. Monsters University  - $46.8M - $171M
2. The Heat - $40M - $40M
3. World War Z - $29.8M - $123.7M
4. White House Down - $25.7M - $25.7M
5. Man of Steel - $20.8M - $248.6M
6. This Is The End -  $8.7M - $74.6M
7. Now You See Me - $5.5M - $104.6M
8. Fast & Furious Six - $2.4M - $233.3M
9. Star Trek Into Darkness- $2M - $220.5M
10. The Internship - $1.4M - $41.7M

Two news releases face off this week, both skewing slightly different demographics. In the one corner we have The Heat, a comedy featuring Sandra Bullock and star-of-the-moment, Melissa McCarthy. In the other, the second Capital invasion flick of the year, White House Down. Monsters University was expected to win the frame, leaving the two new releases to battle it out with World War Z and Man of Steel. Next weekend should prove to be an interesting one too, with the Despicable Me sequel up against Disney's costly (and risky) Lone Ranger movie.

Monday 24 June 2013

U.S Box Office Report - 21st - 23rd June 2013

1. Monsters University  - $82M - $82M
2. World War Z - $66M - $66M
3. Man of Steel - $41.2M - $210M
4. This Is The End -  $13M - $57.7M
5. Now You See Me - $7.8M - $94.4M
6. Fast & Furious Six - $4.7M - $228.4M
7. The Internship - $3.4M - $38.3M
8. The Purge - $3.4M - $59.4M
9. Star Trek Into Darkness - $3M - $216.6M
10. Iron Man 3 - $2.1M - $403M

Two new films join the fray this weekend, both featuring monsters of one kind or another. Paramount and Brad Pitt were hoping to shake off the production problems that hindered their zombie epic, World War Z. Meanwhile Mike and Sully return in Pixar's first prequel, Monsters University. Elsewhere, Warner Bros. would be hoping that Man of Steel would remain buoyant after its $128M opening, adding further weight to its planned Justice League movie. Next weekend brings us mismatched cop comedy The Heat, and action thriller White House Down.

Sunday 16 June 2013

U.S Box Office Report - 15th - 17th June 2013

1. Man of Steel - $113M - $125M
2. This Is The End -  $20.5M - $32.8M
3. Now You See Me - $10.3M - $80M
4. Fast & Furious Six - $9.4M - $219.6M
5. The Purge - $8.2M - $51.8M
6. The Internship - $7M - $30.9M
7. Epic - $6M - $95.4M
8. Star Trek Into Darkness - $5.6M - $210.4M
9. After Earth - $3.7M - $54.2M
10. Iron Man 3 - $2.9M - $399.6M

Welcome back to the weekly U.S box office report. This weekend brings the release of one of the most anticipated films of 2013, Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. Would it be able to shake off the ghost of Superman Returns? Elsewhere, Seth Rogen & Co. faced the apocalypse in This Is The End, while The Purge hoped to build further on its impressive start. Ahead to next weekend, we have Pixar's first prequel, Monsters University, and the Brad Pitt zombie epic, World War Z.

Sunday 9 June 2013

U.S Box Office Report - January - May 2013

1. Iron Man 3 - $390M
2. Oz, The Great and Powerful - $233M
3. Star Trek Into Darkness - $191M
4. Fast & Furious 6 - $189M
5. The Croods - $180M
6. Identity Thief - $134M
7. The Great Gatsby - $133M
8. G.I Joe: Retaliation - $121M
9. Olympus Has Fallen - $97.9M
10. The Hangover Part 3 - $97.3M

All figures taken as of today, June 9th 2013.

Where were we?

May generally signifies the start of the summer blockbuster season, though in the last few years, the last week in April has crept into play. The May of 2013 showed little sign of breaking tradition, with the third Iron Man flick, the Star Trek sequel and what was said to be the finale to the Hangover series, all making their bow. But before we discuss the successes and failures of the month, let's take a look at the state of the box office in the months leading up to May.

Saturday 30 March 2013

Hiatus

Sorry for the lack of updates and weekly reports. I've been in the process of relocating to overseas and my computer is in transit, making it difficult to write the normal reports. Box OfficeVoodoo is currently scheduled to return in May 2013. Thank you for reading.