Box Office

[proserpina65]

I forgot about American Sniper.  Mea culpa

[Skyline]

He hasn't had many where he has been the sole lead, but for those, the movies actually did pretty well.  I'd say the two that fall into that category are American Sniper and Limitless - American Sniper was the second highest grossing movie of 2014, and Limitless ended up being pretty profitable.  I think probably what stings more is less that it opened poorly (because I doubt it was ever going to be a blockbuster), but that the reviews for it are pretty bad, and I think they were hoping for some award nominations for this for Bradley Cooper.

 

 

It's actually the top grossing movie of 2014

[Demented Daisy]

(U.S.) Domestically, yes.  However, it's far behind the worldwide #1.

 

But should it be #1 in the U.S., considering it made the vast majority of its money in 2015?  (Honest question, no snark.)

[Dejana]

It's been my (perhaps incorrect) impression that political films haven't done all that well over the last decade or two, which might partially explain the failure of Sandra Bullock's latest. 

 

Here are Box Office Mojo's lists of Political Satire Movies and Political Campaign Movies. There's some overlap between the two, but the top movies domestically (unadjusted) are Fahrenheit 9/11 ($119.2M), The Campaign ($86.9M), the 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate ($65.96M), Dave ($63.3M) and The Adjustment Bureau ($62.5M). That's two movies from the 2010s, two more from the 2000s, different types of movies (comedy, thriller, documentary) and we're not talking Marvel money here, but there can be an audience for a movie with a political setting. The budget for Our Brand Is Crisis is reportedly $28 million and it was based on a documentary from 2005 of the same name. The Walk and Everest were also based on documentaries, and there have been a couple of Steve Jobs docs, too...maybe that's the real story of these fall flops, that every documentary doesn't need to be turned into a feature film.

 

 

(U.S.) Domestically, yes.  However, it's far behind the worldwide #1.

 

But should it be #1 in the U.S., considering it made the vast majority of its money in 2015?  (Honest question, no snark.)

 

In terms of the overall box office, such as how many billions of dollars were made in theatrical for one year, or what a studio has made, it's typically tallied by calendar year, so in that sense, American Sniper counts for 2015. OTOH, in lists of a year's top-grossing movies, it usually goes by the year the movie was released, so it's also not incorrect to say that Sniper was the top-grossing movie of 2014. There have been many times where a year's top movie made it there in the next year: Titanic is considered the most popular movie of 1997, even if it made more money in 1998, and it took Catching Fire until January 2014 to make more than Iron Man 3 to become the top film released in 2013. Still, it's usually not an American Sniper situation where the movie that "won" had such a limited release and made so little of its final total in the actual year it was first released.

Edited November 5, 2015 by Dejana

[Demented Daisy]

Still, it's usually not an American Sniper situation where the movie that "won" had such a limited release and made so little of its final total in the actual year it was first released.

 

Four screens, six days, less than a million.  Yet it's the "highest grossing" movie of 2014.  Crazy, but that's the way it goes, I guess.

[proserpina65]

That's two movies from the 2010s, two more from the 2000s, different types of movies (comedy, thriller, documentary) and we're not talking Marvel money here, but there can be an audience for a movie with a political setting

 

Movies like Dave and The Adjustment Bureau aren't really about politics at heart, not in the way something like Our Brand Is Crisis was.  So yes, while there is an audience for films with a political setting, the box office appeal of films specifically about the political world itself seems more limited.  Of course, the way such movies are marketed makes a big difference, too.  The commercials for OBIC definitely pitched it as a political movie, whereas The Adjustment Bureau was sold more as a futuristic thriller, for example; had the advertising campaign emphasized the political aspect of the latter film, the box office might've been affected.  Or not.  It's just my theory for why a Sandra Bullock film would do so badly.  Not that she hasn't had the occasional flop before, but more recently she's been something of a box office golden girl.

[Dejana]

Movies like Dave and The Adjustment Bureau aren't really about politics at heart, not in the way something like Our Brand Is Crisis was.  So yes, while there is an audience for films with a political setting, the box office appeal of films specifically about the political world itself seems more limited.  Of course, the way such movies are marketed makes a big difference, too.  The commercials for OBIC definitely pitched it as a political movie, whereas The Adjustment Bureau was sold more as a futuristic thriller, for example; had the advertising campaign emphasized the political aspect of the latter film, the box office might've been affected.  Or not.  It's just my theory for why a Sandra Bullock film would do so badly.  Not that she hasn't had the occasional flop before, but more recently she's been something of a box office golden girl.

 

It's been a while since I saw Dave but there was a fair amount of commentary on the corrupt nature of Washington's power brokers and the inability for Congress to actually do anything, but it's a fish-out-of-water comedy first, which broadens the appeal. Looking further down the BOM list of Political Campaign/Election Movies you have:

 

The American President  — $60M (the equivalent of $114.7M in 2015 dollars) 

Wag the Dog — $43M ($76.5M in 2015 dollars)

The Ides of March — $40.9M (it's from 2011)

Primary Colors — $39M (adjusts to $69.3M)

 

It probably is fair to say movies very rooted in politics can be a tough sell with the country so polarized ideologically, but perhaps the non-American setting with Our Brand Is Crisis hurt matters even more. It's easy to sell international heists and car chases but politics, not so much.

 

Before Sandra agreed to star in OBIC, George Clooney was linked to the project for years, potentially as a director and star, and I wonder if it wouldn't have done a little better with him. Not because men are better box office draws than women, but IMO that sort of talky, socially-conscious fare for grown-ups is more in his wheelhouse. So, even if a movie of that ilk had weak reviews, I think more of his fans would have been willing to give it a shot.

 

It's similar to how All About Steve looked ghastly from the trailers, was abysmally reviewed and dumped on Labor Day weekend, but still opened to $11 million and managed decent box office legs with a 3x multiplier. It was Sandra Bullock in a rom-com and The Proposal was nearly three months old by then. Sandy has so many beloved romantic comedies and dramas in constant TV rotation, whose overall critical reception isn't the best, but people like them, anyway. Sandra Bullock in a lightly promoted, poorly-reviewed international political comedy/drama? Not to say that stars can't branch out from their comfort zones, and sometimes it works out well, like Gravity. When the critics aren't on board, the genre has a ceiling on box-office potential even in best-case scenarios, and it's not the sort of movie that fans were clamoring to see the star make...well, there goes the opening weekend audience.

Edited November 6, 2015 by Dejana

[Dejana]

The opening weekend for Spectre doesn't reach the heights of Skyfall ($90.56M), though few expected it to, and it's still one of the better starts for the series. On the other end of the spectrum, Jem and the Holograms officially ended its run after 14 days with a final gross of $2,184,640 from 2,417 theaters. Truly outrageous(ly bad)!

 

November 6–8, 2015 Estimates:

 

1 (N) Spectre  $73,000,000 | 3,929 Theaters | $18,580 Avg. | $73,000,000 
2 (N) The Peanuts Movie  $45,000,000 | 3,897 Theaters | $11,547 Avg. | $45,000,000 

3 (1) The Martian  $9,300,000 | 2,855 Theaters | $3,257 Avg. | $197,067,346 
4 (2) Goosebumps  $6,965,000 | 3,051 Theaters | $2,283 Avg. | $66,440,954
5 (3) Bridge of Spies  $6,086,000 | 2,767 Theaters | $2,199 Avg. | $54,971,952

 

6 (4) Hotel Transylvania 2  $3,550,000 | 2,274 Theaters | $1,561 Avg. | $161,293,404
7 (6) Burnt  $3,003,000 | 3,003 Theaters | $1,000 Avg. | $10,211,287
8 (5) The Last Witch Hunter  $2,650,000 | 2,286 Theaters | $1,159 Avg. | $23,571,701
9 (11) The Intern  $1,810,000 | 1,071 Theaters | $1,690 Avg. | $71,407,251
10 (7) Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension  $1,650,000 | 1,087 Theaters | $1,518 Avg. | $16,281,378

 

11 (8) Our Brand Is Crisis  $1,500,000 | 2,202 Theaters | $681 Avg. | $6,000,632
12 (9) Crimson Peak  $1,180,000 | 1,131 Theaters | $1,043 Avg. | $29,849,805
13 (13) Woodlawn  $1,150,000 | 922 Theaters | $1,247 Avg. | $12,537,198
14 (14) Sicario  $1,100,000 | 722 Theaters | $1,524 Avg. | $43,972,391 
15 (10) Steve Jobs  $823,000 | 421 Theaters | $1,955 Avg. | $16,684,073  (finally passes Ashton)

 

16 (28) Suffragette  $779,000 | 222 Theaters | $3,509 Avg. | $1,135,568 
17 (12) Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse  $630,000 | 1,151 Theaters | $547 Avg. | $3,151,219 
18 (17) Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials  $600,000 | 441 Theaters | $1,361 Avg. | $79,809,643

19 (15) Pan  $571,341 | 508 Theaters | $1,125 Avg. | $32,942,691
20 (N) Miss You Already  $552,503 | 384 Theaters | $1,439 Avg. | $552,503

 

Room  $473,957 | 87 Theaters | $5,448 Avg. | $1,406,104

Spotlight  $302,276 | 5 Theaters | $60,455 Avg. | $302,276

Brooklyn  $181,000 | 5 Theaters | $36,200 Avg. | $237,389

Trumbo  $77,229 | 5 Theaters | $15,446 Avg. | $77,229

Rock The Kasbah  $59,021 | 201 Theaters | $294 Avg. | $2,745,733

Love  $51,829 | 25 Theaters | $2,073 Avg. | $122,075

 

Global Totals:

 

INSIDE OUT: $494.3M Overseas Total | $850.215M Global Total

ANT-MAN: $337.9M Overseas Total | $517.425M Global Total

THE MARTIAN: $261.4M Overseas Total | $458.5M Global Total

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2: $242.9M Overseas Total | $404.2M Global Total

 

MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS: $218.5M Overseas Total | $298.3M Global Total

SPECTRE: $223.1M Overseas Total | $296.1M Global Total

EVEREST: $148.1M Overseas Total | $190.9M Global Total

THE INTERN: $108.6M Overseas Total | $180.0M Global Total

PAN: $81.1M Overseas Total | $113.5M Global Total

 

GOOSEBUMPS: $25.8M Overseas Total | $92.2M Global Total

BRIDGE OF SPIES: $17.0M Overseas Total | $71.9M Global Total

CRIMSON PEAK: $39.7M Overseas Total | $69.6M Global Total

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION: $50.8M Overseas Total | $67.08M Global Total

 

THE PEANUTS MOVIE: $4.6M Overseas Total | $49.6M Global Total

THE DRESSMAKER: $6.3M Overseas Total

SCOUTS GUIDE TO THE APOCALYPSE: $2.3M Overseas Total | $5.45M Global Total

Edited November 10, 2015 by Dejana

[Ohwell]

Yay for Spectre!  I don't understand the hate for this movie.  I loved it.

[Dejana]

Spectre dropped to $70 million with the actual numbers.

[Joe]

It hasn't opened in Australia yet. I only discovered that by trying to work up the enthusiasm to go and see it, and then checking screening times. So it'll get a global bump this weekend.

[Dejana]

November 13–15, 2015 Estimates:

 

1 (1) Spectre  $35,400,000 | 3,929 Theaters | $9,010 Avg. | $130,700,181
2 (2) The Peanuts Movie  $24,200,000 | 3,902 Theaters | $6,202 Avg. | $82,489,856
3 (N) Love the Coopers  $8,400,000 | 2,603 Theaters | $3,227 Avg. | $8,400,000
4 (3) The Martian  $6,725,000 | 2,788 Theaters | $2,412 Avg. | $207,407,616
5 (N) The 33  $5,845,000 | 2,452 Theaters | $2,384 Avg. | $5,845,000

 

6 (4) Goosebumps  $4,650,000 | 2,805 Theaters | $1,658 Avg. | $73,487,390
7 (5) Bridge of Spies  $4,289,000 | 2,688 Theaters | $1,596 Avg. | $61,695,554 
8 (N) Prem Ratan Dhan Payo  $2,400,000 | 286 Theaters | $8,392 Avg. | $2,787,433 
9 (6) Hotel Transylvania 2  $2,350,000 | 1,834 Theaters | $1,281 Avg. | $165,244,692 
10 (8) The Last Witch Hunter  $1,500,000 | 1,479 Theaters | $1,014 Avg. | $26,076,579

 

11 (N) My All American  $1,365,000 | 1,565 Theaters | $872 Avg. | $1,365,000
12 (23) Spotlight  $1,353,630 | 61 Theaters | $22,191 Avg. | $1,800,400

13 (9) The Intern  $1,230,000 | 855 Theaters | $1,439 Avg. | $73,377,742 
14 (7) Burnt  $1,146,000 | 1,614 Theaters | $710 Avg. | $12,741,519
15 (16) Suffragette  $1,000,000 | 496 Theaters | $2,016 Avg. | $2,544,280

 

16 (10) Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension  $885,000 | 785 Theaters | $1,127 Avg. | $17,782,317
17 (14) Sicario  $745,000 | 529 Theaters | $1,408 Avg. | $45,199,756 
18 (13) Woodlawn  $635,000 | 808 Theaters | $786 Avg. | $13,615,355
19 (21) Room  $578,151 | 133 Theaters | $4,347 Avg. | $2,287,446 

20 (12) Crimson Peak  $490,935 | 531 Theaters | $925 Avg. | $30,828,975

 

Brooklyn  $485,000 | 23 Theaters | $21,087 Avg. | $832,996

Steve Jobs  $394,000 | 326 Theaters | $1,209 Avg. | $17,374,733

Truth  $157,987 | 157 Theaters | $1,006 Avg. | $2,290,424

Trumbo  $141,933 | 20 Theaters | $7,097 Avg. | $247,894
By the Sea  $95,440 | 10 Theaters | $9,544 Avg. | $95,440

 

Global Totals:

 

SPECTRE: $413.1M Overseas Total | $543.8M Global Total

THE MARTIAN: $270.0M Overseas Total | $477.4M Global Total

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2: $252.6M Overseas Total | $417.8M Global Total

MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS: $229.0M Overseas Total | $309.0M Global Total

 

EVEREST: $155.3M Overseas Total | $198.4M Global Total

PAN: $86.1M Overseas Total | $119.3M Global Total

MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.: $60.0M Overseas Total | $105.4M Global Total

GOOSEBUMPS: $29.7M Overseas Total | $103.2M Global Total

 

THE PEANUTS MOVIE: $8.0M Overseas Total | $90.5M Global Total

BRIDGE OF SPIES: $19.2M Overseas Total | $80.9M Global Total

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION: $56.0M Overseas Total | $73.8M Global Total

CRIMSON PEAK: $41.5M Overseas Total | $72.3M Global Total

 

PREM RATAN DHAN PAYO: $31.0M Overseas Total | $33.4M Global Total

STEVE JOBS: $3M Overseas Total | $20.38M Global Total

THE LADY IN THE VAN: $3.5M Overseas Total | $3.5M Global Total

BY THE SEA: $325,000 Overseas Total | $420,440 Global Total

Edited November 17, 2015 by Dejana

[Dejana]

Mockingjay - Part 2 begins with the lowest opening weekend of the Hunger Games franchise. Maybe we're seeing the core HG fanbase (still pretty sizeable) and the grosses of the first two were inflated by casual audiences who liked the hook of the actual games. A single Mockingjay wouldn't have received the ill will of a Part 1, and would've had more momentum coming directly out of Catching Fire. Lionsgate will make more for splitting the finale, but it's a less than triumphant finish for the series. I wonder if they're kicking themselves for not thinking of it sooner, giving each part of the split finale its own title, to try to fool people into thinking it's not half of a movie. We shall see how the Divergent franchise fares next year.

 

November 20–22, 2015:

 

1 (N) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2  $102,665,981 | 4,175 Theaters | $24,591 Avg. | $102,665,981
2 (1) Spectre  $15,043,729 | 3,659 Theaters | $4,111 Avg. | $154,146,608
3 (2) The Peanuts Movie  $13,203,590 | 3,671 Theaters | $3,597 Avg. | $99,346,727
4 (N) The Night Before  $9,880,536 | 2,960 Theaters | $3,338 Avg. | $9,880,536
5 (N) The Secret in their Eyes (2015)  $6,633,000 | 2,392 Theaters | $2,773 Avg. | $6,633,000 

 

6 (3) Love the Coopers  $4,134,130 | 2,603 Theaters | $1,588 Avg. | $15,128,355
7 (4) The Martian  $3,700,000 | 2,086 Theaters | $1,774 Avg. | $213,039,442 
8 (12) Spotlight  $3,603,466 | 598 Theaters | $6,026 Avg. | $5,879,577
9 (5) The 33  $2,240,000 | 2,452 Theaters | $914 Avg. | $9,900,692
10 (7) Bridge of Spies  $1,945,000 | 1,532 Theaters | $1,270 Avg. | $65,177,412

 

11 (6) Goosebumps  $1,760,000 | 1,787 Theaters | $985 Avg. | $76,014,312
12 (21) Brooklyn  $1,150,000 | 111 Theaters | $10,360 Avg. | $2,159,225
13 (9) Hotel Transylvania 2  $775,000 | 828 Theaters | $936 Avg. | $166,401,741
14 (8) Prem Ratan Dhan Payo  $640,000 | 283 Theaters | $2,261 Avg. | $3,972,506
15 (15) Suffragette  $500,000 | 517 Theaters | $967 Avg. | $3,548,019

 

16 (13) The Intern  $425,000 | 514 Theaters | $827 Avg. | $74,171,677

17 (19) Room  $384,828 | 160 Theaters | $2,405 Avg. | $2,901,838
18 (11) My All American  $369,000 | 1,314 Theaters | $281 Avg. | $2,207,000 
19 (10) The Last Witch Hunter  $342,482 | 624 Theaters | $549 Avg. | $26,822,658
20 (24) Pan  $325,111 | 365 Theaters | $891 Avg. | $34,012,065

 

 

Trumbo  $258,816 | 47 Theaters | $5,507 Avg. | $587,568

Carol  $253,510 | 4 Theaters | $63,378 Avg. | $253,510

By the Sea  $193,030 | 126 Theaters | $1,532 Avg. | $320,627

Legend  $86,836 | 4 Theaters | $21,709 Avg. | $86,836

Steve Jobs  $84,420 | 126 Theaters | $670 Avg. | $17,614,323

 

Global Totals:

 

SPECTRE: $524.1M Overseas Total | $677.8M Global Total

THE MARTIAN: $273.4M Overseas Total | $486.4M Global Total

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2: $263.6M Overseas Total | $430.0M Global Total

 

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 2: $146M Overseas Total | $247M Global Total

EVEREST: $157.4M Overseas Total | $200.6M Global Total

GOOSEBUMPS: $32.7M Overseas Total | $108.7M Global Total

THE PEANUTS MOVIE: $9.8M Overseas Total | $108.7M Global Total

 

BRIDGE OF SPIES: $20.4M Overseas Total | $85.6M Global Total

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION: $58.5M Overseas Total | $76.5M Global Total

CRIMSON PEAK: $42.4M Overseas Total | $73.5M Global Total

 

PREM RATAN DHAN PAYO: $43.4M Overseas Total | $47.4M Global Total

STEVE JOBS: $5.1M Overseas Total | $22.7M Global Total

THE DRESSMAKER: $10.7M Overseas Total

BY THE SEA: $0.62M Overseas Total | $0.933M Global Total

Edited November 24, 2015 by Dejana

[methodwriter85]

Damn, it's still great, but that's still a pretty steep drop from Part 3.

[BatmanBeatles]

I think the third Divergent movie will do worse since the second one didn't do as well as the first one.

[Dejana]

Yesterday, I saw an ad proclaiming The Secret In Their Eyes as "the #1 thriller in America", which, even if you're not counting a James Bond movie as a thriller, it's a little ridiculous when this "#1 movie" is a good $96 million off from actual top spot.

 

Thanksgiving brings three new movies in wide release. The Tuesday preview numbers are in: Creed and The Good Dinosaur made good showings, while Victor Frankenstein...is pretty likely to be subject to a lot of "turkey" headlines in this weekend's box office reports. It switched release dates with The Martian at some point. Good move for the latter, though an October release might have helped a Frankenstein movie a little bit, though VF was probably doomed to fail regardless of the timing.

Edited November 25, 2015 by Dejana

[absnow54]

Was Victor Frankenstein ever supposed to be anything but camp that launched 1000 gay fanfics? I feel like that's how James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe have been promoting it.

 

eta: haha, thanks for the catch dusang!

Edited November 25, 2015 by absnow54

[dusang]

Was Victor Frankenstein ever supposed to be anything but camp that launched 1000 gay fanfics? I feel like that's how James McAvoy and Danielle Radcliffe have been promoting it.

 

I love the typo!  I have to say "camp that launched 1000 gay fanfics" isn't the worst logline I've ever heard.

[Skyline]

That's great for Creed. 

 

 

Edited November 25, 2015 by Skyline

[Dejana]

Was Victor Frankenstein ever supposed to be anything but camp that launched 1000 gay fanfics? I feel like that's how James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe have been promoting it.

 

Does anybody set out to make Razzie-bait or a camp classic? Aside from, IDK, Adam Sander and John Waters, respectively. Campy elements, sure, but "It's supposed to be campy!" just seems like an angle people work when there really isn't much else that will, especially considering how much this thing has been moved around the schedule. I'm sure VF will be a Tumblr fave for years to come, but I don't think movie studios make tons of money from .gifs and fics.

[Bruinsfan]

I saw it yesterday. As I expected, Radcliffe's acting was worth watching. Whereas MacAvoy's... well, I'm going to be generous and assume that he saw how crappy the script was and decided to act as if he were shooting a remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show to amuse himself.

[Dejana]

November 27–29, 2015 Estimates:

 

1 (1) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2  $51,600,000 | 4,175 Theaters | $12,359 Avg. | $198,312,341 
2 (N) The Good Dinosaur  $39,192,000 | 3,749 Theaters | $10,454 Avg. | $55,565,000
3 (N) Creed  $30,120,000 | 3,404 Theaters | $8,848 Avg. | $42,600,000 
4 (2) Spectre  $12,800,000 |  2,940 Theaters | $4,354 Avg. | $176,056,967 
5 (3) The Peanuts Movie  $9,700,000 | 3,089 Theaters | $3,140 Avg. | $116,757,472 

 

6 (4) The Night Before  $8,200,000 | 2,960 Theaters | $2,770 Avg. | $24,102,536 
7 (5) The Secret in their Eyes (2015)  $4,502,000 | 2,392 Theaters | $1,882 Avg. | $14,031,039
8 (8) Spotlight  $4,495,290 | 897 Theaters | $5,011 Avg. | $12,347,179 
9 (12) Brooklyn  $3,832,000 | 845 Theaters | $4,535 Avg. | $7,289,949 
10 (7) The Martian  $3,300,000 | 1,420 Theaters | $2,324 Avg. | $218,640,849

 

11 (6) Love the Coopers  $3,050,000 | 1,867 Theaters | $1,634 Avg. | $20,486,372 
12 (N) Victor Frankenstein  $2,350,000 | 2,797 Theaters | $840 Avg. | $3,435,000  (budget = $40M)
13 (22) Trumbo  $1,534,005 | 617 Theaters | $2,486 Avg. | $2,576,259 

14 (10) Bridge of Spies  $1,376,000 | 635 Theaters | $2,167 Avg. | $67,561,276
15 (N) Tamasha  $1,006,059 | 179 Theaters | $5,620 Avg. | $1,413,443

 

16 (11) Goosebumps  $741,366 | 614 Theaters | $1,207 Avg. | $77,700,144
17 (9) The 33  $560,135 | 702 Theaters | $798 Avg. | $11,319,870 
18 (13) Hotel Transylvania 2  $343,080 | 303 Theaters | $1,132 Avg. | $167,157,414
19 (17) Room  $319,888 | 175 Theaters | $1,828 Avg. | $3,406,551 
20 (33) Legend  $297,751 | 40 Theaters | $7,444 Avg. | $525,735

 

Suffragette  $261,676 | 217 Theaters | $1,206 Avg. | $4,069,970

Carol  $203,076 | 4 Theaters | $50,769 Avg. | $588,325

The Danish Girl  $185,000 | 4 Theaters | $46,250 Avg. | $185,000

Steve Jobs  $49,500 | 66 Theaters | $750 Avg. | $17,704,843

Truth  $35,053 | 28 Theaters | $1,252 Avg. | $2,441,665

 

Global Totals:

 

SPECTRE: $573.5M Overseas Total | $749.6M Global Total

THE MARTIAN: $326.5M Overseas Total | $545.1M Global Total

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2: $242.4M Overseas | $440.7M Global

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2: $252.6M Overseas Total | $419.7M Global Total

 

GOOSEBUMPS: $29.7M Overseas Total | $107.4M Global Total

THE VISIT: $30.1M Overseas Total | $95.2M Global Total

BRIDGE OF SPIES: $27.5M Overseas Total | $95M Global Total

BLACK MASS: $27.5M Overseas Total | $90M Global Total

 

THE GOOD DINOSAUR: $28.7M Overseas Total | $84.2M Global Total

CRIMSON PEAK: $42.9M Overseas Total | $74M Global Total

CREED: $2.26M Overseas Total (7 Territories) | $44.8M Global Total

STEVE JOBS: $6.1M Overseas Total | $23.8M Global Total

Edited December 1, 2015 by Dejana

[dusang]

12 (N) Victor Frankenstein  $2,350,000 | 2,797 Theaters | $840 Avg. | $3,435,000  (budget = $40M)

 

Let's all say it together, "Ouch!"

[Dejana]

December 4–6, 2015 Estimates:

 

1 (1) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2  $18,600,000 | 4,086 Theaters | $4,552 Avg. | $227,112,000
2 (N) Krampus  $16,020,000 | 2,902 Theaters | $5,520 Avg. | $16,020,000

3 (2) The Good Dinosaur  $15,323,958 | 3,749 Theaters | $4,087 Avg. | $75,763,488 
4 (3) Creed  $14,989,303 | 3,424 Theaters | $4,378 Avg. | $64,586,859

5 (4) Spectre  $5,425,000 | 2,840 Theaters | $1,910 Avg. | $184,520,343

 

6 (6) The Night Before  $4,920,000 | 2,794 Theaters | $1,761 Avg. | $31,988,311
7 (5) The Peanuts Movie  $3,525,000 | 2,917 Theaters | $1,208 Avg. | $121,437,699 
8 (8) Spotlight  $2,926,844 | 980 Theaters | $2,987 Avg. | $16,632,541
9 (9) Brooklyn  $2,430,000 | 906 Theaters | $2,682 Avg. | $11,210,023
10 (7) Secret in their Eyes (2015)  $1,950,000 | 2,147 Theaters | $908 Avg. | $17,241,088

 

11 (10) The Martian  $1,615,000 | 1,140 Theaters | $1,417 Avg. | $220,813,188
12 (11) Love the Coopers  $1,500,000 | 1,639 Theaters | $915 Avg. | $22,683,626
13 (N) Chi-Raq  $1,250,224 | 305 Theaters | $4,099 Avg. | $1,250,224 

14 (13) Trumbo  $951,068 | 660 Theaters | $1,441 Avg. | $4,164,500
15 (12) Victor Frankenstein  $746,834 | 2,797  -  $267 Avg. | $5,108,738

 

16 (N) The Letters  $700,683 | 886 Theaters | $791 Avg. | $700,683 
17 (14) Bridge of Spies  $684,509 | 536 Theaters | $1,277 Avg. | $68,589,003 
18 (15) Tamasha  $347,580 | 165 Theaters | $2,107 Avg. | $1,980,235
19 (20) Legend  $279,791 | 61 Theaters | $4,587 Avg. | $922,692 
20 (16) Goosebumps  $268,691 | 433 Theaters | $621 Avg. | $78,058,808

 

Room  $228,639 | 175 Theaters | $1,307 Avg. | $3,792,963

Carol  $147,241 | 4 Theaters | $36,810 Avg. | $817,119

Fall in Love Like a Star  $130,000 | 6 Theaters | $21,667 Avg. | $130,000

The Danish Girl  $106,000 | 4 Theaters | $26,500 Avg. | $351,732

Youth  $80,000 | 4 Theaters | $20,000 Avg. | $80,000

Macbeth (2015)  $67,868 | 5 Theaters | $13,574 Avg. | $67,868

 

Global Totals:

 

SPECTRE: $607.5M Overseas Total | $792.0M Global Total

THE MARTIAN: $350.7M Overseas Total | $571.5M Global Total

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 2: $296.8M Overseas Total | $523.9M Global Total

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2: $274.1M Overseas Total | $441.3M Global Total

 

THE PEANUTS MOVIE: $13.2M Overseas Total | $134.6M Global Total

THE GOOD DINOSAUR: $55.4M Overseas Total | $131.35M Global Total

GOOSEBUMPS: $36.7M Overseas Total | $114.5M Global Total

BRIDGE OF SPIES: $41.8M Overseas Total | $110.4M Global Total

 

THE VISIT: $31.9M Overseas Total | $97.0M Global Total

CREED: $4.9M Overseas Total | $70.0M Global Total

STEVE JOBS: $6.6M Overseas Total | $24.4M Global Total

VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN: $19.2M Overseas Total | $24.3M Global Total

 

KRAMPUS: $3.3M Overseas Total | $19.32M Global Total

IN THE HEART OF THE SEA: $17.1M Overseas Total

Edited December 8, 2015 by Dejana

[Dejana]

December 11–13, 2015 Estimates:

 

1 (1) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2  $11,300,000 | 3,651 Theaters | $3,095 Avg. | $244,490,956
2 (N) In the Heart of the Sea  $11,005,000 | 3,103 Theaters | $3,547 Avg. | $11,005,000 *bombs away*
3 (3) The Good Dinosaur  $10,497,000 | 3,606 Theaters | $2,911 Avg. | $89,660,791
4 (4) Creed  $10,120,000 | 3,502 Theaters | $2,890 Avg. | $79,321,018
5 (2) Krampus  $8,010,000 | 2,919 Theaters | $2,744 Avg. | $28,151,330

 

6 (6) The Night Before  $4,133,702 | 2,674 Theaters | $1,546 Avg. | $38,439,358
7 (5) Spectre  $4,045,109 | 2,640 Theaters | $1,532 Avg. | $190,812,769

8 (7) The Peanuts Movie  $2,650,000 | 2,653 Theaters | $999 Avg. | $124,955,585
9 (8) Spotlight  $2,508,853 | 1,089 Theaters | $2,304 Avg. | $20,302,802
10 (9) Brooklyn  $1,975,000 | 947 Theaters | $2,086 Avg. | $14,330,423 

 

11 (11) The Martian  $1,400,000 | 1,041 Theaters | $1,345 Avg. | $222,800,035
12 (12) Love the Coopers  $1,350,000 | 1,610 Theaters | $839 Avg. | $24,636,242
13 (10) The Secret in their Eyes (2015)  $1,213,000 | 1,661 Theaters | $730 Avg. | $19,250,025 
14 (14) Trumbo  $810,874 | 554 Theaters | $1,464 Avg. | $5,454,080
15 (N) The Big Short  $720,000 | 8 Theaters | $90,000 Avg. | $720,000

 

16 (17) Bridge of Spies  $595,000 | 540 Theaters | $1,102 Avg. | $69,456,000
17 (13) Chi-Raq  $573,580 | 285 Theaters | $2,013 Avg. | $2,107,979
18 (25) Carol  $336,924 |16 Theaters | $21,058 Avg. | $1,220,737
19 (16) The Letters  $327,000 | 779 Theaters | $420 Avg. | $1,388,744 
20 (19) Legend  $301,000 | 107 Theaters | $2,813 Avg. | $1,379,654

 

The Danish Girl  $259,000 | 24 Theaters | $10,792 Avg. | $653,266

Macbeth (2015)  $251,000 | 108 Theaters | $2,324 Avg. | $348,939

Room  $246,510 | 198 Theaters | $1,245 Avg. | $4,184,891

Victor Frankenstein  $175,000 | 578 Theaters | $303 Avg. | $5,632,569

Youth  $100,000 | 17 Theaters | $5,882 Avg. | $211,233

 

Global Totals:

 

SPECTRE: $629.8M Overseas Total | $820.6M Global Total

THE MARTIAN: $366.3M Overseas Total | $589.1M Global Total

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 2: $320.1M Overseas Total | $564.6M Global Total

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2: $277.9M Overseas Total | $445.3M Global Total

 

THE GOOD DINOSAUR: $78.2M Overseas Total | $167.86M Global Total

THE PEANUTS MOVIE: $16.6M Overseas Total | $141.6M Global Total

BRIDGE OF SPIES: $53.2M Overseas Total | $122.7M Global Total

GOOSEBUMPS: $38.3M Overseas Total | $116.4M Global Total

 

IN THE HEART OF THE SEA: $39.4M Overseas Total | $50.4M Global Total

KRAMPUS: $8.8M Overseas Total | $37.0M Global Total

POINT BREAK: $34.5M Overseas Total

VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN: $24.8M Overseas Total | $30.4M Global Total

BY THE SEA: $2.0M Overseas Total | $2.5M Global Total

Edited December 15, 2015 by Dejana

[AimingforYoko]

Good thing Chris Hemsworth has Thor.

[Dejana]

Hollywood insiders predict Hemsworth's going rate will decrease...somewhat:

 

Those who I’ve spoken with say that the actor’s payday per project moves from $8M-$12M to the $6M-$8M range after ITHOTS.

 

After seeing that bit of Hiddleston's Thor audition and considering some of the other contenders, that role could have gone very (very) badly if improperly cast, but outside of Marvel, I don't know how Hemsworth's agents could justify that number. 

Edited December 13, 2015 by Dejana

[SeanC]

Nautical adventure (outside of Pirates of the Caribbean, I guess) seems like a film genre that not all that many people are interested in anymore (even though, ironically, the technology to do them has never been better).  It still saddens me that Weir's Master and Commander didn't generate enough interest to have sequels.

 

The Good Dinosaur is only about $10 million ahead of Creed at the domestic box office in their respective third weekends (which is basically the difference between their first-weekend grosses); I have to imagine Creed cost, what, a quarter or a fifth as much, maybe?  Of course, there's foreign box office and toy revenues, but still, that shows how the former is underperforming.

Edited December 14, 2015 by SeanC

[Dejana]

Nautical adventure (outside of Pirates of the Caribbean, I guess) seems like a film genre that not all that many people are interested in anymore (even though, ironically, the technology to do them has never been better).  It still saddens me that Weir's Master and Commander didn't generate enough interest to have sequels.

 

The Good Dinosaur is only about $10 million ahead of Creed at the domestic box office in their respective third weekends (which is basically the difference between their first-weekend grosses); I have to imagine Creed cost, what, a quarter or a fifth as much, maybe?  Of course, there's foreign box office and toy revenues, but still, that shows how the former is underperforming.

 

I can't disagree with the analyst who wondered if selling In the Heart of the Sea as the true story that inspired Moby Dick would necessarily help at the box office, since it's often been one of those required readings that students have dreaded for generations. So was The Great Gatsby, but it's a much shorter book, plus that movie had Leo and a hip hop soundtrack. The nautical genre has its fans, but given what happened with Master and Commander, with a much bigger star at the time, it puzzles me that Warner Bros would ever make this sort of movie at all, especially headlined by Chris Hemsworth.

 

The Good Dinosaur is shaping up to be Pixar's first box office failure. The production budget was $200M and the estimate for marketing is another $150M, so it needs half a billion to break even theatrically. Most analysts think it will be lucky to get $400 million worldwide. I can't see the merchandise selling like the Cars stuff; the dinosaurs just look so generic. It's the first time two Pixar films were released in the same year, but TGD was significantly delayed to begin with, so maybe this is actually the best-case scenario for it.

 

The budget for Creed is $35 million, BTW.

[Bruinsfan]

After seeing that bit of Hiddleston's Thor audition and considering some of the other contenders, that role could have gone very (very) badly if improperly cast, but outside of Marvel, I don't know how Hemsworth's agents could justify that number. 

I thought he proved his dramatic chops as the co-lead in Rush, and he's been hilarious in his SNL and talk show appearances. Admittedly that movie where he played the world's most handsome computer hacker was a bomb, but the market for that kind of flick died off 20 years ago. I'd happily lay down ticket money to see him headline a non-superhero action movie or buddy comedy, and I'd like to see him try his hand at a rom com (if they still make those without Katherine Heigl).

[dusang]

Chris Hemsworth is in the new Ghostbusters as "Kevin," who I believe was rumoured as the secretary/Annie Potts role.  So maybe he'll be funny?

Edited December 16, 2015 by dusang

[Dejana]

I thought he proved his dramatic chops as the co-lead in Rush, and he's been hilarious in his SNL and talk show appearances. Admittedly that movie where he played the world's most handsome computer hacker was a bomb, but the market for that kind of flick died off 20 years ago. I'd happily lay down ticket money to see him headline a non-superhero action movie or buddy comedy, and I'd like to see him try his hand at a rom com (if they still make those without Katherine Heigl).

 

With Chris Hemsworth, I think Hollywood just looked at him as this stoic/handsome leading man and believed his stoic handsomeness (plus, Thor!) was enough to get audiences interested. I can't blame anyone for turning down the paychecks he was offered, especially since Marvel doesn't offer the big bucks in the beginning and fame is fickle, but when the movies flop, it's held against the star on all the posters. His career woes (such as they are) remind of how Hollywood first saw The Rock as a modern-day Stallone or Schwarzenegger, but in a time when the public wasn't clamoring for that sort of action hero, so things like Walking Tall or The Rundown underwhelmed at the box office, compared to expectations. So, he resorted to family films and doing comedic/villainous turns in movies where he wasn't necessarily the sole attraction, but always gave solid/good performances in a variety of roles, eventually becoming someone audiences liked to see and whose presence was thought to add to a film. In time, he earned back enough goodwill to be the leading man again, without having to dress like the Tooth Fairy. Chris would do well to follow a similar path, tailored to his strengths.

 

 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has made more than $100 million in advance ticket sales. The current December opening weekend record is The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey with $84 million, so that's going to be obliterated and probably the Jurassic World number from June ($208.8M). The holiday season is known for generous box office legs: barring some sort of outside world catastrophe, a James Cameron movie will no longer be king of the world.

Edited December 16, 2015 by Dejana

[Bruinsfan]

Has anyone done the math of what the maximum potential weekend box office is based on 100% capacity in all the theaters it's showing in?

[Dejana]

Has anyone done the math of what the maximum potential weekend box office is based on 100% capacity in all the theaters it's showing in?

 

Even I'm not that much of a box office nerd! :) It's really difficult to calculate, without knowing how many screens each of those 4,134 theaters are devoting to Star Wars, the seating capacity where the movie is actually shown, the number of showtimes and operating hours, which can fluctuate wildly based on demand. If enough people are there to show the movie at 6:00 AM on all 24 screens of a multiplex, they're probably going to do it. During the day/night, scheduled showings for other movies might end up being canceled (sometimes there are restrictions about this based on studio/newness of the film) to make more room for The Force Awakens. I've seen predictions of $300 million though from fanboys. The industry publications aren't going that far, but the Jurassic World record looks likely to go down with ease.

[methodwriter85]

I worked Jurassic World in theater concessions, and it was hell. I will work Star Wars tomorrow night, and we already have 1300 tickets sold for that night. I want to hang myself.

[proserpina65]

2 (N) In the Heart of the Sea  $11,005,000 | 3,103 Theaters | $3,547 Avg. | $11,005,000 *bombs away*

 

Oh man, that sucks.  I figured it wouldn't be a blockbuster but I was hoping it would do reasonably well.  Guess I better squeeze some time into my busy holiday season to see it before it disappears; I thought I would have a few weeks, but now I doubt it.

[dusang]

I worked Jurassic World in theater concessions, and it was hell. I will work Star Wars tomorrow night, and we already have 1300 tickets sold for that night. I want to hang myself.

 

I let people into the 12:10am showing of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace the "day" it opened.  I feel your pain.

[Dejana]

Biggest Previews Ever!

 

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" took in a record breaking $57 million at the U.S. box office for its preview showings on Thursday night.

 

That number blasted the record for the biggest pre-opening in box office history held by "Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2," which made $43.5 million on its opening night in 2011.

 

To be fair, "Deathly Hallows: Part 2" began its preview showings at Midnight while "Force Awakens" kicked off its U.S. debut at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday night.

 

So far, the Disney film has pulled in roughly $130 million worldwide since opening overseas on Wednesday.

 

The movie had opened in 44 overseas markets before its U.S. debut, breaking records in numerous countries including the U.K., Ireland, and Germany.

Edited December 18, 2015 by Dejana

[Dejana]

December 18–20, 2015 Estimates:

 

1 (N) Star Wars: The Force Awakens  $238,000,000 | 4,134 Theaters | $57,571 Avg. | $238,000,000 

2 (N) Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip  $14,400,000 | 3,653 Theaters | $3,942 Avg. | $14,400,000
3 (N) Sisters  $13,420,000 | 2,962 Theaters | $4,531 Avg. | $13,420,000
4 (1) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2  $5,650,000 | 2,653 Theaters | $2,130 Avg. | $254,438,774 
5 (4) Creed  $5,085,000 | 2,433 Theaters | $2,090 Avg. | $87,900,073
6 (3) The Good Dinosaur  $4,232,000 | 2,755 Theaters | $1,536 Avg. | $96,546,068 
7 (5) Krampus  $3,780,000 | 2,371 Theaters | $1,594 Avg. | $34,810,655 
8 (2) In the Heart of the Sea  $3,465,000 | 3,103 Theaters | $1,117 Avg. | $18,600,095
9 (N) Dilwale  $1,875,000 | 268 Theaters | $6,996 Avg. | $1,875,000 
10 (N) Bajirao Mastani  $1,660,000 | 304 Theaters | $5,461 Avg. | $1,660,000 

 

Spotlight  $1,483,167 | 825 Theaters | $1,798 Avg. | $22,861,193

Brooklyn  $1,200,000 | 614 Theaters | $1,954 Avg. | $16,518,413

The Danish Girl  $538,000 | 81 Theaters | $6,642 Avg. | $1,325,633

Trumbo  $385,240 | 273 Theaters | $1,411 Avg. | $6,252,060

The Big Short  $350,000 | 8 Theaters | $43,750 Avg. | $1,291,404

 

Youth  $247,000 | 61 Theaters | $4,049 Avg. | $516,322 
Carol  $229,893 | 16 Theaters | $14,368 Avg. | $1,626,721 
Bridge of Spies  $226,000 | 258 Theaters | $876 Avg. | $69,087,000
Room  $173,052 | 171 Theaters | $1,012 Avg. | $4,534,916
Son of Saul  $38,891 | 3 Theaters | $12,964 Avg. | $38,891

[AimingforYoko]

I'd wager that the actuals will be significantly higher for TFA. Maybe $10m higher.

[Trini]

1 (N) Star Wars: The Force Awakens $238,000,000 | 4,134 Theaters | $57,571 Avg. | $238,000,000

 

This was going to have a huge opening anyway, but I wonder how much of that was "I need to see it now before everyone else spoils it for me".  :-)

[Dejana]

Global Totals:

 

SPECTRE: $642.2M Overseas Total | $836M Global Total

THE MARTIAN: $369.9M Overseas Total | $593.8M Global Total

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS: $279M Overseas Total | $517M Global Total

 

THE GOOD DINOSAUR: $93.1M Overseas Total | $189.6M Global Total

THE PEANUTS MOVIE: $18.9M Overseas Total | $145.2M Global Total

BRIDGE OF SPIES: $60.3M Overseas Total | $130.3M Global Total

 

IN THE HEART OF THE SEA: $49.6M Overseas Total | $68.2M Global Total

KRAMPUS: $12.8M Overseas Total | $60.4M Global Total

SISTERS: $1.8M Overseas Total | $15.2M Global Total

Edited December 21, 2015 by Dejana

[Bruinsfan]

So TFA made $4 in sales for ever dollar made by the other top 10 movies combined. Wow.

[AimingforYoko]

I'd wager that the actuals will be significantly higher for TFA. Maybe $10m higher.

Estimate for TFA: $238m. Actuals for TFA: $247,966,675.

I was close. Damn close.

[SeanC]

I hope this finally kills the Chipmunks movies.  Everyone involved with those should be tried for crimes against humanity.

[Dejana]

So TFA made $4 in sales for ever dollar made by the other top 10 movies combined. Wow.

 

It makes sense: if you weren't seeing Star Wars anyway, why bother with the hassle of such crowded parking lots and theater lobbies? Plus when you are selling $247 million in tickets that doesn't leave much room for the other shows. Avatar's biggest weekend was "only" about $77 million.

 

I hope this finally kills the Chipmunks movies.  Everyone involved with those should be tried for crimes against humanity.

 

The holiday season has a way of being extremely generous to family films, regardless of quality, but there's clearly a law of diminishing returns happening with the franchise. After this, maybe they will just stick to TV for a while

Edited December 21, 2015 by Dejana

[Dejana]

December 25–27, 2015 Estimates:

 

1 (1) Star Wars: The Force Awakens  $153,522,000 | 4,134 Theaters | $37,136 Avg. | $544,573,329 
2 (N) Daddy's Home  $38,800,000 | 3,271 Theaters | $11,862 Avg. | $38,800,000 
3 (N) Joy  $17,500,000 | 2,896 Theaters | $6,043 Avg. | $17,500,000 
4 (3) Sisters  $13,880,000 | 2,962 Theaters | $4,686 Avg. | $37,147,930 
5 (2) Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip  $12,700,000 | 3,705 Theaters | $3,428 Avg. | $39,399,441

 

6 (N) Concussion  $11,000,000 | 2,841 Theaters | $3,872 Avg. | $11,000,000 
7 (19) The Big Short  $10,520,000 | 1,585 Theaters | $6,637 Avg. | $16,013,455 
8 (N) Point Break (2015)  $10,220,000 | 2,910 Theaters | $3,512 Avg. | $10,220,000 
9 (4) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2  $5,300,000 | 1,813 Theaters | $2,923 Avg. | $264,603,061 
10 (5) Creed  $4,600,000 | 1,518 Theaters | $3,030 Theaters | $96,316,653 

 

11 (N) The Hateful Eight  $4,536,591 | 100 Theaters | $45,366 Avg. | $4,536,591 (roadshow = higher ticket prices)
12 (6) The Good Dinosaur  $3,785,000 | 2,134 Theaters | $1,774 Avg. | $105,350,155 
13 (7) Krampus  $2,230,000 | 1,152 Theaters |  $1,936 Avg. | $40,532,465 
14 (15) The Danish Girl  $1,503,000 | 440 Theaters | $3,416 Avg. | $3,201,805 
15 (12) Spotlight  $1,075,603 | 480 Theaters | $2,241 Avg. | $24,890,686

 

16 (23) Carol  $1,070,000 | 180 Theaters | $5,944 Avg. | $2,854,311 
17 (8) In the Heart of the Sea  $1,015,000 | 685 Theaters | $1,482 Avg. | $22,355,171
18 (13) Brooklyn  $1,000,000 | 288 Theaters | $3,472 Avg. | $18,337,695
19 (11) Spectre  $865,000 | 372 Theaters | $2,325 Avg. | $196,249,955 
20 (17) The Martian  $485,000 | 279 Theaters | $1,738 Avg. | $224,850,733

 

The Revenant  $471,000 | 4 Theaters | $117,750 Avg. | $471,000

Youth  $345,000 | 149 Theaters | $2,315 Avg. | $1,000,515

Mr. Six  $286,847 | 30 Theaters | $9,562 Avg. | $375,000

Room  $86,415 | 100 Theaters | $864 Avg. | $4,756,356

45 Years  $69,300 | 3 Theaters | $23,100 Avg. | $93,882

[AimingforYoko]

TFA is 5th all-time after two weekends. After 3 it will only trail Avatar. Proving that the Force is Cameron's only weakness.

[xaxat]

One thing that really annoys me is the fact that press comparisons between historic box office totals aren't inflation adjusted. 

 

I assume it's a combination of laziness and the fact that the press loves to report "New Record!" After all, it would be kind of boring to keep writing,  "Gone With the Wind remains inflation adjusted box office champ for 76th straight year!" (Box Office Mojo data)

 

(The same thing bugs me about stock market indices.)

[Dejana]

One thing that really annoys me is the fact that press comparisons between historic box office totals aren't inflation adjusted. 

 

I assume it's a combination of laziness and the fact that the press loves to report "New Record!" After all, it would be kind of boring to keep writing,  "Gone With the Wind remains inflation adjusted box office champ for 76th straight year!" (Box Office Mojo data)

 

(The same thing bugs me about stock market indices.)

 

Of course, American studios don't report ticket sales because dollar figures seem more impressive, but adjusting for inflation is tricky. GWTW was released in a roadshow engagement for its first 7-8 months and didn't go to general release at normal prices until 1941 (it's a 1939 movie). Fifty years ago, box office was more likely to be reported in terms of rentals—what the studio got back from theaters—and not the way it's reported now, i.e. how many dollars' worth of tickets a movie has sold. BOM says they have actual ticket sales numbers for some 1930s and 1940s movies including GWTW, but are they really counting how many premium tickets were sold in 1940 vs. general admissions in 1941? That's like taking the average movie ticket price for 2009 and applying it to Avatar to accurately assess how many people attended it, when it sold a substantial percentage of 3D/IMAX tickets.

 

That's another reason because movie studios stick to dollar figures, because they count their earnings in money, not ticket sales. Two movies can sell the same number of tickets but if one sells half of them in 3D/IMAX/large formats and one is all 2D, the former will have the bigger box office. Post-Avatar, studios rushed to convert movies to 3D in post-production. It cost something like $5 million to do and it meant a $2-3 surcharge per ticket, so the studios cleaned up for a while. American audiences eventually saw through this and won't see 3D for just anything these days, but it's still tacked on for extra money with international releases (Furious 7 for one). 

 

Something like GWTW is obviously very popular, but is now also very old. It made a lot of its money with re-releases. How useful is it to consider what GWTW made in 1947 or 1954 or 1961 or 1989 as part of its all-time earnings, when trying to compare it to how popular Titanic was in 1997/1998, or The Force Awakens is now? There were fewer people in the past, but theatrical movie-going had less competition in the days before television, let alone TV, then cable, VHS, DVD and streaming. Movies have become increasingly much easier to see (and in higher and higher quality) outside of movie theaters, the more time goes on. Even the best-received movie now is not going to have the same theatrical shelf-life as something like The Sound of Music (its first run lasted 4.5 years).

Edited December 28, 2015 by Dejana