Weekend Box Office Estimates for October 18-20, 2013: Horror and Sci-Fi Offerings Dominate

Horror and Sci-fi films captured three of the top ten spots at the weekend box office, including Gravity, which claimed the top spot for the third straight weekend and continues its impressive run. New entry Carrie, starring Chloe Grace Moretz, landed in third place, with an estimated $17 million, which was far below the $31 million take for Gravity. Another horror effort, Insidious Chapter 2, rounded out the top ten, with about $1.5 million. Insidious has grossed over $80 million during its six week run.

Two other new films, the action oriented Escape Plan and the drama The Fifth Estate, captured fifth and eight place, respectively, but both underperformed. On a more positive note, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 cemented its hit status, earning over $10 million in its fourth weekend. The animated effort may pass the $100 million mark next weekend.


Here are the Top Ten Weekend films (numbers are in millions):

1. Gravity - $31.0 (Warner Bros.)

2. Captain Phillips - $17.3 (Sony/Columbia)

3. Carrie - $17.0 (Sony/Screen Gems)

4. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 - $10.1 (Sony/Columbia)

5. Escape Plan - $9.8 (Lionsgate/Summit)

6. Prisoners- $2.1 (Warner Bros.)

7. Enough Said - $1.8 (Fox Searchlight)

8. The Fifth Estate - $1.7 (Disney/DreamWorks)

9. Runner Runner - $1.6 (Fox)

10. Insidious Chapter 2 - $1.5 (FilmDistrict)

Weekend Box Office Estimates for October 11-13, 2013: "Gravity" Holds Strong

You know autumn has arrived when the majority of the top ten films are geared towards mature audiences. In fact, with the exception of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, which continues to impress, the other nine films are for grown ups, who are clearly enamored with Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity, which has grossed nearly $125 million in just ten days. The Sandra Bullock/George Clooney sci-fi adventure dropped only 20% in its second weekend and easily captured the number one spot.

Second place belongs to Captain Phillips, starring Tom Hanks. The film, which is based on true events, earned an estimated $26.0 million and proves that Tom Hanks is still able to attract attention when he appears in a quality film worthy of his talents. The aforementioned Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 landed in third place, with over $14 million, followed by new entry Machete Kills, with just under $4.0 million and Runner Runner, with about $3.7 million.

Here are the Top Ten Weekend films (numbers are in millions):

1. Gravity - $44.3 (Warner Bros.)

2. Captain Phillips - $26.0 (Sony/Columbia)

3. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 - $14.2 (Sony/Columbia)

4. Machete Kills - $3.8 (Open Road)

5. Runner Runner - $3.7 (Fox)

6. Prisoners- $3.67 (Warner Bros.)

7. Insidious Chapter 2 - $2.7 (FilmDistrict)

8. Rush  - $2.4 (Universal)

9. Don Jon - $2.3 (Relativity Media)

10. Baggage Claim - $2.1 (Fox Searchlight)

Weekend Box Office Estimates for October 4-6, 2013: "Gravity" Pulls in Great Numbers

The critically acclaimed Gravity also won over fans in its opening weekend, earning over $55 million and breaking the record for the biggest October opening of all time. Of course, that may change when the official numbers are released tomorrow, but regardless of the final tally, the Sandra Bullock and George Clooney effort is off to a great start. Also doing well this weekend is Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, which captured second place with an estimated $21.5 million. After ten days, the family friendly film has earned over $60 million. Rounding out the top five is new entry Runner Runner, which failed to impress with less than $8 million, the adult drama Prisoners, with just under $6 million, and Ron Howard's Rush, with $4.4 million.


Here are the Top Ten Weekend films (numbers are in millions):

1. Gravity - $55.6 (Warner Bros.)

2. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 - $21.5 (Sony/Columbia)

3. Runner Runner - $7.6 (Fox)

4. Prisoners- $5.7 (Warner Bros.)

5. Rush  - $4.4 (Universal)

6. Don Jon - $4.2 (Relativity Media)

7. Baggage Claim - $4.1 (Fox Searchlight)

8. Insidious Chapter 2 - $3.9 (FilmDistrict)

9. Pulling Strings - $2.5 (Lionsgate/Pantelion)

10. Enough Said - $2.2 (Fox Searchlight)

Weekend Box Office Report for September 27-29, 2013: Looks Cloudy, with a Chance of Meatballs

The family friendly Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 dominated the weekend box office with a mammoth $35 million take. That far outpaced number two entry Prisoners, which earned just over $11 million. The weekend's other new entries, Baggage Claim and Don Jon, landed in the top five. Baggage Claim earned an estimated $9.3 million, followed closely by Don Jon with $9.0, for a fourth and fifth place showing, respectively. Finally, Ron Howard's new film Rush, starring Chris Hemsworth, expanded into wide release, earning just over $10 million, which was good enough for a third place finish.

Here are the Top Ten Weekend films (numbers are in millions):

1. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 - $35.0 (Sony/Columbia)

2. Prisoners- $11.3 (Warner Bros.)

3. Rush  - $10.3 (Universal)

4. Baggage Claim - $9.3 (Fox Searchlight)

5. Don Jon - $9.0 (Relativity Media)

6. Insidious Chapter 2 - $6.7 (FilmDistrict)

7. The Family - $3.7 (Relativity Media)

8. Instructions Not Included - $3.4 (Lionsgate/Pantelion)

9. We're the Millers - $2.9 (Warner Bros./New Line)

10. Lee Daniels' The Butler - $2.4 (Weinstein Company)

Weekend Box Office Estimates for September 20-22, 2013: "Prisoners" Leads the Pack

The summer is over and moviegoers are growing more apathetic at the box office. The only bright spot is the well reviewed drama Prisoners, starring Hugh Jackman (pictured above), which dominated the three day frame with an estimated $21.4 million. The other wide release opening, Battle of the Year, starring Chris Brown, languished in fifth place, with a paltry $5.0 million. The only other new entry in the top ten is the re-release of The Wizard of Oz in 3D, which earned an estimated $3.0 million. Finally, kudos to holdovers We're the Millers and Planes, which continue to perform well long past their original release dates.

Here are the Top Ten Weekend films (numbers are in millions):

1. Prisoners- $21.4 (Warner Bros.)

2. Insidious Chapter 2 - $14.5 (FilmDistrict)

3. The Family - $7.0 (Relativity Media)

4. Instructions Not Included - $5.7 (Lionsgate/Pantelion)

5. Battle of the Year - $5.0 (Sony/Screen Gems)

6. We're the Millers - $4.7 (Warner Bros./New Line)

7.  Lee Daniels' The Butler - $4.3 (Weinstein Company)

8. Riddick - $3.7 (Universal)

9. The Wizard of Oz 3D - $3.0 (Warner Bros.)

10. Planes - $2.9 (Disney)

Weekend Box Office Estimates for September 13-15, 2013: "Insidious Chapter 2" Dominates

Insidious Chapter 2 easily won the weekend box office race, with a $40 million plus take. The Patrick Wilson/Rose Byrne frightfest did not have much competition, as the only other new film in wide release, The Family, a black comedy starring Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer, only managed to pull in $14.5 million. Third place belongs to Riddick with $7.0 million, but that represents a 60% drop from last weekend and the film looks to be fading fast. Two strong holdovers, Lee Daniels' The Butler and We're the Millers, rounded out the top five, earning $5.6 and $5.4 million, respectively. When the final weekend box office totals are released, those film may switch places.

Here are the Top Ten Weekend films (numbers are in millions):

1. Insidious Chapter 2 - $41.1 (FilmDistrict)

2. The Family - $14.5 (Relativity Media)

3. Riddick - $7.0 (Universal)

4. Lee Daniels' The Butler - $5.6 (Weinstein Company)

5. We're the Millers - $5.4 (Warner Bros./New Line)

6. Instructions Not Included - $4.3 (Lionsgate/Pantelion)

7. Planes - $3.1 (Disney)

8. One Direction: This Is Us - $2.4 (Sony/TriStar)

9. Elysium - $2.1 (Sony/Tristar)

10. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters - $1.8 (Fox)

Weekend Box Office Estimates for September 6-8, 2013: "Riddick" Dominates

Vin Diesel's Riddick, the third installment in the sci-fi franchise, easily won the weekend box office race, earning an estimated $18.7 million, which was almost double that of its closet competitor, Lee Daniels' The Butler, which captured second place with an estimated $8.9 million. The little movie that could, Instructions not Included, continued its impressive box office run by adding slightly more than $8 million in its second weekend. Fourth place belongs to We're the Millers, which has held up well after five weeks of release and earned nearly $8 million over the three day frame. Since its debut, We're the Millers has earned almost $125 million. Finally, Disney's Planes flew into fifth place, with just over $4 million.

1. Riddick - $18.7 (Universal)

2. Lee Daniels' The Butler - $8.9 (Weinstein Company)

3. Instructions Not Included - $8.1 (Lionsgate/Pantelion)

4. We're the Millers - $7.9 (Warner Bros./New Line)

5. Planes - $4.3 (Disney)

6. One Direction: This Is Us - $4.1 (Sony/TriStar)

7. Elysium - $3.1 (Sony/Tristar)

8. Blue Jasmine - $2.7 (Sony Pictures Classics)

9. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters - $2.5 (Fox)

10. The World's End - $2.3 (Focus)

Weekend Box Office Estimates for August 30-September 2, 2013: "The Butler" Wins Again

The extended Labor Day weekend box office yielded more than one surprise. After leading the traditional three day weekend, the music documentary One Direction: This Is Us (pictured above) fell to second place, earning an estimated $18 million, while Lee Daniels' The Butler claimed the top spot, with just over $20 million. Third place belongs to the comedy We're the Millers, which continues to do well and has now surpassed the $100 million mark. The family friendly Planes captured fourth place, with $10.7 million, and rounding out the top five is the comedy Instructions Not Included, which is in limited release (under 350 locations), but managed to earn around $10 million. Its per screen average of over $28,000 eviscerated all of the competition.

The news was not so good for the latest film from Ethan Hawke, the action oriented Getaway, which floundered in ninth place with an estimated $5.5 million. Woody Allen received better news, as his latest effort, Blue Jasmine, starring Cate Blanchett, rounded out the top ten, with $5.3 and is playing in about 1,000 fewer theaters than Getaway. Finally, Brad Pitt's World War Z surpassed the $200 million mark domestically, making it one of the top grossing films of the year.

Here are the Top Ten Weekend films (numbers are in millions):

1. Lee Daniels' The Butler - $20.0 (Weinstein Company)

2. One Direction: This Is Us - $18.0 (Sony/TriStar)

3. We're the Millers - $15.9 (Warner Bros./New Line)

4. Planes - $10.7 (Disney)

5. Instructions Not Included - $10.0 (Lionsgate/Pantelion)

6. Elysium- $8.3 (Sony/TriStar)

7. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones - $6.8 (Sony/Screen Gems)

8. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters - $6.0 (Fox)

9. Getaway - $5.5 (Warner Bros.)

10. Blue Jasmine - $5.3 (Sony Pictures Classics)

Weekend Box Office Report for August 23-25, 2013: "The Butler" Leads, "We're the Millers" a Strong Second

Lee Daniels' The Butler topped the weekend box office for the second time in as many weeks, with an estimated $17 million, while We're the Millers (pictured above) continues to hold up well after three weeks, with $13.5 million and a solid second place showing. The three new wide release entries are all off to a weak start. The comedy The World's End, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, captured fourth place, with an estimated $8.9 million, which is just slightly behind The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, with $9.3 million. Of course, The World's End is playing in less than half as many locations as The Mortal Instruments, and its per screen average is the highest of any film in the top ten, so it deserves recognition. The third new release, the horror fest You're Next, landed in seventh place, with just over $7 million.

Here are the Top Ten Weekend films, according to early estimates (numbers are in millions):

 1. Lee Daniels' The Butler - $17.0 (Weinstein Company)

2. We're the Millers - $13.5 (Warner Bros./New Line)

3. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones - $9.3 (Sony/Screen Gems)

4. The World's End  - $8.9 (Focus)

5. Planes - $8.6 (Disney)

6. Elysium - $7.1 (Sony/TriStar)

7. You're Next - $7.05 (Lionsgate)

8. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters - $5.2 (Fox)

9.Blue Jasmine - $ 4.3 (Sony Pictures Classics)

10. Kick-Ass 2 - $4.27 (Universal)

Weekend Box Office Estimates: Lee Daniels' "The Butler" is Number One

As the summer movie season draws to a close, many films are under performing, including The Smurfs 2 and Elysium. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is also off to a slow start, but its overseas take is expected to be much greater, similar to the first installment, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. Even newly released films are having a tough time, including Jobs, which opened with under $7 million, and Paranoia, which failed to crack the top ten. However, Lee Daniels' The Butler (pictured above) is off to a strong start and captured the top spot, with an estimated $25 million. In addition, the comedy We're the Millers is nearing the $70 million mark in its second week of release and only dropped about 30% from its debut, making it very profitable for Warner Bros. and New Line.

Here are the Top Ten Weekend films, according to early estimates (numbers are in millions):

 1. Lee Daniels' The Butler - $25.0 (Weinstein Company)

2. We're the Millers - $17.8 (Warner Bros./New Line)

3. Elysium - $13.6 (Sony/TriStar)

4. Kick-Ass 2 - $13.6 (Universal)

5. Planes - $13.1 (Disney)

6. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters - $8.4 (Fox)

7. Jobs - $6.7 (Open Road)

8. 2 Guns - $5.6 (Universal)

9. The Smurfs 2 - $4.6 (Sony/Columbia)

10. The Wolverine - $4.4 (Fox)

Weekend Box Office Estimates: November 30-December 2, 2012

Photo Credit: Lionsgate

(This will likely be my last Weekend Box Office post. If you would like this weekly feature to continue, please leave a comment after this post or send me an e-mail at don.sauer@gmail.com with your thoughts). 

Twilight (pictured above) continues to dominate the box office, but Skyfall (Sony/Columbia) is close behind. The two mega-hits once again topped the weekend box office, capturing first and second place, respectively. Two new films, Killing Me Softly (Weinstein Company) and The Collection (LD Entertainment), barely registered in this normally uneventful week after Thanksgiving, landing in seventh and tenth place. 

Here are the Top Ten Weekend films, according to early estimates (numbers are in millions):

1. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 - $17.4

2. Skyfall - $17.0

3. Lincoln - $13.51

4. Rise of the Guardians - $13.5

5. Life of Pi - $12.0

6. Wreck-It Ralph - $7.02

7. Killing Them Softly - $7.0

8. Red Dawn - $6.6

9. Flight - $4.5

10. The Collection - $3.4

Weekend Box Office Estimates: November 23-25, 2012

The final installment in the Twilight franchise, Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (Lionsgate/Summit), continues to dominate at the box office. For the second time in a row, the film captured the top spot at the weekend box office, earning about $43.0 million, which is a steep drop off from last weekend. However, after just 10 days, the film has earned more than $225 million. That's what you call a monster hit. Second and third place belonged to more adult oriented films, Skyfall (Sony/Columbia) and Lincoln (Disney/Dreamworks), which are both holding up well. Skyfall grossed another $36 million and its cumulative take now stands at over $220 million after just 17 days. Lincoln dropped only slightly from its debut weekend and managed to add another $25 million. The film looks poised to easily top the $100 million mark.

Two new films rounded out the top five. The (mostly) family friendly Rise of the Guardians (Paramount/Dreamworks) earned about $24 million, which was good enough for fourth place, while Ang Lee's Life of Pi (Fox) snagged $22 million and a fifth place showing. Finally, in limited release, Silver Linings Playbook (The Weinstein Company), starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, earned $4.6 million and a ninth place finish in under 400 theaters.

Here are the Top Ten Weekend films, according to early estimates (numbers are in millions):

1. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2- $43.1

2. Skyfall - $36.0

3. Lincoln - $25.0

4. Rise of the Guardians - $24.0

5. Life of Pi - $22.0

6. Wreck-It Ralph - $16.8

7. Red Dawn - $14.6

8. Flight - $8.6

9. Silver Linings Playbook - $4.6

10. Argo - $3.9

Weekend Box Office Estimates: November 16-18, 2012

Photo Credit: Lionsgate/Summit

The final entry in the Twilight franchise, Breaking Dawn - Part 2, steamrolled the competition at the weekend box office. The final chapter earned over $140 million, which was $100 million more than second place Skyfall. While Lionsgate and Summit are surely disappointed that the current Twilight saga is wrapping up, there will be additional installments, but without Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner. The aforementioned Skyfall (Sony/Columbia) grossed an estimated $41.5 million, but dropped more than 50% from its debut weekend. However, after just ten days, the latest James Bond film has surpassed the $160 million mark.

Lincoln (Disney/Dreamworks) opened in wide release and secured the number three spot, with about $21 million. The Steven Spielberg film is playing is far fewer locations that either Skyfall or Twilight, so the historical epic is off to a good start. Another Disney film, the animated Wreck-It Ralph, landed in fourth place, with over $18 million. Rounding out the top five is Flight (Paramount), starring Denzel Washington, which earned slightly more than $8.5 million over the three day frame.

Here are the Top Ten Weekend films (numbers are in millions):

1. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 - $141.3

2. Skyfall - $41.5

3. Lincoln - $21.0

4. Wreck-It Ralph - $18.3

5. Flight - $8.6

6. Argo - $4.1

7. Taken 2 - $2.1

8. Pitch Perfect - $1.3

9. Jab Tak Hai Jaan - $1.25

10. Here Comes the Boom - $1.2

Weekend Box Office Estimates: November 9-11, 2012

Photo Credit: Sony/Columbia

Bond is back in a big way with Skyfall, starring Daniel Craig in his third 007 film. Skyfall dominated all weekend box office competition by earning nearly $88 million and far outpacing Wreck-It Ralph (Disney), which came in second. However, Skyfall did not boast the highest per screen average for the three day frame. That distinction belongs to Lincoln (Disney/Dreamworks), which earned $900 thousand in just 11 locations, for a whopping $81,000 average.

The aforementioned Wreck-It Ralph held up well in its second weekend, grossing an estimated $33 million and is already closing in on the $100 million mark. Also holding up well, despite increased competition, is Flight (Paramount), which landed in third place. In its second weekend, the film earned about $15 million and is nearing the $50 million mark after just ten days. Another adult oriented film, Argo (Warner Bros.), captured fourth place, with over $6.7 million in its fifth weekend. Clearly, the Ben Affleck film has staying power. Rounding out the top five is Taken 2 (Fox), which is still drawing decent crowds in its sixth weekend. The Liam Neeson thriller nabbed another $4.0 million.

Here are the Top Ten Weekend films, according to early estimates (numbers are in millions):

1. Skyfall - $87.8

2. Wreck-It Ralph - $33.1

3. Flight - $15.1

4. Argo - $6.7

5. Taken 2 - $4.0

6. Here Comes the Boom - $2.6

7. Cloud Atlas - $2.52

8. Pitch Perfect - $2.50

9. The Man With the Iron Fists - $2.49

10. Hotel Transylvania - $2.35

Weekend Box Office Estimates: November 2-4, 2012

Two new films dominated this weekend's box office race. Disney's latest animated effort Wreck It Ralph (pictured above) captured first place, earning just over $49 million, while the more adult oriented Flight (Paramount), starring Denzel Washington, landed in second place, with about $25 million. However, Flight has a slightly higher per screen average than Wreck It Ralph and is playing in far fewer theaters. In other words, consider both films big winners this weekend. The other new film opening in wide release, Quentin Tarantino's The Man With the Iron Fists (Universal), came in fourth, with about $8.0 million.

The critically acclaimed Argo (Warner Bros.), starring Ben Affleck, continues to hold up well. After four weeks, the film added another $10 million, dropping just slightly from last weekend, and its cumulative take now stands at over $75 million. Another critically acclaimed film, Cloud Atlas (Warner Bros.), starring Tom Hanks, does not appear to have that kind of staying power. The epic film landed in sixth place, earning just over $5.0 million in its second weekend.

Here are the Top Ten Weekend films (numbers are in millions):

1. Wreck It Ralph - $49.1

2. Flight - $25.0

3. Argo - $10.2

4. The Man With the Iron Fists - $8.2

5. Taken 2 - $6.0

6. Cloud Atlas - $5.3

7. Hotel Transylvania - $4.5

8. Paranormal Activity 4 - $4.3

9. Here Comes the Boom - $3.6

10. Silent Hill: Revelation 3D - $3.3

Weekend Box Office Estimates: October 26-28, 2012

Argo (Warner Bros.) managed to snag the top spot at the weekend box office in its third week of release. The fact based thriller grossed just over $12 million during the three day frame, which was enough to best three newcomers; Cloud Atlas (Warner Bros.), Silent Hill: Revelation 3D (Open Road) and Fun Size (Paramount), which landed in third, fifth and tenth place, respectively. Argo has already earned more than $60 million and looks to have staying power with moviegoers, which should help to translate into plenty of awards season attention. The number two film, Hotel Transylvania (Sony/Columbia), is also holding up very well in its fifth weekend. The animated film, featuring Adam Sandler, earned $9.5 million and its cumulative take now stands at over $130 million. The aforementioned Cloud Atlas, a nearly three hour time traveling epic, nabbed just over $9.0 million, but is playing in far fewer locations than Argo or Hotel Transylvania. As a result, the film had the highest per screen average of any entry in the top ten.

A batch of Halloween related films populated several top ten slots. In its second weekend, Paranormal Activity 4 (Paramount) landed in fourth place, with just over $8.5 million, Silent Hill: Revelation 3D earned about $8.0 million, which was good enough for fifth place, Sinister (Lionsgate/Summit), in its third weekend, captured the number eight spot, with just over $5.0 million, and finally, the new film Fun Size was dead on arrival, with about $4.0 million and a tenth place finish.

Here are the Top Ten Weekend Films (numbers are in millions):

1. Argo - $12.4

2. Hotel Transylvania - $9.5

3. Cloud Atlas - $9.4

4. Paranormal Activity 4 - $8.7

5. Silent Hill: Revelation 3D - $8.0

6. Taken 2 - $8.0

7. Here Comes the Boom - $5.5

8. Sinister - $5.1

9. Alex Cross - $5.1

10. Fun Size - $4.1

Weekend Box Office Estimates: October 19-21, 2012

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (pictured above) did not place among the weekend's top ten films, but it did something remarkable. After adding just a few additional theaters, the film earned just as much money last weekend, $2.15 million, as it did this past weekend, its fifth in release. That is called staying power. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Lionsgate/Summit) deserves to find an audience and it is slowly doing just that. You can read my thoughts on the film here. 

Moviegoers are clearly in the Halloween spirit, as four of the top ten entries are relevant to the upcoming holiday. The top spot belongs to Paranormal Activity 4 (Paramount), which earned an estimated $30.2 million. Since the film was produced for a fraction of that amount, expect the franchise to return around the same time next year. Another horror film, Sinister (Lionsgate/Summit), landed at number six,  adding another $9.0 million in its second weekend. Two animated films paying homage to classic horror movie characters, Hotel Transylvania (Sony/Columbia) and Frankenweenie (Disney), earned $13.5 million and $4.4 million, respectively. However, Hotel Transylvania is a much bigger hit with audiences and its cumulative total now stands at almost $120 million. On the other hand, the critically praised Frankenweenie may struggle to top $40 million before it reaches the end of its theatrical run. 

Here are the Top Ten Weekend films, according to early estimates (numbers are in millions):

1. Paranormal Activity 4 - $30.2

2. Argo - $16.6

3. Hotel Transylvania - $13.5

4. Taken 2 - $13.4

5. Alex Cross - $11.8

6. Sinister - $9.0

7. Here Comes the Boom - $8.5

8. Pitch Perfect - $7.0

9. Frankenweenie - $4.4

10. Looper - $4.2

Weekend Box Office Estimates: October 12-14, 2012

Taken 2 (Fox) reigned supreme at the box office for the second weekend in a row. The Liam Neeson action thriller earned an estimated $22.5 million and, after ten days, boasts a cumulative total of almost $87 million. I assume there will be a third installment. The number two spot was claimed by newcomer Argo (Warner Bros.), a film directed by and starring Ben Affleck. The political thriller centering around the rescue of six Americans during the Iran hostage crisis grossed just over $20 million. Another new film, Sinister (Lionsgate/Summit), starring Ethan Hawke, landed in third place. The horror flick scared up over $18 million during the three day frame. Rounding out the top five are the animated Hotel Transylvania (Sony/Columbia), which continues to hold up well after three weeks, and the new comedy Here Comes the Boom (Sony/Columbia), starring Kevin James. Hotel Transylvania added just over $17 million, while Here Comes the Boom debuted with $12 million.

Here are the Top Ten Weekend films, according to early estimates (numbers are in millions):

1. Taken 2 - $22.5

2. Argo - $20.1

3. Sinister - $18.3

4. Hotel Transylvania - $17.3

5. Here Comes the Boom - $12.0

6. Pitch Perfect - $9.3

7. Frankenweenie - $7.0

8. Looper - $6.3

9. Seven Psychopaths - $4.3

10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower - $2.2

"Taken 2" Tops the Weekend Box Office

Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox

Liam Neeson is a successful action star at the age of 60. The always impressive actor lifted his latest film, Taken 2, to the top spot at the weekend box office, earning an estimated $50 million. That number is almost double that of Hotel Transylvania (Sony/Columbia), which landed in second place, with just over $26 million. The family friendly flick looks poised to easily surpass the $100 million mark in the next two weeks. Another family friendly effort, the new film Frankenweenie (Disney), from Tim Burton, earned just $11.5 million, which fell below expectations.

Pitch Perfect (Universal) opened in wide release and landed in the number three spot, just short of $15 million. The musical comedy, starring Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson, has already surpassed the $20 million mark. Last week's number two film, Looper (Sony/TriStar), fell to fourth place, but held up well against Taken 2, adding just over $12 million. The well reviewed sci-fi film from Rian Johnson has earned over $40 million in just ten days.

Here are the Top Ten Weekend Films, according to early estimates(numbers are millions):

1. Taken 2 - $50.0

2. Hotel Transylvania - $26.3

3. Pitch Perfect - $14.7

4. Looper - $12.2

5. Frankenweenie - $11.5

6. End of Watch - $4.0

7. Trouble with the Curve - $3.9

8. House at the End of the Street - $3.7

9. The Master - $1.8

10. Finding Nemo 3D - $1.6



Weekend Box Office Report: September 28-30, 2012

Photo Credit: Sony Pictures

The family friendly Hotel Transylvania (Sony/Columbia) topped the weekend box office and far outpaced its nearest competitor, the sci-fi thriller Looper (Sony/TriStar). Hotel Transylvania earned almost $43.0 million, more than doubling Looper's take of $20.8 million. The weekend's other new major release, Won't Back Down (Fox) was dead on arrival. The film earned a paltry $2.6 million in over 2,500 theaters, for an tenth place finish. In Contrast, Pitch Perfect (Universal), which opened in limited release, nabbed over $5.0 million, and landed in sixth place.

Here are the Top Ten Weekend Films (numbers are in millions):

1. Hotel Transylvania (pictured above) - $42.5

2. Looper - $20.8

3. End of Watch - $7.8

4. Trouble with the Curve - $7.3

5. House at the End of the Street - $7.2

6. Pitch Perfect - $5.1

7. Finding Nemo 3D - $4.0

8. Resident Evil: Retribution - $3.0

9. The Master - $2.7

10. Won't Back Down - $2.6