Box Office: ‘Chronicle’, ‘The Woman in Black’ Off to Strong Starts [Updated Fantasy Scores]
Three new films were released on this past weekend at the box office and it appears as if ticket sales were much better than expected given that this is Super Bowl weekend. According to studio estimates, the top two films this weekend are separated by only $1 million.
Chronicle is currently edging out The Woman in Black for first place with an estimated $22 million opening weekend. Fox’s low-budget sci-fi flick easily outperformed expectations of $8 million and also received positive reviews from both critics (85% Rotten Tomatoes score) and audiences (“B” CinemaScore). 61% of the film’s audience is under 25 year old, and 55% is male.
In second place, CBS Film’s The Woman in Black also got off to a strong start with $21 million. The supernatural thriller, starring Daniel Radcliffe, received a “B-” CinemaScore and its audience is skewing 59% female. This is CBS Films best opening ever so far, easily outstripping The Back-Up Plan in 2010. This is a respectable debut for Radcliffe who had yet to open a movie outside of the Harry Potter franchise, which ended last summer after the eighth installment.
Finally, Universal was hoping for a modest $10 million from their $40-million film Big Miracle but the family drama is off to a mediocre start in 4th place with $8.1 million. Starring Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski, the movie is based on the 1988 rescue of three whales trapped under the ice in Alaska. The audience skewed heavily female (68%)
Weekend Box Office |
|
|---|---|
| 1. The Avengers | $55.1M |
| 2. Battleship | $25.3M |
| 3. The Dictator | $17.4M |
| 4. Dark Shadows | $12.8M |
| 5. What to Expect When You're Expecting | $10.5M |
| 6. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel | $3.3M |
| 7. The Hunger Games | $3.0M |
| 8. Think Like a Man | $2.7M |
| 9. The Lucky One | $1.8M |
| 10. The Pirates! Band of Misfits | $1.45M |
Courtesy of Box Office Mojo
297 Comments
Hey there,
Would I be able to drop Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and pick up War Horse or will War Horse be releasing too late?
Also, you might like to know – I’m on a radio show over here in Dublin, Ireland and I was chatting about this Fantasy movie league last week. There’s no podcast up unfortunately but I’ll let you know if one appears. Don’t know if that got you any Irish visitors but hey!
Transaction approved. I can’t believe War Horse was available in your division!
Thanks a bunch for the radio show mention, I’m indebted to you
Thank god for PA3!! Not sure anything can help my ranking, but it certainly feels good. Here’s hoping audiences want to see killer fish and boobs when pirahna 3DD comes out!
Hey Castor,
For some reason the link to the “Continue to the Fantasy League Leaderboards” thing isn’t working?
Oh I forgot to update these links. It’s fixed now. That reminds me I need to update the rankings…
This is Hollywood scamming people at its best. The Twilight movies are so awkwardly put together, so unintentionally funny that there is absolutely no way someone of reasonable intelligence could find them any less than mediocre and flawed. Beats me…
These kids are on fucking dope!!!
Can’t say I’m surprised. Did you know there’s a Twilight marathon at Mall of America this wknd Castor? I avoid that place like a plague!
Ahaha yea? I never go to the Mall of America anyways. That place is just so big that it’s inconvenient.
I’m now in 3rd; Steph is 2nd. Of course, that won’t last for long…go Muppets!
I kept you at #2 because the score is close enough and you have two movies left when she has one
100% for Muppets on RT so far… Come on War Horse! Be a good film!!
I am petitioning that we ignore the RT score as and use the exclusive Twilight hardcore fan score. I believe their ranking would be more accurate…plus it will help to move me out of the bottom tier of the standings
Sadly this season is a wash for me.
I trully think people invest way too much into the bashing and adoration of Twilight. So much so that I’ve actually jumped off the anti-Twilight bandwagon and have decided to just coast along the “couldn’t care less” river. I must say, it’s very nice and peaceful here.
Good for The Muppets! May it beat the Twilight series next week.
Updates?
Coming later today!
I’m wondering how a $13 million opening for Mission Impossible can be considered impressive. Unless it has some serious legs, it’s gonna be a total flop with those numbers.
That was just an IMAX preview on 400 screens. Then it will open wide on the usual 2,500-3,000 screens on Wednesday, December 21.
Oh OK, that makes sense. Duh.
Updates?
Tuesday. I’m still enjoying my weekend off
New Year’s Eve sitting at number 8. I’m wondering if it will get a boost during the actual holiday weekend.
I wouldn’t bet on it. Minimal, at best.
Come on MI4!!! YOU CAN GET ME TO SECOND!!!!
Wow – Sebastian less than a half a point away from the Green division title (and with one fewer film, to boot)…though Tom’s got a shot at beating the both of you.
Meanwhile, I need a miraculous finish to take 1st in the Red division. Not gonna happen…too bad.
I saw a Christmas holiday double feature and guess which two films I saw? That’s right! MI:4 and Holmes 2. MI was the best yet, the stunts alone are well worth the box office success. Still trying to get my head around THAT scene! Holmes was ok, nothing special and boring in places. Keep an eye for out my reviews, coming soon.
This is why I try not to pay attention to the box office. It’s maddening that The Devil Inside can make it to number one, even for a single week, while all of the good films are in limited release and not even showing in most parts of the country.
Was completely saddened to see that depths that Hollywood sinks to for a quick buck when I saw that The Devil Inside won the box office last weekend. Yuck.
-T (previously TheScarletSp1der)
I couldn’t understand why it got the dreaded CinemaScore ‘F,’ especially since the trailers didn’t necessarily look that bad, but after reading about the films ‘cop-out’ ending I can kind of understand why now. Terrible move by all those behind the film.
I never used CinemaScore. I find too many fallacies in grades and such. Plus, these scores indicate how idiotic today’s film audiences have become.
Castor, why haven’t you updated my MI4 score???? it has made 202.641 million but you still have it as 134.139 million
That’s because I will make one final update on Wednesday, February 1 and will announce the winners then
O rly?
I think Big Miracle will have legs at the boxoffice not dropping that step the following weeks hence making its money back + plus some profit to it.
Nah I doubt it, it will most likely disappear quickly IMO
More than 2 out of 3 people who went to see Big Miracle were female and with The Vow coming out next Friday and already tracking off the chart with that same demographic, Big Miracle is going to get cannibalized.
Can’t wait to see The Woman in Black. No pressure Daniel!
I guess I haven’t been clear but the fantasy season is over. The winners are:
1. AFR Pictures (Nicola) 782
2. Fletch Films (Fletch) 717
3. Clifts Flicks (Tom Clift) 601
4. Black Hole Media (Sebastian) 582
5. Bad Castor (Castor) 573
6. Righteous Cowboy Lightning Productions (Steph) 559
Contact me with your mailing address and the posters you want, starting with Nicola first.
Hey there,
So sorry I took so long to reply to the, I’m involved in the Dublin International Film Festival over here and let’s say it’s been more than hectic…
Thanks so much to Castor for organising this, it’s been great fun. I really thought Fletch was gonna pip me to the post there in the end, g’wan the War Horse! I was sure the RT score was gonna tank me…
Anyway, poster-wise I’d like The Social Network, Rango and Sucker Punch – I’ll e-mail the postal address.
Thanks again Castor (and anyone else who was involved) and if there’s space in the new league I’m definitely up for it again!
Cheers,
Nicola-T
Trackbacks