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`Shrek Forever After’ Leads Box Office With $71.3 Million in Ticket Sales

by on May 23, 2010

By Michael White and Thom Weidlich May 23 (Bloomberg) — “Shrek Forever After” opened as the top movie in U.S. and Canadian theaters over the weekend, taking in $71.3 million for producer DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. and distributor Paramount Pictures. “Iron Man 2” dropped to second place with sales of $26.6 million, researcher Hollywood.com Box-Office said today in an e- mailed statement. The 3-D “Shrek Forever After” is the fourth film in the series about a good-natured ogre voiced by Mike Myers . The first three movies generated $2.2 billion in worldwide ticket sales, according to Box Office Mojo. The new film was expected to take in $105 million in it’s opening in the U.S. and Canada, the estimate of Gitesh Pandya , editor of Box Office Guru LLC. “This is definitely on the lower end of expectations for the film,” Paul Dergarabedian , president of the box-office division of Hollywood.com, said in a phone interview today. “The last Shrek posted the biggest animated opening of all time, with $121.6 million.” In “Forever After,” Shrek’s past and friendships are erased after he is lured into an alternate universe. He must battle evil forces to rebuild relationships and win back his family. DreamWorks Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Katzenberg said on a May 11 conference call that the movie would be the series’ final installment. 21 3-D Films The film is the fourth of 21 three-dimensional films that Hollywood studios plan to release this year. Before this weekend, the format had accounted for 23 percent of the year’s $3.85 billion in ticket sales, according to Hollywood.com. The weekend’s other new film, the comedy “MacGruber” from NBC Universal, opened in sixth place, taking in $4.15 million. The film is based on Will Forte’s sketch on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” television show. The film is a satire of the 1980s “MacGyver” TV series about a secret agent whose scientific knowledge enables him to build weapons from ordinary materials. “Iron Man 2,” produced by Walt Disney Co.’s Marvel and distributed by Viacom Inc.’s Paramount, has taken in $251.3 million since its May 7 release, Hollywood.com said. “Robin Hood” fell to third place with $18.7 million for General Electric Co.’s Universal Pictures. The film from director Ridley Scott stars Russell Crowe in the title role. “Letters to Juliet,” from Summit Entertainment LLC, was fourth with $9.1 million. The drama stars Amanda Seyfried as an American girl on vacation in Italy who embarks on a quest to reunite a pair of long-lost lovers. Sales Climb, Attendance Slips “Just Wright” was fifth with sales of $4.23 million for News Corp.’s Fox Searchlight. The romantic comedy, featuring Queen Latifah and the rapper Common, tells the story of a physical therapist who falls in love with the basketball player she is helping to recover from an injury. Weekend sales for the top 12 films fell 13 percent to $147.4 million from $169.8 million a year earlier, which was the Memorial Day holiday in the U.S., Hollywood.com said. Year-to- date receipts total $4 billion, up 4.8 percent from $3.86 billion. Attendance has fallen 1.7 percent this year. To contact the reporters on this story: Michael White in Los Angeles at mwhite8@bloomberg.net ; Thom Weidlich in New York at tweidlich@bloomberg.net .

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`Shrek Forever After’ Leads Box Office With $71.3 Million in Ticket Sales

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`Clash of the Titans’ Is Top Weekend Movie With $61.4 Million Ticket Sales

by on April 4, 2010

By Esmé E. Deprez and Linda Sandler April 4 (Bloomberg) — “Clash of the Titans,” a 3-D adventure based on Greek mythology, was the top film at U.S. and Canadian theaters this weekend, bringing in $61.4 million in ticket sales for Time Warner Inc. “Why Did I Get Married Too” opened in second place, posting $30.2 million for Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. , Hollywood.com Box-Office said today in an e-mailed statement. “Clash,” starring Sam Worthington and Liam Neeson , is competing for 3-D screens with Walt Disney Co.’s “Alice in Wonderland” and DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.’s “How to Train Your Dragon,” which was the top movie last weekend. A remake of the 1981 film, “Clash” follows Perseus, the son of Zeus, who embarks on a quest to protect earth from Hades, god of the underworld. “Clash’s” strong debut was fueled by moviegoers’ excitement over 3-D, said Paul Dergarabedian , president of the box-office division of Hollywood.com, in an e-mail. “With three of the top five films in this format, there is no question that 3-D is here to stay.” “Clash” posted the biggest Easter debut ever, beating out the $40.2 million “Scary Movie 4” had in receipts in 2006, Hollywood.com said. ‘The Last Song’ Second place’s “Why Did I Get Married Too,” a comedy sequel from director Tyler Perry , follows four couples on vacation. “How to Train Your Dragon” fell to third place, taking in $29.2 million. Distributed by Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Pictures, “Dragon” features the voices of Jay Baruchel and Gerard Butler and tells the story of a young Viking who unexpectedly becomes the owner of one of the creatures. The film has taken in $92.3 million in two weeks. “The Last Song” opened in fourth place with $16.2 million for Disney. The drama, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks , stars Greg Kinnear and Miley Cyrus as an estranged father and daughter who learn to bond through a shared love of music. Sales Rise “Alice in Wonderland” dropped to fifth place from second with $8.3 million for Disney. The Lewis Carroll tale, re- imagined in 3-D by director Tim Burton , has made $309.8 million in the U.S. since its March 5 release. Sales for the top 12 films rose 14.3 percent to $170.2 million from $148.9 million a year earlier, Hollywood.com said. Year-to-date receipts total $2.84 billion, up 10.3 percent from a year earlier. Attendance has increased 8.1 percent this year. The following table has figures provided by studios to Los Angeles-based Hollywood.com. The amounts are based on actual ticket sales from April 2 and April 3 and estimates for today. Rev. Avg./ Pct. Total Movie (mln) Theaters Theater Chg. (mln) Wks ================================================================ 1 CLASH OF THE TITANS $61.4 3,777 $16,256 — $64.1 1 2 WHY DID I GET MARRIED 30.2 2,155 13,991 — 30.2 1 3 HOW TO TRAIN DRAGON 29.2 4,060 7,192 -33 92.3 2 4 THE LAST SONG 16.2 2,673 6,062 — 25.6 1 5 ALICE IN WONDERLAND 8.3 2,980 2,774 -53 309.8 5 6 HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 8.0 2,771 2,887 -43 27.8 2 7 THE BOUNTY HUNTER 6.2 3,118 1,988 -48 48.9 3 8 DIARY OF A WIMPY KID 5.5 2,842 1,944 -45 46.2 3 9 SHE’S OUT OF MY LEAGUE 1.463 1,390 1,053 -58 28.7 4 10 SHUTTER ISLAND 1.462 1,356 1,078 -54 123.4 7 11 GREEN ZONE 1.2 873 1,394 -64 33.1 4 11 THE GHOST WRITER 1.1 656 1,730 -33 11.0 7 Top 12 Films Grosses This Week Year Ago Pct. (mln) (mln) Chg. =================================== $170.1 $148.9 14.2 Year-to-date Revenue 2010 2009 YTD YTD Pct. (mln) (mln) Chg. =================================== $2,838 $2,574 10.3 Year-to-date Attendance: 8.1% To contact the reporters on this story: Esmé E. Deprez in New York at edeprez@bloomberg.net ; Linda Sandler in New York at lsandler@bloomberg.net .

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`Clash of the Titans’ Is Top Weekend Movie With $61.4 Million Ticket Sales

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`Alice in Wonderland’ Takes In $116.3 Million in Record-Setting Weekend

March 7, 2010

By Esmé E. Deprez March 7 (Bloomberg) — “Alice in Wonderland,” the classic Lewis Carroll tale re-imagined in 3-D by director Tim Burton , made $116.3 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales for Walt Disney Co. this weekend, the sixth-biggest opening ever. The movie also set records for the best March debut and the largest opening weekend of the year, according to Hollywood.com Box-Office . “Alice” is the first film ever to cross the $100 million mark in the January-to-March period. “Alice,” which stars Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, opened in 3,728 domestic theaters with 2,063 3-D screens and on an additional 188 in Imax 3-D, according to Hollywood.com. Movie studios are turning to 3-D films to bolster attendance and ticket sales following the record box-office success of “Avatar,” James Cameron’s 3-D epic. Cinemas on average charge about $3 more per ticket for a 3-D film. Hollywood.com said “Alice” also is the biggest 3-D film opening ever, as well as the largest in Imax history ($11.9 million). Worldwide, the movie made $210.3 million, the box-officer tracker said. Cinema operators in the U.K., Belgium and the Netherlands agreed to show “Alice,” calling off a threatened boycott after Disney proposed reducing the period before the DVD release to 12 weeks from the customary 17 weeks. The theater owners said the shorter period would reduce profit following expensive upgrades to digital projectors. ‘Shutter Island’ “Brooklyn’s Finest” opened in second place with $13.5 million for Overture Films. The action film was written by Michael C. Martin, a former New York City subway worker. The R- rated drama follows the lives of three cops, played by Richard Gere , Don Cheadle and Ethan Hawke , and a drug dealer portrayed by Wesley Snipes . “Shutter Island,” last week’s No. 1 film, fell to third with sales of $13.3 for Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Pictures. The movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a detective investigating an insane asylum, and has taken in $95.8 million since its March 4 release. To contact the reporter on this story: Esmé E. Deprez in New York at edeprez@bloomberg.net

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Video: Dergarabedian Expects `Booming’ Movie Sales to Continue: Video

December 28, 2009

Dec. 28 (Bloomberg) — Paul Dergarabedian, a film analyst for Hollywood.com, talks with Bloomberg’s Betty Liu about the outlook for movie attendance. U.S. ticket sales this year have surpassed $10 billion for the first time, according to Hollywood.com, buoyed by 3-D movies and the higher tickets prices they command, as well as increased attendance. (Source: Bloomberg)

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`Avatar’ Is No. 1 Movie in Highest-Grossing U.S., Canada Film Weekend Ever

December 27, 2009

By Esme E. Deprez and Linda Sandler Dec. 27 (Bloomberg) — “Avatar,” James Cameron’s 3-D science-fiction adventure for News Corp., was the top film in the U.S. and Canada with $75 million in sales as Hollywood posted its highest-grossing weekend ever. Receipts totaled $278 million. “Sherlock Holmes,” British director Guy Ritchie ’s adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle ’s detective novels for Time Warner Inc. , was second with $65.4 million, according to researcher Hollywood.com Box-Office. U.S. ticket sales this year have surpassed $10 billion for the first time, according to Hollywood.com, buoyed by 3-D movies and the higher tickets prices they command, as well as increased attendance. The right films and still-moderate prices helped make this weekend a record breaker, even at the tail-end of a recession, an analyst said. “For films to boom, you need a combination of appealing movies and the movies retaining their standard as one of the cheapest forms of entertainment,” said Brandon Gray , president and publisher of Box Office Mojo, in a phone interview. This Christmas weekend’s sales topped the $261 million made in July 2008, when “The Dark Knight” was in theaters. ‘Sherlock Holmes’ “Avatar” has taken in $212.3 million in two weeks, and the film’s $77 million opening weekend set a record for a 3-D movie in the U.S. Attendance at U.S. theaters is up an estimated 5.1 percent this year, Los Angeles-based Hollywood.com said. The rise comes even as an estimated 515 movies were released in U.S. theaters, the lowest in four years, and down from 2007’s high of 631, said Jeff Bock , senior box-office analyst at Los Angeles-based Exhibitor Relations Co. Hollywood is turning to 3-D films to bolster attendance and sales. Cinemas on average charge about $3 more per ticket for a 3-D movie. The number of 3-D releases will climb to 50 by 2012 from more than 35 this year, Bock said. Bock expects “Avatar,” the story of a paraplegic marine dispatched to planet Pandora on a mission, to stay in the top two for the next five weeks and pull in between $350 million and $400 million. ‘It’s Complicated’ Time Warner’s “Sherlock Holmes,” which came in second, set a Christmas Day record debut with $24.9 million in receipts. Robert Downey Jr . plays Holmes and Jude Law is his aide, Dr. Watson, in the film from Warner Bros. The pair fight a killer and sorcerer who threatens all of England. Rachel McAdams also stars. The film was helped by a marketing campaign that presented it as a fun action-adventure with a brand name, and with Downey riding high after “Iron Man,” said Box Office Mojo’s Gray. Finishing third was Twentieth Century Fox’s “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.” It grossed $50.2 million in three days of release. “It’s Complicated,” a romantic comedy featuring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin , opened in fourth place taking, in $22.1 million for General Electric Co.’s NBC Universal. The film tells the story of a divorced couple who reconcile. “Up in the Air,” a business comedy starring George Clooney , was fifth with $11.8 million after expanding its release to 1,895 on Dec. 23 from 15 theaters on Dec. 4. The movie, about a man who travels to company branch offices to fire workers, received the most nominations for the Golden Globe awards this month. Sales for the top 12 films rose 47 percent to $264.4 million from $179.5 million a year earlier, Hollywood.com said. Year-to-date receipts total $10.4 billion, up 9.2 percent from a year earlier. The following table has figures provided by studios to Hollywood.com. The amounts are based on actual ticket sales from Dec. 25-26 and estimates for today. To contact the reporters on this story: Esmé E. Deprez in New York at edeprez@bloomberg.net Linda Sandler in New York at lsandler@bloomberg.net .

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James Cameron’s `Avatar’ Opens With $73 Million Sales, Record for 3-D Film

December 20, 2009

By Michael White Dec. 20 (Bloomberg) — “Avatar,” James Cameron’s science- fiction epic, led the box office with $73 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales its opening weekend, a record for a 3-D movie that may aid in expanding the format. Walt Disney Co. ’s “The Princess and the Frog” was second with $12.2 million, Hollywood.com Box-Office said today in an e- mailed statement. “Avatar,” Cameron’s first movie since “Titanic,” ranks among the most expensive ever made with an estimated budget of $230 million, according to the Internet Movie Database. The News Corp. film, playing on 3,124 3-D screens at 2,032 locations, may take in as much as $400 million in theaters, estimates Tony Wible , an analyst with Janney Montgomery Scott in Philadelphia. The previous record of $68.1 million for a 3-D opening was set by Disney’s “Up” this year, according to Box Office Mojo. In “Avatar,” an Earth corporation seeking rare minerals on a distant planet employs a private army to subdue the inhabitants. Australian actor Sam Worthington plays an ex-Marine who spies on the aliens by inhabiting a body cloned from their genetic material. Cameron, 55, began writing the story in 1995 and spent 10 years developing technology, including a 3-D camera system, to create the world he imagined. Improve Attendance? The movie may further convince studios and theater owners that 3-D movies help improve attendance, Cameron said in a Dec. 16 interview. “It seems like with DVD sales down there’s a renewed emphasis on the actual cinematic experience,” Cameron said. “‘Avatar’ was absolutely intended to be that kind of movie and maybe demonstrate how 3-D can be an enabler of that.” Ticket sales are poised to surpass $10 billion this year, Hollywood.com Box-Office has projected. The take was aided by more than a dozen 3-D movies, including “Up,” which went on to generate $293 million domestically. Theaters charge about a $3 per ticket premium for films in the format. Twenty-two 3-D pictures are planned over the next two years, according to Los Angeles-based Exhibitor Relations Co. Imax Corp. , based in Mississauga, Ontario, said this month that “Avatar” would be shown in a record 261 theaters that use its enhanced sound and image system, including 178 locations in the U.S. and Canada. ‘Princess and the Frog’ Industry efforts to outfit theaters with equipment that can be used for 3-D have been hampered by funding delays. One group, Digital Cinema Implementation Partners, had set a November goal to raise $725 million. “Avatar” may take in $320 million to $400 million domestically, according to Wible. “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” is the top U.S. and Canadian film this year with $402 million in sales for Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Pictures. “The Princess and the Frog,” in first place last week, fell to second. The movie from Burbank, California-based Disney , and drawn from the classic fairy tale, is set in New Orleans during the Jazz era. Oprah Winfrey and Terrence Howard are among those lending their voices. “The Blind Side,” a football drama starring Sandra Bullock , dropped to third from second, with $10 million in receipts for Warner Bros. To contact the reporter on this story: Michael White in Los Angeles at mwhite8@bloomberg.net .

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Video: Dergarabedian Says Cameron’s `Avatar’ a `Game Changer’: Video

December 18, 2009

Dec. 18 (Bloomberg) — Paul Dergarabedian, film analyst at Hollywood.com, talks with Bloomberg’s Matt Miller about the possible impact of “Avatar” on the film industry. James Cameron’s 3-D science-fiction adventure film took in $3.5 million in ticket sales from midnight showings in 2,000 theaters in the U.S., according to Hollywood.com Box-Office. (Source: Bloomberg)

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Summit’s `New Moon’ Earns $72.7 Million for One-Day U.S. Box-Office Record

November 21, 2009

By Dan Hart Nov. 21 (Bloomberg) — Summit Entertainment LLC’s “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” earned $72.7 million in its first full day, setting a domestic box-office record, researcher Hollywood.com Box-Office said in an e-mailed statement. The sequel to “Twilight” bettered the previous single-day record set by Time Warner Inc.’s “The Dark Knight” in July 2008 with $67.2 million, Hollywood.com said.

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Video: Dergarabedian Says `New Moon’ Drawing Teen Girls, Moms: Video

November 20, 2009

Nov. 20 (Bloomberg) — Paul Dergarabedian, who analyzes the film marketplace for Hollywood.com, talks with Bloomberg’s Matt Miller about the success of “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.” Dergarabedian also discusses “The Blind Side” and “Planet 51,” and the outlook for this weekend’s box office sales. (Source: Bloomberg)

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