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SATURDAY PM/SUNDAY AM, 5TH UPDATE: Abbreviated box office tonight because of tsunami evacuation for all islands of Hawaii where I’m vacationing.
But this was a lame weekend for newcomers at 
the domestic box office after a string of strong weekends - only $90M, which is -12% down from last year. The question mark is Hurricane Sandy’s impact on grosses even though it’s just beginning to move up the Eastern Seaboard. ”Nothing called Frankenstorm is inviting people to go out of their houses,” rued one movie executive predicting 25% less grosses than forecast for this weekend. “It looks like people are shopping for bottled water and putting up their storm shutters instead of going to the movies.” Final numbers depend on whether the storm hits the most populated areas Sunday or Monday. ”OK, people – let’s step away from The Weather Channel and go to a theater!!!” one studio exec implored by email. We’ll see soon enough.
Related: ‘Skyfall’ In UK Smashes Opening Records
Interestingly, 4 of the Top 5 films are all R-rated Ben Affleck’s Oscar-buzzed holdover Argo (2,855 theaters) easily won the weekend with $12.5M. But that’s still the 2nd lowest #1 of the year. The Wachowskis’ epic drama Cloud Atlas (2,008 theaters, including 105 IMAX screens) starring Tom Hanks and Halle Berry received a mountain of pre-release press and was #2 this weekend even with only a ‘C+’ CinemaScore from audiences. Problem is, pic cost $100+M. Even with #1 and #2 at the box office, Warner Bros has no bragging rights given these low grosses.
Halloween holdovers follow - Sony Animation’s Hotel Transylvania edged out Paramount’s Paranormal Activity 4. Rounding out the Top 5 is Open Road Films’ horror opener Silent Hill: Revelation 3D (2,933 theaters) which debuted #5 with the worst CinemaScore of all the newcomers: a ‘C’. . The other newcomers fell apart: Paramount’s small Victoria Justice teen comedy Fun Size debuted #11th with a CinemaScore of ‘B’. While the Gerard Butler surfing newcomer Chasing Mavericks from Walden Media and distributed by Fox arrived only 12th. Shame because it had the best CinemaScore of the bunch – ‘B+’.
Here’s the Top Ten based on weekend estimates. Full analysis later:
1. Argo (Warner Bros) Week 3 [Runs 2,855] R
Friday $3.9M), Saturday $5.5M, Weekend $12.5M, Cume $61.0M
2. Cloud Atlas (Warner Bros) Warner Bros NEW [Runs 2,008] R
Friday $3.4M, Saturday $9.5M,
3. Hotel Transylvania (Sony Animation) Week 5 [Runs 3,276] PG
Friday $2.5M, Saturday $4.0, Weekend $9.0M, Cume $129.9M
4. Paranormal Activity 4 (Paramount) Week 2 [Runs 3,412] R
Friday $3.1M, Saturday $3.5M, Weekend $8.6M (-70%), Cume $42.5M
5. Silent Hill: Revelation 3D (Open Road) New [Runs 2,933] R
Friday $3.5M, Saturday $3.2M, Weekend $8.5M
6. Taken 2 (Fox) Week 4 [Runs 2,995] PG13
Friday $2.6M, Saturday $3.6M, Weekend $8.0M, Cume $117.4M
7. Here Comes The Boom (Sony) Week 3 [Runs 2,491] PG
Friday $1.6M, Saturday $2.5M, Weekend $5.5M, Cume $30.6M
8. Alex Cross (Summit/Lionsgate) Week 2 [Runs 2,541] PG13
Friday $1.7M, Saturday $2.3M, Weekend $5.2M (-55%), Cume $19.5M
9. Sinister (Summit/Lionsgate) Week 3 [Runs 2,347] R
Friday $1.7M, Saturday $2.1M, Weekend $5.0M, Cume $39.4M
10. Pitch Perfect (Universal) Week 5 [Runs 1,999]
Friday $1.3M, Saturday $1.7M, Weekend $4.0M, Cume $51.3M
11. Fun Size (Paramount) NEW [Runs 3,014] PG13
Friday $1.3M, Saturday $1.6M, Weekend $3.8M
12. Chasing Mavericks (Walden/Fox) NEW [Runs 2,002] PG
Friday $825K, Saturday $875K, Weekend $2.2M
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Nice. Sensei went “Argo” for the top spot. Nice call.
Truthfully, why isn’t there more Oscar buzz for “Argo.” It definitely deserves it…
Don’t despair about “Argo”. Oddly, this year there’s hardly been any Oscar buzz about any movie, just performances. Sure, the two remaining months of 2012 will be crammed with biggies, but “Argo” has the distinction of being that very rare film beloved by BOTH critics and moviegoers. And for too many years, the pundits thumbed their noses at Affleck for his lousy choice of movies and his tabloid infamy as Lopez’s boytoy. Who would have dreamed that callow kid would emerge as a first-rate filmmaker? And nobody loves the triumph of an underdog more than the Academy. Stay tuned.
Wut? How could there be anymore? They’ve been trying to give Argo the Oscar since March.
I liked everything about “Argo” and Affleck’s comeback is an incredible story, certainly the basis for a lot of Oscar nominations. Yet when I walked out of the screening, I wasn’t thinking to myself, “Ah, here’s the Best PIcture of 2012.” There always seems to be a movie coming out of right field that sneaks up on us and steals our hearts. “Argo” isn’t that movie. Let’s see what the next two months bring.
I have to say that I think that Argo is that rare film. I know it is based upon a true story and we know how it ends, but the last third of the movie I was shaking at times I was so nervous for the characters in the movie. I thought the audience had the same reaction that another audience had to the first screening of Forest Gump; the audience sat quiet soaking in what it had just seen. Best Director is very much deserved.
OUCH at Fun Size! That is A LOT of theaters for only 4.4 million!
Such arrogance that this film even got made. It was a terrible script, got the terrible reviews it deserved. No teenagers want to see a contrived movie like this. They sometimes expect better from a comedy aimed at them when they can save the money they don’t have by watching a recent movie via streaming sites, rent one for free on DVD, or watch one of 5,000,000 clips on YouTube that are more compelling than this swill by a Daily Show writer. Thanks for taking a slot from those of us with actual talent.
Bitter much?
It was a great script, it made the black list for a reason. Unfortunately the fun of the script did not make it to screen.
With all of these horror movies, Sinister is doing very well
Sinister is the best horror film of the year. The most bone chilling opening since Seven
Well, the opening itself wasn’t bone chilling, was it?
Wow. Just wow. It looks like Cloud Atlas is set to bomb big time. The Wachowskis made one extraordinary movie and then made several horrible ones. I doubt they’ll be able to walk away from this able to make another in a ver long time. As with Hanks and Berry… I hope they can remain intact. I’m still planning to watch this movie be ause of its ambition but who would have thought that with all the names involved it would fall so badly?
Excuse me, but Cloud Atlas was an independent production. If it makes over 200 million worldwide then it is not a flop
Warner Brothers (who only disturbed it by the way) payed 20 million to have released in the U.S.
Do you research next time.
$200 million worldwide still likely won’t be enough to turn a profit.
Cloud Atlas apparently cost $100 million – though I suspect more. Add in advertising costs and remember that the $200 million is split with theaters – it doesn’t all go to the film’s investors – and I think you’re looking at a lot of red ink.
It cost 100 million (the official budget) with some marketing.
As long as it makes over 200 million (not 200 but over 200) worldwide it should be fine.
In terms of money it’s like the Resident Evil movies, they usually don’t make their budgets back in the U.S., but their profitable enough because their not American / Hollywood Production and thus overseas matters a lot.
By the way just because it did poorly at the U.S. box office does not mean that is a bad movie.
Plus it’s concept was bizarre to moviegoers most of whom can’t take films that ask you to think and it was released in only 2000 theaters.
Cloud Atlas is as deep as a shallow pond. It’s a film that telegraphs its hippy-dippy point five minutes in, sits on your chest, and pounds you in the heads yelling “GET IT!!”
While I applaud the ambition and art of the Wachowskis, not to mention that they are such great people, Tree of Life is more linear than Cloud Atlas. Cloud Atlas seems like a bunch of unfinished art pieces to me — should I have to read the book to get the film? It was very difficult to follow. And I like ambiguous and thinking films, as well as films that are good for me. But this was so all over the place. Yes, I think that non-U.S. audiences may be more forgiving. And perhaps it will be easier to follow in subtitles? (that Tom Hanks dialect was mind numbing) But I am worried about them breaking even. There is a reason why this film was made and passed on for two years by distributors. And there is a reason why there is such an avalanche of press for the film — an urgency to make all the money back. For the Wachowskis’ sake, I do hope they are not hurt by this — there aren’t many people left who dare to dream so big and bold. As for the actors? They will be fine. Berry did a splendid job, as did Hanks.
Is your last name Wachowski? Just askin’.
It appears everyone associated with Cloud Atlas made the biggest possible mistake: they made A VERY IMPORTANT, DEEP FILM. Movies that are good for you = no box office.
<>
Hey I think you are confusing movies with medicine. Maybe the theater should provide shawls for all patrons and serve herbal tea at the refreshment stand.
Um…I was being sarcastic.
I liked Cloud Atlas a lot, but it’s a really hard sell. It’s 3 hours long and you can’t really explain it in a sentence. It’ll be a shame if it tanks.
The movie had “pretentious” written all over it from the beginning. So glad to see this bomb so sites like Slash Film and others can stop slobbering over the Wachowskis.
@Joseph:
You haven’t even seen Cloud Atlas, so why would you be “so glad” it bombed? We’re not talking about a generic romantic comedy that can be dismissed out of hand, but a film that appears to take a new dramatic approach. I have no idea if CA is a good film, but your post reads like the sour grapes of a would-be science fiction director, bitter the Wachowskis have succeeded where you fail(ed).
@ Dack
This ‘you’re just a jealous wannabe’ retort never gets old, does it?
“who would have thought that with all the names involved it would fall so badly?”
Anybody who saw the trailer or read a description or knew anything at all about it? A three hour long, complex, R rated sci fi movie from the directors of Speed Racer starring a woman whose last movie was a direct to video shark b-movie and a guy who can’t sell a movie ticket unless he’s animated. 3rd place is a triumph.
I liked Speed Racer a lot. It’s clear they couldn’t decide if they were making a cheeky flashback movie for adult fans or a movie for kids and that made it impossible to market (each audience necessarily repels the other). And it was a little threadbare–the budget for effects was clearly outstripped by the directors’ ambitions, but it was fun and emotionally engaging and had a simple message for the age of Lance Armstrong and Mitt Romney: cheating is bad. If you need a dvd to play for your kids on the headrests while you drive to grandmas, you could do a lot worse.
Hanks and Berry will survive just fine. CA’s success, or lack thereof, has nothing to do with them. It’s the investors you gotta feel bad about on this one. But then why would anyone think a 3-hour R-rated sci-fi film would be a hit? Did they not see how badly Watchmen struggled to break even?
How can you say Hanks and Berry will survive just fine. Berry is on the C list at best. ANd Tom Hanks, the biggest movie star in the mid 90s is slowly drowning.
Watch Hanks in LARRY CROWNE and then watch one (1) episode of ELECTRIC CITY. I dare ya.
It’s not clear to me why you think Watchmen struggled, however, if that’s your take then you’re very skeptical of the moviemaking process in general.
Although CLOUD ATLAS is far from perfect, it is pretty original, which I would like to see more of at the theaters these days. More movies that inspire the imagination and less LAW & ORDER clones, tacky horror films, and formulaic shoot-em ups.
It’s not original, either. It “borrowed” from Osamu Tezuka’s Phoenix.
So right Chris – I keep waiting for that big Sinister drop off that Nikki predicted, but it just won’t come!
That MAY have something to do with Halloween and PA4 sucking massively. Basic investigative journalism fools.
Paranormal Activity opened with 29 million, so how is a 10 million weekend a 50% drop?
That’s because the 29 million was for the whole week since it opened with midnight showings on Thursday. It made 18 million over the weekend period, so the 50% drop would equal the ten million its expected to make this weekend.
The Thursday midnight showings are counted in the weekend total. They are added to the Friday gross.
ouch re: fun size. if josh schwartz had bombed any worse, he’d be greg berlanti.
Yes, PLEASE let’s stop trying to make Chelsea Handler a movie star.
They’re not trying to do that because she’s not even in the commercials for the movie. It’s clear they were trying to make Victoria Justice happen, instead.
With “Wreck-It Ralph” coming out next week and “Skyfall” the week after that and “Twilight” the week after that, this might very well be the last soft weekend we get at the box office for the year. And with “The Hobbit” among other films coming in december, 2012 could close the year out very strong over the last 2 months.
I’m not sure about Wreck it Ralph. Trailers seem to suggest that Wreck it Ralph is a sort off Roger Rabbit wannabe
With the non-exception of Fun Size, Wreck-it-Ralph is the first family film since Hotel Transylvania. I can’t imagine it opening shy of $40m.
Sinister is doing well and going to continue to because of word of mouth, all you have to do is go to twitter search and type in Sinister is the scariest movie ever…and you will be surprise at how many people are saying the same thing, not scariest movie in ages but ever..it is truly a well made and one of the most terrifying horror films to come along in awhile. Looks like Paranormal is going in the way of the Saw Franchise, people are getting sick of it and CLOUD ATLAS is going to become a cult classic, EVERYTHING WILL GET SLAYED BY SKYFALL in a few weeks!
By golly I’m pleased as punch with Fun Size making $45 million this weekend. That’s an excellent opening weekend for a kids movie.
What? It won’t be $45 million? Just $4.5 million? That’s all?
I hate those damn decimal points they always ruin my weekend!
“Cloud Atlas” is 172 minutes and on less screens.
Dan and Bob, here’s a little distribution secret : 2000 screens are more than enough to generate a big gross if your movie has the chops to succeed. Once you get over 1800 screens, the theatre count begins to move into the mid – size and small markets that throw off significantly smaller grosses than the major markets. Unless you have a Harry Potter or a Twilight, those extra screens do nothing but drag down your per- screen average.
Gerard Butler movies have weird cursed black clouds of mojo around them–he has not had one film overperform since 300 (and he has made A LOT of movies since then) — he should do an arc on Game of Thrones.
Shame about Chasing Mavericks, but to be expected. I guess this is why it’s been pulled from the release schedules in other countries.
Butler’s career is so frustrating. He needs a major overhaul in his representation. The guy has way too much loyalty to people who just aren’t producing the goods (seriously, who thought ’The Bounty Hunter’ was a smart career move?)
As a result, these days he’s coming across as increasingly arrogant, low-rent and no substance, rather than an actor who cares about his ‘craft’.
Chasing Mavericks is a colossal bomb. I tip my hat to Jim Meenaghan for pushing this through after 5 years – not an easy task – but perhaps why a Walden/UTA business affairs guy shouldn’t become a producer… it’s not quite as easy as folks on this board make it out to be.
As our movie star system collapses around those trying to make movies, part of the problem is trying to make ‘movie stars’ out of folks that aren’t. Gerard Butler, a cool ensemble actor – (Rock’n’ Rolla) – but not a movie star. He became too public and too accessible too quickly. I wish these guys would be patient with their careers. Once familiarity sets in, and we know too much about their day to day lives, audiences don’t care. Are we really supposed to believe that Gerard is a surfer from Santa Cruz?
There are maybe 5 actors that can interchange in roles that are believable: Pitt, Damon, Gosling, Penn and Bale.
A teddy bear is the biggest star in hollywood.
I don’t know why people were expecting Cloud Atlas to be a hit.
Everything about it (most points of which have already been made) screamed the opposite and that it would actually be a hard sell, so if it can even crack double digits on opening weekend that actually is probably better than it could have been. That isn’t to judge it as a film because I haven’t seen it itself although I will (even if the awfulness of Speed Racer remains in my memory). But WB only paid twenty million to distribute and it could be ok with international.
At any rate it looks well worth seeing on a big screen.
I totally agree with you on Gerard Butler, Interested Observer. In fact, I was looking at one of his more recent offerings — MACHINE GUN PREACHER – which looked like it would be a sure-fire hit. And it flopped. Spectacularly so. I wonder what it is with his movie choices (and subsequent execution) that leads his much ballyhooed projects to wallow in a veritable Den of Suck?
Machine Gun Preacher wasn’t given much of a release because the studio figured that their was a lack of interest in it and thus releasing in more than 2000 theaters or so would have been a waste.
—Hollywood continues to waste our time.
No he has….problem is its only been romanic comedies ( see the bounty hunter and the ugly truth)
I love David Mitchell’s books. I really enjoy Tom Hanks movies. However, I will not be seeing Cloud Atlas because I was foolish enough to pay to see both The Matrix Reloaded and Speed Racer in the theaters. Never again will I pay to see a Warchowski movie in the theater.
Have you actually seen the film? It definitely has its problems but being pretentious is not one of them. Actually, it’s lack of almost any pretentiousness was stark in contrast to another ambitious multistory movie called BABEL, which I couldn’t find myself to enjoy. Cloud Atlas, I actually enjoyed.
I would love to see Sinister finish ahead of that bullshit paranormal activity sequel. LOVE.
Since no one here is talking about Silent Hill, I will!
It was horrible. It misses the point of the game. There was a great opportunity for a really smart and weird horror film. Instead it was plagued by endless “action” scenes and tons of exposition from the game story that only games would care about.
Just make it fun and creepy. And stop with Pyramid Head! He was like Alessa’s butler in this film.
Ugh. I know most filmgoers aren’t really interested in Silent Hill, and I understand that. However, had someone actually adapted the game correctly, there could have been a great horror series here. Instead, it was a juvenile attempt at trying to be cool and lost all the smartness of the world its set in.
Wow, Fun Size BOMBED HARD. I knew it wouldn’t do well, but YIKES, it won’t even gross 5 million in its first weekend! Embarrassing for Paramount and all involved. Poor Victoria whats-her-name. At least she has a hit TV show on Nickelodeon (my kids watch it all the time).
My kid loves Victorious too. But it did get cancelled.
Was it cancelled due to low ratings or because Nickelodeon/Disney Channel shows are often put out to pasture once the cast grows up?
Actually, I think they canned the show for the same reason iCarly is ending; the cast has grown up now, and their characters are about to “graduate” from high school. Miranda Cosgrove has already applied to attend USC, and Avan Jogia of Victorious is about to star in an ABC Family series called “Socio” where he plays a person recently released from juvenile prison for killing his aunt, though he claims he was innocent. After he is released from juvenile prison, someone else mysteriously dies, and he is accused of killing that person. I believe they are also looking to get Victoria Justice into more big screen films as well as Elizabeth Gillies.
Even though Alex Cross cost little to produce…so little in fact that Patterson already announced another with Tyler Perry in development… that no one seems to be noticing what a huge flop it has been in the states so far.
This film killed the real Alex Cross character from the novels, and has left and unmemorable action franchise going nowhere.
I love Tyler Perry. He’s awful, yet he keeps winning. And I’m not being facetious. That’s quite a feat.
When Tyler Perry gets angry in Alex Cross and starts sawing the barrels off shotguns — sweet Jesus, that’s entertainment!!
It’s a flop, but it’s not a huge flop.
You have no idea the rejoicing that’s going on in Atlanta and here in hollywood. This odious, back-stabbing, disgrace is at the end of his talentless rope. And the best part is, he so proud and vain that he can’t see it. He’s spent more time hiding his lifestyle and pissing on other black filmmakers than trying to get better at what we do.
went to see Chasing Mavericks with somewhat high expectations.
Alas, as soon as I saw the production company logo who apparently funded, interfered with what was a great idea, I knew I sunk
Cloud Atlas was pre-sold internationally by Focus Features significiantly laying off the risk on this expensive production. Warner Bros only has the rights to distribute in the US and select foreign territories. Without knowing the pre-sale numbers and the significant soft money (foreign government investment, tax credits, TV investment), it’s hard to say how hard the investors will be hit.
No, it was not.
Up until just a few months ago major international rights for CA were being offered up for no-Mg fee terms. IE whole, core territories were unsold any any price with the movie fully in the can.
UK typically goes for 8-10% of budget, the asks went from $15m, to %7m, to low fee no MG. IE they couldn’t sell it at any price.
Warners stepped in at the last minute & hoovered up the world at a ridiculously bargain rate. The producers took a massive bath. Its the sort of production that sinks the production team responsible.