Weekend Box-Office: ‘New Year’s Eve’ Tops the Worst Weekend in the Last Three Years… Congrats!
By
Brad Brevet
Ugh, I want to write about this weekend at the box-office just about as much as people wanted to go to the movies this weekend. Looking at the Top 12 and according to Box-Office Mojo, this was the worst weekend at the movies since the first weekend in September back in 2008 when Bangkok Dangerous opened at #1 with $7.7 million. Considering ticket prices nowadays that is simply astounding especially when you consider the fact there were two new wide releases.
Oh well, it’s the job and I have to do it. So let’s grin and bare it and see if we can find anything interesting to discuss.
Laremy predicted the #1 movie correctly 1 Weeks In A Row
When the #1 movie in America makes almost $15 million less than Laremy’s prediction and still ends up being the #1 movie you know it was a bad weekend and no one is more disappointed than the folks at Warner Bros. and New Line as New Year’s Eve is hiding its head in shame. A 6% rating at RottenTomatoes and now a $13.7 million opening weekend is nothing to brag about. I read it cost only $26 million to make, which I can only assume is because Toshiba gave them so much money to plaster their label all over the place.
As far as predictions go, Laremy obviously whiffed, but Chris Etrata wasn’t fooled by big names, flashing lights and P!nk’s glass being raised as he predicted a $15 million weekend. Now that is a nice call.
Weekend: $13.7 million RottenTomatoes Score:6% Laremy’s rank: Laremy picked it to finish #1 and his prediction of $28.05 million was $14.35m off for a percentage error of 104.74%.
$10 million isn’t anything great and I’ve read this film had a similar budget to New Year’s Eve at $25 million, which sounds a little more accurate than that New Year’s number, but I’m still wondering how this wasn’t made for about $13 million.
As far as the reader predictions go, it’s a tie between Bustray and Sensei White Lotus who were both $.5 million off with Bustray being able to claim the “Price is Right” victory with a $9.5 million prediction compared to Sensei’s $10.5 million prediction.
Weekend: $10 million / RottenTomatoes:22% Laremy’s rank: Laremy picked it to finish #2 with $12.4 million, which is $2.4m off for a 24% error.
Breaking Dawn – Part 1 is now over $250 million domestically and over $604 million worldwide, which means it’s third overall compared to the other films in the franchise and is likely to remain there. My question, will Part 2 be the biggest of them all the same way Deathly Hallows – Part 2 was for Harry Potter or does the Twilight audience simply never grow?
Weekend: $7.9 million (-52.1% drop) / Cume: $259.5 million / RottenTomatoes:26% Laremy’s rank: Laremy picked it to finish #3 with $6.47 million, which is $1.43m off for a 18.1% error.
A 36% drop isn’t so bad as The Muppets are already losing theaters (112 this weekend). Question: Did you go see The Muppets? Do you want to? Do you plan to?
Weekend: $7 million (-36.4% drop) / Cume: $65.8 million / RottenTomatoes:97% Laremy’s rank: Laremy picked it to finish #4 with $5.76 million, which is $1.24m off for a 17.71% error.
With only $33.4 million in three weeks it’s hard to look at Arthur Christmas as much of a financial success, but I can at least look at it and say I liked it. I also rated it as my second favorite animated film of the year on my nomination ballot for the Critics Choice Awards. Can you guess what was my #1?
Weekend: $6.6 million (-10.8% drop) / Cume: $33.4 million / RottenTomatoes:92% Laremy’s rank: Laremy picked it to finish #7 with $4.88 million, which is $1.72m off for a 26.06% error.
The success of Hugo can be found when you directly compare it to Arthur Christmas. The two films came out at the same time, both are in 3D, but even though Hugo gained 768 theaters this weekend it has still managed to remain neck-and-neck with Arthur. However, success is a relative word for this film when you consider a budget that has been rumored anywhere from $130-170 million.
Weekend: $6.1 million (-18.7% drop) / Cume: $33.4 million / RottenTomatoes:94% Laremy’s rank: Laremy picked it to finish #5 with $5.44 million, which is $0.66m off for a 10.82% error.
The Oscar race is going to get very interesting over the course of the next six days as two major embargoes and two major December releases will be discussed. Additionally, today the Los Angeles and Boston Film Critics will be announcing their 2011 winners. Will The Descendants get a bump today? It certainly is living the high life at the box-office…
Weekend: $4.3 million (-8.5% drop) / Cume: $23.6 million / RottenTomatoes:90% Laremy’s rank: Laremy picked it to finish #6 with $5.31 million, which is $1.01m off for a 23.49% error.
Warner Bros. isn’t having a very good time at the box-office lately if you couple the lackluster results of Happy Feet Two and New Year’s Eve, but that’s what happens when you make terrible movies and don’t put Twilight in the title.
Weekend: $3.7 million (-37.3% drop) / Cume: $56.8 million / RottenTomatoes:41% Laremy’s rank: Laremy picked it to finish #8 with $3.31 million, which is $0.39m off for a 10.54% error.
You have to laugh at the idea Adam Sandler is now working on a sequel to Grown-Ups.
Weekend: $3.2 million (-39.6% drop) / Cume: $68.6 million / RottenTomatoes:4% Laremy’s rank: Laremy picked it to finish #9 with $2.9 million, which is $0.3m off for a 9.38% error.
I’m happy to see this film sticking around. It has actually made more than I ever would have expected it to, at least some people must be recommending it to their friends.
Weekend: $2.4 million (-45.5% drop) / Cume: $79.8 million / RottenTomatoes:36% Laremy’s rank: Laremy picked it to finish #10 with $2.4 million and he was exactly right!
Beyond the top ten here are some numbers for the weekend’s limited release features:
Looking over that list, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a beast at the box-office with a $75,250 per theater average and Young Adult isn’t too shabby either with a $40,000 per theater average.
Tinker Tailor will expand throughout the month and you can see where your city falls right here and Young Adult is expected to gain almost 1,000 theaters next weekend.
