Star Wars: The Prediction Awakens

The Force Awakens is busy rewriting the US box office record books on pretty much a daily basis and will likely pass Avatar sometime in the next few days to become the new US box office champ (not adjusted for inflation of course). While that's all well and good I'm going to go on record here with my prediction that TFA will not unseat Avatar as all time worldwide box office champ. Sure, the film has yet to open in China but since it's performance in the rest of the world is currently mirroring that of the US it would need to do something like $1 billion in China alone to have a shot at Avatar's worldwide crown. And I don't see that happening.

So, for what it's worth - and because I have nothing better to do on New Year's Day - my prediction is that TFA will wind up comfortably besting Titanic but fall short of Avatar and become the new #2 movie of all time worldwide.

"It's true. Big blue people. Pandora. All of it. You won't beat them."

The top 10 movies for the weekend of November 15 - November 17, 2013

1) Thor: The Dark World	$36.5 Million
2) The Best Man Holiday	$30.1 Million
3) Last Vegas	$8.4 Million
4) Free Birds	$8.1 Million
5) Bad Grandpa	$7.4 Million
6) Gravity	$6.1 Million
7) Ender's Game	$6 Million
8) 12 Years a Slave	$4.6 Million
9) Captain Phillips	$4.3 Million
10) About Time	$3.3 Million

The number one movie a year ago this week was Lionsgate's "Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2" which opened in the top spot with $141 million in box office receipts.

(Green indicates new release)

The top 10 movies for the weekend of November 8 - November 10, 2013

1) Thor: The Dark World	$85.7 Million
2) Bad Grandpa	$11.3 Million
3) Free Birds	$11.1 Million
4) Last Vegas	$11 Million
5) Ender's Game	$10.2 Million
6) Gravity	$8.5 Million
7) 12 Years a Slave	$6.6 Million
8) Captain Phillips	$5.7 Million
9) About Time	$4.7 Million
10) Cloudy w/a chance of Meatballs 2	$2.7 Million

The number one movie a year ago this week was Sony's "Skyfall" which opened at the top with $88.3 million in box office receipts.

(Green indicates new release)

The top 10 movies for the weekend of October 25 - October 27, 2013

1) Bad Grandpa	$32 Million
2) Gravity	$20.1 Million
3) Captain Phillips	$11.6 Million
4) The Counselor	$7.8 Million
5) Cloudy w/a chance of Meatballs 2	$6.2 Million
6) Carrie	$5.9 Million
7) Escape Plan	$4.5 Million
8) 12 Years a Slave	$2.1 Million
9) Enough Said	$1.5 Million
10) Prisoners	$1 Million

The number one movie a year ago this week was Warner's "Argo" which managed to snag the top spot in its third week of release (albeit against pretty weak competition) with only $12 million in ticket sales.

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The top 10 movies for the weekend of October 18 - October 20, 2013

1) Gravity	$30 Million
2) Captain Phillips	$16.4 Million
3) Carrie	$16.1 Million
4) Escape Plan	$9.8 Million
5) Cloudy w/a chance of Meatballs 2	$9.6 Million
6) Prisoners	$2 Million
7) Enough Said	$1.7 Million
8) The Fifth Estate	$1.67 Million
9) Runner Runner	$1.66 Million
10) Insidious Chapter 2	$1.4 Million

The number one movie a year ago this week was Paramount's "Paranormal Activity 4" which grabbed the top spot with $29 million in ticket sales.

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The top 10 movies for the weekend of October 11 - October 13, 2013

1) Gravity	$43.1 Million
2) Captain Phillips	$25.7 Million
3) Cloudy w/a chance of Meatballs 2	$13.7 Million
4) Machete Kills	$3.8 Million
5) Runner Runner	$3.7 Million
6) Prisoners	$3.6 Million
7) Insidious Chapter 2	$2.7 Million
8) Rush	$2.38 Million
9) Don Jon	$2.36 Million
10) Baggage Claim	$2 Million

The number one movie a year ago this week was Fox's "Taken 2" which held on to the top spot for a second week with $49.5 million in ticket sales.

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The top 10 movies for the weekend of October 4 - October 6, 2013

1) Gravity	$55.7 Million
2) Cloudy w/a chance of Meatballs 2	$20.9 Million
3) Runner Runner	$7.7 Million
4) Prisoners	$5.7 Million
5) Rush	$4.4 Million
6) Don Jon	$4.1 Million
7) Baggage Claim	$4 Million
8) Insidious Chapter 2	$3.9 Million
9) Pulling Strings	$2.4 Million
10) Enough Said	$2.1 Million

The number one movie a year ago this week was Fox's "Taken 2" which debuted at number 1 with $49.5 million in box office receipts.

(Green indicates new release)

The top 10 movies for the weekend of September 27 - September 29, 2013

1) Cloudy w/a chance of Meatballs 2	$34 Million
2) Prisoners	$10.8 Million
3) Rush	$10 Million
4) Baggage Claim	$9 Million
5) Don Jon	$8.6 Million
6) Insidious Chapter 2	$6.5 Million
7) The Family	$3.7 Million
8) Instructions Not Included	$3.4 Million
9) We're the Millers	$2.8 Million
10) The Butler	$2.4 Million

The number one movie a year ago this week was Sony's "Hotel Transylvania" which debuted at number 1 with $42.5 million in box office receipts.

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The top 10 movies for the weekend of September 20 - September 22, 2013

1) Prisoners	$20.8 Million
2) Insidious Chapter 2	$13.8 Million
3) The Family	$7 Million
4) Instructions Not Included	$5.3 Million
5) Battle of the Year	$4.6 Million
6) We're the Millers	$4.5 Million
7) The Butler	$4.1 Million
8) Riddick	$3.6 Million
9) The Wizard of Oz 3D	$3 Million
10) Planes	$2.7 Million

The number one movie a year ago this week was Open Road's "End of Watch" which debuted at number 1 with a $13.1 million haul.

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The top 10 movies for the weekend of September 13 - September 15, 2013

1) Insidious Chapter 2	$40.2 Million
2) The Family	$14 Million
3) Riddick	$6.8 Million
4) The Butler	$5.5 Million
5) We're the Millers	$5.4 Million
6) Instructions Not Included	$4.8 Million
7) Planes	$3.1 Million
8) This is Us	$2.4 Million
9) Elysium	$2.1 Million
10) Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters	$1.8 Million

The number one movie a year ago this week was Screen Gem's "Resident Evil: Retribution" which debuted at number 1 with a $21 million haul.

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The top 10 movies for the weekend of September 6 - September 8, 2013

1) Riddick	$19 Million
2) The Butler	$8.4 Million
3) Instructions Not Included	$8.1 Million
4) We're the Millers	$7.6 Million
5) Planes	$4.1 Million
6) This is Us	$4 Million
7) Elysium	$3.1 Million
8) Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters	$2.4 Million
9) Blue Jasmine	$2.34 Million
10) The World's End	$2.31 Million

The number one movie a year ago this week was Liongate's "The Possession" which held on to the top spot for a second week with a $9.3 million haul.

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The top 10 movies for the weekend of August 30 - September 2, 2013

Note: These figures reflect the box office for the 4 day Labor Day weekend.

1) The Butler	$20.2 Million
2) This is Us	$18.4 Million
3) We're the Millers	$16.2 Million
4) Planes	$10.8 Million
5) Instructions Not Included	$10.3 Million
6) Elysium	$8.4 Million
7) City of Bones	$7 Million
8) The World's End	$6.5 Million
9) Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters	$6.1 Million
10) Getaway	$5.6 Million

The number one movie a year ago this week was Liongate's "The Possession" which opened in the top spot but was only able to conjure up $21 million in ticket sales over the extended holiday weekend.

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The top 10 movies for the weekend of August 23 - August 25, 2013

1) The Butler	$16.5 Million
2) We're the Millers	$13 Million
3) The Mortal Instruments	$9.3 Million
4) The World's End	$8.7 Million
5) Planes	$8.5 Million
6) You're Next	$7 Million
7) Elysium	$6.9 Million
8) Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters	$5.2 Million
9) Kick Ass 2	$4.3 Million
10) Blue Jasmine	$3.9 Million

The number one movie a year ago this week was Liongate's "Expendables 2" which held on to the top spot for a second week with $13.4 million in ticket sales.

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The top 10 movies for the weekend of August 16 - August 18, 2013

1) The Butler	$24.6 Million
2) We're the Millers	$17.9 Million
3) Elysium	$13.6 Million
4) Planes	$13.38 Million
5) Kick-ass 2	$13.33 Million
6) Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters	$8.7 Million
7) Jobs	$6.7 Million
8) 2 Guns	$5.8 Million
9) The Smurfs 2	$4.7 Million
10) The Wolverine	$4.5 Million

The number one movie a year ago this week was Liongate's "Expendables 2" which debuted in the top spot to the tune of $28.5 million in ticket sales.

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The top 10 movies for the weekend of August 9 - August 11, 2013

1) Elysium	$29.8 Million
2) We're the Millers	$26.4 Million
3) Planes	$22.2 Million
4) Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters	$14.4 Million
5) 2 Guns	$11.2 Million
6) The Smurfs 2	$9.3 Million
7) The Wolverine	$8 Million
8) The Conjuring	$6.6 Million
9) Despicable Me 2	$5.9 Million
10) Grown Ups 2	$3.6 Million

The number one movie a year ago this week was Universal's "The Bourne Legacy" which debuted in the top spot with a $35.7 million weekend take.

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The top 10 movies for the weekend of August 2 - August 4, 2013

1) 2 Guns	$27 Million
2) The Wolverine	$21.3 Million
3) The Smurfs 2	$17.5 Million
4) The Conjuring	$13 Million
5) Despicable Me 2	$10.1 Million
6) Grown Ups 2	$7.9 Million
7) Turbo	$6.2 Million
8) Red 2	$5.5 Million
9) The Heat	$4.6 Million
10) Pacific Rim	$4.4 Million

The number one movie a year ago this week was Warner Brother's "The Dark Knight Rises" which held on to the top spot for a 3rd consecutive week with $35.7 million in box office receipts.

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"Pacific Rim" continues to find life overseas

Though its domestic total should come to rest right around the $100 million mark - which isn't causing anyone at Warners to dance in the street - "Pacific Rim"s performance overseas is raising eyebrows and turning those domestic frowns around. In its first 5 days in communist China Guillermo del Toro's Kaiju epic pulled in a whopping $45 million which helped to bring its international total to a cool $200 million. Considering it still has to open in Spain, Brazil and Japan (and that it's run in China has just begun) "Pacific Rim" could wind up turning a tidy profit before its theatrical run is over. In fact it should ultimately be a very tidy profit when you consider TV rights and DVD sales as well.

"Pacific Rim" storms the Pacific rim box office

Box office numbers from the States have been lackluster at best for Guillermo del Toro's superb Kaiju film but that may not wind up meaning much if Wednesday's opening in communist China is any indication. GDT's film pulled in a tidy $9 million on its opening night in the land of the unelected, a new all-time high for Warner's in the territory. And with openings still looming in northern Europe as well as in Brazil and Japan and the overseas box office already at $140 million the film may actually wind up turning a small profit and perhaps even trigger a sequel. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

The top 10 movies for the weekend of July 26 - July 28, 2013

1) The Wolverine	$53.1 Million
2) The Conjuring	$22.2 Million
3) Despicable Me 2	$16.4 Million
4) Turbo	$13.7 Million
5) Grown Ups 2	$11.6 Million
6) Red 2	$9.3 Million
7) Pacific Rim	$7.7 Million
8) The Heat	$6.9 Million
9) R.I.P.D.	$6 Million
10) Fruitvale Station	$4.5 Million

The number one movie a year ago this week was Warner Brother's "The Dark Knight Rises" which held on to the top spot for a second week with $62.1 million in box office receipts.

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The top 10 movies for the weekend of July 19 - July 21, 2013

1) The Conjuring	$41.8 Million
2) Despicable Me 2	$24.9 Million
3) Turbo	$21.3 Million
4) Grown Ups 2	$19.8 Million
5) Red 2	$18 Million
6) Pacific Rim	$16 Million
7) R.I.P.D.	$12.6 Million
8) The Heat	$9.3 Million
9) World War Z	$5.19 Million
10) Monsters University	$5.12 Million

The number one movie a year ago this week was Warner Brother's "The Dark Knight Rises" which opened in the top spot with an impressive $160.8 million in box office receipts.

(Green indicates new release)