It was a tough weekend to predict which film would come out on top. Would The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey be able to hang on in the face of a 56.3% drop last weekend? Could Django Unchained overcome its R-rating and vie for the top spot? Had Les Miserables already tapped out its largest audience and was anything left in the tank? As it turns out, the answers to those questions are "Yes", "Almost" and "No" as all three films performed very well, making for a fantastic final weekend at the 2012 box-office.
While Laremy struggled to determine whether it would be The Hobbit or Les Mis on top with his predictions on Thursday, it turns out he was nearly spot on with his Les Mis prediction, but slightly under on The Hobbit.
The Hobbit pulled in $32.9 million over the three-day, dipping only 10.9% from last weekend as its domestic cume now totals $222.7 million and over $622 million worldwide in just 17 days. Laremy placed Les Mis #1 with $27.8 million, and was just $200,000 off as it scored $28 million and a third place finish.
Coming in second was Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, scoring an impressive $30.6 million and has now made $64 million in its first six days of release, outpacing Inglourious Basterds, which was at only $50.5 million at the same point back in 2009 before going on to gross $120.5 million domestically. To say Django is looking like it will be Tarantino's highest grossing film ever is an understatement as he just may be getting closer and closer to be a household name.
Looking over reader predictions for these top three films, here's how the results breakdown:
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Closest Prediction: Sensei White Lotus with $31 million prediction
- Django Unchained - Closest Prediction: Will-E with $30 million prediction
- Les Miserables - Closest Prediction: Jack with a spot-on $28 million prediction
Remember to get those predictions in before the end of the day on Thursdays in order for them to count.
An interesting little stat for the year tells us Steven Spielberg's Lincoln is now the highest grossing drama of 2012 with $132 million. Guess fast at which two films come in second and third... If you guessed Channing Tatum's The Vow ($125m) and Magic Mike ($113.7m) you'd be right.
And, despite the fact The Weinstein Co. finally upped the number of theaters Silver Linings Playbook was in, the film couldn't crack the top ten. Expanding into a total of 745 theaters, the film mustered $4.1 million and now sits at $27.3 million domestically.
Elsewhere, Zero Dark Thirty is still only playing in five theaters in New York and Los Angeles and scored $315,000 for a $63,000 per theater average. It will be adding theaters on January 4 and expanding wide on January 11.
Opening in only 25 theaters, Matt Damon's Promised Land isn't looking too promising with only $190,000.
Next weekend it will be 2013 and the lone wide release is Texas Chainsaw 3D. I have seen several ads for it over the last month or so, so Lionsgate is clearly hoping to do some damage at the box-office, but will there be enough interest in the return of Leatherface for it to have much of a chance? Discuss below!
Weekend Box-Office Top Ten Estimates for December 28 - December 30, 2012
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
- A Warner Bros. release
- $32.9 million
- CUME: $222.7 million
- THEATERS: 4,100 ($8,024 per theater)
- ROTTEN TOMATOES: 65%
- Django Unchained (The Weinstein Co.) - $30.6 million ($64.0m cume)
From 3,010 theaters ($10,166 avg.) / 88%
- Les Miserables (Universal Pictures) - $28 million ($67.4m cume)
From 2,808 theaters ($9,972 avg.)
- Parental Guidance (20th Century Fox) - $14.8 million ($29.5m cume)
From 3,367 theaters ($4,396 avg.) / 19%
- Jack Reacher (Paramount Pictures) - $14 million ($44.7m cume)
From 3,352 theaters ($4,177 avg.) / $60 million budget / 62%
- This is 40 (Universal Pictures) - $13.1 million ($37.1m cume)
From 2,914 theaters ($4,496 avg.) / $35 million budget / 51%
- Lincoln (DreamWorks Pictures) - $7.5 million ($132.0m cume)
From 1,966 theaters ($3,815 avg.) / $65 million budget / 89%
- The Guilt Trip (Paramount Pictures) - $6.7 million ($21.1m cume)
From 2,431 theaters ($2,756 avg.) / $40 million budget / 37%
- Monsters, Inc. (Walt Disney Pictures) - $6.3 million ($18.4m cume)
From 2,618 theaters ($2,406 avg.)
- Rise of the Guardians (DreamWorks Animation) - $4.9 million ($90.2m cume)
From 2,055 theaters ($2,384 avg.) / $145 million budget / 74%
Links from Other Sites You May Like
12 Comments Recorded
You must be logged in to post a comment.
You can register for an account by clicking here.
DON'T WANT YOUR COMMENT DELETED?
Click to Read Our Commenting Rules & Guidelines
Want an avatar for your comments? Click here to sign up with Gravatar.
2014 Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actor Update
Watch the First 'The Wolf of Wall Street' Official Trailer
You Saw 'Man of Steel' Now Give Us Your Review
Which Animated Movie Will Stand Forward as a Solid 2014 Oscar Contender?
A Shot at an Oscar Nomination for Britney Spears?
Can This be Any Better than Just... Good?
Faster, Faster! 'Man of Steel 2' in 2014 and 'Justice League' in 2015?
New 'Riddick' International Trailer and Comic Con Poster
Box Office: 'Man of Steel' Scores Largest June Opening Ever
What I Watched, What You Watched #197
I think it's always good to see a range of films that can appeal to a wide range doing well at the box office.
Nice starts for Les Mis and Django (I read Les Mis had a budget of only $60 million or so and with healthy international it will do well) and a good hold for The Hobbit as well.
Doesn't look like Jack Reacher will hit the hundred though. Cruise will have to wait til Oblivion for another shot at one of those. And decent numbers for most of the rest apart from The Guilt Trip.
But I think we officially have to call Silver Linings a botched release operation. It seems to just not gain any traction or momentum despite holding in there week after week. I can't see a lot of further expansion.
Let's not forget the other big news this weekend...."Skyfall" topped 1 Billion Worldwide!
Next weekend The Hobbit repeats on top or Django Unchained overtakes it to sneak at number 1. It could go either way.
Sorry I didn't make any predictions. I didn't see the box office oracle on the front page.
Anyway:
Chainsaw 3d 14.3 million
Pretty good weekend overall. Saw the Hobbit, thought it was mostly shit, My favorite of that entire franchise is still the first Lord of Rings. Les Miz, had some great moments, but the live singing was only beneficial to a handful of cast members and was just as emotionally manipulative as I expected. Regardless, it will probably take BP. Have not gotten to see Django yet, but both Tarantino's latest and Les Miz could very well reach 200 million domestic after the starts they've had. That of course would be some nice bragging rights for the academy when they each get best pic nominations. Skyfall past 1 billion and will likely pass 300 mill domestic not long after the new year, I still hope that one has some shot at a bp nod. If grosses are as much of a factor this season as everyone is making them out to be then the films respective milestones wouldn't hurt.
Next weekend will give a better idea on what kind of prospects Django and Les Mis have...I think $150 million is a more realistic benchmark for each of them. Les Mis should do better in the long run because it should keep at least some Oscar buzz, though after seeing it I don't think it will win. As for BP noms for Django or Skyfall...forget about it.
Django is definitely getting a BP nom. Why more people haven't clued into this, I do not know.
I definitely see Django making the cut before Skyfall just now.
I have little interest in Django so can't comment on it deserving a nomination but I don't think Skyfall is necessarily getting Oscar buzz. I think I read a few weeks back an Academy screening supposedly went over very well (or maybe I'm thinking of Les Miserables) but I haven't seen much since. People keep talking about Javier Bardem but I didn't think he really did anything special in the part and he already has an Oscar for a similar role so why duplicate that?
It looks more like Lincoln is quietly solidifying itself in the BP race with a mix of impressive box office (vs expectations I believe) and critical kudos. Plus it seems appealing material for the Academy.
You could be right about Skyfall's chances... Unless it takes that token blockbuster spot many people predicted that The Hobbit had sewn up.
I've heard a lot about how Jack Reacher proves Tom Cruise lost his star power. I have to say its the complete opposite. I think this proves his star power. Hobbit, Django, Les are all supposed to be the top three of the holiday season. That's why they are all big budget movies. Reacher is a 60 million production budget movie being placed dead in the middle of those top three and worldwide will probably rake in 200 million. Guess what?? It's because Tom Cruise is in it. Not to mention how hard it is to play a character in a series of books as popular as the Lee Child novels. Just ask Tyler Perry when he tried to play Alex Cross earlier this year. Also, Brad Pitt is a pretty big Star and Killing Me Softly didn't go so well but still made money because of the low budget. So I'm sure Tom Cruise who will probably make about 40 million on this movie isn't concerned that Parental Guidance beat him last week (which was the only true family film over the holidays) What do you guys think??
Les Mis cost $61M just as much as Reacher, but sure the latter property is not as well-known as the former, I for one didn't know about Reacher until it was released, and I must admit I still confuse it with Alex Cross and I don't really care about any of them to tell the truth.
Very solid weekend overall, at least for the top three. Haven't seen Django yet; I'm going tomorrow afternoon. Watching Inglourious Basterds tonight in anticipation, though it'll have to wait 'til after the Washington-Dallas game. Saw Les Mis Friday night...moments of greatness but overall it was not good. I didn't remotely care about any of the supporting characters in the second half...which was absolutely glacial and incredibly anticlimactic. After seeing it I don't see how it can win Best Picture, 'cause I don't see how it would appeal to anyone who doesn't already love the book or the musical. They should have cut out 40 minutes worth of songs that did nothing for the story and worked on developing the characters instead of just expecting you to care about them 'cause they're young and pretty and in dumb love.
Next weekend I think Texas Chainsaw takes it. Last year and R rated horror took the first weekend in January; there are never any big horror films across the holidays and I think audiences get starved for them. Of course it was an exorcism movie, which are far more popular than straight up slasher films now. But I don't know who would win it otherwise...I expect each of the top three to drop pretty hard. None of them is a True Grit type film.