HOBBIT NO. 1 EXPECTED TO SET BOX-OFFICE RECORD

Pundits are all over Middle Earth with predictions about how well The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will do at the box office this weekend. Virtually all of them are predicting a December record, but their estimates range from $75-90 million to $120-140 million. The movie, wrote the Los Angeles Times, which predicted the latter amount, […]

KNIGHT EXPECTED TO RISE AGAIN

Tonight’s (Friday) opening ceremonies of the London Olympics and the weekend Olympic events telecasts will probably present a greater obstacle for Warner Bros.’ The Dark Knight Rises than the aftermath of last weekend’s shooting in Aurora, CO at a theater showing the movie, box-office gurus are predicting. Offering little in the way of competition, they […]

HOW HIGH WILL THE LATEST DARK KNIGHT RISE?

Warner Bros.’ The Dark Knight Rises is generating a prodigious number of discussions on social networks and in-theater trackers have suggested that it may be the one film that virtually every regular moviegoer is determined to see this summer. Today’s (Tuesday) Hollywood Reporter observed that studio executives are “abuzz” over the strength of tracking for […]

A FEAST OF PLENTY AT THE BOX OFFICE

There have been scattered releases throughout the week of the some half-dozen films that are opening over the Christmas holiday — but two films aren’t opening until Christmas Day itself, the 3D horror/sci-fi film The Darkest Hour and Steven Spielberg’s War Horse. It’s hard to figure out why those two films aren’t making it into […]

BOX OFFICE RESULTS ARE DOWNRIGHT PARANORMAL (Updated)

Box-office pundits could use a few more paranormal powers these days. Many, if not most, of their predictions have turned out to be wide of the mark in recent weeks, this weekend included. To be sure, they had predicted that Paranormal Activity 3 would be the top ticket seller, but their sales forecasts ranged from […]