Box Office 2011

Box Office 2011 - January

May 8 2011 6:23am

Box Office for American movies haven't been kind lately, still some of them shined brightly.
Let's have a look on which movies were able to connect with audience in January 2011.
This might not look an ideal time for reports on January but some of the movies have just finished their Overseas run.

SEASON OF THE WITCH
Didn't open as well domestically and didn't have much energy left even with open market.
Synopsis: 14th-century knights transport a suspected witch to a monastery, where monks deduce her powers could be the source of the Black Plague.
Production Budget: $40 million
Opening Weekend : $10.6 million ($10,612,375)
Domestic Total : $24.8 million ($24,827,228)
Overseas Total: $59.3 million
WorldWide Total: $84.1 million ($84,127,228)
VERDICT: FLOP (Financial SUCCESS thanks to Overseas business)

BLUE VALENTINE
Not sure what happened here. This has good reviews, good release date and very great time as Oscar touted movies were doing so well. It never peaked and wasn't given a huge push for a wider release (450 theaters was the widest). Still for a 1m budget it did excellent.
Synopsis: The film centers on a contemporary married couple, charting their evolution over a span of years by cross-cutting between time periods.
Production Budget: 1 million
Opening Weekend: $193,728
Domestic Total: $9.7 million ($9,706,328)
Overseas Total: $2.6 million ($2,649,406)
WorldWide Total: $12.3 million ($12,355,734)
VERDICT: ABOVE AVERAGE

COUNTRY STRONG
Aimed to be last year's Crazy Heart the fell short of expectations with good expansion and an Oscar Nod.
Synopsis: A drama centered on a rising country-music songwriter Beau who sparks with Kelly a fallen star. Together, they mount his ascent and her comeback, which leads to romantic complications with James her husband/manager and Chiles, a beauty queen-turned-singer.
Production Budget: $15 million
Opening Weekend (Wide): $7.3 million ($7,326,165)
Domestic Total: $20.2 million ($20,218,921)
Overseas Total: Not released
WorldWide Total: $20.2 million ($20,218,921)
VERDICT: AVERAGE

THE DILEMMA
Poor performance! This was supposed to be the biggest movie but it made half of the biggest January movie.
Synopsis: Ronny discovers that his best friend's wife is having an affair.
Production Budget: $70 million
Opening Weekend: $17.8 million ($17,816,230)
Domestic Total: $48.4 ($48,475,290)
Overseas Total: $18.6 ($18,637,374)
WorldWide Total: $67.1 ($67,112,664)
VERDICT: FLOP

THE GREEN HORNET
This could have done worst but the last minute push helped it make close to its budget. The run itself was not as good given that competition was weak. The reviews weren't too kind as well.
Synopsis: Following the death of his father, Britt Reid, heir to his father's large company, teams up with his late dad's assistant Kato to become a masked crime fighting team.
Production Budget: $120 million
Opening Weekend: $33.5 million ($33,526,876)
Domestic Total: $98.7 million ($98,780,042)
Overseas Total: $129.5 ($129,526,126)
WorldWide Total: $228.3 ($228,306,168)
VERDICT: SEMI SUCCESS (thanks to OS total)

BARNEY'S VERSION
To be fair this was a limited release still no one cared for it even with the Oscar nomination it received. There was no point pushing this forward to more theaters
Synopsis: The picaresque and touching story of the politically incorrect, fully lived life of the impulsive, irascible and fearlessly blunt Barney Panofsky.
Production Budget: $30 million
Opening Weekend: $65,241
Domestic Total: $4.4 million ($4,397,205)
Overseas Total: $4.1 million ($4,016,256)
WorldWide Total: $8.4 million ($8,413,461)
VERDICT: FLOP

BLACK SWAN
This became a monster from a low budget Indie movie. Aronofsky and Portman sailed this through Oscar season. Everything about its expansion was correct, almost perfect
Synopsis: A ballet dancer wins the lead in "Swan Lake" and is perfect for the role of the delicate White Swan - Princess Odette - but slowly loses her mind as she becomes more and more like Odile, the Black Swan.
Production Budget: $13 million
Opening Weekend (Wide): $8.3 million ($8,383,479)
Domestic Total: $106.9 million ($106,954,678)
Overseas Total: $191.4 million ($191,413,664)
WorldWide Total: $266.7 million ($298,368,342)
VERDICT: SUPER SUCCESS

THE KING'S SPEECH
Text book expansion for an Oscar winner hitting the right spots at the right time. This is the leggiest run of 2011 till date.
Synopsis: The story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it.
Production Budget: $15 million
Opening Weekend (Wide): $4.4 million ($4,484,352)
Domestic Total: $138.5 million ($138,589,927)
Overseas Total: $266.7 million ($266,721,212)
WorldWide Total: $405.3 million ($405,311,139)
VERDICT: SUPER SUCCESS

RABBIT HOLE
This wasn't really given a fair chance at expansion (131 theaters widest). The reviews were good but its failure to connect with audience can be attributed to the two above movies.
Synopsis: Becca and Howie Corbett are a happily married couple whose perfect world is forever changed when their young son, Danny, is killed by a car.
Production Budget: $5 million
Opening Weekend: $53,778
Domestic Total: $2.2 million ($2,229,058)
Overseas Total: $1.1 million ($1,180,722)
WorldWide Total: $3.4 million ($3,409,780)
VERDICT: BELOW AVERAGE (Not a FLOP because limited released movies do a little better in DVD sales)

NO STRING ATTACHED
Even though Portman really helped this movie, still the legs were really good for a Romantic comedy
Synopsis: A guy and girl try to keep their relationship strictly physical, but it's not long before they learn that they want something more.
Production Budget: $25 million
Opening Weekend: $19.6 million ($19,652,921)
Domestic Total: $70.6 million ($70,662,220)
Overseas Total: $75 million ($75,026,219)
WorldWide Total: $145.6 million ($145,688,439)
VERDICT: SUCCESS

THE WAY BACK
This aimed big at Oscars but failed to find audience. The reviews weren't kind as well, though it did receive one Oscar nod.
Synopsis: The struggles of Siberian gulag escapees who walk 4000 miles overland to freedom in India.
Production Budget: $30 million
Opening Weekend: $1.2 million ($1,218,868)
Domestic Total: $2.7 million ($2,701,859)
Overseas Total: $17.6 million ($17,646,390)
WorldWide Total: $20.3 million ($20,348,249)
VERDICT: FLOP

THE COMPANY MEN
This was dumped into theaters and the results were obvious, though it wasn't given chances with expansioin or Overseas release for that matter.
Synopsis: The story centers on a year in the life of three men trying to survive a round of corporate downsizing at a major company - and how that affects them, their families, and their communities.
Production Budget: $15 million
Opening Weekend: $647,797
Domestic Total: $4.4 million ($4,417,481)
Overseas Total: $441,305
WorldWide Total: $4.8 million ($4,858,786)
VERDICT: FLOP

THE MECHANIC
This could have done much better. The reviews weren't bad but the movie did not travel distances outside Stathom fans
Synopsis:Follows an elite hit man as he teaches his trade to an apprentice who has a connection to one of his previous victims.
Production Budget: $40 million
Opening Weekend: $11.4 million ($11,422,006)
Domestic Total: $29.1 million ($29,121,498)
Overseas Total: $21.9 million ($21,949,309)
WorldWide Total: $51 million ($51,070,807)
VERDICT: BELOW AVERAGE

THE RITE
It met all expectations and blew past the same in Overseas markets. The budget though could have been controlled a little bit.
Synopsis: An American seminary student travels to Italy to take an exorcism course, when he does not believe in Devil and God.
Production Budget: $37 million
Opening Weekend: $14.7 million ($14,789,393)
Domestic Total: $33 million ($33,047,633)
Overseas Total: $63 million ($63,000,000)
WorldWide Total: $96 million ($96,047,633)
VERDICT: AVERAGE

127 HOURS
Its run is disappointing considering it had the team behind Slumdog Millionaire. When other Oscar movies were doing gangbusters this was unable to find audience
Synopsis: A mountain climber becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive.
Production Budget: $18 million
Opening Weekend (Wide): $2.1 million ($2,136,801)
Domestic Total: $18.3 million ($18,335,230)
Overseas Total: $39.2 million ($39,212,338)
WorldWide Total: $57.5 million ($57,547,568)
VERDICT: BELOW AVERAGE

January 2011 at a total of $753 million domestic gross was down at an alarming -28.9% from January 2010 which was riding on Avatar with $933.9 million.
Due to a very strong first quarter, 2010 grossed more each weekend compared to 2011.
The lesser Box office is expected to continue till mid-April when 2011 will start to fire up the box-office.
Check out more on my next one Box Office 2011 - February

Total Comments: 11

Jack Sparrow May 8 2011 12:14pm

Finally done! Click on the images for Official website links or trailers. Hope you like it.

Karl Schneider May 8 2011 4:30pm

Wow, this is a really cool article.

I love being able to look through and see the final grosses, totals in each area, etc. As someone who's not a box office guru, I enjoyed reading your thoughts on each movie. Was left wanting more at the end regarding how you thought the month as a whole did.

MovieDude May 8 2011 4:40pm

I would call The Rite a success in terms of its surprisingly storm international gross... But I think you're mainly referring to domestic totals. A tad confusing.

Bluebomb May 8 2011 5:03pm

Agreed with most except for Season of the Witch and 127 Hours. I know you put "Financial Success" in brackets for SOTW but shouldn't it be labeled as average? It did make back it's production budget.

127 Hours is average judging by the totals. Made back its budget and then a bit more. I think the premise of the movie turned people off. Who wants to watch one guy trying to break free from a rock/talking to himself for 2 hours? I don't think it really mattered who helmed the picture because the subject matter didn't do the movie any favours.

Overall though, I think you did a great job. I enjoy your verdicts but I want to see a bit more explanation on some of the not-so-obvious verdicts.

Jack Sparrow May 8 2011 5:39pm

Internationally most of American movies are breaking even, but that does not mean that every movie is doing AVERAGE. Do remember that both domestically and Internationally the movie actually earns 50%-55% of its total gross.

I do agree that I should add more explanation about the Verdict, cause it can be very confusing

Verdict is dependent on the genre of the movie for some it is with just with Domestic runs. For example Blue Valentine even with Award nominations is never expected to be huge outside America

For some you have to agree that they are made for Overseas audience. Fox example Season of the Witch which was expected to do better outside US, (though it did not)

For the rest Verdict is a mix of both Domestic and Overseas. For example 127 Hours and The Green Hornet, both were supposed to do appeal audiences Worldwide.

Bluebomb May 8 2011 6:00pm

Ok, now I'm even more confused.

I didn't label every movie as average. Season of the Witch I labelled as such because it made back it's production budget (84 / 2).

It also doesn't explain why you labelled it a "FLOP" in your post but you concentrated on SOTW overseas "Season of the Witch which was expected to do better outside US, (though it did not)". If so, then it shouldn't be a flop. In your words, it should be a "financial success".

If 127 Hours is supposed to appeal worldwide, then shouldn't you look at the WW total before declaring it "below average"? Judging from the WW total then it should be declared AVERAGE right?

David May 8 2011 7:03pm

I disagree with a few points in the article, I must admit. For example, The Way Back was well-received by critics. It's sitting comfortably above 70% on Rotten Tomatoes.

David May 8 2011 7:07pm

But I do like the article. Good idea. And I agree with pretty much all of the verdicts.

BK May 8 2011 7:18pm

lol @ the Dilemma. Howard, James and Vaughn and a $70m budget hahaha

It's kind of terrific King's Speech and Black Swan did so well.

I'd even argue that is a strong OS total for 127 Hours.

Also let's face it Blue Valentine, Barney's Version, Rabbit Hole and Company Men aren't exactly the type to do well OS without 1) Oscar buzz 2) uplifting stories (also Way Back whose greater OS total can also be attributed to taking place OS) In fact, a movie like Company Men, I mean, who would really want to see that? And it cost $15m? Yikes.

David May 8 2011 8:39pm

15 mil. strikes me as a fantastic budget for a movie with Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner, and Maria Bello. Quite a cast. And I saw it. It's a really good film with a lot of integrity. It'll be a sad day when there's no market for small, intelligent, non-fantasy/action films.

Patrick Ferrara May 15 2011 6:24am

Yeah with all this formatting i'm sure it took a long time jack, only consolation is it looks real purdy! Me likey. I also dig the monthly total at the bottom and the year-over-year comparison, nice box office data that doesn't usually get highlighted.

Jack Sparrow

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