‘Frozen’ fells latest from ‘Paranormal Activity’ franchise

It might be time for the guys behind Paranormal Activity to switch off the camera and call it a day. The Marked Ones, the fifth installment in the found-footage horror series, had the franchise’s softest opening this past Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The weekend’s only new release grossed $18.2 million, which is over $10 million less than its predecessor, Paranormal Activity 4 (itself a disappointment when compared with its predecessor, Paranormal Activity 3, and that film’s $52.7 million opening). With a low Cinemascore rating of a “C-,” The Marked Ones isn’t expected to remain in theatres for long and will most likely top out at around $35 million. Luckily for Paramount, however, the film cost just $5 million to make.  Even with a weak box-office performance, the movie should still turn a small profit.

There’s nothing small about the kind of numbers Disney’s Frozen continues to pull in. Once again, the princess musical earned the weekend’s highest gross. Frozen is the first movie since Avatar to take the No. 1 slot its sixth weekend in theatres. It raked in $20.7 million domestically and officially crossed the $600 million mark internationally. But how does the movie’s theatrical endurance compare with other, past offerings from The Mouse House? It is now Disney Animation Studio’s second most successful film of all time, just behind The Lion King, and the fourth most successful original animated film. In other words, like its two female leads, Frozen holds its own.

 

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug failed to hold onto its standing as one of the weekend’s top two earners. The second Lord of the Rings prequel grossed $16.3 million to clock in at No. 3, just behind Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones. So far, Smaug has taken in almost $229.6 million domestically and over $500 million internationally, boasting a total worldwide cume of $756.6 million.

Surprising several pundits, and to the great dismay of those who believe the film glorifies the excesses of its frat-boy financiers, The Wolf of Wall Street took the No. 4 spot, earning $13.4 million. Wolf’s domestic finances now stand at $63.3 million. If the 3-hour movie continues to reap the benefits of the press attention lavished on its detractors, and if it does manage to pull in a few Oscar nominations, the film is looking at a total gross of $100 million by the time it leaves theatres.

 

One ‘70's-themed ensemble edged out another for the weekend’s No. 5 spot, with American Hustle taking the prize. The David O. Russell dramedy out-grossed Anchorman 2 to earn $13.2 million, bumping its domestic total to a figure just shy of $90 million. Ron Burgundy and his comedic cohorts drew enough viewers to earn $11.1 million. The successful sequel has now earned a (would you expect anything less?) classy $109.2 million.

‘Paranormal Activity’ to scare up weekend business

Though 2013 ended on a high note earlier this week – domestic sales tallied out at almost $11 billion for the year – the first weekend of 2014 will likely be a quiet one.  The Marked Ones, the fifth installment in the popular Paranormal Activity horror franchise, is the only new release opening today. The first PA film was a surprise hit and a testament to the power of word-of-mouth buzz. The micro-budgeted flick, released in 2007, earned $107.9 million and is still the series’ most successful movie. Paranormal Activity 2 grossed $84.8 million in 2010, while Paranormal 3 has come the closest yet to matching the first film’s haul, raking in $104 million in 2011. Paranormal Activity 4, however, which opened in 2012, took in roughly half its predecessor’s total, earning just $53.9 million.

This time around, the filmmakers are hoping to utilize the power of demographics. The lead actors in The Marked Ones are Latino, perhaps a direct casting nod to the series’ fans: Latinos tend to make up a large percentage of horror-movie audiences. Not to mention, with the success of recent films targeted toward Latino viewers, such as Instructions Not Included, Hollywood in general seems to be wising up to the power (i.e. the willingness to spend) of this previously underserved group. Besides a shift in players, though, it’s supernatural business as usual, with previews emphasizing unsettling video footage, the franchise’s hallmark.

Pundits are predicting a haul of just under $25 million for Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones. Expectations have been softened by the weekend’s Northeastern snowstorm, which many believe will keep viewers inside, where their VOD, DVDs and Netflix are more readily accessible.

A good portion of those who are brave enough to weather the elements in search of off-the-couch entertainment, though, will in all likelihood opt for Disney’s grand success story, Frozen. This weekend will mark the animated musical’s sixth in theatres, and it’s still going strong. Strong enough to win the No. 2 slot just beneath The Marked Ones, according to those in the know. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will probably clock in at No. 3, followed by Oscar and fan favorite American Hustle, with Anchorman 2 rounding out the top 5. Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street may be able to leverage recent controversy and prurient interest in its subject matter to sneak its way into the No. 5 slot, just ahead of Burgundy and his much more harmless coterie of buffoons, but given Street’s low Cinemascore rating  of a “C”, that seems unlikely.

 

'Puss in Boots' prepares to conquer box office

By Sarah Sluis

Paramount pushed the release of Puss in Boots (3,952 theatres) forward one week, making the CG-animated feature the first so-called "holiday" movie poised to take advantage of mounting ticket sales around Thanksgiving. Though the Shrek spin-off may post lower returns opening weekend because many kids will be celebrating Halloween in advance of the Monday holiday, prognosticators believe the movie should earn $35-39 million, with a decent chance of topping $40 million. 72% of the screens will be in 3D, apparently with good reason. In Todd McCarthy's THR review, he "enthusiastically recommended" a 3D viewing, noting that "the filmmakers have diligently applied themselves to conceiving the shots...[to] make use of 3D as a constructive tool and not just a gimmick."

Coming off its $54 million opening last week, Paranormal Activity 3 should continue to hold strong and grab the number two spot, especially as people celebrate the spooky holiday with a spine-tingling thrill ride.

The sci-fi actioner In Time (3,122 theatres) is tracking to open slightly above $10 million. Only 35% of Rotten Tomatoes critics gave positive ratings, but they may hold less sway among the under 25s who are showing the most interest in seeing the movie, which stars Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried as people living in a world where no one ages after they turn twenty-five, allowing those with money to live forever.

Fans of Hunter S. Thompson, especially college students, should turn out in force for The Rum Diary (2,272 theatres), which stars Johnny Depp. The rollicking drama, which was delayed for some time, should earn slightly over or under the $10 million mark. David Noh praised the "glamour, wit and surprising adventure," which the movie "delivers in spades."

The Shakespeare action-drama Anonymous was supposed to open wide, but Sony made an unusual last-minute decision to cut back the release to just 265 theatres. THR's Kirk Honeycutt liked the movie, but his summary is enough the count me out. "The film grabs at historical facts, mangles them into a plot worthy of a John le Carr spy novel and takes the viewer on a breathtaking ride through ye olde London," he says of the "rousing" period drama.

Sundance pickup Like Crazy will open in four theatres. The jump cut-laden romance exudes realism and also unfolds unpredictably. Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin star in the indie, which may be worth seeing in a theatre. The crowd I saw the romance with had audible reactions to scenes, which always makes the moviegoing experience more enjoyable.

Janie Jones will open in New York and Seattle. The Tribeca Film Festival selection centers on a rock star and his teen daughter (Abigail Breslin) by a groupie. When the mother drops out of the picture, father and daughter bond.

On Monday we'll see if pre-Halloween festivities brought down the opening weekend of Puss in Boots or boosted the performance of Paranormal Activity 3.

'Paranormal Activity 3' freakishly successful with $54 million opening weekend

By Sarah Sluis

Paranormal Activity 3 was this weekend's success story, earning $54 million and the title of biggest fall weekend. The horror franchise appears to have taken the mantle from the Saw franchise, which had a seven-movie run before sitting out the Halloween season this year. Rotten Tomatoes critics rated the movie 71% positive, which is high for a horror movie, and especially a horror sequel. Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, the directing duo behind Sundance documentary splash Catfish, which critic Maitland McDonagh called a "master class in blurring the line between fiction and documentary," applied their skills to the found footage-styled film with aplomb. The third installment will likely pass $100 million, the same as the first movie, and ensure there will be a Paranormal Activity 4 next Halloween.

Last year, Warner Bros. and Summit both had plans for a movie about the three musketeers, but Summit's Three Musketeers 3D won the game of chicken by speeding up production and shifting forward the release date to April 2011 (Well, that didn't happen). But it appears Warner Bros. and would-be director Doug Liman may have the last laugh, because Summit's swashbuckling drama debuted to just $8.8 million. Overseas, audiences were more receptive, but in the U.S. the movie found support only among older male viewers.

Americans don't always get the British sense of humor, so it's no wonder the English spy comedy Johnny English Reborn fell flat in front of U.S. audiences, barely ticking up to $3.8 million. Canadians, a former colony who still share the Queen with England, were more receptive to the antics of Rowan Atkinson, showing above-average receipts.

The market for faith-based movies like Courageous and The Blind Side has been hot, but that doesn't mean every God-inflected film is a winner. The Mighty Macs, which combines faith and sports, opened with just $1.1 million. Meanwhile, Courageous finished four spots higher even though it's in its fourth week, earning $2.5 million.

Opening on the wide side for a specialty film with 56 screens, Margin Call finished with $582,000, a few times the average Wall Street bonus. The drama, which centers on a critical 24 hours early in the financial crisis, has topicality on its side.

A movie about a cult and starring a previously unknown Olsen sister? Count me in. Sundance favorite Martha Marcy May Marlene averaged $35,000 per screen at four locations, a sign the indie will play well in coming weeks. Though it doesn't have much publicity, the documentary Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey finished with $25,000 on its single screen, which probably would make Elmo himself shriek with glee. The movie has played very well on the festival circuit, so perhaps tiny distributor Submarine Deluxe can turn the movie's great opening weekend into a sustained, high-grossing run.

This Friday, the sci-fi offering In Time goes up against Johnny Depp in The Rum Diary and what's sure to be a CG-animated behemoth, Puss in Boots.