Weekend actuals Journey 2: 27,35m/Star Wars: 22,47m/SH: 40,17m/ The Vow: 41,20m

[Caboose]

If Ghost Rider 2 opens to 40m, all bets are off, man.

[TLK]

Denzel's movies may not open as big or gross as much as other actors like Smith, Cruise, Ford and Hanks have( and occasionally still do ) but I'd argue that he's been more consistent than any of those guys have been over their careers.

I agree. I looked at his movie grosses over past ten years and my conclusion is that if you can make a 60-70 million dollar action movie with Denzel you will make money. There are very,very few actors who are this consistent and it explains why he is one of the highest paid actors despite not starring in 200-300 million blockbusters.

[Dav]

Ghost Rider still has no shot at 40M. In fact I'm still saying it'll be under 20M

[mdot1982]

I wonder how The Vow will do on Valentines day !!! Or are they going to have another crappy ensemble class orgie that has no substance !?!

[rockNrollaDIM]

Safe House is most shocking/impressive and that's saying alot considering The Vow's opening weekend. Hugely impressive weekend. Hope both can reach 120m+

[rockNrollaDIM]

Not buying Ghost Rider next weekend though. I think it will be under 25m.

[RichWS]

Seems people are pretty split on Ghost Rider. I can't wait to see what happens.

[ecstasy]

Ghost Rider will have a good opening (over 30m) but what happens after that will be anybody's guess. People are gonna go see it just because it's Ghost Rider.

[Captain Craig]

Remember all our "analysts" here were taken by surprise on Safe House so saying Ghost Rider 2 can't/won't open above $25m(for 4-days) by the same people has to be taken with a grain of salt. Given the very recent performances of late.

[Bond Bug]

This can only mean one thing - the American economy is really picking up steam.

[BK007]

At best that affects a movie's gross by 5%, all of that put together.

So if the economy was down 90% YOY, unemployment up by 250% and the weather -25, would people still go out to the cinema?Sorry because I don't believe "quality" has anything to do with it. 2011 had the best average in I'm not sure how long and it sold the worst since 1995. Take that disproved argument out of circulation. Edited February 14, 2012 by BK007

[Cochofles]

Bingo. People don't suddenly go more to theaters because the calender year has switched from 2011 to 2012.

Absolutely. Even after all the very well-informed posts I have seen explaining certain things, I am still not buying this whole "THE BOX OFFiCE IS IN AN UPSWING! OMG! GR WILL MAKE 150 m, AVENGERS WILL OPEN WITH 200 M, et al" thing. It all comes down to films that make people want to see them, at least on opening weekend. I am not feeling this GR thing.

[TLK]

I am pretty sure that consumer confidence is playing a big part. A movie like Safe House is a perfect example. It is a Denzel Washington movie so I don't think it would've bombed in October-November but I don't see it opening above 30 million 4 months ago. It is a generic action thriller and a lot of people would've given it a pass. Two 40+ million openers, neither very well reviewed in the month of February speaks for itself.

[Captain Craig]

Absolutely. Even after all the very well-informed posts I have seen explaining certain things, I am still not buying this whole "THE BOX OFFiCE IS IN AN UPSWING! OMG! GR WILL MAKE 150 m, AVENGERS WILL OPEN WITH 200 M, et al" thing. It all comes down to films that make people want to see them, at least on opening weekend. I am not feeling this GR thing.

Hold the phone, no one here that I've seen is saying GR2 is doing $150m. Just that based on the year so far where few, if any, felt The Devil Inside, Underworld Awakening(in it's 4th film) or Safe House doing as well as they've done would happen they did.

And objectively looking at Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance has plenty in common with TDI & UA so check your feelings and go with the logic trend of numbers for now.

[egoplant]

Great weekend. The best in quite a while.

[Fake]

Safe House ended over 40M. Very nice.Can BatB still get 50M?

[Cochofles]

I am pretty sure that consumer confidence is playing a big part. A movie like Safe House is a perfect example. It is a Denzel Washington movie so I don't think it would've bombed in October-November but I don't see it opening above 30 million 4 months ago. It is a generic action thriller and a lot of people would've given it a pass. Two 40+ million openers, neither very well reviewed in the month of February speaks for itself.

And what it says is that the films happened to appeal to a lot of people.

[Cochofles]

Hold the phone, no one here that I've seen is saying GR2 is doing $150m. Just that based on the year so far where few, if any, felt The Devil Inside, Underworld Awakening(in it's 4th film) or Safe House doing as well as they've done would happen they did.

And objectively looking at Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance has plenty in common with TDI & UA so check your feelings and go with the logic trend of numbers for now.

The only logic I go by is this: Those films appealed to a lot of people, therefore they made solid money. Nothing to do with being 2012, 2009 0r 1987.

[Elessar]

So if the economy was down 90% YOY, unemployment up by 250% and the weather -25, would people still go out to the cinema?Sorry because I don't believe "quality" has anything to do with it. 2011 had the best average in I'm not sure how long and it sold the worst since 1995. Take that disproved argument out of circulation.

But that's the thing, these things don't shift suddenly by a huge amount, they develop gradually over time.Appeal is the right word and it has a lot to do with it.

[John Marston]

I believe there is something going on right now. I don't believe if a movie like Safe House released in October of last year it would have made as much money.