Friday Box Office Analysis
by Tim Briody
July 12, 2014
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
The Planet of the Apes sequel comes in with a solid $27.7 million on Friday. That's a healthy increase from the $19.5 million Rise of the Planet of the Apes started with. This is even higher than the $25 million Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes remake earned on opening day all the way back in 2001. Again we see how the quality of the previous film sells tickets to the sequel.
Dawn benefited from some of the strongest reviews of the summer, and in something you don't see often among summer tentpoles, the word "intelligent" is being tossed around. Somewhat even more surprising is that the high concept is being rewarded with a strong opening. Perhaps I've just become too cynical, but good job, audiences. A weekend of $72 million is very good in what's been a relatively disappointing summer season.
Notable Holdovers
If the Friday-to-Friday drops don't look that bad, that's because last Friday was July 4th, and box office figures are depressed, especially when it falls on a Friday or Saturday (like happens next year). Tammy dropped 37% from last Friday to $4 million, but a second weekend of $12.4 million is its likely fate this weekend.
Elsewhere, Transformers: Age of Extinction drops another 54% to $4.9 million, meaning it took 16 days of box office to cross $200 million, something that took the previous entries 12, five and eight days respectively. At least there's all that China box office to fall back on. Give Trans4mers another $15.3 million for the weekend.
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Projected Estimates for the Top Ten (Three-Day)
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Projected
Rank |
Film |
Estimated Gross |
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1
|
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
|
72.0
|
|
2
|
Transformers: Age of Extinction
|
15.3
|
|
3
|
Tammy
|
12.4
|
|
4
|
22 Jump Street
|
6.1
|
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5
|
Earth to Echo
|
5.6
|
|
6
|
How To Train Your Dragon 2
|
5.4
|
|
7
|
Deliver Us From Evil
|
4.5
|
|
8
|
Maleficent
|
3.8
|
|
9
|
Begin Again
|
2.6
|
|
10
|
Think Like a Man Too
|
2.3
|
|
|
|
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