Studio Report: Paramount Easily Tops Second Quarter
Thanks to week after week of uninteresting, poorly marketed movies, the box office took a huge hit in the second quarter of 2010, all but erasing the massive gains seen during the first quarter. The situation has been so dire that each of the big six studios experienced decreases in revenue compared to the same quarter last year. Some fared better than others: Paramount Pictures easily led the way and became the first studio this year to cross the $1 billion mark. Overall box office was down around three percent versus second quarter 2009.
1. Paramount
Total Gross: $707.8 million
Market Share: 26.1%
Movies tracked: 7
% Change from Last year: -0.5%
Rank change (year-to-year): —
Rank change (last quarter): +3
Year-to-date (rank): $1,008 million (1)
Q2 Analysis: Iron Man 2 led the way for Paramount with $307.5 million, though it has little chance of surpassing its predecessor Iron Man. Shrek Forever After was next in line with $231.1 million, but will go down as by far the lowest-grossing and least-attended entry in the series. Paramount did have one relative over-performer with How to Train Your Dragon. Thanks to exceptional word-of-mouth, the movie continued to play well throughout April and May, earning $157.8 million of its $215.7 million total in the second quarter. Paramount leads all studios in 2010 thus far and crossed the $1 billion mark last Thursday, June 24, the 175th day of the year. That was the second-fastest a studio has ever reached that milestone, with Paramount's 2008 slate hitting it a day sooner. It's important to note, though, that Paramount was only the distributor on Iron Man 2, Shrek 4 and Dragon and did not produce them.
Q3 Releases: The Last Airbender (July 1), Grease (Sing-a-Long re-issue) (July 8), Dinner for Schmucks (July 30), Middle Men (Aug. 6)
2. Walt Disney
Total Gross: $450.4 million
Market Share: 16.6%
Movies tracked: 9
% Change from Last year: -1%
Rank change (year-to-year): +1
Rank change (last quarter): +1
Year-to-date (rank): $819.9 million (4)
Q2 Analysis: While it was released late in the quarter, Toy Story 3 was far and away the champ among Walt Disney Pictures' lineup, grossing $251.3 million through its first 13 days, which trailed only Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest through the same point among past Disney titles. Unfortunately, Disney's other new entries weren't nearly as impressive. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has thus far earned just $87.2 million, a lousy number considering its franchise aspirations. The Last Song made $57.7 million of its $62.8 million during the quarter, which was solid for its genre, while Disneynature documentary Oceans managed just $19.3 million, a far cry from Earth's $32 million a year earlier.
Q3 Releases: The Sorcerer's Apprentice (July 14), Step Up 3-D (Aug. 6), Tales from Earthsea (Aug. 13), You Again (Sept. 24)
3. Warner Bros.
Total Gross: $382.4 million
Market Share: 14.1%
Movies tracked: 15
% Change from Last year: -21%
Rank change (year-to-year): -1
Rank change (last quarter): -1
Year-to-date (rank): $854.6 million (3)
Q2 Analysis: Warner Bros. started the quarter with the bang of Clash of the Titans (2010), which mustered over $162 million. However, the rest of the quarter was fairly rough. Sex and the City 2 fell far short of its predecessor with $93.6 million. A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) has gathered $62.9 million, solid for a horror remake but far from a breakout success. These middling performers look like monster hits compared to rest of the lineup: The Losers lived up its name, grossing just $23.6 million. Splice was even worse, petering out at $16.3 million. Finally, Jonah Hex will likely go down as the biggest failure of the summer, scrounging up a pathetic $9.8 million through its first 13 days.
Q3 Releases: Inception (July 16), Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore (July 30), Flipped (Aug. 6), Lottery Ticket (Aug. 20), Going the Distance (Aug. 27), The Town (Sept. 17), Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (Aug. 24)
4. Sony
Total Gross: $264.8 million
Market Share: 9.8%
Movies tracked: 5
% Change from Last year: -9%
Rank change (year-to-year): +2
Rank change (last quarter): +2
Year-to-date (rank): $443.2 million (5)
Analysis: With Death at a Funeral as their sole new release, April and May were slow times for Sony Pictures. The comedy remake made $42.6 million, but things heated up in June when Sony unleashed The Karate Kid. In less than three weeks, the remake has earned $141.8 million, making it the seventh-highest grossing movie of the year so far. Grown Ups closed out the quarter with a solid $54.5 million in just six days, setting it up to be yet another $100+ million hit for Adam Sandler and Sony.
Q3 Releases: Salt (July 23), The Other Guys (Aug. 6), Eat Pray Love (Aug. 13), Takers (Aug. 27), Resident Evil: Afterlife (in 3D) (Sept. 10), Easy A (Sept. 17)
5. 20th Century Fox
Total Gross: $264.1 million
Market Share: 9.8%
Movies tracked: 10
% Change from Last year: -28%
Rank change (year-to-year): -1
Rank change (last quarter): -4
Year-to-date (rank): $1,006.5 million (2)
Q2 Analysis: Thanks almost entirely to Avatar's incredible run, 20th Century Fox dominated the first quarter of 2010. As Avatar slowed, though, so did Fox's earnings, which fell 64 percent from the first quarter. Topped by Date Night's $97.4 million, Fox holds the unfortunate distinction of being the only major studio without a $100 million movie during the quarter. The A-Team' $65.5 million was its next biggest title, but it was weak by summer action standards. Knight & Day had a worse launch, earning $33.5 million in its first eight days. Finally, Marmaduke's $30.4 million qualifies it as one of the lowest-grossing talking animal movies in recent memory. In spite of its poor second quarter, Fox passed $1 billion for 2010 this past Monday, which is the fastest that any studio besides Paramount has ever reached that milestone.
Q3 Releases: Predators (July 9), Ramona and Beezus (July 23), Vampires Suck (Aug. 8), Machete (Sept. 3), Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (Sept. 24)
6. Universal
Total Gross: $173 million
Market Share: 6.4%
Movies tracked: 7
% Change from Last year: -42%
Rank change (year-to-year): -1
Rank change (last quarter): -1
Year-to-date (rank): $378.1 million (6)
Q2 Analysis: After a first quarter riddled with disappointments, Universal Pictures finally found some success with Robin Hood, which grossed $103.5 million through the end of June. While far from a blockbuster, it still ranked as the second-highest grossing medieval movie ever. Get Him to the Greek was also relatively solid, tracking in line with its predecessor Forgetting Sarah Marshall with a $56 million haul. Universal did release one disaster, MacGruber, which bombed out with just $8.5 million.
Q3 Releases: Despicable Me (July 9), Charlie St. Cloud (July 30), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Aug. 13), Nanny McPhee Returns (Aug. 20), The Adjustment Bureau (Sept. 17)
7. Lionsgate
Total Gross: $152.8 million
Market Share: 5.6%
Movies tracked: 3
% Change from Last year: +230%
Rank change (year-to-year): —
Rank change (last quarter): —
Year-to-date (rank): $238.6 million (7)
Q2 Analysis: As is often the case, Lionsgate finished the quarter just behind the major studios. Its top movie was Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too?, which became Perry's third-highest grossing movie ever with $60.1 million. Kick-Ass failed to live up to its Comic-Con hype, earning $48.1 million. Finally, Killers fared decently, though its $44.6 million was low compared to recent Katherine Heigl movies The Ugly Truth and 27 Dresses.
Q3 Releases: The Expendables (Aug. 13), The Last Exorcism (Aug. 27), Alpha and Omega (Sept. 17), Buried (Sept. 24—limited)
8. Summit
Total Gross: $145.5 million
Market Share: 5.4%
Movies tracked: 7
% Change from Last year: +215%
Rank change (year-to-year): —
Rank change (last quarter): +2
Year-to-date (rank): $188.9 million (8)
Q2 Analysis: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse may have opened on the last day of the quarter, but its $68.5 million first day nearly equaled what Summit generated previously in the quarter. Besides Eclipse, Summit had some success with Letters to Juliet, which has to this point made $50 million. The studio did have one noteworthy misstep, though, as Furry Vengeance earned a paltry $17.4 million.
Q3 Releases: None
9. CBS Films
Total Gross: $37.3 million
Market Share: 1.4%
Movies tracked: 1
% Change from Last year: n/a
Rank change (year-to-year): n/a
Rank change (last quarter): +5
Year-to-date (rank): $49.4 million (12)
Q2 Analysis: CBS Films' second movie ever, The Back-Up Plan, was billed as Jennifer Lopez's return to the big screen after a five-year hiatus. It appears she lost some of her box office clout during that time, though, as The Back-Up Plan grossed $37.3 million. Still, that more than tripled the business of CBS's first movie, Extraordinary Measures, from the first quarter.
Q3 Releases: None
10. MGM/UA
Total Gross: $31.9 million
Market Share: 1.2%
Movies tracked: 1
% Change from Last year: +369,698%
Rank change (year-to-year): +57
Rank change (last quarter): +3
Year-to-date (rank): $50.3 million (11)
Q2 Analysis: Hot Tub Time Machine, which is troubled studio MGM's only release so far this year, closed June 10 with $50.3 million, $30.9 million of which came during the second quarter. This is likely to do little for the bankrupt studio, which currently has around $4 billion in debt and is ensnarled in the lengthy process of being sold by its numerous creditors.
Q3 Releases: None
Related Stories
• 2010 Box Office Stumbles in May
• April 2010 Out-Grosses Past Aprils
• Studio Report: Fox Dominates the First Quarter of 2010
Related Charts
• 2010 Studio Market Share• Q2 Calendar Grosses
• 2010 Calendar Grosses
1. Paramount
Total Gross: $707.8 million
Market Share: 26.1%
Movies tracked: 7
% Change from Last year: -0.5%
Rank change (year-to-year): —
Rank change (last quarter): +3
Year-to-date (rank): $1,008 million (1)
Q2 Analysis: Iron Man 2 led the way for Paramount with $307.5 million, though it has little chance of surpassing its predecessor Iron Man. Shrek Forever After was next in line with $231.1 million, but will go down as by far the lowest-grossing and least-attended entry in the series. Paramount did have one relative over-performer with How to Train Your Dragon. Thanks to exceptional word-of-mouth, the movie continued to play well throughout April and May, earning $157.8 million of its $215.7 million total in the second quarter. Paramount leads all studios in 2010 thus far and crossed the $1 billion mark last Thursday, June 24, the 175th day of the year. That was the second-fastest a studio has ever reached that milestone, with Paramount's 2008 slate hitting it a day sooner. It's important to note, though, that Paramount was only the distributor on Iron Man 2, Shrek 4 and Dragon and did not produce them.
Q3 Releases: The Last Airbender (July 1), Grease (Sing-a-Long re-issue) (July 8), Dinner for Schmucks (July 30), Middle Men (Aug. 6)
2. Walt Disney
Total Gross: $450.4 million
Market Share: 16.6%
Movies tracked: 9
% Change from Last year: -1%
Rank change (year-to-year): +1
Rank change (last quarter): +1
Year-to-date (rank): $819.9 million (4)
Q2 Analysis: While it was released late in the quarter, Toy Story 3 was far and away the champ among Walt Disney Pictures' lineup, grossing $251.3 million through its first 13 days, which trailed only Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest through the same point among past Disney titles. Unfortunately, Disney's other new entries weren't nearly as impressive. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has thus far earned just $87.2 million, a lousy number considering its franchise aspirations. The Last Song made $57.7 million of its $62.8 million during the quarter, which was solid for its genre, while Disneynature documentary Oceans managed just $19.3 million, a far cry from Earth's $32 million a year earlier.
Q3 Releases: The Sorcerer's Apprentice (July 14), Step Up 3-D (Aug. 6), Tales from Earthsea (Aug. 13), You Again (Sept. 24)
3. Warner Bros.
Total Gross: $382.4 million
Market Share: 14.1%
Movies tracked: 15
% Change from Last year: -21%
Rank change (year-to-year): -1
Rank change (last quarter): -1
Year-to-date (rank): $854.6 million (3)
Q2 Analysis: Warner Bros. started the quarter with the bang of Clash of the Titans (2010), which mustered over $162 million. However, the rest of the quarter was fairly rough. Sex and the City 2 fell far short of its predecessor with $93.6 million. A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) has gathered $62.9 million, solid for a horror remake but far from a breakout success. These middling performers look like monster hits compared to rest of the lineup: The Losers lived up its name, grossing just $23.6 million. Splice was even worse, petering out at $16.3 million. Finally, Jonah Hex will likely go down as the biggest failure of the summer, scrounging up a pathetic $9.8 million through its first 13 days.
Q3 Releases: Inception (July 16), Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore (July 30), Flipped (Aug. 6), Lottery Ticket (Aug. 20), Going the Distance (Aug. 27), The Town (Sept. 17), Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (Aug. 24)
4. Sony
Total Gross: $264.8 million
Market Share: 9.8%
Movies tracked: 5
% Change from Last year: -9%
Rank change (year-to-year): +2
Rank change (last quarter): +2
Year-to-date (rank): $443.2 million (5)
Analysis: With Death at a Funeral as their sole new release, April and May were slow times for Sony Pictures. The comedy remake made $42.6 million, but things heated up in June when Sony unleashed The Karate Kid. In less than three weeks, the remake has earned $141.8 million, making it the seventh-highest grossing movie of the year so far. Grown Ups closed out the quarter with a solid $54.5 million in just six days, setting it up to be yet another $100+ million hit for Adam Sandler and Sony.
Q3 Releases: Salt (July 23), The Other Guys (Aug. 6), Eat Pray Love (Aug. 13), Takers (Aug. 27), Resident Evil: Afterlife (in 3D) (Sept. 10), Easy A (Sept. 17)
5. 20th Century Fox
Total Gross: $264.1 million
Market Share: 9.8%
Movies tracked: 10
% Change from Last year: -28%
Rank change (year-to-year): -1
Rank change (last quarter): -4
Year-to-date (rank): $1,006.5 million (2)
Q2 Analysis: Thanks almost entirely to Avatar's incredible run, 20th Century Fox dominated the first quarter of 2010. As Avatar slowed, though, so did Fox's earnings, which fell 64 percent from the first quarter. Topped by Date Night's $97.4 million, Fox holds the unfortunate distinction of being the only major studio without a $100 million movie during the quarter. The A-Team' $65.5 million was its next biggest title, but it was weak by summer action standards. Knight & Day had a worse launch, earning $33.5 million in its first eight days. Finally, Marmaduke's $30.4 million qualifies it as one of the lowest-grossing talking animal movies in recent memory. In spite of its poor second quarter, Fox passed $1 billion for 2010 this past Monday, which is the fastest that any studio besides Paramount has ever reached that milestone.
Q3 Releases: Predators (July 9), Ramona and Beezus (July 23), Vampires Suck (Aug. 8), Machete (Sept. 3), Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (Sept. 24)
6. Universal
Total Gross: $173 million
Market Share: 6.4%
Movies tracked: 7
% Change from Last year: -42%
Rank change (year-to-year): -1
Rank change (last quarter): -1
Year-to-date (rank): $378.1 million (6)
Q2 Analysis: After a first quarter riddled with disappointments, Universal Pictures finally found some success with Robin Hood, which grossed $103.5 million through the end of June. While far from a blockbuster, it still ranked as the second-highest grossing medieval movie ever. Get Him to the Greek was also relatively solid, tracking in line with its predecessor Forgetting Sarah Marshall with a $56 million haul. Universal did release one disaster, MacGruber, which bombed out with just $8.5 million.
Q3 Releases: Despicable Me (July 9), Charlie St. Cloud (July 30), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Aug. 13), Nanny McPhee Returns (Aug. 20), The Adjustment Bureau (Sept. 17)
7. Lionsgate
Total Gross: $152.8 million
Market Share: 5.6%
Movies tracked: 3
% Change from Last year: +230%
Rank change (year-to-year): —
Rank change (last quarter): —
Year-to-date (rank): $238.6 million (7)
Q2 Analysis: As is often the case, Lionsgate finished the quarter just behind the major studios. Its top movie was Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too?, which became Perry's third-highest grossing movie ever with $60.1 million. Kick-Ass failed to live up to its Comic-Con hype, earning $48.1 million. Finally, Killers fared decently, though its $44.6 million was low compared to recent Katherine Heigl movies The Ugly Truth and 27 Dresses.
Q3 Releases: The Expendables (Aug. 13), The Last Exorcism (Aug. 27), Alpha and Omega (Sept. 17), Buried (Sept. 24—limited)
8. Summit
Total Gross: $145.5 million
Market Share: 5.4%
Movies tracked: 7
% Change from Last year: +215%
Rank change (year-to-year): —
Rank change (last quarter): +2
Year-to-date (rank): $188.9 million (8)
Q2 Analysis: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse may have opened on the last day of the quarter, but its $68.5 million first day nearly equaled what Summit generated previously in the quarter. Besides Eclipse, Summit had some success with Letters to Juliet, which has to this point made $50 million. The studio did have one noteworthy misstep, though, as Furry Vengeance earned a paltry $17.4 million.
Q3 Releases: None
9. CBS Films
Total Gross: $37.3 million
Market Share: 1.4%
Movies tracked: 1
% Change from Last year: n/a
Rank change (year-to-year): n/a
Rank change (last quarter): +5
Year-to-date (rank): $49.4 million (12)
Q2 Analysis: CBS Films' second movie ever, The Back-Up Plan, was billed as Jennifer Lopez's return to the big screen after a five-year hiatus. It appears she lost some of her box office clout during that time, though, as The Back-Up Plan grossed $37.3 million. Still, that more than tripled the business of CBS's first movie, Extraordinary Measures, from the first quarter.
Q3 Releases: None
10. MGM/UA
Total Gross: $31.9 million
Market Share: 1.2%
Movies tracked: 1
% Change from Last year: +369,698%
Rank change (year-to-year): +57
Rank change (last quarter): +3
Year-to-date (rank): $50.3 million (11)
Q2 Analysis: Hot Tub Time Machine, which is troubled studio MGM's only release so far this year, closed June 10 with $50.3 million, $30.9 million of which came during the second quarter. This is likely to do little for the bankrupt studio, which currently has around $4 billion in debt and is ensnarled in the lengthy process of being sold by its numerous creditors.
Q3 Releases: None
Related Stories
• 2010 Box Office Stumbles in May
• April 2010 Out-Grosses Past Aprils
• Studio Report: Fox Dominates the First Quarter of 2010
Related Charts
• 2010 Studio Market Share• Q2 Calendar Grosses
• 2010 Calendar Grosses
