The January 2011 release of “The Green Hornet” may have seemed like nothing more than yet another calculated move by Hollywood to co-opt an existent fan base and limit its own commercial exposure. And it “was”, sure. But a film adaptation of this property — based on the original 1930s radio program, which has lived on in movie serials and comic books — was in the works for more than a decade, with a long list of actors inclusive of George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Jet Li and Stephen Chow all at one point attached, in various combinations. In fact, a visionary music video director named Michel Gondry was hired in…

The box office results for the weekend of February 11th – 13th sees a battle at the top between the old-school versus new-school. Cinematic veteran Adam Sandler edges out the young phenomenon known as Bieber-fever, while two other new releases trail behind. Here are the studio estimates: 1. Just Go With It ($31 million) 2. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never ($30.2 million) 3. Gnomeo and Juliet ($25.5 million) 4. The Eagle ($8.5 million) 5. The Roommate ($8.4 million) 6. The King’s Speech ($7.4 million) 7. No Strings Attached ($5.6 million) 8. Sanctum ($5.1 million) 9. True Grit (2010) ($3.7 million) 10. The Green Hornet ($3.6 million) Analysis If anyone cares,…

The box office is not looking too hot. So far this year, it’s underperformed significantly as compared to 2010. That year did have Avatar pulling in massive amounts of cash at this point, but even comparing the 2011 numbers to the totals in 2009 and 2008 shows we’re off to particularly slow start. So, is this the weekend we could finally see some higher numbers? Quite possibly. With four new wide releases, two of which certainly have a shot at cracking $20 million, we could see a nice improvement. First up is Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. No, documentaries aren’t typically cash cows, but this is Justin Bieber we’re talking…

The box office results for the weekend of February 4th – 6th continues the string of lackluster grosses. Only one flick reaches double figures. Meanwhile, the Oscar contenders still hold their respective spots. Here are the studio estimates: 1. The Roommate ($15.6 million) 2. Sanctum ($9.2 million) 3. No Strings Attached ($8.4 million) 4. The King’s Speech ($8.3 million) 5. The Green Hornet ($6.1 million) 6. The Rite ($5.5 million) 7. The Mechanic ($5.3 million) 8. True Grit 2010 ($4.7 million) 9. Black Swan ($3.4 million) 10. The Dilemma ($3.4 million) Analysis Even though “The Roommate” easily won the weekend, it’s definitely not something to brag about. Costing just $16…

Ready for a good scare this weekend? I hope so because there are two potentially terrifying wide releases hitting theaters this weekend, one about a violent college roommate and another about a team of trapped cave divers. Of the two, you’d think Sanctum would have the edge, not just because it’ll benefit from 3D ticket prices, but also because it’s debuting in more theaters and is attracting quite a bit of attention for having James Cameron as a producer. Of Cameron’s wide releases, he’s never opened with less than $25.9 million and that was for True Lies back in 1994. A somewhat reasonable comparison here could be 2008′s Jumper. That…

The box office results for the weekend of January 28th-30th sees “The Rite” winning over a balanced weekend in 2011. Meanwhile, a “Mechanic”, a “King” and a “Hornet” own the top five. Here are the studio estimates: 1. The Rite ($15 million) 2. No Strings Attached ($13.6 million) 3. The Green Hornet ($11.5 million) 4. The Mechanic ($11.5 million) 5. The King’s Speech ($11.1 million) 6. True Grit 2010 ($7.6 million) 7. The Dilemma ($5.4 million) 8. Black Swan ($5.1 million) 9. The Fighter ($4 million) 10. Yogi Bear ($3.1 million) Analysis Not only did “The Rite” exorcise the demons, but it may have inadvertently done the same to an…

Before the first month of the year comes to an end, we’ll get two brand new wide releases, neither of which really has a shot at cracking the $20 million mark. First up is CBS Films’ remake, The Mechanic starring Jason Statham. Statham has a fairly loyal following, which is no surprise considering he’s latched onto the action genre and always delivers big time. His only January release was In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, which hit theaters back in 2008 and pulled in just $4.8 million its first weekend. Of course, Freestyle Releasing isn’t exactly known to deliver big money makers, but neither is CBS…

The box office results for the weekend of January 21st -23rd has romantic-comedy “No Strings Attached” hitting the top spot. Without any other new releases entering the arena, the holdovers maintained their respective spots. Here are the studio estimates: 1. No Strings Attached ($20.3 million) 2. The Green Hornet ($18.1 million) 3. The Dilemma ($9.7 million) 4. The King’s Speech ($9.1 million) 5. True Grit 2010 ($8 million) 6. Black Swan ($6.2 million) 7. The Fighter ($4.5 million) 8. Little Fockers ($4.4 million) 9. Yogi Bear ($4 million) 10. TRON: Legacy ($3.7 million) Analysis In what was a lackluster weekend overall at the box office, “No Strings Attached” quietly snatched…

We’ve got just one heavy contender invading the battle at the box office this weekend, No Strings Attached. Considering last weekend’s new romantic comedy had a rough start, The Dilemma shouldn’t pose much of a threat in terms of stealing any moviegoers itching to get their fix of funny love. Yes, The Dilemma had the usually bankable Kevin James and a far larger assortment of very familiar faces, but No Strings Attached has something The Dilemma doesn’t, a potential Oscar contender. After snagging the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama, Natalie Portman fever is in the air. Plus, No Strings Attached doesn’t have to directly compete with The…

The box office results for the weekend of January 14th-16th was not only Green for The Hornet. Oscar favorites are still attracting audiences and continue to rake in revenue. Meanwhile, the stacked Dilemma roster fails to entice the masses. Here are the studio estimates: 1. The Green Hornet ($34 million) 2. The Dilemma ($17.4 million) 3. True Grit 2010 ($11.2 million) 4. The King ‘s Speech ($9 million) 5. Black Swan ($8.2 million) 6. Little Fockers ($7.1 million) 7. TRON: Legacy ($5.6 million) 8. Yogi Bear ($5.3 million) 9. The Fighter ($5.1 million) 10. Season of the Witch ($4.8 million) Analysis Usually the new releases would open this steadfast professional…