In late years , it seems the release of every newblockbusteris accompany by headlines that claim the photographic film had the " big opening weekend ever , " shattering box spot records that may have been set just weeks – or days – earlier . While a pic ’s first week at thebox officehas always been important in terms of selling and drawing interest in the movie , it ’s become even more crucial as studios resign nifty numbers of picture , effectively shortening the window that a movie has to make money in the theater .
Today , most movies make a thumping one - third of their integral domestic box office gross during opening weekend [ source : Eller and Friedman ] . A bad chess opening weekend could entail a motion-picture show scarce breaks even or even loses money for the studio – not a in effect scenario for moviemakers .
In May 2002 , " Spider - Man " changed the opening weekend box position constantly when it became the first film in history to take in more than $ 100 million during its first weekend of discharge [ source : The History Channel ] . Since then , more than two dozen films have go on to top the $ 100 million mark , establishing this galactic figure as the fresh bench mark for box office winner [ source : Box Office Mojo ] . Major films that fail to gain $ 100 million are often terminate as disappointments or failures , or at best , hold modest or hefty in footing of returns – not what you require to hear when you ’ve drop a few hundred million to make a film .
In 2012 , Marvel charge the box business office streak soaring even higher when its film " The Avengers " picked up more than $ 200 million in a single weekend in early May [ source : Box Office Mojo ] . The ever - increasing marking for curtain raising weekend success puts even greater pressure on studios and movies to shew themselves right out of the logic gate .
Curious about how the possible action weekend can make or break a picture show ? say on to find out how just three day can make the dispute between earning millions or lose it all .
Winning the Weekend Box Office
studio released well over 700 major movies in 2013 . This is up from just over 500 films exhaust in 2009 [ author : Motion Picture Association of America ] . With so many picture show competing for box office staff dollar week after workweek , the money - shit window for each film has wither .
open weekend tag sales event are a strong soothsayer of a photographic film ’s overall fiscal success . A stellar scuttle weekend lay a solid foundation for international ticket gross sales , idiot box and cable sales and even the videodisk and nursing home amusement grocery . A film that flop during its initial release may get from a perceived low time value for years as it gain its way to various medium [ root : PBS Frontline ] .
Beyond the obvious financial benefits , a warm orifice weekend affects public perception . bountiful ticket sales make headlines that make bombination that get people in theater can long after opening weekend . After all , a flick that makes $ 100 million in a single weekend must be reasonably grand , right ? On the other deal , a motion picture that hang short of estimation right out of the gate may leave the feeling that it ’s better to hold off and see the motion-picture show on cable or DVD rather than pay for a tag at the theater .
While there ’s no question that the opening weekend reign sovereign in the eyes of studio executives – and the media – a record - shatter release weekend might not be the only path to success in the film industriousness . Check out the next Thomas Nelson Page to see why the obsession with orifice weekend gross might not be so warranted after all .
Opening Weekend – Just One Piece of the Pie
Big opening weekend sales are clearly useful for generating big headlines on Monday morning , but are they really all that crucial to the financial success of a film ? Sure , the fact that one - third of the domestic gross comes from opening weekend tag sales may sound like a magnanimous deal , but when you consider the comparatively small fate of a movie ’s earnings that come from the domestic box bureau , it ’s unclouded that a poor showing may not of necessity spell disaster for a picture .
just the ticket sales act only a fraction of a movie ’s likely net profit . While every celluloid ’s accurate remuneration makeup is different , film inquiry psychoanalyst Larry Gerbrandt provided a canary peep at the earnings plan for the 2001 blockbuster"Pearl Harbor"in an audience with PBS . allot to Gerbrandt , " Pearl Harbor " was projected to earn $ 475 million in total , with just 22 per centum from domestic ticket sales . Another 22 pct of sales would come from international dramatics , an additional 36 per centum from DVD sales event and the persist 20 percent from television and cable mess . While the film made a healthy $ 59 million on its opening weekend , it likely would have been successful even with a poorer showing , thanks to its many other money - make avenues [ origin : PBS Frontline ] .
Gerbrandt argue that though the stress remains on the opening weekend , the second weekend of a movie ’s release might be a better index of its long - term success . If a moving picture can wangle a tag sale decline of about 30 to 40 percent from the first weekend to the second , the photographic film is likely to feel box office success over a longer menstruation than one that shatters package office records its first week , only to fizzle out a calendar month after [ source : PBS Frontline ] .
U.S. ticket sales have mostly directly - lined , even as foreign grocery display a growing desire to spend money at the movies . As studios focus more on these foreign markets , the importance of the opening weekend at U.S. theatre will probably continue to decline .
require more substantiation that the opening weekend is not the remainder - all and be - all for a film ? Consider"Avatar,“which , as of 2014 , is the highest - gross movie of all time , with worldwide box office sale just shy of $ 3 billion . During its first weekend of liberation in 2009 , the film occupy in $ 77 million – telling by any standard but not even among the top 50 openings in history [ source : Box Office Mojo ] . Despite its failure to give out records its first few day on the market , " Avatar " went on to become a mega - success .
