2014 In Film

[Dagger Dias]

Ever since Avatar broke the record for highest grossing film of all time back in 2009, I have been fascinated discovering by what movies end up being more financially successful than others. We already have a topic on reviewing movies as well as discussing the previews of upcoming films. In this thread I want to focus on the monetary side of the film industry more. Specifically, the movies released in 2014 and how much money they are grossing. I'll come in here weekly to analyze the current list of highest grossing films at that time, as well as mentioning titles that are coming soon.

As an example here are the highest grossing films at the end of 2013 in the spoiler tags:

Spoiler

1. Iron Man 3
$1,215,439,994


2. Despicable Me 2
$918,741,000


3. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
$794,985,322


4. Fast & Furious 6
$788,679,850


5. Monsters University
$743,544,940


6. Man of Steel
$662,845,518


7. Gravity
$653,287,000


8. Thor: The Dark World
$629,363,610


9. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
$619,804,000


10. The Croods
$587,204,668

The first films to come out in 2014 include:
1/1: The Best Offer
1/1: The Railway Man
1/2: Interior. Leather Bar.
1/3: Beyond Outrage
1/3: Open Grave
1/3: Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones

We won't have a top 10 yet after the first week in January, as the next string of releases come out on January 10th. I plan to run this thread up until December 31st of 2014, so as the year goes on it will become increasingly interesting to see how the films are doing financially. This always starts out slow every year, eventually bigger releases come out and then it gets real interesting to see what titles make more money than others regardless of which deserve that level of success or not.

Any thoughts on films released in 2014 on topic within the rules are welcome. Do you have predictions on what will make the most money or any predictions of failures this year in film? As more films get released thoughts on the updates to the list of highest grossing titles is encouraged.

Discuss!

------------------------

Next update the weekend of 1/3 to 1/5.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones should come out on top as #1 in the box office standings this weekend. The Paranormal franchise has a strong track record of success, and the original is the only film in the franchise that didn't open at #1.

On top of that, The Marked Ones won't have to worry about any real competition from new films this week, because Open Grave and everything else receiving a release tomorrow is limited. And heavily promoted horror films in January usually have a strong opening weekend (Mama from last year, and that piece of shit The Devil Inside from 2012 are a few recent examples).

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug should slide into the #2 spot, because I can't imagine Smaug sustaining four weeks of momentum at #1. Things should be more interesting next week with the release of The Legend Of Hercules, and it wouldn't surprise me if The Marked Ones controlled the #1 spot for two consecutive weeks.

As far as a prediction for the top grossing film in 2014 goes, I'm pretty sure it'll be a three-way battle between The Amazing Spider-Man 2, X-Men Days Of Future Past, and Transformers: Age of Extinction. Godzilla and the new Ninja Turtles film are wild cards.

 

[TLC]

I disagree with, Mitch. I don't see Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones coming out on top. I see The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug keeping number 1 for another week. In fact I don't see it getting number 1 either, I think Frozen will occupy that spot. Number 3 is where The Marked ones slotting in. I think with people being slightly burnt out on the franchise and it being a spin off will cause less people to watch at least wait until reviews have been released to see whether or not it's worth the trip.

As for the highest grosser of 2014, I think The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 will win out in the end. Much to my chagrin, it's raked in a lot of cash and according to a poll on Fandango, it's the most anticipated of 2014.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Trust me, I'm not rooting for The Marked Ones to succeed. In fact, I'm hoping it flops. As far as horror franchises go, Paranormal Activity is the new Saw: a horror franchise that passed the expiration date (PA 3) a while ago, but there's a loyal fan following for it. Unfortunately, the same thing is going to happen to The Conjuring and Insidious with more unnecessary sequels and spin-offs.

I took a quick look on Box Office Mojo, and Mama came out of nowhere to grab the #1 spot last year to knock off Zero Dark Thirty. Paranormal Activity has a proven and consistent track record for success, and with all the hoopla surrounding the "how it all began" hype, I'll be shocked if The Marked Ones doesn't grab the top spot.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones is currently grossing at $8,740,000 worldwide. That's the first and only figure I've been able to locate this weekend as far as worldwide highest grossing films are concerned. By next week we should have an analysis on more titles as well as an update on Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones is doing.

Upcoming films for release include:
1/10: Dumbbells
1/10: The Legend of Hercules
1/10: Devil's Due
1/10: G.B.F.
1/10: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Dagger, Dumbbells and The Legend Of Hercules come out this Friday. Jack Ryan, GBF, and Devil's Due are coming out next Friday.

Sort of surprised (but not shocked) The Marked Ones opened up at #2. The Marked Ones has a nice lead over The Desolation Of Smaug, but The Marked Ones had their best shot to open at #1 this past weekend, and they won't see that opportunity again. Frozen is still holding the top spot, The Legend Of Hercules, Her, and Lone Survivor are coming out this Friday, so The Marked Ones should drop a few more spots down the top 10 list. Not a good sign for PA 5 this October.

 

[TLC]

I'm extremely happy about Frozen occupying the number 1 spot after all these weeks. It's proven to be a bit of a Juggernaut this Winter though this is probably due to there being very little competition from other kid friendly pictures.

The Marked ones will see a huge dip this week, I could potentially seeing it being edged out of the top 5. Frozen will stay at number 1 for another week. Both Lone Survivor and Her should do decent business though Lone Survivor will probably nab the second spot. Spike Jonze hasn't got a great track record for doing well at the box office, so I'm unsure if it'll occupy a spot within the top 5. The Hobbit 2, the Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle will all probably duke it for 3, 4 and 5.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones currently has a worldwide gross of $36,778,367. I doubt that either Dumbbells and The Legend Of Hercules can top it, but we shall see. There are a number of films coming out a week from today as well. Next week should see more activity on the highest grossing films lists than this week will.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones is currently at a worldwide gross of $40,474,000, while The Legend of Hercules shows to be at a worldwide gross of $3,080,000.


Upcoming releases include:
Devil's Due
GBF
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Life Of A King
Ride Along
The Nut Job

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Lone Survivor feels like a one and done film for the top spot, because Lone Survivor didn't have to worry about strong competition this past weekend, everything changes this week. This Friday, Jack Ryan and that shitty comedy with Kevin Hart and Ice Cube (Ride Along) will give Lone Survivor some tough competition.

I'm picking Ride Along to knock Lone Survivor out of the top spot. I can't stand anything with Ice Cube now a days, but Kevin Hart is one of the more popular comedians around, and Jack Ryan should slide into the number two spot. Lone Survivor will slip a few spots, because you have three heavily promoted films coming out this Friday: Devil's Due, Jack Ryan, Ride Along.

I'm not too sure about Devil's Due now. The Marked Ones opened at number two last week, but the prequel dropped down to the #9 spot this week. That's a huge drop off, and it's a sign moviegoers are finally sick and tired of found-footage films. And if I'm using the trailers as a sign of things to come, Devil's Due looks like a paint-by-the-numbers possession found-footage horror film.

 

[TLC]

I'm pleasantly surprised with Lone Survivor getting number 1, though it shouldn't have been that much of a shock since Mark Wahlberg is usually a dependable box office draw.

I agree with Mitch, Ride Along will probably get the top spot this week due to Kevin Hart's popularity and people for some reason pay to watch bad comedies; see Grown Ups 2 for reference. Jack Ryan will get number 2, Frozen in the third spot with Lone Survivor and The Wolf of Wall Street finishing in number 4 and 5.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Highest Grossing Films of 2014 so far....




1: Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones
$75,253,000


2: Ride Along
$41,237,000


3: The Nut Job
$20,550,000


4: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
$17,000,000


5: The Legend of Hercules
$14,376,000


6: Devil's Due
$8,500,000


We have a top 6 now. I'm not surprised by Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones retaining its lead. It will probably hold onto it for the remainder of January. There aren't any big draws being released for a while.

Upcoming releases:
1/21: Knights of Badassdom
1/24: Gimme Shelter
1/24: I, Frankenstein
1/31: That Awkward Moment

 

[Mitch Henessey]

I hope Platinum Dunes and Paramount are paying attention to the recent slide for found-footage films. The rumors of the new Friday The 13th film having a found-footage POV are still floating around, but take a look at what happened to Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones and Devil's Due.

Both films were heavily promoted, and PA has a track record of success, but it debuted at #2. In week 2, The Marked Ones dropped to #9, and this week, The Marked Ones fell out of the top ten all together. Devil's Due opened at #7, and it's a sign people are finally sick of predictable found-footage horror films.

Anyway, Ride Along being #1 is no big surprise, and Lone Survivor holding on to the #2 spot isn't a big shock. The Marked Ones won't hold on to that spot for too long. The Robocop remake should take control after a few weeks, and the 300 sequel in march should take the top spot after that.

This Friday I'm not 100% sold on I, Frankenstein being the #1 film, so I'm picking Ride Along to hold on to the #1 spot for two weeks in a row. Personally, I'm interested in the movie, but Eckhart is not a draw, and the TV spots are underwhelming.

 

[Dagger Dias]

List of highest grossing films so far....


1. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones
$82,587,000

2. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
$76,668,000

3. Ride Along
$75,407,000

4. The Nut Job
$30,505,000

5. The Legend of Hercules
$17,512,208

6. Devil's Due
$13,546,000

7. I, Frankenstein
$8,275,000

We have a top 7 now. Two more films are coming up on the 31st for a release, which will wrap up January 2014 in film, so we might not see a full top 10 until at some point in February. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones retains its number one spot, although Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and Ride Along are both catching up to it. By next week we might have a new highest grossing film so far in 2014.

Upcoming titles:
1/31: Labor Day
1/31: That Awkward Moment

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

I hope Platinum Dunes and Paramount are paying attention to the recent slide for found-footage films. The rumors of the new Friday The 13th film having a found-footage POV are still floating around, but take a look at what happened to Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones and Devil's Due.

I sure hope the new Friday the 13th isn't a found-footage film. They are so freaking annoying to watch. And the 2009 remake was pretty good. The only found-footage film I can recall liking was Chronicle.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

The Poughkeepsie Tapes is one of my favorite found-footage horror films, and I really enjoyed the first two [REC] films. Problem is, Paranormal Activity is the first series that most people think of for found-footage films, and it's a mediocre franchise overall. On top of that, the vast majority of found-footage horror films stick to the same formula: the story revolves around a haunting or someone (usually a young girl, grown woman, or some creepy, quiet kid) fighting a demonic possession, abuse of shaky cam, and predictable jump scares.

Believe it or not, found-footage is not the worst problem for the new Jason film. To add to that problem, they're actually contemplating a Friday The 13th film with no Jason at all. No cameos, no intro, nothing.

I still have plans to watch it, but I, Frankenstein was panned by the critics (it's holding a 5% on RT), and it bombed with an opening at #6. Also, it's safe to say we'll get a Ride Along sequel. Two weeks at #1, and there's a chance for three straight weeks in the top spot. The trailers for the bromance comedy with Zac Efron are too generic, and it looks like a straight-to-video film.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

The Poughkeepsie Tapes is one of my favorite found-footage horror films, and I really enjoyed the first two [REC] films. Problem is, Paranormal Activity is the first series that most people think of for found-footage films, and it's a mediocre franchise overall. On top of that, the vast majority of found-footage horror films stick to the same formula: the story revolves around a haunting or someone (usually a young girl, grown woman, or some creepy, quiet kid) fighting a demonic possession, abuse of shaky cam, and predictable jump scares.

That's one reason I could enjoy Chronicle. With the use of their powers, they were floating the camera steady for the remainder of the film.

Believe it or not, found-footage is not the worst problem for the new Jason film. To add to that problem, they're actually contemplating a Friday The 13th film with no Jason at all. No cameos, no intro, nothing.

I guess we should stop referring to it as a "Jason" film then.

I still have plans to watch it, but I, Frankenstein was panned by the critics (it's holding a 5% on RT), and it bombed with an opening at #6. Also, it's safe to say we'll get a Ride Along sequel. Two weeks at #1, and there's a chance for three straight weeks in the top spot. The trailers for the bromance comedy with Zac Efron are too generic, and it looks like a straight-to-video film.

I'm surprised by I, Frankenstein doing so badly. It looks awesome in the previews. Then again, so do a lot of movies that end up terrible. And I won't even waste my time with Ride Along. Ice Cube's schtick got old fast. I'm surprised it's doing so well.

 

[Dave]

I don't mind found footage movies on the whole. But I do feel as though they are becoming very cliché at this point in time. Paranormal Activity did it "well" or rather at the right time and now everyone is just playing catch up. The first two films were actually pretty good but I haven't really seen any others since then, perhaps with the exception of Grave Encounters which I quite enjoyed.

As for this year, it's been a quiet year in film so far but that's to be expected. I got an unlimited cinema card for Christmas and have found myself in the cinema once since then and it was to see Anchorman 2... Exactly.

I guess we'll just have to wait a couple of months until they start wheeling out the big guns.

 

[DarksideEric]

Was I, Frankenstein any good at all? I see the low numbers and I'm not sure if I should go see it now.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

That's one reason I could enjoy Chronicle. With the use of their powers, they were floating the camera steady for the remainder of the film.

Chronicle was fun, and Dane DeHaan showed off his potential for a bright future with a breakout performance. Too bad they're taking a chance with an unnecessary sequel. Too many warning signs for disaster. Delays, a rejected screenplay, new writers. Sounds like a big mess.

I guess we should stop referring to it as a "Jason" film then.

Makes sense. Personally, I enjoy Halloween III: Season Of The Witch, but so many Halloween fans still despise III, because there's no Michael Myers, Loomis, or Laurie. They'll face an unbelievable amount of hate, If they use the Friday The 13th name to lure Jason fans to the film with no Jason.

I'm surprised by I, Frankenstein doing so badly. It looks awesome in the previews. Then again, so do a lot of movies that end up terrible. And I won't even waste my time with Ride Along. Ice Cube's schtick got old fast. I'm surprised it's doing so well.

Was I, Frankenstein any good at all? I see the low numbers and I'm not sure if I should go see it now.

Ice Cube is feeding off of Kevin Hart's status as the one of the hottest comedians around, because 95% of Cube's movies are shit.

I took a chance on I, Frankenstein last night. At best, it's a mediocre film, and I'm being generous. Maybe Frankenstein's failure will put an end to all the "What happened to Aaron Eckhart's promising career?" talk. On the acting side of things, Miranda Otto and Bill Nighy carried (especially Otto) Frankenstein on their backs. Hell, Yvonne Strahovski (she plays a scientist, who's unknowingly working for the bad guys) delivered a better performance than Eckhart (not exaggerating). Eckhart is a decent actor at best, and he is not capable of carrying any film as the leading man.

I would wait for a DVD or Blu-Ray rental for I, Frankenstein, or wait for the inevitable premiere on FX or TNT. It's not worth the price of a theater ticket. I, Frankenstein can brag about cool 3D (discount Tuesdays is the main reason why I took a chance on the 3D version) effects, but that's it. Too much unintentional hilarity, awful CGI, and an anticlimactic final battle. Basically, it's a gargoyles VS demons version of Underworld, minus a salvageable amount of guilty pleasure fun.

I don't mind found footage movies on the whole. But I do feel as though they are becoming very cliché at this point in time. Paranormal Activity did it "well" or rather at the right time and now everyone is just playing catch up. The first two films were actually pretty good but I haven't really seen any others since then, perhaps with the exception of Grave Encounters which I quite enjoyed.

If you have plans to watch more Paranormal Activity, stop at 3. Four is ghastly in every way imaginable, but 3 is my favorite in the franchise. Taking a prequel approach helps, and they scratch the "How it all began" surface with a nice cliffhanger at the end. And the new prequel (The Marked Ones) wasn't bad. Introducing a new set of characters helped a lot.

As for this year, it's been a quiet year in film so far but that's to be expected. I got an unlimited cinema card for Christmas and have found myself in the cinema once since then and it was to see Anchorman 2... Exactly.

I guess we'll just have to wait a couple of months until they start wheeling out the big guns.

Anchorman 2 is my default choice for the best comedy in 2013. The big cameos at the end were great, but it's not a big improvement over the first one.

The Robocop remake and 300 are coming up soon, but I'm uneasy about the other big summer films this year. Looking forward to Spider-Man 2, but I'm uneasy about the new X-Men film, and I don't trust Michael Bay's promises for Transformers 4.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

Here are my predictions for some notable films coming out this year:

Flops
Robocop: It looks like shit and it's rated PG-13. The original Robocop would still be a hard R if it was released today. No matter how awesome the supporting cast and director, this one has disaster has written all over it.

Non-Stop: Liam Neeson as an action hero was an interesting concept to entertain three years ago. He still hasn't topped Taken and I want him to succeed, but this film is not going to do all that well.

Neighbors: Seth Rogen is on the downward trajectory of his once-hot career. Unless this one is released sometime later in the summer, it's going to flop big time...which genius decided to release this film between the week of The Amazing Spider-Man 2's release and the week of Godzilla's release? Dumb, dumb move.

Blended: Thank fuck this Adam Sandler vehicle is being released the same day as X-Men: Days of Future Past. I hope it flops hard and Adam Sandler eventually goes to TV and stop releasing a shitty comedy every summer.

A Million Ways To Die In The West: Seth MacFarlane should have done Ted 2 instead.

22 Jump Street: You don't need to do these types of films anymore, Jonah Hill. Channing needs you more than you need him.

The Purge: Anarchy: First one had a brilliant premise, but was nonetheless mediocre. This one will be mediocre without the surprising opening weekend of the first.

Jupiter Ascending: Channing Tatum is not the A-lister he thinks he is, Kunis is nice to look at but is better suited for raunchy comedies and Oscar-bait dramas, and the Wachowskis' last two films were massive flops...look for a repeat performance from them here.

Sex Tape: Jason Segel is not leading man material, even if the last comedy he did with Cameron Diaz (Bad Teacher) was a surprise hit (Segel only had a supporting role in this one). Cameron Diaz's star power bodes well for The Other Woman (see below), but Segel's presence here is going to hurt the film.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Three Marvel films have already been released in the span of four months by the time this one comes out. People are going to have superhero overload by August.

Hits
Divergent: It looks fucking stupid but it's going to be a hit.

Captain America, Part Whatever: Getting sick of all these superhero films, but this one will make its money back at the very least.

The Other Woman: Don't know its budget, but Cameron Diaz's Bad Teacher did very well at the box office. I'm expecting at least $90-$100 million domestic haul for this one since it's going to draw in a lot of women.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2: This one looks decent because of Jaime Foxx. I might go see it even though I haven't even seen The Amazing Spider-Man.

Godzilla: Looks amazing, awesome director, supposedly at least one more monster, nothing is going to stop this one from being a box-office juggernaut.

X-Men: Days Of Future Past: Bryan Singer back to X-Men franchise? I'm all in, hombres.

Maleficent: Yep, gonna be big, no one can stop Angelina Jolie.

Jersey Boys: Why do people like musicals so much? I am not going to see it, but props to Eastwood for having the balls to go with a bunch of no-names in the big screen adaptation of this Broadway smash.

New Transformers Movie: Too big to fail, even though I will never watch this piece of shit.

Could Go Either Way
Noah: Why isn't this being released as Oscar bait in the last three months of the year?

Transcendence: Wally Pfister is an amazing cinematographer. Although Johnny Depp's star power is now in question, here's to hoping that Pfister's directorial debut goes well.

Edge Of Tomorrow: I'm pulling for my main man Tom Cruise, but this one is going to need stellar reviews and word of mouth to do well.

Tammy: Love Melissa McCarthy but this is third straight movie of her playing the exact same character. Diminishing returns for each successive retread she does might land this one in the toilet or it might not. Either way, McCarthy has what it takes to rebound if this one flops.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: The last Apes movie was awesome, but I'm not sure if an Apes summer franchise has the appeal that studio executives think it does.

 

[Akhilleus]

Planning on going to the movies sometime this week. Can't decide between going to see The Wolf of Wall Street or Lone Survivor.

I've heard a lot of great things about The Wolf of Wall Street, but Lone Survivor I remember seeing trailers for and being interested. Add on the fact that I am a huge Mark Wahlberg fan and that's the movie I'm leaning towards, but I'm still not sure they both look great. I must admit though I do have quite a man crush on Wahlberg. DiCaprio and McConaughey are hard to pass up too though, and plus The Wolf is a black comedy and I may be more in the mood for that than a war movie.

I also had a small urge to see Ride Along, but after looking more into it and seeing that Ice Cube had a lead role I'm a little turned off. So I've pretty much scratched that one off the list already.

So from anyone who's seen both movies without giving away any important details, which seems like the better option to go for?

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

Planning on going to the movies sometime this week. Can't decide between going to see The Wolf of Wall Street or Lone Survivor.

I've heard a lot of great things about The Wolf of Wall Street, but Lone Survivor I remember seeing trailers for and being interested. Add on the fact that I am a huge Mark Wahlberg fan and that's the movie I'm leaning towards, but I'm still not sure they both look great. I must admit though I do have quite a man crush on Wahlberg. DiCaprio and McConaughey are hard to pass up too though, and plus The Wolf is a black comedy and I may be more in the mood for that than a war movie.

I also had a small urge to see Ride Along, but after looking more into it and seeing that Ice Cube had a lead role I'm a little turned off. So I've pretty much scratched that one off the list already.

So from anyone who's seen both movies without giving away any important details, which seems like the better option to go for?

I haven't seen Lone Survivor, but think of it like this. Would you rather go to a three hour movie, laugh your ass, see dozens of hot, naked women, and hum along with Matthew McConaughey, or would you rather go to a two hour movie that's set in bumfuck Afghanistan and that will make for a sobering night afterward? I think you know the right answer.

 

[Dagger Dias]

We have our first top 10 highest grossing films list of 2014.



1. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
$100,068,000

2. Ride Along
$94,154,280

3. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones
$82,786,000

4. The Nut Job
$50,436,938

5. I, Frankenstein
$30,690,000

6. Boonie Bears: To the Rescue
$29,750,000

7. Devil's Due
$20,539,000

8. The Monkey King
$20,200,000

9. The Legend of Hercules
$19,664,000

10. Where are We Going, Dad?
$14,600,000



Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones finally lost the #1 spot, moving down to 3rd behind Ride Along and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit which is now the highest grossing film so far in 2014. We have the first releases of February coming on friday the 7th, three different titles. I'm interested in particular in how The Lego Movie will end up doing.

Upcoming releases:
2/7: The Lego Movie
2/7: The Monuments Men
2/7: Vampire Academy

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Ride Along will fall out of the #1 spot this week, because Ride Along will face some real competition for the first time in weeks. Ride Along could slide into the #3 spot, but a slide into the bottom half of the top ten wouldn't surprise me.

Vampire Academy should attract the teenie bopper crowd. The Lego Movie should take the number one spot this week with a strong opening. The Lego Movie works as a family film, and a movie for the kids. The story for The Monuments Men won't appeal to everyone, and the overall reception so far is lukewarm at best.