Biography
Brandon Gray is the founder, president and publisher of Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com), an online movie publication and box office tracking service. His weekly analysis of box office results and the awards races will appear every Wednesday on The Envelope.
The weak after
March 14, 2006
How big is the disconnect between the Oscars and moviegoers these days? Pretty substantial, judging by a look at box office returns from the first weekend after this year's Academy Awards.
-
A not-so-grand finale
March 8, 2006
After watching attendance and box office numbers plunge in 2005, it seems fitting that the film industry would name "Crash" as the year's best picture.
-
Career builders?
February 27, 2006
For actors and actresses, an Oscar win is supposed to translate into a massive career boost, enhancing their awareness among moviegoers, increasing their salaries and, most importantly, allowing them the artistic and commercial pick of the litter for projects.
-
The $100 million question
February 22, 2006
For the first time since the "The English Patient" won an Oscar in 1997, there's a very real possibility that the winner of the Academy Awards' best picture honor might not top $100 million at the box office.
-
Cineplex slowdown
February 14, 2006
If you thought box office results were low for best picture contenders on the first weekend after nominations were announced, take a look at what happened in their second week basking in Oscar's glow.
-
Bump and grind
February 6, 2006
While snarky pundits and websites devote themselves to tracking the minutiae of the Oscars and other awards, the moviegoing public doesn't appear to put much stock in the Academy Awards anymore.
-
Slim and done
February 2, 2006
For the second year in a row, the academy has thumbed its collective nose at the movie-going public, nominating the least popular crop of best picture nominees on record.
-
The big bounce
January 23, 2006
"Brokeback Mountain" and "Walk the Line" posted some of the greatest post-Golden Globes gains on record last week as their respective distributors, Focus Features and 20th Century Fox, ratcheted up ad campaigns and bolstered the films' presence in theaters.
-
Golden spike?
January 18, 2006
Even with their best picture wins at the Golden Globes, it's unlikely "Brokeback Mountain" and "Walk the Line" will enjoy much in the way of victory laps at the box office this week.
-
Let it ride
January 9, 2006
"Brokeback Mountain" continued its unlikely run at the box office last weekend, widening its presence at theaters and strengthening its position as the picture to catch in the Academy Awards race.
-
Game on
January 3, 2006
As 2005 ended with the whimper of a giant ape and the roar of a crusading lion, a much more diminutive figure tried to make some noise of his own at the box office.
-
Where's the beef?
December 27, 2005
Oscar wannabes found themselves in a state of limbo over the long Christmas weekend, with some floundering, others faltering and no film staking out a strong position.
-
'Kong' quest
December 20, 2005
"King Kong" arrived with great pomp and circumstance from the industry, the media and its studio last weekend, but it was far from the promised spectacle at the box office.
-
'Mountain' high
December 12, 2005
Mainstream audiences have their "King Kongs" and "Narnias" this season, but the must-see event for the art house crowd is "Brokeback Mountain." Whether the picture will appeal as it rolls across the country and racks up awards, though, remains to be seen.
-
Coming up big
December 6, 2005
At the box office, the weekend following Thanksgiving is traditionally a time for limited releases to show they have what it takes to become awards contenders.
-
Early riser
November 30, 2005
"Syriana" played to packed houses this weekend, and distributor Warner Bros. crowed about the picture's $74,900 per-theater average.
-
Cashing in
November 23, 2005
"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" may have grabbed box office glory last weekend, conjuring $102.7 million at 3,858 theaters. But another newcomer, "Walk the Line," may have been the real winner.
-
Let's do the numbers
November 15, 2005
After a fairly quiet weekend both for Oscar contenders and general audience pictures, the industry now looks ahead to next weekend's opening of "Walk the Line" and the major awards magnets looming in December, headlined by "Memoirs of a Geisha," "Brokeback Mountain" and "Munich."
-
Taps for 'Jarhead'?
November 9, 2005
Universal Pictures' "Jarhead" stormed past industry expectations by nearly $10 million last weekend, as director Sam Mendes' warless war movie lugged $27.7 million from 2,411 locations. It also was No. 1 on Monday with nearly $2 million.
-
Down, but not out
November 2, 2005
Given the Academy's predilection for serious dramas and period pieces, with the occasional bone thrown to a quirky comedy or an undeniably populist picture, a handful of obvious best picture candidates have emerged by default in 2005.
Connect
