AMERICA DROWNS ITS SORROW OF TRUMP'S WIN,WITH FILMS.

The major motion picture industry picked up millions of unexpected customers this past weekend as Americans flocked to the box office in the wake of the U.S. Presidential election, and there is evidence the surge could last for several weeks. 

According to industry reports, the overall box office was just over $157 million, significantly higher than predicted. 

"America went back to the movies this weekend," said Jack MacKenzie, EVP of PSB, a leading entertainment market research firm. "It appears we collectively left work Friday or woke up Saturday and chose movies as the way to deal with whatever was on our minds. This upheaval bump could very well last throughout the important holiday season."

Nearly every movie in theaters outperformed expectations, including movies that had opened on previous weekends. "The performance of Dr. Strange and Trolls was stunning," MacKenzie said. "It suggests America held its collective breath the last week of the campaign and exhaled this weekend. It was opening weekend all over again."

According to Box Office Mojo, Trolls took in $34 million, only a 24% drop from opening weekend.  Dr. Strange took in $42.9 million, a little more than half of its opening weekend performance of $84 million.  Other strong performers included Hacksaw Ridge ($10.6/-30%) and The Accountant, which raked in $4.4m—down only 25% from the prior week.

Leading the opening weekend pack was Arrival, which far exceeded expectations and tracking predictions by bringing in $24 million.  According to exclusive exit poll data, VeriTES data shows that more than half of Arrival's customers decided to see it same day. "Not only did nearly 33% more people make the sudden decision to escape to the movies this weekend than normally would – most of them chose to see a film about communicating with an alien species," said Jeff Neuman, President of VeriTES. "While audiences have ever expanding platforms for entertainment, movies remain the most egalitarian and immediately accessible way for social escapism, a collective change the subject narrative." 

According to PSB and VeriTES analysis, the weekend performance is a repeat of prior box office performances following social upheaval. "If you go back to the economic crisis of 2009 and more recently the Brexit vote in the UK, movies have served as the nation's salve before, said MacKenzie. "Our data tells us it is happening again."

Given the historical data, combined with the continued social unrest, MacKenzie says it's likely the US box office could be in for a good run. "The studios have tent-poles and big budget moves lined up over the next six weeks.  This could be a situation where 1+1 equals more than 2 and could help Hollywood end the year in positive territory," MacKenzie said.

J. LAW TOPS CELEBRITY MONEY EARNERS.

Jennifer Lawrence Voted Top Money-Making Star of 2013 in Quigley Publishing Company's Annual Poll!

From PRNewswire/ -- Jennifer Lawrence has been voted the Top Money-Making Star of 2013 in Quigley Publishing Company's 82nd Annual Poll. This is Lawrence's first appearance in the Quigley Poll, and the first time an actor has gone from Star of Tomorrow one year to the Top Money-Making Star the next. After winning an Academy Award and a Golden Globe earlier this year and outstanding performances in "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" and "American Hustle," theatre owners and film buyers felt Lawrence was responsible for more traffic to movie theatres in 2013 than any other actor.
Sandra Bullock, who was in "The Heat" and "Gravity" this year, placed second on the Top Ten Money- Making Stars list. The only other time females were voted the top two spots in history was our first poll in 1932 when Marie Dressler and Janet Gaynor were first and second respectively. Since then, nine women have been voted first in the Top Money-Making Star Poll a total of seventeen years, with Julie Andrews, Doris Day, Shirley Temple and Marie Dressler winning multiple times. The Quigley Poll, conducted each year since 1932, is an annual survey of motion picture theatre owners and film buyers, which asks them to vote for the ten stars that they believe generated the most box-office revenue for their theatres during the year.
It has been long regarded as one of the most reliable indicators of a Star's real box-office draw because the selections are made by professionals whose livelihood depends on choosing the films and actors that will bring audiences to their theatres. It draws a distinction among stars that happen to appear in hit films and those stars that Exhibitors and film buyers believe actually cause an audience to come to their theatres. The Quigley Poll appears annually in Quigley Publishing Company's International Motion Picture Almanac and on our web site: www.quigleypublishing.com. Both list the results of all the Polls since 1932.

Bradley Cooper placed third and was in "The Hangover Part III" and "American Hustle." Tom Hanks, who has been one of the Top Ten draws seventeen times with five first place finishes, was fourth this year with great performances in "Saving Mr. Banks" and "Captain Phillips." Last year's winner, Denzel Washington, was fifth place, appearing in "2 Guns" and Leonardo DiCaprio, who was in "The Great Gatsby" and "The Wolf of Wall Street," was sixth.

This is the ninth year that Exhibitors have placed both Washington and DiCaprio in the Top Ten. Robert Downey, Jr. who starred in "Iron Man 3" came in seventh. Hugh Jackman made his third showing in the Top Ten in eighth place with "The Wolverine," "Prisoners" and "Movie 43."

Brad Pitt was voted into the ninth spot and was in "World War Z," "12 Years a Slave" and "The Counselor." Exhibitors recognized Melissa McCarthy's audience appeal and voted her into the Top Ten for the first time this year after a busy 2013 with "Identity Theft," "The Hangover Part III" and "The Heat." Tom Cruise has not placed in the Poll since 2007, but has been in the Top Ten 20 times since 1983, and been voted number one - the most of any actor - seven times.

Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds and Bing Crosby have all won five times. Clint Eastwood has appeared in the poll 21 times starting in 1968.

John Wayne, Doris Day and Shirley Temple each finished first four times, but John Wayne was voted one of the Top Ten Money-Making Stars an astounding 25 times from 1949 to 1974. Exhibitors were also asked to name the Stars of Tomorrow for 2013: one male and one female who they feel will be Top Money-Makers in the years to come. The 2013 winners are Amy Adams who was in "Man of Steel," "Her," and "American Hustle" and the ubiquitous James Franco who acted in "Oz the Great and Powerful," "Spring Breakers," "Lovelace," "Homefront" and "This is the End" in 2013 in addition to writing, producing and directing numerous films.
Top Ten Money-Making Stars of 2013:  Jennifer Lawrence, Sandra Bullock,  Bradley Cooper, Tom Hanks Denzel Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey, Jr. ,Hugh Jackman Brad Pitt & Melissa McCarthy. Star of Tomorrow: Amy Adams

CELEBRITY Q & A: HOMELAND'S DAMIEN LEWIS!

Both guys watching a big screen TV.

Lewis: Is THAT Star Trek: the The Next Generation!?

Data...Hard: Yeah...First Contact (the movie) I think.

We watch and recognize the opening credits of the hit film.

Lewis: I think, you right.

He plops down on the couch, and begins watching in earnest.

Mr Abrams, you need to make this guy an Admiral, in the sequels.

CAN SCARLY JO SUCCEED, WHERE JEN GAR FAILED?CAN SHE CARRY A GIRL MARVEL SUPERHEROINE FLICK?

LATEST PHOTOS FROM DARK KNIGHT RISES.

WHAT WILL STEVE CARELL DO AFTER THE OFFICE? MOVIES...SAD MOVIES.

AMERICA REPEATS SENIOR YEAR

AGENT 99 AT THE MARRIED LONDON GALA.

MEDIA-TECH NEWS: IS THE WB BACK?

INDY CRUSHES ALL COMERS AT BOX OFFICE,BUT JUST MISSED THE RECORD BOOKS.

NARNIA UNDERWHELMS AT THE BOX OFFICE.

RACING TO SPEED'S PREMIERE.

LILO'S SISTER HAUNTING HER AT THE BOX OFFICE,ALREADY?

BUFFY AND RICK O'CONNELL, ATTEND A PREMIERE WITH DIRECTOR ANDY GARCIA.