Bulgarian Box Office Update - Weekend 13-15 Jan

It's not a crime to go the cinema now and again

There is really no one able to remove Puss In Boots from the summit of the Bulgarian cinema charts as the movie clocks up a full month there. The film has managed to collect BGN 1,091,065 in total, turning not only into one of the best performing animations on these shores but also into one of the most successful movies at all. 

As the new proposals (though relatively good) failed (of course) to attract any strong attention, most of the titles in the top 10 register small declines. Thus, Puss In Boots falls by just 20%, followed by Sherlock Holmes 2 (total BGN 788,124, down 23%) and The Darkest Hour (yes, it's gonna be a hit after all) (total BGN 143,209, down 25%).

Expectedly Contraband comes as the highest new entry at #4. Its BGN 39,561 box office for the weekend is not spectacular but for a movie with no heavy-weight names and strong promotion, it is rather okay. Though, as a principle, Bulgarians tend to like such genre movies, but the fact that it is not played in the Cinema City chain has curbed its chances for a major success. (You know - if it is not screened at the mall, it doesn't exist...). 

At #5 Mission Impossible slows down with just 32% and has BGN 813,214 in its run. It is followed by The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, which stabilises with a fall of 20% and BGN 143,522 so far.

It may be screened at the mall, but the latest Brad Pitt-movie Moneyball fails in its mission to collect any money as it arrives at BGN 11,445 (BGN 17,456 including previews) at #7. A movie about baseball to be a hit here and on the top of that to be a slow human drama! No one could have expected that... Go and watch it, while you can as in a week or two it will disappear completely from the big screen. 

The rest of the top ten consists of Happy Feet 2, which despite being pretty awful, rises 14% and has BGN 250,005; Operaciq Shmenti Kapeli, which continues to improve its results with 5% and BGN 1,166,857 on its account; and 50:50, which as being one of the best films in the countdown has to register the worst fall of 38% and has BGN 35,751 in total.

This week the top ten is left by Arthur Christmas, whose BGN 400,877 may seem not enough in view of its qualities but it has become one of the most successful animations in Bulgaria, which is just marvellous. New Year's Eve is also (expectedly) out. It has earned BGN 273,920 so far, which is identical to the USD 167,861 final tally of Valentine's Day. 

Compared to my projections, Contraband was slightly below my BGN 30,000 forecast, while Moneyball was nowhere near my BGN 40,000 projection.

Next weekend's projections:

The Muppets (and the most awful dubbing ever) - 50,000

Underworld: Awakening - 65,000

Tzahes (Bulgaria) - 7,000

(BGN 1 = USD 0.65/EUR 0.51)