At the end of December, the biggest film of 2014 was Guardians of the Galaxy." But that changed during the first month of 2015 when a latecomer, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, climbed to the top.
And in the past couple of weeks, another 2014 movie opened around the country even later, and now American Sniper may be a new threat.
Whats more, if you look at international ticket sales something the major Hollywood studios are doing with more vigor now the shift is even more dramatic.
This is the way the top 10 North American box-office tally for 2014 stands right now, according to boxofficemojo.com:
1. "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1" ($335.7 million)
2. "Guardians of the Galaxy" ($333.1 million)
3. "American Sniper" ($282.9 million)
4. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" ($259.7 million)
5. "The Lego Movie" ($257.7 million)
6. "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" ($252.9 million)
7. "Transformers: Age of Extinction" ($245.4 million)
8. "Maleficent" ($241.4 million)
9. "X-Men: Days of Future Past" ($233.9 million)
10. "Big Hero 6" ($218.5 million)
At the end of December, Guardians was No. 1 and Mockingjay was No. 2.
And although American Sniper opened in Los Angeles (and a few other major cities) Dec. 25 to qualify for Oscar nominations, it didnt open across the country until Jan. 16, when it became an unexpected box-office smash. In fact, the film opened so big that it broke several records, chiefly by becoming the biggest January opening and the biggest winter opening. Ever.
Its possible that American Sniper could earn enough money in the next few weeks to displace Guardians of the Galaxy in the No. 2 spot, especially if it does well at the Oscars next weekend.
Another major film that opened in December this one all around the country was The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
And Big Hero 6, which opened Nov. 7, built on positive word-of-mouth (a rarity these days) to climb into the year-end top 10 more slowly.
As a result of these surprises, three films that were in the top 10 at the end of the year dropped into the second 10: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Godzilla.
But when you look at worldwide grosses, two things leap out. First, the rest of the moviegoing world is just as superhero/fantasy crazy as Americans. Second, Transformers, Hobbits, X-Men and Spider-Man are even more popular around the rest of the world.
Heres the overseas box-office top 10 for 2014:
1. "Transformers: Age of Extinction" ($842 million)
2. "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" ($686.4 million)
3. "Maleficent" ($517 million)
4. "X-Men: Days of Future Past" ($514.2 million)
5. "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" ($506.1 million)
6. "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" ($500.3 million)
7. "Interstellar" ($484.7 million)
8. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" ($455 million)
9. "Guardians of the Galaxy" ($441 million)
10. "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1" ($393.2 million)
But what Hollywood is really looking at is worldwide totals. So if you put the North American and overseas tallies together, this is the 2014 worldwide top 10:
1. "Transformers: Age of Extinction" ($1 billion)
2. "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" ($939.4 million)
3. "Guardians of the Galaxy" ($774.2 million)
4. "Maleficent" ($758.4 million)
5. "X-Men: Days of Future Past" ($748.1 million)
6. "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1" ($728.9 million)
7. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" ($714.8 million)
8. "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" ($709 million)
9. "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" ($708.8 million)
10. "Interstellar" ($671.6 million)
If youre interested, the second 10 domestically goes like this: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Godzilla, 22 Jump Street, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Interstellar, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Gone Girl, Divergent and Neighbors.
The second 10 worldwide: How to Train Your Dragon 2, Godzilla, Big Hero 6, Rio 2, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Lego Movie, Lucy, Edge of Tomorrow, Gone Girl and Noah.
Noah was the 20th-biggest hit worldwide? Ay-yi-yi.
And, of course, 2015 is going to bring us more superheroes, more monsters, more fantasies, more cartoons and a lot more sequels and remakes.
It says something that of the six biggest moneymakers so far this year, three of them are sequels Taken 3, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water and The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death.
I know its only mid-February and none of those three films will be near the top 10 by the end of the year, but it says something when this early in 2015 the most successful films are sequels.
And in the past couple of weeks, another 2014 movie opened around the country even later, and now American Sniper may be a new threat.
Whats more, if you look at international ticket sales something the major Hollywood studios are doing with more vigor now the shift is even more dramatic.
This is the way the top 10 North American box-office tally for 2014 stands right now, according to boxofficemojo.com:
1. "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1" ($335.7 million)
2. "Guardians of the Galaxy" ($333.1 million)
3. "American Sniper" ($282.9 million)
4. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" ($259.7 million)
5. "The Lego Movie" ($257.7 million)
6. "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" ($252.9 million)
7. "Transformers: Age of Extinction" ($245.4 million)
8. "Maleficent" ($241.4 million)
9. "X-Men: Days of Future Past" ($233.9 million)
10. "Big Hero 6" ($218.5 million)
At the end of December, Guardians was No. 1 and Mockingjay was No. 2.
And although American Sniper opened in Los Angeles (and a few other major cities) Dec. 25 to qualify for Oscar nominations, it didnt open across the country until Jan. 16, when it became an unexpected box-office smash. In fact, the film opened so big that it broke several records, chiefly by becoming the biggest January opening and the biggest winter opening. Ever.
Its possible that American Sniper could earn enough money in the next few weeks to displace Guardians of the Galaxy in the No. 2 spot, especially if it does well at the Oscars next weekend.
Another major film that opened in December this one all around the country was The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
And Big Hero 6, which opened Nov. 7, built on positive word-of-mouth (a rarity these days) to climb into the year-end top 10 more slowly.
As a result of these surprises, three films that were in the top 10 at the end of the year dropped into the second 10: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Godzilla.
But when you look at worldwide grosses, two things leap out. First, the rest of the moviegoing world is just as superhero/fantasy crazy as Americans. Second, Transformers, Hobbits, X-Men and Spider-Man are even more popular around the rest of the world.
Heres the overseas box-office top 10 for 2014:
1. "Transformers: Age of Extinction" ($842 million)
2. "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" ($686.4 million)
3. "Maleficent" ($517 million)
4. "X-Men: Days of Future Past" ($514.2 million)
5. "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" ($506.1 million)
6. "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" ($500.3 million)
7. "Interstellar" ($484.7 million)
8. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" ($455 million)
9. "Guardians of the Galaxy" ($441 million)
10. "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1" ($393.2 million)
But what Hollywood is really looking at is worldwide totals. So if you put the North American and overseas tallies together, this is the 2014 worldwide top 10:
1. "Transformers: Age of Extinction" ($1 billion)
2. "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" ($939.4 million)
3. "Guardians of the Galaxy" ($774.2 million)
4. "Maleficent" ($758.4 million)
5. "X-Men: Days of Future Past" ($748.1 million)
6. "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1" ($728.9 million)
7. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" ($714.8 million)
8. "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" ($709 million)
9. "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" ($708.8 million)
10. "Interstellar" ($671.6 million)
If youre interested, the second 10 domestically goes like this: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Godzilla, 22 Jump Street, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Interstellar, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Gone Girl, Divergent and Neighbors.
The second 10 worldwide: How to Train Your Dragon 2, Godzilla, Big Hero 6, Rio 2, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Lego Movie, Lucy, Edge of Tomorrow, Gone Girl and Noah.
Noah was the 20th-biggest hit worldwide? Ay-yi-yi.
And, of course, 2015 is going to bring us more superheroes, more monsters, more fantasies, more cartoons and a lot more sequels and remakes.
It says something that of the six biggest moneymakers so far this year, three of them are sequels Taken 3, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water and The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death.
I know its only mid-February and none of those three films will be near the top 10 by the end of the year, but it says something when this early in 2015 the most successful films are sequels.