Level 1 - Absolute Beginner
A new movie called Street Fighter is in theaters. It is based on a famous video game.
On Friday, the movie made about 13 million dollars. It played in 3,575 theaters.
A second movie, You Can See Everything, made about 5.5 million dollars on Friday. It played in far fewer theaters.
The final numbers for the whole weekend are not out yet. One report thinks Street Fighter may make about 31 million dollars.
- movie
- A story shown on a big screen.
- theater
- A place where people watch movies.
- video game
- A game you play on a screen.
- million
- A very big number: 1,000,000.
- weekend
- Saturday and Sunday.
- report
- A piece of news.
- famous
- Known by many people.
- number
- A word or sign for how many.
Level 2 - Elementary
The movie Street Fighter, from Paramount and Legendary, is the leader at the North American box office this weekend. It earned about 4 million dollars in Thursday night previews and 13 million dollars on Friday from 3,575 theaters.
The Hollywood Reporter estimated an opening of about 31 million dollars for the weekend. Other forecasts were different. One predicted 32 million dollars and another predicted 24.5 million.
In second place is You Can See Everything from the studio A24. It made about 5.5 million dollars on Friday from only 855 theaters. Forecasters expected about 9 million dollars for the weekend.
Behind them are Whalefall, with about 3 million dollars on Friday, and Sense and Sensibility, with about 3.3 million dollars. Final figures for the weekend are still to come.
- box office
- The money that movies earn from tickets.
- preview
- A showing before the official opening.
- estimate
- A guess based on facts.
- forecast
- A prediction about the future.
- studio
- A company that makes movies.
- opening
- The first weekend a movie is in theaters.
- leader
- The one in first place.
- figure
- A number.
Level 3 - Intermediate
Street Fighter, the Paramount and Legendary adaptation of the long-running fighting game, is on course to win the weekend box office. It took about 4 million dollars in Thursday previews and 13 million dollars on Friday across 3,575 theaters, according to figures reported by trade outlets.
Weekend projections vary. The Hollywood Reporter pointed to an opening near 31 million dollars on Saturday morning, while forecasters at BoxOfficeReport predicted 32 million and another analyst expected a more modest 24.5 million. Final studio estimates arrive on Sunday and actuals on Monday, so all of these remain projections.
The most interesting race is for second place. The A24 release You Can See Everything earned about 5.5 million dollars on Friday from just 855 theaters, a strong per-theater average, and was forecast to reach about 9 million dollars for the weekend.
Whalefall, from 20th Century, took roughly 3 million dollars on Friday and is struggling to stand out, while Focus Features' Sense and Sensibility brought in about 3.3 million from 2,545 locations. Holdovers Other Mommy and Verity remain in the mix.
- adaptation
- A work changed to suit another form, such as a game turned into a film.
- trade outlet
- A news source for people working in an industry.
- projection
- An estimate of a future result.
- modest
- Not very large.
- per-theater average
- Money earned divided by the number of theaters.
- release
- A film or product made available to the public.
- stand out
- To be noticed among others.
- holdover
- A film still playing from a previous week.
Level 4 - Advanced
Street Fighter is poised to claim the weekend box office, though the margin and final tally remain provisional. The Paramount and Legendary adaptation collected roughly 4 million dollars in Thursday previews and 13 million on Friday from 3,575 theaters.
Forecasts diverge. The Hollywood Reporter projected about 31 million dollars on Saturday morning, BoxOfficeReport 32 million and an independent analyst 24.5 million. Studios release Sunday estimates before Monday's actuals, so every figure cited here is subject to revision.
The more intriguing story lies below the top spot. A24's You Can See Everything grossed about 5.5 million dollars on Friday from only 855 locations, an exceptional per-screen result for a specialty distributor and one that BoxOfficeReport extrapolated to roughly 9 million over the weekend.
The wider field is crowded and fragile. Whalefall, from 20th Century, managed around 3 million on Friday and has struggled to make an impression, while Focus Features' Sense and Sensibility took roughly 3.3 million from 2,545 theaters. Holdovers Other Mommy and Verity keep the middle of the chart congested.
- poised
- Ready and likely to do something.
- provisional
- Arranged for now and likely to change.
- diverge
- To move apart or differ.
- extrapolate
- To estimate by extending known trends.
- specialty distributor
- A company releasing films to a narrower audience.
- per-screen
- Measured for each screen.
- fragile
- Easily broken or weak.
- congested
- Too full or crowded.