# How do they calculate box office receipts for opening wknd so fast?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-calculate-box-office-receipts-for-opening-wknd-so-fast/137227>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 18, 2002, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-calculate-box-office-receipts-for-opening-wknd-so-fast/137227 "2002-11-18T00:37:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-calculate-box-office-receipts-for-opening-wknd-so-fast/137227/1 "2002-11-18T00:37:48Z")

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets has grossed an estimated \*\*87 million \*\* this weekend.

It is not even 730pm Sunday night.  
How do ‘they’ calculate earnings?

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**Author:** ![Pythagras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/45deac/32.png) [@Pythagras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythagras)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-calculate-box-office-receipts-for-opening-wknd-so-fast/137227/2 "2002-11-18T01:14:36Z")

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Maybe Sunday doesnt count. I mean traditionally theaters werent open then, and I’d imagine its not as big as fridays and saturdays.

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**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-calculate-box-office-receipts-for-opening-wknd-so-fast/137227/3 "2002-11-18T01:31:46Z")

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The figures at this stage are just estimates. Even the Friday gross of $28,844,000 will later be adjusted. The estimates are based on expected rises/falls in daily revenue. Sunday revenue certainly counts. Have a look at [the-numbers](http://www.the-numbers.com/) which lists daily grosses for every movie showing in the US.

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**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-calculate-box-office-receipts-for-opening-wknd-so-fast/137227/4 "2002-11-18T01:49:58Z")

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Sunday doesn’t count – it’s Friday and Saturday night receipts that make up “Weekend Box Office.”

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**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-calculate-box-office-receipts-for-opening-wknd-so-fast/137227/5 "2002-11-18T02:04:42Z")

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Sunday does count, but the Sunday gross is normally estimated for the early returns. The real numbers aren’t released until Monday.

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**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-calculate-box-office-receipts-for-opening-wknd-so-fast/137227/6 "2002-11-18T02:48:42Z")

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Hot damn, I went a movie this morning (Sunday morning) and Harry Potter was showing on 6 screens and tons of families were coming early to secure tickets.

I’ve been wondering this too, Shirley. glad you asked.