Use the numerical methods of descriptive statistics presented in this chapter to learn how these variables contribute to the success of a motion picture. Include the following in your report:

1. Descriptive statistics for each of the four variables along with a discussion of what the descriptive statistics tell us about the motion picture industry.

2. What motion pictures, if any, should be considered high-performance outliers? Explain.

3. Descriptive statistics showing the relationship between total gross sales and each of the other variables. Discuss.

The motion picture industry is a competitive business. More than 50 studios produce several hundred new motion pictures each year, and the financial success of the motion pictures varies considerably. The opening weekend gross sales, the total gross sales, the number of theaters the movie was shown in, and the number of weeks the motion picture was in release are common variables used to measure the success of a motion picture. Data on the top 100 grossing motion pictures released in 2011 (Box Office Mojo website, March 17, 2012) are contained in a file named 2011Movies. Table 3.10 shows the data for the first 10 motion pictures in this file. Note that some movies, such as War Horse, were released late in 2011 and continued to run in2012.

Opening Gross Sales Total Gross Sales Number Weeks in Motion Picture (Smillions (Smlins Theaters Release Harry Potter and the Deathly 169.19 81.01 4375 19 Hallows Part 2 Transformers: Dark of the Moon The Twilight Saga: Breaking 97.85 138.12 352.39 281.29 4088 4066 15 14 Dawn Part I The Hangover Part II Pirates of the Caribbean: On 85.95 90.15 254.46 241.07 3675 4164 16 19 Stranger Tides Fast Five 86.20 12.79 209.84 208.55 3793 3555 15 13 Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol Cars 2 Sherlock Holmes: A Game of 66.14 39.64 191.45 186.59 4115 3703 25 13 Shadows Thor 65.72 181.03 3963 16