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How to predict box office numbers for movies like "Captain Marvel"?

It's a time-consuming endeavor.

In this file photo taken on March 4, 2019 US actress Brie Larson attends the world premiere of "Captain Marvel" in Hollywood, California.
In this file photo taken on March 4, 2019 US actress Brie Larson attends the world premiere of "Captain Marvel" in Hollywood, California.
Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

The new action movie “Captain Marvel” hits theaters today. Some analysts have spent months predicting how well the film might do. Box Office Media, a company which projects and tracks opening numbers, expects the superhero movie could bring in more than $160 million dollars in its first weekend. But just how do box-office tracking companies make these predictions well before anybody sets foot in a movie theater?

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