OPENINGS: The older, less frontloaded audience for THE LEGEND OF TARZAN (Village Roadshow/RatPac/Warners) allowed it to slip ahead of the holiday weekend’s new arrivals, down just 10% from Friday for a 3-day $38.1M weekend that should become $46M by Monday. Unfortunately for the mega-budgeted adventure, that still means around a $125M US total, which will barely dent the $300M+ in worldwide production/marketing costs. Tarzan is pursuing a gradual release pattern overseas, but the early results aren’t remarkable: $18.8M in 19 territories.
THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR (Blumhouse/Universal) fell 36% on Saturday, worse than the 27% Day 2 drop for The Purge: Anarchy (although slightly better than the 37% loss for the original Purge, which didn’t have a holiday Sunday propping it up). Election Year‘s $30.9M 3-day total is about $1M ahead of Anarchy, and it will add to that lead on Monday, but next weekend will probably drop heavily (the franchise has fallen 76% and 65% on its 2d weekends), and it may not reach $75M in the US. Still, with a $10M production budget and restrained marketing costs, the Purge series will continue to be profitable.
No such luck for THE BFG (Reliance/Walden/Disney), which is proving to be neither big, friendly nor giant (discuss among yourselves). With a 12% Saturday drop, it’s only at $19.6M after 3 days, and perhaps $25M with Monday. A $75M US total is probably the best it can hope for, a tiny contribution to its $275M+ in production/marketing costs. BFG has barely started its overseas release, with $3.9M in 2 markets, but at this point it’s more a question of how much money it will lose rather than whether it can break even.
SWISS ARMY MAN (A24) took a leap into semi-wide release at 636 theatres and managed $1.4M for the 3-day weekend, an unimpressive $2300 per-theatre average.
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS (Illumination/Universal) is still days away from its US opening, but it’s at $29.6M after 2 weeks of international release, with $11.9M this weekend.
Similarly, ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE (Blue Sky/20th) won’t arrive in the US until mid-July, but it’s already started its overseas run, with $20M in 7 territories.
HOLDOVERS: FINDING DORY (Pixar/Disney) had little trouble with the weekend’s tepid openings, taking the 3-day weekend with $41.9M, down 43% from last weekend, and far ahead of the $29.8M Inside Out earned over last year’s July 4th weekend. That number should go to $50M with Monday, which should put its US total at $380M, 50% ahead of where Inside Out was at the end of the holiday weekend. Next week’s animated competition may diminish it, but it should still easily reach $450M in the US. Overseas, it’s now in 40 markets (including China), and has $166M after a $34.4M weekend.
INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE (20th) is the latest action spectacle to discover that overseas box office alone won’t pay the bills. In the US, it fell 60% to $16.5M for the 3-day weekend, and it won’t get much beyond $100M. Its $300M+ in worldwide costs will be largely unrecouped, and internationally it’s at a pale $177M after a $40.2M weekend. There are still a few major openings to come (France, Germany, Japan, Italy), but little chance of any profit.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE (New Line/RatPac/Universal/Warners) is the only comedy around, and it had the best hold in the Top 10, down just 32% to $12.3M as of Sunday. It’s at $91.8M, and has a shot at reaching $125M. Overseas, it’s now in 43 markets, and has a $30.3M total after a $13.8M weekend. It could be en route to $200M worldwide.
Considering its disposable genre, THE SHALLOWS (Columbia/Sony) held nicely, down 46% to $9M for $35.3M as of Sunday. It should reach the $50-60M level in the US which would get it to profit if there’s any international appeal.
FREE STATE OF JONES (Huangyi/STX) may have been hurt by Tarzan as an older-skewing historical action adventure, and it dropped a considerable 45% for the genre, down to $4.1M for the weekend and a $16.2M total. With $100M+ in total costs and little likelihood of overseas appeal, it’s a dead loss.
THE CONJURING 2 (New Line/RatPac/Warners) dropped 50% for the 3-day weekend to $3.9M and $95.3M in the US so far, and might get to $110M, down about 20% from the first Conjuring. Overseas, though, it’s already almost equal to its predecessor with $178.8M compared to $180.6M, and will certainly surpass it, since it took in $13.1M this weekend in 60 markets.
NOW YOU SEE ME 2 (Summit/Lionsgate) fell 47% to $3M in the US, for a $58.7M total that won’t get much higher than $65M, down more than 40% from the first Now You See Me. Internationally, Now 2 is at $155.6M after a $20.8M weekend in 60 territories, and although there are still some major markets ahead, including the UK, it’s unlikely to match the first movie’s $234M, even with its heavy use of China locations.
THE NEON DEMON (Broad Green) was heaved out of most of its theatres after a single week, and plunged 78% to a horrible $135K at the 185 theatres that were left. Its US total won’t get to $2M.
LIMITED RELEASE: OUR KIND OF TRAITOR (Lionsgate/Roadside) had an unassuming $1M start in 373 theatres, giving it a $2700 per-theatre average. HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE (Orchard) expanded to 23 with a $6200 average. The well-reviewed THE INNOCENTS (Music Box) averaged $10.5K at 3. WIENER-DOG (IFC) widened to 36 theatres with a $2200 average.
NEXT WEEKEND: The Secret Life of Pets finally reaches US shores. Central Intelligence will get comedy competition from MIKE & DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES (20th). On the limited front, CAPTAIN FANTASTIC (Bleecker Street) makes its debut.
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