OPENINGS: KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE (MARV/20th) took the weekend, but at $39M it was below Fox’s minimal target number of $40M. Since sequels burn out faster than initial films in a series, Golden Circle will probably end up around $100-120M in the US, compared to $128M for The Secret Service, and that’s on higher costs. Overseas, Golden Circle took in $61.2M in 64 territories, which isn’t an exciting number, but it’s somewhat misleading because the film hasn’t opened yet in China or South Korea, which were Secret Service‘s biggest markets. (Secret Service earned 69% of its worldwide total overseas.) At best, though, this looks like a maintaining franchise, rather than a growing one.
That’s still better, of course, than a franchise that’s sinking. THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE (RatPac/Warners Animation) had a terrible $21.2M opening in the US, down almost 70% from the first LEGO Movie, and down 60% from LEGO Batman. Overseas, it brought in a wan $10.5M in 37 markets. Ninjago might yet manage to earn back its $200M in production/marketing costs, but it appears that Warners has run this franchise into the ground in record time, a testament to the risks of jumping into spin-offs too early in the process.
It’s sort of sad that FRIEND REQUEST (Entertainment Services) felt the need to compose a weekend estimate that includes a Sunday number which appears on its face to be crazily high (the studio is “predicting” a 6% drop, when the next-lowest studio estimate in the Top 10 for the day is 25%, and that’s for a film in 20% of Friend‘s theatres)–especially when even with that hard shove, the weekend estimate only comes to $2.4M anyway. In other words, it’s still a flop.
STRONGER (Roadside/Lionsgate) went the quasi-wide route in 574 theatres, but showed limited promise with a $3000 per-theatre average. (Kingsman 2, in 4003 theatres, averaged $9700.) However, reviews were excellent, so perhaps it can–sorry, sorry–show some legs.
HOLDOVERS: IT (RatPac/New Line/Warners) fell 50% in its 3rd weekend to $30M, but at this point everything is profit, and the thriller will end up over $300M in the US, a historic feat for a horror movie. Overseas, It is at $211.7M after a $38.3M weekend in 59 territories, and still has Germany, Italy and Japan in its pocket. (Because of the genre, the film may not get an opening in China.)
AMERICAN ASSASSIN (CBS/Lionsgate) folded fast, down 58% to $6.3M, and unlikely to reach $40M in the US. It has $6.1M in early overseas release. So far nothing suggests prospects for a continuing franchise.
HOME AGAIN (Open Road) is holding quite well, down 36% in its 3rd weekend. That’s the good news; the bad is that the film started so low that the weekend was only worth $3.3M, and Home Again won’t get much above $30M in the US. (No international release as yet.)
Considering that mother! (Paramount) is famous mostly for being loathed by audiences, it can at least claim a better hold than American Assassin, down 57% to $3.3M. It’s headed for around $20M in the US, which certainly wasn’t what Paramount had in mind when it decided to give the film a release in 2368 theatres and a full (if incredibly misleading) national marketing campaign. Overseas, it’s at $12.5M after a $4.6M weekend in 29 markets.
LIMITED RELEASE: BATTLE OF THE SEXES (Fox Searchlight) had a promising start in 21 theatres with a $25K per-theatre average. Although VICTORIA & ABDUL (Focus/Universal) had a higher average at $38K, that was in just 4 theatres, and was boosted by Judi Dench Q&As. BRAD’S STATUS (Annapurna) ambitiously expanded to 453 theatres after a single week at 4, and didn’t fare well, averaging $2200. (Annapurna was also aggressive with its wide release of Detroit, and that didn’t work out either.) VICEROY’S HOUSE (IFC, also on VOD) averaged $1700 at 120. REBEL IN THE RYE (IFC) averaged $1000 at 82.
NEXT WEEKEND: AMERICAN MADE (Universal) finally arrives on home territory after playing overseas for a month (it’s earned a flat $58.6M in most major markets other than Russia and Japan). FLATLINERS (Screen Gems/Sony) will hope It fans are ready for another horror movie. In addition, niche offerings A QUESTION OF FAITH (Pure Flix) and TILL DEATH DO US PART (Novus) will arrive. LUCKY (Magnolia) and MARK FELT: THE MAN WHO BROUGHT DOWN THE WHITE HOUSE (Sony Classics) enter limited release.
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