OPENINGS: CRAZY RICH ASIANS (Color Force/SK Global/Warners) had a strong 42% Saturday bump, an especially bright sign for a film that might have been expected to play as front-loaded for a niche audience. That pushed its weekend to $25.2M, with a total of $34M since its Wednesday opening. It was just slightly below the $37.8M for the first 5 days of Trainwreck, which made it to $110.2M in the US, and given the typically high multiples for rom-coms, and the lack of competition in late August, Asians has a real chance of passing the magic $100M mark in the US. In addition, unlike the very American Trainwreck, which earned 78% of its worldwide total at home, Asians has obvious potential overseas, where the studio is pursuing a slow release, with just 6 markets to date yielding around $700K. (Notably, the film doesn’t yet have a release scheduled in China.) If the international audience comes through, Asians should yield a moderate profit.
The same can’t be said for MILE 22 (Hideaway/H Brothers/STX), which had one of Mark Wahlberg’s worst action-movie openings at $13.6M. That includes a 7% Saturday drop, so word of mouth is unlikely to help it, and the US total may not reach $40M on $100M+ in production/marketing costs. Overseas release has barely begun with about $500K to date.
ALPHA (Studio 8/Sony/Columbia) is in even worse shape, also with $100M+ in costs, and with a $10.5M US weekend. The only semi-encouraging point was that a 23% Saturday bump suggested it was drawing a family audience, but with numbers this low, that may not help much. Overseas release hasn’t yet begun.
HOLDOVERS: THE MEG (Gravity/Warners) didn’t collapse in Weekend 2, which given the genre and reviews was a bit of a surprise. After an OK 54% drop to $21.2M, it seems capable of reaching $125M in the US. Profitability, though, will depend on international results, considering that production/marketing costs were reportedly in the neighborhood of $300M. The outlook is positive, with $230.4M so far after a $67M weekend in 55 markets ($117.2M of that is from China, where the studios benefit from the film being a full-fledged US/China co-production), and with Japan and France yet to open. In other words: get ready for The Meg 2.
Considering the rave reviews, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT (Skydance/Alibaba/Paramount) is falling faster at the box office than might have been expected, down 46% in its 4th weekend to $10.5M, the steepest drop for any Mission film in Weekend 4. It should still reach $200M in the US, but may find it harder to match M:I2‘s $215.4M or M:i4‘s $209.4M. Overseas, it’s at $320.7M after a $20.5M weekend in 61 markets, but while that’s well off the pace of M:I5‘s $487.7M, it doesn’t include China, where that film earned $135.7M.
CHRISTOPHER ROBIN (Disney) has found its audience, down just 32% in Weekend 3 to $8.9M, and on its way to $85M in the US. It has $22.8M early in its international run, after a $7.9M weekend in 34 markets.
BLACKKKLANSMAN (Focus/Universal) cushioned its 2nd weekend with 276 additional theatres, which gave it a 36% drop to $7M. It’s not clear how much more widely it will be able to expand, but the film should be able to reach $40M in the US, making it Spike Lee’s 3rd biggest hit. Overseas success is a bigger question mark, and for now it’s just in a few markets with a $1.9M total.
Like The Meg, SLENDER MAN (Sony/Screen Gems) held better than its genre might have suggested, down 56% to $5M. But it still won’t get much beyond $30M in the US. Overseas receipts haven’t yet reached $500K.
In its 6th weekend, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION (Sony Animation/Sony/Columbia) had the best hold in the Top 10, down 30% to $3.7M as it heads past $160M in the US, although it still probably won’t reach Hotel 2‘s $169.7M. Overseas, Hotel 3 is at $272.1M after a $28.3M weekend in 60 territories, which included a very mild $16.9M opening in China, and it should surpass Hotel 2‘s $303.5M.
MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN (Legendary/Universal) dropped 42% in Weekend 5 to $3.4M. If it reaches $120M in the US, it will be down around 15% from the first Mamma. Overseas, Here We Go Again is at $207.8M after a $15.3M weekend in 62 markets, and with just a few left to open, including Italy and Japan, it’s likely to end up considerably below the first film’s $465.7M international total.
THE EQUALIZER 2 (Escape Artists/Sony/Columbia) fell 48% in its 5th weekend to $2.8M, and will just about match its predecessor’s $101.5M in the US. Overseas, it’s at $29M after a $17.5M weekend in 41 markets, and may have a tougher time hitting the first Equalizer‘s $90.8M total.
Last weekend’s flops stayed that way. DOG DAYS (LD) fell 68% to $800K, and may not reach $8M in the US. DEATH OF A NATION (Quality) plunged 70% to $300K and may not see $6M.
LIMITED RELEASE: THE WIFE (Sony Classics) had a fair start with a $28K weekend per-theatre average at 4 NY/LA arthouses. WE THE ANIMALS (Orchard) averaged $22K at 3. JULIET, NAKED (Roadside) was a notch below with a $15K average at 4. BLAZE (IFC) averaged $15K at 3. PUZZLE (Sony Classics) expanded to 109 with a $2K average. THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERSON POST (FilmRise) widened to 72 with a $1900 average. MCQUEEN (Bleecker Street) averaged $1200 at 95. SCOTTY & THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD (Greenwich) averaged $1600 at 27.
NEXT WEEKEND: Wide openings include the R-rated puppet comedy THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS (STX) and family adventure AXL (Global Road). Other releases include PAPILLON (Bleecker Street), THE BOOKSHOP (Greenwich), SEARCHING (Sony/Screen Gems) and SUPPORT THE GIRLS (Magnolia).
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