OPENINGS: DUMBO (Disney) had a 14% Saturday bump that was merely OK considering its underwhelming first day, and that brought it to a $45M weekend. Even if it reaches $150M in the US, it would need help to get out of red ink with $300M+ in production/marketing costs, and so far it doesn’t seen as though international audiences are any more enthusiastic, with a $71M start in all major overseas markets (including China and, unusually, Japan). If Dumbo can’t withstand the arrival of next week’s Shazam, it may be an atypical air-ball for Disney.
UNPLANNED (Pure Flix) was overwhelmingly frontloaded, plunging 42% on its 2nd day of release. This meant that its opening day box office made up 48% of the $6.1M weekend, which is on par with the famously audience-rejected Batman v. Superman. With appeal apparently limited to anti-abortion true believers (by comparison, a Christian film like God’s Not Dead 2 only dipped 8% on its first Saturday), it may have trouble getting past $15M in the US.
HOTEL MUMBAI (Bleecker Street) swiftly expanded from 4 theatres to 924 with mediocre results, a $3.2M weekend that translated into a $3400 per-theatre average.
THE BEACH BUM (Neon) flopped with a $1.8M weekend at 1100 theatres, giving it a $1600 per-theatre average. By comparison, director Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers earned $4.9M in its first weekend at 1104. Beach Bum may not make it beyond $5M in the US.
HOLDOVERS: US (Blumhouse/Perfect World/Universal) had a fair hold for a horror movie, down 53% to $33.6M. That wasn’t in a league with Get Out‘s unearthly 15% Weekend 2 drop, but it compared to the 51% drop for It, and wasn’t much worse than the 47% for The Conjuring. It should reach $195M in the US, which would be 10% higher than Get Out. Things are slower overseas (as they were for Get Out), where Us is at $46.3M after a $22.6M weekend in 60 territories, with a few (Italy, Mexico, Japan) yet to come. It seems as though at least two-thirds of the worldwide box office for Us will come from the US, which would be similar to Get Out (69%), but markedly different from It (47%) and The Conjuring (43%).
CAPTAIN MARVEL (Marvel/Disney) held well, down 40% to $20.5M in its 4th weekend. That’s not far off the 38% drop for Black Panther in the parallel weekend, and better than the 53% for Avengers: Infinity War and Captain America: Civil War. It remains on target for $390-400M in the US, with the unknowable factor being whether the onset of Avengers: Endgame will help or hurt it in the coming weeks. Overseas, Captain Marvel is at $636.8M after a $26.4M weekend in all major markets, and it will hit the magic $1B mark next week, becoming the 7th Marvel title to ring that bell.
FIVE FEET APART (CBS/Lionsgate) had a terrific Weekend 3 hold, down just 27% to $6.3M, and capable of hitting $50M in the US. So far, it’s not finding as much of an audience overseas, where it’s at $14.8M after a $6.2M weekend in 39 territories.
WONDER PARK (Nickelodeon/Paramount) dropped 44% to $4.9M in its 3rd weekend, and seems unlikely to see $50M in the US. It’s in only 23 markets overseas, but the numbers are low with $14.4M after a $2.5M weekend. The question on this one seems to be how much of its considerable cost it’s going to lose.
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD (DreamWorks Animation/Universal) dipped 35% to $4.2M in its 6th weekend, still on its way to $160M in the US. Overseas, it’s at $348.9M after a $2.6M weekend in 58 territories. A $525M worldwide total would be down about 15% from Dragon 2.
MADEA FAMILY FUNERAL (Lionsgate) continued to hold very well for a Tyler Perry film, down 39% to $2.7M in its 5th weekend, and on track to be the #2 Madea movie at $75M. It has $1.1M in very limited international release, following the franchise pattern.
LIMITED RELEASE: DIANE (IFC, also available on VOD) garnered rave reviews and had a quiet $9K weekend average at 3 theatres. SLUT IN A GOOD WAY (Comedy Dynamics) averaged $3100 at 7. The Steve Bannon documentary THE BRINK (Magnolia) averaged $4600 at 4. THE CHAPERONE (PBS) averaged $6100 at 2. THE MUSTANG (Focus/Universal) expanded to 181 with a so-so $3200 average. THE AFTERMATH (Fox Searchlight) was slower with a $1900 average after an expansion to 161. ASH IS PUREST WHITE (Cohen) averaged $1200 at 47. SUNSET (Sony Classics) averaged $1500 at 10.
NEXT WEEKEND: An array of genres, from the comic-book adventure SHAZAM (DC/New Line/Warners) to the inspirational THE BEST OF ENEMIES (STX) and the not-so-inspirational PET SEMETARY (Paramount). Limited releases include AMAZING GRACE (Neon), HIGH LIFE (A24) and PETERLOO (Amazon).
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