OPENINGS: THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 (Illumination/Universal) had a better launch than this weekend’s other big arrival, but it was a major box office disappointment in its own right. The $47.1M weekend was down 55% from the first Pets just 3 years ago, and although Pets 2 will likely hit profit thanks to relatively moderate production/marketing costs around $225M, a $150M US total won’t do much to encourage another sequel. Pets 2 is haing a slow rollout overseas, where it’s at $49M after a $16M weekend in 30 markets. Although many territories are still to open including China and Japan, it’s hard to see the sequel coming anywhere near the first Pets‘ $507.1M international total.
The only positive for Marvel/Disney from the fiasco of DARK PHOENIX (20th/TSG/Disney) is that there will be zero nostalgia for this version of X-Men to hinder the inevitable MCU reboot, now that the franchise is under Disney’s direct control. The $33M US opening was by far the lowest of the franchise, and with poisonous word of mouth (Saturday fell 23% from Friday), the domestic total may be only $85M. Things aren’t much better overseas, where Phoenix opened in almost all major markets except Japan to a tepid $107M ($45.6M from China). Phoenix weathered expensive reshoots along its tortuous way to theatres, and at $350M in production/marketing costs, it’s headed for serious red ink.
HOLDOVERS: 2 weeks of newcomer disappointments have helped buoy ALADDIN (Disney), down 43% in its 3rd weekend to $24.5M, and on its way to $285M in the US. It had an additional $67.6M weekend in all major international territories, for $372.5M to date, and should reach $750M+ worldwide, which would put it at #4 or #5 among Disney’s live-action makeovers, behind Beauty & The Beast, Alice In Wonderland, The Jungle Book and possibly Maleficent.
GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS (Legendary/Warners) fell 68% from last week’s premiere to $15.5M, and may not see $110M in the US. With $325M in costs, its destiny will depend entirely on its overseas performance, and that may only bring it to breakeven at best, with $213.7M to date ($109.7M of it from China) after a $47.1M weekend in all major markets.
ROCKETMAN (BRON/Paramount) is a pale shadow of Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star is Born, down 46% from last week’s premiere to $14M, en route to $80M in the US. By comparison, Bohemian lost 39% in its 2nd weekend, and Star is Born was down just 33%. Things are no brighter overseas, where Rocketman is at a very mild $51.3M after a $13M weekend in 50 markets.
MA (Blumhouse/Universal) dropped 57% to $7.8M from last week’s opening, and has a chance of hitting $50M in the US. It has $7.3M in limited overseas release.
JOHN WICK CHAPTER 3: PARABELLUM (Thunder Road/Summit/Lionsgate) slipped 33% to $7.4M in its 4th weekend, and should reach $155M in the US. It’s milder overseas, consistent with the franchise’s pattern, where it has $113.6M to date.
AVENGERS: ENDGAME (Marvel/Disney) isn’t going away just yet, down 40% to $4.8M in its 7th weekend, as it heads toward $835M in the US. Its initial release is likely to put its global total around $40M below Avatar, with $1.9B overseas that puts its worldwide tally at $2.73B.
POKEMON: DETECTIVE PIKACHU (Legendary/Warners) lost 57% to $3M in its 5th weekend, and may stretch to hit $145M in the US. It’s at $272.1M overseas, $89.1M of that from China.
BOOKSMART (Annapurna/US/MGM) didn’t find the audience love it was seeking, down 52% to $1.6M in its 3rd weekend, and likely to just nose past $20M in the US. It hasn’t yet entered international release.
LIMITED RELEASE: In its only week before wide release, LATE NIGHT (Amazon) posted a splashy $62K per-theatre average at 4 NY/LA houses, although that number included starry in-theatres Q&As as well as (perhaps consequentially) a huge Sunday drop. THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO (A24) had an impressive start with a $33K average at 7. Ron Howard’s documentary PAVAROTTI (CBS/Lionsgate) began with a modest $7500 average at 19. There were a pair of unwise expansions, each with a $700 per-theatre weekend average: ALL IS TRUE (Sony Classics) and THE TOMORROW MAN (Bleecker Street). In addition, ECHO IN THE CANYON (Greenwich) widened to 43 with a $4800 average, and THE SOUVENIR (A24) moved into 145 flats with a $1200 average
NEXT WEEKEND: A pair of reboots, with MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL (Columbia/Sony) and SHAFT (Paramount), as well as the wide release of Late Night, and a mid-level opening (550 theatres) for THE DEAD DON’T DIE (Focus/Universal). Limited releases include AMERICAN WOMAN (Roadside).
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