OPENINGS: None of the weekend’s wide arrivals found much of an audience. BLINK TWICE (MGM/Amazon) led the weak group with $7.3M, and given its relatively low $20M+ production costs, it might hit breakeven, depending on how much the studio spent on marketing. It was equally slow overseas with $6.7M in 73 markets.
The Christian market’s entry THE FORGE (Affirm/Sony) had even lower costs, and launched at an OK $6.6M for that genre. It’s a US-only release for now.
As is customary, the studio for THE CROW (Lionsgate), the week’s most expensive flop, is anxiously spreading the news that its own financial risk was limited. Nevertheless, a $4.6M start means that Lionsgate will likely lose almost its entire contribution to the $50M production cost, as well as what it spent for all the US marketing. The international investors are in even worse shape, since they reportedly bore the majority of the production budget and the film only managed $3.8M in 44 territories.
Despite sterling reviews (96% on Rotten Tomatoes), STRANGE DARLING (Magenta Light) began with $1.1M at 1135 theaters, the worst weekend per-theater average of the new crop at $1K. It hasn’t opened overseas.
In a barely-wide 576 theaters, BETWEEN THE TEMPLES (Sony Classics) brought in $700K, a $1200 per-theater average.
HOLDOVERS: DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE (Marvel/Disney) regained the box office throne, down 39% to $18.5M in its 5th weekend, and on its way past $600M in the US, where the question will be whether it can top The Avengers‘ $623.4M. It has $634.1M overseas after a $20.2M weekend.
ALIEN: ROMULUS (20th/Disney) fell 61% to $16.2M, a better hold than Alien: Covenant (down 71%), but not quite as strong as Prometheus (down 59%). It should pass $100M in the US. Internationally, it has $152.8M after a $41.6M weekend, with almost half that total coming from the $73.3M it’s earned in China.
IT ENDS WITH US (Wayfarer/Columbia/Sony) dropped 50% to $11.9M in its 3rd weekend, still on track to reach $150M in the US. It’s also showing remarkable strength overseas, with $121.8M after a $22.3M weekend in 54 territories.
TWISTERS (Warners/Universal, also on VOD) lost 38% to $6.2M in its 6th weekend. It may reach $265M in the US, but the overseas result is far lower at $98.7M.
The re-release of CORALINE (Fathom) continued to impress, down 49% to $5M. If it can hold onto its theaters, it might get to $40M in the US. The re-release also has $6.1M overseas.
DESPICABLE ME 4 (Illumination/Universal, also on VOD) slipped 30% to $4.4M in its 8th weekend, and should pass $360M in the US, with the $368.1M for Despicable 2 possibly in reach. The international total is $537.1M after an $18.6M weekend in 84 markets.
INSIDE OUT 2 (Pixar/Disney, also on VOD) shed 40% to $2.1M in its 11th weekend, and should get above $650M in the US. Overseas, it hit the $1B milestone after a $9.1M weekend. (It’s being claimed as the “first” animated film to do so, but that ignores the $1.12B for the CG The Lion King.) The $1.649B worldwide total is within $14M of Lion King.
TRAP (Blinding Edge/Warners) was down 49% to $1.8M in its 4th weekend, and may reach $45M in the US. It also has $33M overseas.
LIMITED RELEASE: SING SING (A24) expanded to 191 theaters with a $2200 weekend per-theater average. GOOD ONE (Metrograph) widened to 31 with a $1700 average. MOUNTAINS (Music Box) averaged $2300 at 5.
NEXT WEEKEND: Labor Day is traditionally the one long weekend when people don’t go to the movies, and the summer will fade to an end with AFRAID (Blumhouse/Columbia/Sony), 1992 (Lionsgate), SLINGSHOT (Bleecker Street) and REAGAN (ShowBiz Direct).
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