OPENINGS: LITTLE (Legendary/Universal) led the weekend’s weak crop of newcomers with $15.5M, buoyed by a 15% Saturday bump. That’s about 15% below the recent opening of What Men Want, which was aimed at a somewhat older audience, and suggests an OK $45M US total. It had a limited overseas opening in 11 markets, where the $1.9M total suggests challenges ahead.
HELLBOY (Millenium/Summit/Lionsgate) bombed with $12M on production/marketing costs of $125M or so, and probably won’t reach $35M in the US. It’s not likely to be rescued overseas, either, based on its $10.1M opening in 40 territories.
AFTER (Aviron) had a $6.2M start and probably won’t see $20M in the US. The producers are therefore talking up its international opening, where it earned $12.3M in 28 markets. Costs were low, so that rollout will determine the film’s financial fate.
MISSING LINK (Laika/Annapurna/United Artists/MGM) limped to a $5.8M launch, less than half the previous low for a wide-opening Laika production, $12.6M for Kubo and the Two Strings. A $25M US total won’t get it very far, and the stop-motion studio’s films don’t have a history of overperforming internationally.
THE MUSTANG (Focus/Universal) took a step into the low edge of wide release at 527 theatres. Its weekend was under $800K, which translated into a quiet per-theatre average of $1500.
HOLDOVERS: SHAZAM (DC/New Line/Warners) easily took the weekend with a 53% drop to $23.1M. Many of DC’s recent movies have notoriously crashed in their 2nd weekends, and Shazam certainly held better than Batman v Superman (-69%) or Suicide Squad (-67%), but not as well as Wonder Woman (-43%). It’s heading for $140M in the US. Internationally, it’s quickly running out of steam with $163.9M after a $35.9M weekend in all major territories except Japan (that includes an ugly 84% drop in China). It seems unlikely to reach $400M worldwide, but with relatively moderate costs, that should be enough to justify a sequel.
PET SEMATARY (Paramount) fell an unsurprising 59% to $10M in Weekend 2, on its way to $60M in the US. It’s in a similar place overseas, where it’s at $35.7M after a $12.6M weekend in all major markets except Brazil and Italy. A worldwide total of $125M should provide a bit of profit.
DUMBO (Disney) lost another 50% to $9.2M in its 3rd weekend, with a likely ceiling of $110M. International isn’t helping enough, with $177M to date after a $22M weekend in all major territories. Dumbo has $300M+ in costs, and isn’t destined to break even.
CAPTAIN MARVEL (Marvel/Disney), likely aided by the increasing drumbeat for Avengers: Endgame, is holding extremely well, down down 31% to $8.6M in Weekend 6. That’s better than Black Panther, which dipped 36% on the parallel weekend. A $400M US total is within its sights. Overseas, it’s at $678M after an $8M weekend in all major markets, and has a chance of hitting $1.1B worldwide before Endgame explodes the box office.
US (Blumhouse/Perfect World/Universal) fell 50% to $6.9M in its 4th weekend, and will end up almost exactly at Get Out‘s $176M US total despite an opening weekend that was more than twice as high. Overseas, it’s at $72.5M after a $4.4M weekend in 61 territories, and will also finish very close to Get Out‘s $79.4M.
THE BEST OF ENEMIES (STX) dropped 55% to $2M in its 2nd weekend, unable to muster the word of mouth it desperately needed, and probably won’t hit $15M in the US, with little likely international appeal.
LIMITED RELEASE: There were no breakout arrivals, with HER SMELL (Gunpowder & Sky) narrowly leading the bunch with a $13K per-theatre average at 3 NY arthouses. The weekend’s other rock drama TEEN SPIRIT (Bleecker Street), boosted by an unusually intensive program of in-theatre Q&As, averaged $11K at 4 in NY/LA. WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY (Greenwich) averaged $11K at 3. The critically-hailed LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT (Kino-Lorber) had a $9300 average at 3. The widest new release, MARY MAGDALENE (IFC) only managed a $1000 average at 62. AMAZING GRACE (Neon) expanded to 58 with a $6400 average. HIGH LIFE (A24) averaged $6400 at 32. DIANE (IFC, also on streaming) widened to 64 with a $1300 average THE CHAPERONE (PBS) averaged $2K at 33. PETERLOO (Amazon), now at 32, averaged $1100.
NEXT WEEKEND: With the Good Friday/Easter Sunday weekend ahead, a pair of family-friendly films arrive on Wednesday: the Christian-themed BREAKTHROUGH (20th) and the nature documentary PENGUINS (Disney). On Friday, THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA (New Line/Warners) will try to make a few horror bucks in the waning days before Endgame. Limited releases include LITTLE WOODS (Neon) and RED JOAN (IFC).
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