Articles

May 14, 2017
 

Behind the US/Worldwide Weekend Box Office – 5.14.2017

 

OPENINGS:  Box office receipts for Mothers Day haven’t been counted yet, but SNATCHED (TSG/20th) is assuming (probably justifiably) that it will be the holiday choice, which brings the studio’s weekend estimate to $17.5M.  That’s still 43% below the start for Trainwreck, and with roughly $125M in production/marketing costs, it’s going to be an uphill climb to profitability.  Snatched began its international run slowly in only 9 markets with $3.2M.  (Trainwreck earned just 22% of its worldwide total overseas.)

It would be hard for a big-studio spectacle to be deader than KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD (RatPac/Village Roadshow/Warners).  In the US, it had a pathetic $14.7M opening, and in 51 international territories that included China, it managed $29.1M.  There are still some significant markets to open, including the UK, which on paper should be a stronghold for this property.  But with at least $325M in costs, the only question at this point is how huge the losses are going to be.

THE WALL (Roadside) had a barely-wide opening at 541 theatres and fared badly, averaging $1600 per theatre.

The biggest arrival of the weekend won’t reach the US until Thursday night, as ALIEN: COVENANT (20th) opened in 34 overseas markets (not including China) with a fair $42M.  Next week it launches in most of the rest of the world, although China doesn’t get the film until mid-June   Covenant will be aiming to beat the $277M international total for Prometheus.

HOLDOVERS:  GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 2 (Marvel/Disney) had no trouble hanging on to its box-office throne.  In the US, its 57% decline (to $63M) was just slightly worse than the 55% dip for the first Guardians, and it was a tad better than several Marvel May sequels:  Iron Man 2 (59%), Captain America: Civil War (60%), Iron Man 3 (58%), and Avengers: Age of Ultron (59%).  It’s on track to finish a bit ahead of the first Guardians‘ $333.2M.  Overseas, it’s at $384.4M after a $52.2M weekend in all major foreign markets, and it will certainly pass the first Guardians‘ $440.2M.  A worldwide total of $825M or so, while obviously a giant hit, wouldn’t even be 10% higher than its predecessor, a bit of a letdown for Disney after the 2d movie increases for Iron Man (92%) and Thor (44%), although in keeping with Iron Man (7%).

THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS (Universal) continues to subside, down 38% to $5.3M in the US, where it should end up around $225M, and at $978.4M overseas after a $13.6M weekend.  Globally, it’s on track to reach $1.225M, down about 20% from Furious 7.

THE BOSS BABY (DreamWorks Animation/20th) and BEAUTY & THE BEAST (Disney) have had the family audience to themselves (Smurfs: The Lost Village notwithstanding) for more than a month, and they continue to thrive.  Boss Baby slid 23% to $4.6M in the US as it heads toward $170M+, plus $294.1M overseas after a $8.7M weekend.  Beauty lost 24% for $3.9M in the US, and looks as though it’s going to hit $500M at home, while it’s at $713.3M overseas after a $7.5M weekend.

HOW TO BE A LATIN LOVER (Pantelion/Lionsgate) dipped just 27% in its 3rd weekend to $3.8M (it’s also assuming a strong Sunday Mothers Day bump), and it hopes to reach $35M.

LIMITED RELEASE:  LOWRIDERS (Blumhouse/BH Tilt) started its ride in 295 theatres and averaged a strong $8200, the latest niche success of the year.  PARIS CAN WAIT (Sony Classics) had a solid $25K average at 4 NY/LA arthouses, although that reflects not just a Mothers Day-friendly premise, but also celebrity Q&As at some theatres.  NORMAN (Sony Classics) widened to 153 with a blah $2700 average.  A QUIET PASSION (Music Box) averaged $1700 at 116.  THE LOVERS (A24) expanded to 23 and averaged $6100.  CHUCK (IFC) averaged $2K at 39.  3 GENERATIONS (Weinstein) had a disastrous expansion to 37 with a $600 average.

NEXT WEEKEND;  Apart from Alien: Covenant, there will be counterprogramming from YA romance EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING (Warners) and kid-friendly DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LONG HAUL (20th).



About the Author

Mitch Salem
MITCH SALEM has worked on the business side of the entertainment industry for 20 years, as a senior business affairs executive and attorney for such companies as NBC, ABC, USA, Syfy, Bravo, and BermanBraun Productions, and before that, at the NY law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges. During all that, he has more or less constantly been going to the movies and watching TV, and writing about both since the 1980s. His film reviews also currently appear on screened.com and the-burg.com. In addition, he is co-writer of an episode of the television series "Felicity."