OPENINGS: HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION (Sony Animation/Columbia/Sony) clocked in with a reliable $44.1M weekend, just about midway between the first Transylvania‘s $42.5M and the second’s $48.5M. (Sticklers might note that this the first of the franchise to feature Thursday night screenings, giving it a slightly longer “weekend”.) There are some other family movies on the way (Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, Christopher Robin), but Transylvania 3 should reach $150M+ in the US and keep the relatively low-priced animated franchise ($200M in production and worldwide marketing costs) going. Overseas, it’s now in 43 markets and has a $54.8M total after a $46.4M weekend, with China and much of Europe still to open, and we’ll see if it can sustain the jump that Transylvania 2 ($303.5M) achieved internationally over the original ($210.1M).
The elevator stopped well short of the penthouse for SKYSCRAPER (Legendary/Universal), a major disappointment at $25.5M, making it one of the worst action movie openings of Dwayne Johnson’s career. Notably, his family audience didn’t show up, with a 3% drop on Saturday compared to bumps of 20% for Rampage and 13% for San Andreas. Things were even worse overseas, where Skyscraper only managed $40.4M in 57 territories. China is opening next week (along with Italy), but even a big number there won’t drag the movie out of red ink, considering its $250M in production/marketing costs and the fact that in China, the studio will only get 25% of each dollar in ticket sales. No tears for Johnson, though, who has the Jumanji sequel and the Fast & the Furious spin-off dead ahead.
As per its studio’s usual preference, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU (Annapurna) jumped quickly into low-wide release at 805 theatres, where it had a $4.3M weekend that translated into a $5300 per-theatre average. That’s a much bigger average than the $2900 Won’t You Be My Neighbor had at 893, and stacks up with the $5100 average for Lady Bird at 791. That film stayed in theatres for 5 months thanks to awards season, and we’ll see whether Bother You can show anything like that kind of stamina.
HOLDOVERS: ANT-MAN & THE WASP (Marvel/Disney) dropped 62% in its 2nd weekend, sharper than the 53% for the first Ant-Man, the 56% for last year’s Guardians of the Galaxy 2, and even the 59% for the relatively unloved Avengers: Age of Ultron. Wasp seems likely to fall short of $200M in the US, although it should still beat the original’s $180.2M by a bit. Overseas, it’s at $150.9M after a $35.3M weekend in 44 markets, with China and much of Europe to come.
After a hit on Friday that was probably due to the arrival of Hotel Transylvania 3, INCREDIBLES 2 (Pixar/Disney) stabilized to a 43% Weekend 5 drop to $16.2M, still on track for $565M in the US. It’s at $321.1M overseas after a $33.3M weekend in 43 territories, with much of the world (although not China) still to open.
JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM (Legendary/Perfect World/Universal) fell 46% in Weekend 4 to $15.5M, and will probably finish shy of $400M in the US, which would be a 40% drop from the first World. It has a far bigger $771.4M overseas after a $26.7M weekend in all major markets, $256.1M of that number from China.
THE FIRST PURGE (Blumhouse/Perfect World/Universal) dropped 48% to $9.1M, and a $67M US total would keep it a bit above the original Purge and below the sequels. Overseas, it’s at $23.1M after a $6.2M weekend in 27 territories.
SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO (Black Label/Columbia/Sony) fell 50% to $3.9M, and will barely top $50M in the US. Things are much worse overseas, where it’s at $15.8M after a $1.4M weekend in 50+ markets.
UNCLE DREW (Lionsgate) is heading for home viewing, down 51% to $3.2M, and probably won’t reach $45M in the US.
OCEAN’S EIGHT (Village Roadshow/Warners) continues to hold well in the US, down 43% in Weekend 6 to $2.9M, and on track for $140M. Things are quieter overseas, though, where it’s at $119.2M after a $4.3M weekend in 60 territories. It’s likely to be the first in the franchise not to even match its US result internationally.
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR (Focus/Universal) seems to have stopped expanding, and it had its first modest drop, by 27% to $1.9M. It still has a good chance of getting past $20M in the US.
LIMITED RELEASE: EIGHTH GRADE (A24) had an excellent start, averaging $63.1K at 4 NY/LA arthouses. That’s not quite Lady Bird‘s $91.1K debut, but Eighth Grade has no A-list names to cite, and it’s opening outside awards season. DON’T WORRY, HE WON’T GET FAR ON FOOT (Amazon) was much more subdued with a $20.1K average at 4. 3 IDENTICAL STRANGERS (Neon) expanded solidly to 170 with a $6900 average. LEAVE NO TRACE (Bleecker Street) widened to 311 with an OK $3700 average.
NEXT WEEKEND: A trio of sequels in various genres, including THE EQUALIZER 2 (Columbia/Sony), MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN (Universal) and UNFRIENDED: DARK WEB (BH Tilt/Blumhouse/Universal). The marquee indie is BLINDSPOTTING (Summit/Lionsgate)
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