OPENINGS: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT (Skydance/Alibaba/Paramount) rode almost unanimous rave reviews to a franchise-high $61.5M weekend opening in the US. (That record doesn’t adjust for inflation, and comes with an asterisk because the first two in the series opened on Wednesdays, with Mission 2 at $78.8M by its first Sunday.) If Fallout runs like Rogue Nation, the last installment, it would be on track to equal or better Mission 2‘s current US record of $215.4M. All of this is gravy for the franchise, which has historically make the bulk of its revenue overseas, most recently 71% for Rogue Nation. Fallout is releasing gradually internationally, with 36 markets open to date and such major territories as China, France, Australia and Germany still to open, and already has $92M. These are expensive movies, with Fallout at around $325M in production/marketing costs, but the series remains highly profitable, and Tom Cruise will doubtless push on, even though the next chapter will probably have him pushing 60.
TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES (Warner Animation/DC/Warners) was far quieter at $10.5M, which included a less than optimal 18% drop on Saturday, when the family audience is supposed to kick in. Titans didn’t cost much by Warners standards (a reported $10M), and even its marketing was limited, but this doesn’t have much promise as a movie franchise. It’s had a token international release so far, with $1M in 8 markets.
BLINDSPOTTING (Summit/Lionsgate) hit the low end of wide release with an expansion into 523 theatres, which brought in $1.3M, or a $2500 weekend per-theatre average. That doesn’t compare well at all with Sorry To Bother You, which averaged $5200 when it widened to 805.
HOLDOVERS: The stamina of MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN (Legendary/Universal) is nothing like its predecessor. The sequel fell 57% in its 2nd weekend to $15M, compared to a 36% dip for the first movie. Here We Go Again may only get to $100M in the US, down 30% from the original. Overseas, the sequel is at $96.8M after a $26.6M weekend in 46 markets. Although China, Japan and Italy haven’t opened yet, it’s hard to see how Here We Go Again can get anywhere close to the $465.7M international jackpot for the first Mamma Mia, and while there should still be profit here on moderate costs, this may be the end of the franchise.
Things were no better for THE EQUALIZER 2 (Escape Artists/Columbia/Sony), which sank by 61% in its 2nd weekend to $14M, compared to a 45% drop in Weekend 2 for the first Equalizer. A $90M US total would be down a reasonable 10% from the original, but Equalizer 2 also cost more, shaving the possible profit. Overseas, Equalizer 2 has just begun its run, with $1.9M in 11 territories, but the first movie only made 47% of its worldwide total outside the US.
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION (Sony Animation/Columbia/Sony) dropped 48% in its 3rd weekend to $12.3M, and should push toward the $148.3M of the first Hotel (the initial sequel made it to $169.7M). Overseas, it’s at $165M after a $31M weekend in 55 markets, and again seems likely to finish around the $210.1M level of the first Hotel, but below the $303.5M of the sequel.
ANT-MAN & THE WASP (Marvel/Disney) shrank by 49% in its 4th weekend to $8.4M, as it heads for $200M in the US, up about 10% from the first Ant-Man. It’s at $211.1M overseas after a $11.5M weekend in 50 territories, with the UK and Italy among those yet to open, but it may have trouble matching Ant-Man‘s $339.1M international total.
INCREDIBLES 2 (Pixar/Disney) continued strong, down 40% in its 7th weekend to $7.2M, and now on track to reach $590M in the US. With Japan, Italy and Germany among the markets yet to open, it’s at $423.7M overseas.
JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM (Legendary/Perfect World/Universal) is now poised to pass $400M in the US, after a 40% drop in its 6th weekend to $6.8M. That’s still down almost 40% from Jurassic World, but certainly a lot of money. Overseas, it’s at a much bigger $837.9M after a $10.9M weekend, and should be down a much milder 15% from its predecessor.
SKYSCRAPER (Legendary/Perfect World/Universal) will hope to reach $70M in the US after a 53% drop to $5.4M in Weekend 3. What really counts is its international total, and that’s at $256.3M ($86M from China) after a $17.8M weekend, leaving the movie’s profitability still in question.
UNFRIENDED: DARK WEB (BH Tilt/Blumhouse/Universal) wasn’t built to last, and it fell 59% in Weekend 2 to $1.5M, perhaps capable of getting to $10M in the US before it’s done, at the higher end of BH Tilt’s scale, but very far from the first Unfriended‘s $32.5M.
SORRY TO BOTHER YOU (Annapurna) lost 24% of its theatres and fell 49% to $1.5M. A $15M+ US total would be a fairly good result for such an odd indie.
LIMITED RELEASE: SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD (Greenwich) had an impressive $31K start at one theatre in LA, but that number was boosted by an unusually extensive set of in-theatre Q&As. PUZZLE (Sony Classics) was unexciting with a $13K per-theatre weekend average at 5. EIGHTH GRADE (A24) expanded to 158 with a solid $8300 average (Moonlight averaged $7200 when its count reached 176). 3 IDENTICAL STRANGERS (Neon) widened to 433 with a $2900 average, comparable to the $3300 average for RBG at 375. DON’T WORRY, HE WON’T GET FAR ON FOOT (Amazon) was less pretty, averaging $1300 at 266.
NEXT WEEKEND: An assortment of genres, with the YA adventure THE DARKEST MINDS (20th), the family-oriented CHRISTOPHER ROBIN (Disney), and the R-rated comedy THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME (Lionsgate), as well as the political “documentary” DEATH OF A NATION (Quality Flix). Limited releases include NEVER GOIN BACK (A24).
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