OPENINGS: THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS (Illumination/Universal) quintupled the next-highest grosser of the weekend, with the biggest opening in US history for an animated non-sequel at $103.2M, easily passing last year’s $90.4M for Inside Out. It remains to be seen if Pets can match Inside Out‘s nearly 4x multiple, but whatever happens from here, Pets is a huge moneymaker, especially considering its relatively modest $75M production cost, and it gives the Illumination unit a second thriving franchise to go along with Despicable Me/Minions. Overseas, Pets is pursuing a gradual release strategy, and has $42.6M in only 9 markets.
MIKE & DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES (TSG/20th) had an unassuming start with $16.6M, a number that might come down in tomorrow’s finals, as it includes a strong Sunday. It’s a shade below the $17.8M start for Let’s Be Cops, an August 2014 R-rated comedy opening that made it to $82.4M. If Mike & Dave can similarly run to $75M, it’ll be a modest hit, but its July launch means that it faces much stiffer competition than a mid-August title.
ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE (Blue Sky/20th) is still 2 weeks away from the US, but it’s already earned $57.7M in 25 international markets, with $32.2M for the weekend. That doesn’t include China, where it opens in August.
HOLDOVERS: THE LEGEND OF TARZAN (Village Roadshow/RatPac/Warners) declined 47% from last week’s opening to $20.6M, a decent hold but one that leaves the extravaganza at $81.4M and on track to a $125M US total, far from its $300M in worldwide production/marketing costs. It needs a very strong international boost to have any hope of breaking even, and so far it’s only at $54M overseas after a $27M weekend in 46 markets. China is among those territories still to come, but it’s hard to see a path that doesn’t end in red ink.
THE BFG (Reliance/Disney) perished in its 2d weekend, down an ugly 60% to $7.6M and a $38.7M US total. It was certainly hurt by the phenomenon of Pets, but it was already flopping, and now seems unlikely to get past $55M at the US box office, a disaster given its $275M+ in production/marketing costs. It’s still early in its international release, with $11.9M to date, but there’s little chance the overseas box office will come close to bailing it out.
FINDING DORY (Pixar/Disney) took a 51% hit from the arrival of Pets, dropping its weekend to $20.4M, but that still put its US total at $422.6M, making it the #1 film of the year (topping stablemate Captain America: Civil War‘s $406.2M). The next milestone will be the title of biggest US animated hit ever, as it approaches Shrek 2‘s non-inflation-adjusted $441.2M from 2004. Dory also has $220.2M overseas after a $29.7M weekend in 40 markets. Much of Europe is still to come, but that number does include China, suggesting that it may have trouble matching the $501M international total of Inside Out.
THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR (Blumhouse/Universal) fell 63% in its 2d weekend to $11.7M, better than the 65% drop for Anarchy, and much better than the 76% drop for the original Purge. Election Year is at $58.1M, on pace to become the highest-grosser of the franchise at around $80M, a genuine accomplishment in this year of collapsing franchises.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE (New Line/RatPac/Universal/Warners) has a fair chance of becoming a franchise of its own, with the best hold of the weekend despite the arrival of Mike & Dave, down just 35% to $8.1M. That puts its US total at $108.3M, and it should exceed $125M if it can hold onto its theatres, making it Kevin Hart’s #2 live-action hit behind the original Ride Along.
INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE (20th) continued downward, falling 54% to $7.7M in the US. It’s at $91.5M, and won’t get much beyond $105M. Overseas it earned $21.5M in 64 territories covering most of the world, with a $214.3M total. It’s unlikely to break even on its $300M+ production/marketing costs.
THE SHALLOWS (Columbia/Sony) had a 45% drop to $4.8M, giving it a $45.8M US total. It’s barely opened overseas, but $55M in the US should put it on track for a modest profit.
SWISS ARMY MAN (A24) fell 51% to under $700K for the weekend at 600 theatres, and it may not get past $5M, not enough to pay for a national marketing campaign.
LIMITED RELEASE: The most impressive arrival was the Indian-language SULTAN (Yash Raj), which took in $2.2M at just 283 theatres, the 2d best per-theatre average in the Top 10 behind Pets. Not surprisingly, it was even stronger in India, where it earned $25.5M in its 5-day opening. Also in near-wide release, OUR KIND OF TRAITOR (Roadside) held strongly, down just 26% at 399 theatres. Its $1800 average wasn’t much to boast about, but there’s clearly an audience for its older-skewing intrigue. On a smaller scale, CAPTAIN FANTASTIC (Bleecker Street) started well with a $25M average at 4 theatres, although that number was boosted by in-theatre Q&A sessions. HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE (Orchard) expanded nicely to 72 theatres with a $6K average. THE INNOCENTS (Music Box) had a $4K average after expansion to 34. WIENER-DOG (IFC) averaged $1700 at 64. OUR LITTLE SISTER (Sony Classics) opened at 3 with a mild $9K average.
NEXT WEEKEND: THE INFILTRATOR (Broad Green) will try to get a jump on audiences with a Wednesday opening. The only major Friday opening is the rebooted GHOSTBUSTERS (Columbia/Sony), an expensive bet for its studio. The year’s Woody Allen film CAFE SOCIETY (Amazon/Lionsgate) arrives in NY/LA.
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