OPENINGS: LEAP (Weinstein) was the weekend’s tallest dwarf, claiming to have cleared $5M for the weekend, but that number will require an extremely strong Sunday hold. Even if it’s sustained in tomorrow’s finals, it’s hardly anything to be enthused about–except in comparison to the weekend’s other losers.
BIRTH OF THE DRAGON (WWE/Blumhouse/BH Tilt/Universal) couldn’t even manage the $3.25M opening its studio claimed would bring it to profit, topping out with an optimistic $2.5M (that number assumes the Sunday drop will be lower than the movie’s 29% plunge on Saturday). Again, even if the number holds, there’s no good news here.
ALL SAINTS (Affirm/Columbia/Sony) was released in 846 theatres aimed strictly at Christian audiences, but couldn’t even find a foothold there, with $1.6M and a per-theatre average lower than Leap‘s (which was in triple the theatres).
A pair of indies expanded into the lower levels of wide release, neither of them impressively. INGRID GOES WEST (Neon) spread to 647 theatres with a $1200 per-theatre average, and GOOD TIME (A24) lurched into 721 with a dreadful $850 average.
Although WIND RIVER (Weinstein) had already touched wide release, it went much wider this weekend to 2095. The result was middling at $4.4M, and the film will try to make its way to a $20M US total.
The Tom Cruise vehicle AMERICAN MADE (Universal) won’t arrive in the US until September 29, but it’s already opened in 21 overseas markets, including the UK and Australia. It’s off to a light start with $6.7M.
Perhaps the best news for American studios this weekend was that the 6 weeks of China’s blackout for Hollywood releases ended, opening the doors for VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS (Europa/STX) at $29M, CARS 3 (Pixar/Disney) at $10.8M, and BABY DRIVER (MRC/TriStar/Sony) at $10.5M. None of these are big numbers by China box office standards, and for Valerian it’s a particular disappointment, guaranteeing once and for all that the expensive spectacle will be a box office flop. Cars 3, incidentally, is at only $324.8M worldwide and won’t get very much higher, currently down 42% from Cars 2. It’s also likely to be the 2d worst worldwide grosser of all 18 Pixar films (beating only The Good Dinosaur, and not by much). Everyone knows the Cars movies are mostly commercials for their merchandising, but Pixar may have to think twice about launching a 4th entry in the series.
HOLDOVERS: THE HITMAN’S BODYGUARD (Millenium/Summit/Lionsgate) was able to hold onto the #1 slot at the box office despite a 53% drop. As with Leap, its round-number $10.1M weekend studio estimate may come down a bit on Monday, but it’s still headed to $60M in the US. Internationally, it’s at $21.3M after a $9.1M weekend in 22 markets, with plenty of the world still to come.
ANNABELLE: CREATION (New Line/Warners) fell 53% in its 3rd weekend to $7.4M, and should get to $90M+ in the US, up a bit from the first Annabelle‘s $84.3M. Overseas, it’s at $132.7M after a $22M weekend, and it should also end up in the neighborhood of Annabelle‘s $172.6M. This kind of stability is precious in the current franchise world.
LOGAN LUCKY (Fingerprint/Bleecker Street) held fairly well with a 43% weekend drop, but it started so low that it still only earned $4.4M, headed for $25-30M in the US.
DUNKIRK (Warners) slimmed down by 40% in its 6th weekend to $4M, en route to $180M+ in the US. Overseas, it’s at $239.7M after a $5.6M weekend, with China and Italy opening next weekend, and Japan the weekend after that.
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (Marvel/Columbia/Sony) continues to appeal to audiences, down just 36% in its 8th weekend to $2.7M, with $325M as its likely last box office milestone in the US. Elsewhere, it’s at $418.2M after a $2.8M weekend, with China still ahead.
LIMITED RELEASE: BEACH RATS (A24) was the weekend’s most prominent opening, with an OK $15K average at 3 in NY & LA. There were, however, quite a few expansions. THE ONLY LIVING BOY IN NY (Amazon/Roadside) had a disastrous $600 per-theatre average at 289. MENASHE (A24) averaged $1700 at 103. THE TRIP TO SPAIN (IFC, also available via VOD) averaged $2400 at 56. PATTI CAKE$ (Fox Searchlight) averaged $1800 at 59. GOOK (Goldwyn) had a $3200 average at 24. CROWN HEIGHTS (Amazon/IFC) averaged $3300 at 10.
NEXT WEEKEND: There are no true wide releases over Labor Day weekend, the closest being 600 or so theatres for the long-delayed TULIP FEVER (Weinstein). Limited releases include VICEROY’S HOUSE (IFC). The weekend’s oddity will be the IMAX-only premiere of the pilot for ABC’s Marvel TV series INHUMANS, which makes its TV debut 4 weeks later.
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