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September 24, 2017
 

Behind the US/Worldwide Weekend Box Office – 9.24.2017

 

OPENINGS: KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE (MARV/20th) took the weekend, but at $39M it was below Fox’s minimal target number of $40M.  Since sequels burn out faster than initial films in a series, Golden Circle will probably end up around $100-120M in the US, compared to $128M for The Secret Service, and that’s on higher costs.  Overseas, Golden Circle took in $61.2M in 64 territories, which isn’t an exciting number, but it’s somewhat misleading because the film hasn’t opened yet in China or South Korea, which were Secret Service‘s biggest markets. (Secret Service earned 69% of its worldwide total overseas.)  At best, though, this looks like a maintaining franchise, rather than a growing one.

That’s still better, of course, than a franchise that’s sinking.  THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE (RatPac/Warners Animation) had a terrible $21.2M opening in the US, down almost 70% from the first LEGO Movie, and down 60% from LEGO Batman.  Overseas, it brought in a wan $10.5M in 37 markets.  Ninjago might yet manage to earn back its $200M in production/marketing costs, but it appears that Warners has run this franchise into the ground in record time, a testament to the risks of jumping into spin-offs too early in the process.

It’s sort of sad that FRIEND REQUEST (Entertainment Services) felt the need to compose a weekend estimate that includes a Sunday number which appears on its face to be crazily high (the studio is “predicting” a 6% drop, when the next-lowest studio estimate in the Top 10 for the day is 25%, and that’s for a film in 20% of Friend‘s theatres)–especially when even with that hard shove, the weekend estimate only comes to $2.4M anyway.  In other words, it’s still a flop.

STRONGER (Roadside/Lionsgate) went the quasi-wide route in 574 theatres, but showed limited promise with a $3000 per-theatre average.  (Kingsman 2, in 4003 theatres, averaged $9700.)  However, reviews were excellent, so perhaps it can–sorry, sorry–show some legs.

HOLDOVERS:  IT (RatPac/New Line/Warners) fell 50% in its 3rd weekend to $30M, but at this point everything is profit, and the thriller will end up over $300M in the US, a historic feat for a horror movie.  Overseas, It is at $211.7M after a $38.3M weekend in 59 territories, and still has Germany, Italy and Japan in its pocket.  (Because of the genre, the film may not get an opening in China.)

AMERICAN ASSASSIN (CBS/Lionsgate) folded fast, down 58% to $6.3M, and unlikely to reach $40M in the US.  It has $6.1M in early overseas release.  So far nothing suggests prospects for a continuing franchise.

HOME AGAIN (Open Road) is holding quite well, down 36% in its 3rd weekend.  That’s the good news; the bad is that the film started so low that the weekend was only worth $3.3M, and Home Again won’t get much above $30M in the US.  (No international release as yet.)

Considering that mother! (Paramount) is famous mostly for being loathed by audiences, it can at least claim a better hold than American Assassin, down 57% to $3.3M.  It’s headed for around $20M in the US, which certainly wasn’t what Paramount had in mind when it decided to give the film a release in 2368 theatres and a full (if incredibly misleading) national marketing campaign.  Overseas, it’s at $12.5M after a $4.6M weekend in 29 markets.

LIMITED RELEASE:  BATTLE OF THE SEXES (Fox Searchlight) had a promising start in 21 theatres with a $25K per-theatre average.  Although VICTORIA & ABDUL (Focus/Universal) had a higher average at $38K, that was in just 4 theatres, and was boosted by Judi Dench Q&As.  BRAD’S STATUS (Annapurna) ambitiously expanded to 453 theatres after a single week at 4, and didn’t fare well, averaging $2200.  (Annapurna was also aggressive with its wide release of Detroit, and that didn’t work out either.)  VICEROY’S HOUSE (IFC, also on VOD) averaged $1700 at 120.  REBEL IN THE RYE (IFC) averaged $1000 at 82.

NEXT WEEKEND:  AMERICAN MADE (Universal) finally arrives on home territory after playing overseas for a month (it’s earned a flat $58.6M in most major markets other than Russia and Japan).  FLATLINERS (Screen Gems/Sony) will hope It fans are ready for another horror movie.  In addition, niche offerings A QUESTION OF FAITH (Pure Flix) and TILL DEATH DO US PART (Novus) will arrive.  LUCKY (Magnolia) and MARK FELT: THE MAN WHO BROUGHT DOWN THE WHITE HOUSE (Sony Classics) enter limited release.

 



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."