OPENINGS: Saturday wasn’t pretty for ABOUT LAST NIGHT (Screen Gems/Sony), which tumbled 38% on the day after Valentine’s Day to $8.1M, and is now projecting $27M for the 3-day weekend ($30M or so with the holiday Monday). That’s still a strong opening for a moderately-budgeted movie, and while About won’t get anywhere near Ride Along‘s 9-figure US gross, it continues to prove that Kevin Hart can sell tickets.
ROBOCOP (Sony/MGM) was left standing when the dating couples left the multiplexes, rising 21% from Friday to $8.4M. Although it will also likely have $30M by Monday in the US (albeit in 5 days instead of 3), it’s doing the bulk of its business overseas, where it’s already taken in $$69.9M ($35M of it this weekend) from only 24 territories. That suggests it has a good chance of ultimately hitting profit despite a so-so US performance, although it may not be enough to keep a franchise going.
For ENDLESS LOVE (Universal), the day after Valentine’s Day was a flat-out disaster, plummeting 53% to $3.5M. That gives it $13.4M for the weekend ($15M with Monday), and with word-of-mouth clearly abysmal, it may not even earn back its relatively low production and marketing cost. It’s also dead overseas, with only $3.9M in 25 markets.
The big loser of the weekend, though, is still WINTER’S TALE (Warners), which fell 39% on Saturday to $2.2M, with $7.8M for the weekend (perhaps $9M with Monday). It was the most expensive of the weekend’s romances and had the biggest marketing campaign (because Warners doesn’t know how to do it any other way), and barring an overseas miracle, it’s going to lose a bundle.
HOLDOVERS: THE LEGO MOVIE (Warners), luckily for the studio, will more than make up for those Winter’s Tale losses. Lego had a kid-fueled 59% jump on Saturday to $20.5M, for a $48.8M weekend ($60M with Monday) and $140M total in the US. (It’s just getting started overseas with $18M.) With a pair of weak openings on tap for next weekend (Pompeii and 3 Days to Kill), it’s all but certain to keep its streak going. (The weekend of Feb 28 is harder to gauge because of Son of God, which may draw bulk ticketbuyers through church groups, etc.)
THE MONUMENTS MEN (Sony/20th) held nicely, down 31% from last weekend to $15M (with another $1-2M coming on Monday), plus $8.9M overseas, where it’s still in relatively few territories. (It widens by 30 more next week.) The really notable hold, though, belonged to RIDE ALONG (Universal), down just 9% to $8.8M ($10M by Monday) and a $118M total. Even if Kevin Hart doesn’t prove to be a draw overseas, where release is just beginning, it’s already a smash. LONE SURVIVOR (Universal) is also holding well, down 27% to $4M for the 3-day weekend and a $118.4M US total.
Meanwhile, FROZEN (Disney) barrels on, down a mere 15% to $5.9M for the weekend (another $1M or so on tap for Monday) and $377M in the US, plus an $18M overseas weekend for $579.9M, giving it $955.7M worldwide, and $1B in its sights. It’s now the #3 all-time worldwide animated release (not counting re-releases of The Lion King), and will pass Despicable Me 2‘s $970.8M next week, putting behind only Toy Story 3 and its $1.06B.
Oscar movies continue to be led by AMERICAN HUSTLE (Sony), down 17% to $2.6M for the 3-day weekend and a $141.6M total in the US. PHILOMENA (Weinstein) increased its theatre count by 140% and its weekend by 81% to $1.4M, with a mild $1200 per-theatre average (half of Hustle‘s), but increased visibility that’s part of the Harvey Weinstein campaign. Its US total is $30.5M so far.
LIMITED RELEASE: Despite the holiday, an extremely quiet weekend. GLORIA (Roadside) added 27 theatres for a total of 92 and a fair $3300 average, and TIM’S VERMEER (Sony Classics) added 5 for 12 and a $4700 average.
About the Author
