Following on the heels of La La Land and A Star Is Born, BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (Regency/20th) is underscoring the vitality of the adult-oriented musical genre. According to preliminary numbers at Deadline, it had a $19.2M Friday (including $3.9M from Thursday night), and although some Queen-fan frontloading is possible, it could have a $52M weekend, a tremendous start for a film with about $125M in production/marketing costs. (Bohemian has already earned $12.5M in the UK as well.) With no direct competition on the horizon, good word of mouth could drive a long run and substantial profits.
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS (Disney) faces a much less promising future, with a $6M Friday that might mean a $20M weekend. Nutcracker has about $225M in total costs, due in part to major reshoots, and it will require enormous overseas success to have any chance of breaking even. Even worse, it faces competition for the family audience in the coming weeks from The Grinch, Fantastic Beasts 2, and Disney’s own Ralph Breaks The Internet.
NOBODY’S FOOL (Paramount) is proving a very low-key start to Tyler Perry’s move to Paramount after many years at Lionsgate. Its $5.1M Friday is similar to the $5.3M for Perry’s 2012 Good Deads, at the lower end of his box office, which is particularly surprising since the cast features It Girl of the moment Tiffany Haddish. Good Deeds had a $15.6M opening weekend and a $35M US total, with negligible business overseas, and that may not be enough for profit here, especially since Paramount appeared to spend more on mainstream advertising than Lionsgate’s typical strategy for Perry’s films.
With its titular season over, HALLOWEEN (Blumhouse/Miramax/Universal) plunged 65% from last Friday to $3.4M, on its way to $11M for the weekend. That may mean that Get Out‘s $176M Blumhouse record is secure, as Halloween may only reach $170M in the US, although that’s still a huge total for a low-budget thriller.
The arrival of Bohemian Rhapsody didn’t dent A STAR IS BORN (MGM/Warners), down just 23% on its 5th Friday to $3.1M. That should give it an $11M weekend, and it now seems likely to reach $185M in the US.
VENOM (Tencent/Columbia/Sony) dipped 30% on its own 5th Friday to $2M, for a $7.5M weekend as it heads to $210M in the US.
HUNTER KILLER (Millenium/Summit Premiere/Lionsgate) held decently, down 53% from last Friday to $1.2M, although that will still give it just a $4M weekend, and a US total that won’t get much past $20M.
GOOSEBUMPS 2: HAUNTED HALLOWEEN (Sony Animation/Columbia/Sony) dropped 52% on its 4th Friday to $850K, for a $3.5M weekend as it makes its way to $50M in the US.
THE HATE U GIVE (20th) held extremely well, considering that it lost 37% of its theatres, down just 31% from last Friday. However, that still put the day at a low $1M, translating into a $3.5M weekend and a US total that may only reach $30M.
SMALLFOOT (Warners Animation) lost 35% on its 6th Friday to $700K, for a $3M weekend and a US total that may get past $80M.
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