September 4-6: "Tenet", "The New Mutants", "Unhinged"

Christopher nolan’s “tenet” goes head-to-head with covid-19, hauling in solid 146 million global opening

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By: Keaton Marcus

Labor Day weekend has brought us another glimpse of what a blockbuster looks like in the age of the Coronavirus. Christopher Nolan and WB’s long-awaited (and delayed) espionage thriller Tenet has finally arrived to top the box office. Last week gave us The New Mutants with little fanfare, but now things are starting to get real.

The film sold an estimated 20.2 million dollars in domestic ticket sales over the weekend from just 2,810 theaters, making for an undeniably impressive $7,189 per-screen average. Although it’s far below many other Nolan movies, in a pandemic world, this is a good start. Comparatively, it pales to his biggest hits like The Dark Knight trilogy, or even Inception (62.7 million), Dunkirk (50.5 million) and Interstellar (47.5 million), but you have to compare it to some of his smaller ones. For example, The Prestige, one of his earliest credits, debuted to 14.8 million, or Insomnia (20.9 million), which it could top once weekend actuals arrive.

The real mind-boggling feat the movie achieved was internationally. From 46 markets, Tenet raked in 126 million dollars in two weekends for a global total of 146.2 million. All in all, we should expect good box office returns in the weeks to come for Nolan’s latest, as there’s no feasible competition until Wonder Woman 1984 debuts on October 2, if it’s not delayed again. Also, it was met with mostly positive reviews, receiving a 78% “sweet” from us, and a solid 74% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 220 reviews.

In runner-up was Fox and Disney’s The New Mutants. Last weekend, it stumbled to just over 7 million in its lackluster opening weekend, and now it’s dropped an unwelcome 58.4%, down to just 2.9 million in its sophomore session, and 3.6M including Labor Day. The poorly-reviewed PG-13 X-Men spin-off now has 12.3 million dollars in total (US and Canada). Internationally, it now has a foreign gross of 8.5 million for a worldwide cumulative total of 20.8 million.

Thirdly, we saw Solstice Studios’ Unhinged, which drove to 2.2M over the Labor Day weekend for a domestic total of 11.8 million dollars. Otherwise, it’s reached 11.8 million internationally for a global total of 23.8M.

In fourth was UAR’s sequel Bill & Ted Face the Music, which continued its most bodacious run with 809.7k from 953 theaters, bringing its domestic gross to 2.3 million dollars. It added over 61k overseas for an international running total of 121.9k and its total cash to over 2.4 million.

Rounding out the top five was Paramount’s animated sequel The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, which because of its absence to VOD, continues to struggle on the box office front with its big budget. It earned another 470k from 304 theaters, for a domestic cumulative gross of 3.4 million dollars. It hasn’t opened overseas yet.

Next weekend, we see one new wide release open. Sony’s Broken Hearts Gallery will debut, a comedy about a young woman who decides to open a gallery where people can leave trinkets from past relationships.

August 28-30: "The New Mutants", "Unhinged" "Bill & Ted Face the Music"

“The New Mutants” stumbles to so-so 3.1 million friday

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By: Keaton Marcus

After months and months with no real box office to report, cinemas are finally beginning to re-open across the globe as the world still struggles with the Coronavirus pandemic. This weekend, Fox and Disney’s X-Men spin-off The New Mutants has topped the charts on Friday, followed by Unhinged and Bill & Ted Face the Music.

Yesterday, these Mutants sold 3.1 million dollars in estimated ticket sales, heading for a weekend on the lower end of expectations. The movie is the finale to Fox’s X-Men universe, and it landed with a thud with the critics, as it has a mere 29% “Rotten” on Rotten Tomatoes, along with a mediocre 52% audience score. A disappointing end to this inconsistent, yet groundbreaking cinematic universe, but despite a somewhat weak opening day, this isn’t awful in a pandemic marketplace.

Despite not quite reaching our expectations, the film is projected for an 8 million weekend, in between Disney’s 7-10M predictions. Only about 62% of the domestic marketplace is open, but many important states such as New York, California, New Jersey, North Carolina, Michigan, Maryland, New Mexico and bits of Arizona are still shuttered. The devastating Hurricane Laura is also closing locations in Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana.

We don’t have much to compare to considering the situation. The previous installment was last year’s Dark Phoenix, which closed the prequel series with a whimper, earning negative reviews and bombing commercially. It opened with just over 14 million on Friday from 3,721 locations, TNM debuted with 3.1 million from 2,412 theaters. To make it fair, let’s say the latter opened in the same amount of cinemas….If we do the math, we’d still see a quite poor 4.2 million dollar day. That’s all theoretical, of course, but it tells audiences that this franchise has run its course.

The film isn’t cheap either, costing 80 million, which although isn’t a whole lot of cash for a superhero movie, it’ll be more than enough to make this a box office bomb. Still, this is the biggest day we’ve seen at the box office since Onward plummeted in its second weekend.

Otherwise, Russell Crowe’s road-rage thriller Unhinged is still going strong in its third weekend of theatrical release, grossing 840k on Friday from 2,331 theaters domestically, heading for a three-day of about 2M, down about 50% from last week’s expansion weekend of over 4 million. Behind runner-up, two other wide releases hit cinemas, with Bill & Ted Face the Music pulling in 400k at 1,007 theaters, which is a solid number considering it also hit VOD yesterday. The Personal History of David Copperfield also opened with 171k from 1,360 sites.

Next weekend, we see Christopher Nolan’s Tenet take on COVID-19 in the theaters. This is by far the most high-profile release in a while, and hopefully, it will really bring people back to the cinemas after The New Mutants gave its little springboard.

CORONAVIRUS CLOSES THEATERS: NO BOX OFFICE TO REPORT

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Dear readers,

The box office has seemingly shut down with the mass theater closings due to the Coronavirus crisis. Many big movies have been delayed and there will be no box office to report for a while now.

Kind regards,

Sweet and Sour Movies.

March 13-15: "Onward", "I Still Believe", "Bloodshot"

Coronavirus Theater Closings Destroy Box Office

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, Onward repeated on top, but did so by plummeting an unheard of amount for an animated movie. Otherwise, new release I Still Believe had a mediocre debut, but did beat comic-book movie Bloodshot for runner-up position. The Invisible Man faced a steep drop, but is still getting along fine, and managed to top the third newcomer The Hunt, which rounded out the top five.

Topping the charts again was Disney and Pixar’s Onward which is currently in a very sticky situation, plummeting an unheard of 73% from last weekend, earning only 10.5M over its pitiful sophomore session, and clambering over just 60.2M after 10 days in release. The movie is even pacing around six million behind The Angry Birds Movie, which finished with 107.5M in North America and if this 150 million production keeps falling like this, it won’t even hit the 100M mark. Of course, it’s a bit unfair to compare, considering the Coronavirus outbreak is really beginning to affect film.

Internationally, the situation is even worse with markets closing around the globe. Onward hauled in another 6.8M from 47 markets, a severe 76% dip from last weekend’s overseas haul. This indicates a foreign gross of only 41.4M and a worldwide bout of 101.6M. With around 350-400M needed to break even with its expensive cost, the children’s movie can forget about profit, the first flop for Pixar.

In runner-up, Lionsgate’s faith-film I Still Believe led the newcomers with an estimated 9.5M from 3,250 locations, averaging a below-average $2,923 per-screen. This ho-hum debut is behind its original 15M expectations, and the underperformance can be attributed to the Coronavirus. The reviews for the film were mixed-to-negative, but the audience score was superb, with an “A” CinemaScore.

Thirdly, Sony/Columbia’s Vin Diesel-starring Bloodshot didn’t do anything magnificent either, bringing in 9.3M from 2,861 theaters, averaging a mediocre $3,250 per-screen. This is nearly on its 10M pre-weekend expectations, and the modest opening isn’t fatal as the film carries a moderate budget of 45 million. The reviews, as expected, were generally negative, but audiences disagreed, giving the film a solid “B” CinemaScore.

Overseas, Bloodshot opened in 50 material markets with an estimated 15.1M for a worldwide launch of 24.4M, which isn’t that horrible if you think about it. The overseas openings were led by both Russia (2.4M) and Mexico (1.2M). With the 45M cost, the movie needs about 110M to break even, which could happen, but the Coronavirus could prevent that.

In fourth place we saw Universal’s horror reboot The Invisible Man which earned 6M in its third weekend, facing a a meaty drop of 60%, but still topping a solid 64.4M after 17 days in release. Overseas, the film added another 6.2M, contributing to an international gross of 58.3M and a global total of 122.7M.

Rounding out the top five was also Universal, this time with their controversial thriller The Hunt, which grossed an estimated 5.3M from 3,028 sites, averaging a mere $1,756 per-screen. Overseas, the movie opened in only four markets with 700K for a worldwide opening of 6.020M. Critical reception was extremely mixed and audiences gave it a strictly average “C+” CinemaScore.

Next weekend sees no new wide releases.

TOP FIVE:

1. Onward

2. I Still Believe

3. Bloodshot

4. The Invisible Man

5. The Hunt

March 6-8: "Onward", "The Invisible Man", "The Way Back

“Onward” Tops, but Struggles Due to COVID-19

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, animated film Onward topped the charts, but ended considerably behind expectations, and the Coronavirus has seemingly affected its performance. Also, without the strong international support, it will likely succumb to its budget. Otherwise, The Invisible Man had a surprisingly good hold in runner-up, beating other new release The Way Back, which didn’t exactly shock people. Sonic the Hedgehog and The Call of the Wild finished in fourth and fifth.

Topping the box office was Disney and Pixar’s Onward which sold an estimated 40M in ticket sales, playing in a massive 4,310 theaters and averaging $9,280 per-screen. While this isn’t just lower than usual for the studio, the movie couldn’t even break its 50M expectations, with some people that said 55-60M+. Comparatively, while the film barely topped The Good Dinosaur (39.1M and the lowest opening for Pixar), it lost to the likes of Coco (50.8M), the Cars trilogy (53.6-66.1M), Brave (66.3M) and especially to the big films of the franchise such as Toy Story 4 (120.9M), Finding Dory (135M) and Incredibles 2 (182.6M). Those movies above have an average multiplier of 3.3x, which would mean a 132M domestic finish for the film, the second lowest grossing Pixar movie domestically.

Internationally, things aren’t terrific either, with Onward discovering just 28M from 47 markets, indicating a global launch of just 68M. Leading the way was a 4.4M opening in the UK, followed by France (3.3M), Mexico (3M), Russia (2.1M), Spain (1.9M), Germany (1.9M) and Brazil (1.1M). Upcoming releases include mid-April openings for Korea, Italy and Japan, followed by Australia, Turkey, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Taiwan along with a date waiting to be set for China.

Review wise, this animated feature generated some positive response from the critics, and the usual excellent reception from audiences. On Sweet and Sour, we have it at a solid 75/100 “sweet”, calling it a “suitably entertaining Pixar film with a likeable cast and dazzling visuals.” RottenTomatoes approved of it even more, giving it 86% “Certified Fresh” based on 229 reviews with a consensus of: “It may suffer in comparison to Pixar’s classics, but Onward makes effective use of the studio’s formula — and stands on its own merits as a funny, heartwarming, dazzlingly animated adventure.” Audiences gave it a 96% approval rating on RT and a A- CinemaScore.

In runner-up, we saw Universal’s The Invisible Man continue its strong performance with a solid 46% hold, and a sophomore session of 15.2M, crossing 52.6M domestically after 10 days in release. This is pacing around four million ahead of Insidious: The Last Key, which finished with 67.7M in North America, but with weaker weekend-to-weekend holds. Sweet and Sour has also recently posted our review of the film, which stands at 90/100 “sweet”. Overseas, the movie added another 17.3M for an international gross of 45.6M and a worldwide cume of 98.2M on just a seven million budget.

Thirdly, WB’s sports drama The Way Back had its debut with an estimated 8.5M from 2,718 locations, averaging a weak $3,127 per-screen. While this isn’t exactly fatal for the 20 million production, its behind the original 10-15M expectations. The film also kicked off its overseas run with 640K from 14 markets, for a worldwide opening of 9.1M. Australia led the way with 219K with several upcoming releases of key markets in April. Good news is that the reviews were extremely positive to go along with a rock-solid B+ CinemaScore.

In fourth, Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog kept running with an estimated 8M, sliding 51% for a domestic cume of 140.8M. Internationally, the film grossed another 12M for an overseas total of 154.8M and a global haul now topping 295.6M.

Rounding out the top five was 20th Century Studios’ The Call of the Wild which earned 7M in its third weekend, dropping 48% and reaching just 57.4M after 17 days in release. Overseas, things are also getting hazy as the movie added only 4.8M this weekend for a foreign gross of only 42.1M and a worldwide total of 99.5M as it continues to fail to chase its 135 million cost.

Next weekend we see three new releases hit theaters. Leading the pack is Lionsgate’s faith-based film I Still Believe (15M expectations), followed by Sony’s release of the Vin Diesel-starring Bloodshot (10M predictions) and the controversial Blumhouse thriller The Hunt (7M forecast).

TOP FIVE:

1. Onward

2. The Invisible Man

3. The Way Back

4. Sonic the Hedgehog

5. The Call of the Wild

February 28-Mar 1: "The Invisible Man", "Sonic the Hedgehog", "The Call of the Wild

“The Invisible Man” Overperforms on Top

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, 2020’s first horror hit of the year was The Invisible Man which overperformed on expectations, and made 7x its budget in just three days, claiming the top spot. Otherwise, Sonic the Hedgehog continued its excellent run, holding well with The Call of the Wild—topping new release and surprise My Hero Academia. Once again, Bad Boys for Life rounded out the top five.

Topping the charts was Universal’s R-rated horror reboot The Invisible Man which grossed an estimated 29M in ticket sales from 3,610 locations, averaging a rock-solid $8,033 per-screen. Not only delivering the biggest debut for a horror film this year, but also beating its 20-25M pre-weekend expectations despite the Coronavirus. Comparatively, the movie beat others of the genre such as Escape Room (18.2M), Insidious: Chapter 3 (22.6M) and The Predator (24.6M) despite being edged out by Insidious: The Last Key (29.5M). For the finish, the films above make an average multiplier of 2.48x, which would mean a close of about 71M, but this one boasts excellent reviews from both critics and audiences, so we wouldn’t be surprised if it caps around 90M+.

Internationally, The Invisible Man brought an estimated 20.2M from 47 markets for a global launch of 49.2M, which doesn’t seem massive, but considering its 7 million cost, that’s great news. Leading the way was a 2.9M debut in the UK, followed by France (2.2M), Mexico (1.8M), Australia (1.7M), Germany (1.2M), Korea (1.1M) and Spain (1M). Next weekend we see releases in several markets, including a March 5th opening in Russia, and ending with a May 1st release in Japan.

Review wise, surprisingly, both critics and audiences alike took a great liking to the film. On RottenTomatoes, the movie scored an excellent 90% “Certified Fresh” based on 250 reviews with a consensus of: “Smart, well-acted and above all scary, The Invisible Man proves that sometimes, the classic source material for a fresh reboot can be hiding in plain sight.” Additionally, audiences gave it a very high 88% approval rating on RT and an impressive B+ CinemaScore, way above-average for a horror film.

In runner-up, we saw Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog which earned another 16M in its third weekend, sliding just 39% from last weekend and reaching 128.2M domestically after 17 days in release. Overseas, the children’s film added another 26.8M from 62 markets for a foreign total of 137.2M and a worldwide haul of 265.4M, already breaking even with its 85M budget.

Thirdly, there was 20th Century Studios’ The Call of the Wild made 13.2M in its sophomore session, indicating a reasonable drop of 47%, but still struggling at a domestic cume of just 45.8M after 10 days. Overseas, things aren’t going much better for the 135M production, which added 11M internationally for a foreign gross of 33.4M and a worldwide total of 79.2M.

In fourth the second new wide release was FUNimation’s My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising which pulled in a solid 5.1M from 1,260 theaters in three days, crossing 8.4M over five. While it likely won’t match the 30.7M North American run for 2018’s Dragon Ball Super: Broly, it will remain the studio’s second biggest movie ever.

Rounding out the top five was Sony’s Bad Boys for Life which earned 4.3M over the weekend, crossing 197.3M domestically. Internationally, the film hauled in 4.9M for an overseas gross of 208M and a global total of 405.3M after 45 days in release.

Next weekend, we see two nationwide releases soaring into theaters. First off, Disney and Pixar’s Onward will be released in over 4,000 theaters (55-60M expectations), followed by sports drama The Way Back starring Ben Affleck, which will open in 2,600 locations (10-15M predictions).

TOP FIVE:

1. The Invisible Man

2. Sonic the Hedgehog

3. The Call of the Wild (2020)

4. My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising

5. Bad Boys for Life

February 21-23: "Sonic the Hedgehog", "The Call of the Wild", "Birds of Prey"

“Sonic” Narrowly Repeats Over “Call of the Wild”

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, Sonic the Hedgehog slid more than expected, but still narrowly won the weekend for a second time straight, continuing its rock-solid performance. Adventure film The Call of the Wild overperformed in second place, but still has ground to cover internationally. Holdover Birds of Prey continued to fall steeply, topping new release Brahms: The Boy II, which edged out Bad Boys for Life.

As mentioned, Paramount’s video-game adaptation Sonic the Hedgehog topped the charts once again with an estimated 26.3M in ticket sales, dipping a reasonably high 55% from its powerhouse debut—but still topping an impressive 106.6M domestically after 10 days in release. The film is pacing around 12 million ahead of Detective Pikachu, which finished with 144.1M, the biggest video-game adaptation of all-time. This record seems pretty simple to get.

Internationally, Sonic earned another 38.3M from many material markets, pushing its foreign total to 96.5M and it’s worldwide bout to 203.1M. There were also a couple new openings, which were led by Russia with an estimated 6.3M—however, the UK remains the film’s biggest market at 19.1M. With an 85M budget, the flick needs about 240M to break even, which seems definite in this case.

In runner-up, we saw 20th Century Studios’ Harrison Ford-starring The Call of the Wild which overperformed with 24.8M for the opening, topping the conservative 15-20M pre-weekend expectations. Being released in 3,752 theaters, the movie averaged a solid, if unspectacular $6,615 per-screen. In comparison, the 135 million production opened ahead of the likes of Eight Below (20.1M) and recent release Dolittle (21.8M), but didn’t have the popularity of the Scooby-Doo adaptation (54.1M), or even its sequel Monsters Unleashed (29.4M). The four movies above have an average multiplier of 3.3x (I predicted an 80M finish for Dolittle), which would mean a close of around 83M, but it’s high audience approval may suggest something closer to 95-100M.

Overseas, The Call of the Wild kicked off its international release with only 15.4M from 40 material markets, contributing to a mere 40.2M for the global launch. Leading the way was a 2.6M start in France, followed by the UK (1.9M), Mexico (1.4M) and Russia (1.2M). Next weekend we see releases for many key markets including Japan, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Finland, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Argentina, Uruguay and Venezuela. It also opens April 16th in South Korea. With the expensive cost, the movie needs around 300M to break even, which seems pretty bleak as of now.

Review wise, critics thoughts were pretty mixed, despite leaning a little to positivity, and audiences loved the movie. On Sweet and Sour we gave it a so-so 60/100 “sweet/sour”, calling it a “visually impressive, but uneven family adventure.” RottenTomatoes had similar thoughts, with critics giving it an approval rating of 62% “Fresh” based on 131 reviews with a consensus of: “It’s undermined by distracting and unnecessary CGI, but this heartwarming Call of the Wild remains a classic story, affectionately retold.” Audiences, however, gave it a 90% approval rating on RT and an excellent A- CinemaScore.

Thirdly, we saw WB and DC’s Birds of Prey continue its sluggish performance with just 7M in its third weekend, dropping a steep 59% and reaching only 72.5M after 17 days in release. Overseas, things aren’t looking great either as the flick added another 10M from 78 markets, for an international gross of 101.2M and a worldwide cume of 173.7M. The film needs to cap the 250M mark globally to break even.

In fourth, there was other new release STX Entertainment’s horror sequel Brahms: The Boy II which continued the dismal year for the genre with only 5.9M over the weekend from 2,151 locations. The 10M production also started off overseas in 23 markets with an estimated 2.2M for a global launch of 8.1M. Reviews were horrible and audiences gave it a mediocre C- CinemaScore.

Rounding out the top five was Sony’s Bad Boys for Life which nearly grossed 5.9M, dropping 49% from last weekend and topping 191.1M, hopefully topping the 200M mark by next weekend. Internationally, the movie added another 8.1M for overseas earnings of 200M and a worldwide haul of 391.1M.

Next weekend, we see yet another horror movie that should easily take the top spot. It’s Universal’s reboot of The Invisible Man which is being released in over 3,500 theaters with expectations that are around 20M+.

TOP FIVE:

1. Sonic the Hedgehog

2. The Call of the Wild (2020)

3. Birds of Prey

4. Brahms: The Boy II

5. Bad Boys for Life

February 14-16: "Sonic the Hedgehog", "Birds of Prey", "Fantasy Island"

“Sonic the Hedgehog” Has a Super Four-Day

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, video-game adaptation Sonic the Hedgehog had a record-breaking performance, surpassing expectations and easily topping. Otherwise, Birds of Prey continued its average run, and topped two new releases dubbed Fantasy Island and The Photograph, which marginally beat Bad Boys for Life, rounding out the top five. R-rated comedy Downhill also opened, but with limited success in tenth.

Topping the charts was Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog, which despite all odds, has been released, and just killed it in the box office. The live-action children’s picture earned a massive 58M from 4,167 locations, averaging $13,918 per-screen, giving way for 70M over the four-day President’s Day weekend. The movie surprisingly beat its 40M pre-weekend expectations, and provides a much-needed smash hit for Paramount. Comparatively, it even managed to take the record for the biggest opening for a video-game adaptation ever, topping Detective Pikachu (54.3M), also, its ahead of Dumbo (45.9M) and The LEGO Batman Movie (53M). For the finish, the three films above create an average multiplier of 2.8x, meaning a finish of about 160M, but the word-of-mouth may suggest much higher.

Internationally, Sonic the Hedgehog opened in 40 material markets with an estimated 43M, contributing to a global launch of 113M. Leading the pack was a 6.7M debut in Mexico, followed by the UK (6.2M), France (4.3M), Germany (3.3M), Brazil (3M), Australia (2.8M), Spain (2M), Italy (1.9M), Ukraine (1M) and Columbia (1M). Next week, Sonic will be released in Russia, and a March release for Japan, followed by an unknown date for China.

Review wise, critics shockingly thought it was passable, while audiences adored the movie, and named it near-perfect. Sweet and Sour has the film at 70/100 “sweet/sour” saying that its “familiar, but is a visually dazzling adaptation with Jim Carrey.” RottenTomatoes has it at an approval rating of 64% “Fresh” based on 148 reviews with a consensus of: “Fittingly fleet and frequently fun, Sonic the Hedgehog is a video-game inspired adventure the whole family can enjoy - and a fine excuse for Jim Carrey to tap into the manic energy that launched his career.” Audiences were much warmer, giving it a 94% rating on RT to go along with an excellent A CinemaScore, which bodes well for a good, perhaps long run.

In runner-up was WB and DC’s Birds of Prey which earned an estimated 17.3M on its sophomore session, dropping a respectable 48% from last weekend, and generating 19.8M over four days for a domestic total of 62M after 11 days in release. Internationally, it added another 23M from 78 markets for a foreign gross of 83.6M and a worldwide bout of 145.6M.

Thirdly, Sony’s horror reboot of the classic 1970’s TV show Fantasy Island grossed an estimated 12.4M from 2,784 locations, averaging a so-so $4,436 per-screen, also garnering 14M in four days. This is a little behind the 15M pre-weekend expectations, but it’s still the biggest opening for a horror film this year. Reviews, however, were still scathing and audiences gave it a mediocre C- CinemaScore, which isn’t exactly good either.

Overseas, Fantasy Island kicked off in 35 markets with just 7.6M, contributing to a worldwide opening of 21.6M, not terrific, but with a 7M budget, it will be fine. France led the way with a 1.3M opening, followed by Indonesia (950K), Australia (700K). Next week it’s set to be released in Germany followed by Russia (Mar 5), the UK (Mar 6), Mexico (Mar 27), Brazil (Apr 16) and South Korea (May 14).

In fourth place, we saw Universal’s new romance drama The Photograph which scrapped up 12.2M in three days, and 13.2M in four from 2,516 theaters. This isn’t a fiery debut, but it beat the 10M pre-weekend predictions, and with some good word-of-mouth, it’s a hit.

Rounding out the top five was Sony’s Bad Boys for Life which clambered to 11.4M, sliding just 5% from last weekend and reaching 12.9M for the four-day, capping 183M domestically. Internationally, the pic added another 11.1M, topping 187M foreignly and 370M worldwide. The movie will open in Italy next week.

The final new release was Fox Searchlight’s R-rated comedy Downhill which wasn’t until tenth place, where it earned just 4.6M from 2,301 theaters, also earning 5.1M over four days. The critical response was pretty mixed-to-negative and audiences hated it, giving it a lackluster D CinemaScore.

Next weekend, we see two new nationwide releases hitting theaters. First off, 20th Century Studio’s The Call of the Wild will be released (15-20M expectations) and STX’s horror sequel Brahms: The Boy II will also hit theaters (5-8M expectations).

TOP FIVE:

1. Sonic the Hedgehog

2. Birds of Prey

3. Fantasy Island

4. The Photograph

5. Bad Boys for Life

February 7-9: "Birds of Prey", "Bad Boys for Life", "1917"

“Birds of Prey” Tops, but Fails to Meet Expectations

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, DCEU’s Birds of Prey topped the charts, but did that with meager numbers, flying far behind expectations and bereft of an impressive international performance despite strong critical reception. Otherwise, Bad Boys for Life continued its strong performance, ahead of the remarkable 1917 and Dolittle while Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle rounded out the top five.

Topping the box office was DC and WB’s Birds of Prey which earned an estimated 33.3M in North American ticket sales this weekend from a very-wide 4,236 locations, averaging a mere $7,849 per-screen. This is far behind the 50M+ pre-weekend expectations, and even Warner Bros.’ 45M predictions, which is largely disappointing. What’s the kick in the pants is the fact that its critically trashed predecessor, Suicide Squad, opened to a massive 133.6M in 2016, this could be because of the PG-13 rating for the former, and an R-rating for BOP. Also, it ranks as the lowest debut for any DCEU film released, taking that unwanted record from Shazam! (53.5M). This isn’t all gloom and doom, since it carries a modest budget of 84 million, as it needs around 240M to break even, which seems possible.

Internationally, Birds of Prey brought in an estimated 48M from 78 material markets, contributing to an underwhelming global launch of 81.2M, but it will do the trick. Leading the way was a 4.6M debut in Mexico, followed by Russia (4M), the UK (3.9M), Brazil (2.8M), France (2.7M), Australia (2.7M), Indonesia (2.4M), Korea (1.9M), Germany (1.8M), Taiwan (1.5M), Italy (1.4M) and Spain (1.38M). It’s only upcoming release is Japan, where it will open on March 20.

Review wise, critics gave the film some strong reception going into the weekend, while audiences tended to agree. On Sweet and Sour, we gave the flick an excellent 85/100 “sweet”, calling it the “fantabulous, anarchic, f…ing crazy freedom that Ms. Quinn needs”. RottenTomatoes was similar, having it at an approval rating of 81% “Certified Fresh” based on 272 reviews with a consensus of: “With a fresh new perspective, some new friends, and loads of fast-paced action, Birds of Prey captures the anarchic spirit of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn.” Audiences gave it a solid 81% approval on RT, and a good B+ CinemaScore, which could bode well for the long run.

In runner-up we saw Sony’s Bad Boys for Life which grossed another 12M, dropping only 33% from last weekend and capping an impressive 166.3M domestically. The race to the 200M mark is officially on, but how long can this buddy-comedy hold? Overseas, it picked up another 15.8M for an international cume of 170M and a worldwide bout of 336.3M.

Thirdly, Universal’s 1917 generated 9M, which is an excellent performance considering its paltry 5% slide, contributing to 132.5M stateside. The pic added another 15M internationally for a foreign total of 154.8M and a global gross of 287.3M as it will hopefully top 300M by next week.

In fourth place we saw Universal’s Dolittle, which garnered 6.7M, dipping only 13% from last weekend, but despite its impeccable hold, its earnings still sit at only 63.9M after 24 days in release. Internationally, the reboot opened in both the UK and France, which helped it earn 19M foreignly this weekend, for an overseas total of 94.7M and global earnings of 158.6M. The film still has Brazil, Russia, Japan and China to open in.

Rounding out the top five was Sony’s Jumanji: The Next Level which generated 5.5M, falling 8% and reaching a massive 298.4M domestically, looking to top 300M this week. Internationally, things are getting quiet as the blockbuster brought in another 3.3M for a foreign total of 470M and a worldwide gross of 768.4M.

Next weekend, we see three new nationwide releases hit theaters. First off, Paramount will release anticipated video-game adaptation Sonic the Hedgehog in 4,100 theaters (40M projections), while Sony’s horror remake Fantasy Island will also be released (15M expectations). Finally, Universal will open their romantic drama The Photograph (10M expectations).

TOP FIVE:

1. Birds of Prey

2. Bad Boys for Life

3. 1917

4. Dolittle (2020)

5. Jumanji: The Next Level

January 31-February 2: "Bad Boys for Life", "1917", "Dolittle"

“Bad Boys” Three-Peats on Weak Weekend

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, the newest box office phenomenon Bad Boys for Life easily topped for a third time straight on the Super Bowl weekend. Otherwise, 1917 and Dolittle topped 2020’s newest horror disappointment Gretel & Hansel, which edged out The Gentlemen. Far behind in tenth was action thriller The Rhythm Section, which was a disaster.

Being the focus of another weak Super Bowl weekend was Sony’s Bad Boys for Life which three-peated, and still managed to make some good old cash. Bringing in an estimated 17.7M, the action comedy dropped a rock-solid 48% from its sophomore session, and capped a monster 148M domestically. Internationally, things are going strong, with the film taking in another 30.8M from 58 markets, contributing to a foreign gross of 142.7M and an impressive worldwide bout of 290.7M, and it will surely top 300M this week.

In runner-up, Universal’s 1917 pulled in 9.7M from its sixth weekend of release, down just 39% from last weekend, and reaching a stunning 119.2M in North America. Overseas, the movie grossed 20.9M from 61 material markets, with new openings in Russia, Taiwan, Sweden and Thailand, making for an international gross of 129.8M and a global total of 249M.

Thirdly, Universal is here again with Dolittle which grossed an estimated 7.7M in its third weekend, indicating a drop of 37% and a still-weak domestic sales total of 55.2M. In the other parts of the world, things aren’t going too much better, where it earned another 17.7M from 63 overseas markets, giving way for a 71.4M foreign total, and a worldwide gross of 126.6M.

In fourth was a new release, UAR’s horror flick Gretel & Hansel which was the fourth disappointment of its genre in just the first five weeks of 2020, scaring up a mere 6.1M from 3,007 locations, averaging just $2,012 per-screen. While this isn’t too far behind its 7M pre-weekend expectations, it makes us wonder if audiences might be done with the once cherished genre. However, with a reported budget of only 5M, it seems pretty easy to break even. Reviews weren’t terrific either, with critics giving it a mixed 56% “Rotten” on RT, which despite being much better than The Turning’s 13%, and The Grudge’s 15%, audiences also didn’t enjoy the revisionist tale, giving it a mediocre C- CinemaScore, which doesn’t bode well for the future.

Rounding out the top five was STX Entertainment’s The Gentlemen which earned 6M in its sophomore session, sliding 44% and having now dug up a so-so 20.4M domestically after 10 days in release. Internationally, the pic added another 4M for a foreign cume of 28M and a worldwide gross of 48.4M.

All the way back in tenth was Paramount’s actioner The Rhythm Section which completely bombed with a meek 2.8M from 3,049 sites, coming with an embarrassing average of $918 per-screen. This isn’t just a horrible debut, or underperforming compared to its 10M expectations, it also ranks as the worst opening of all-time for a movie starting in over 3,000 theaters stateside. That isn’t good news for star Blake Lively, whose performance was praised among the muck of many negative reviews, resulting in a 33% “Rotten” and a less-than-stellar C+ CinemaScore.

Next weekend, there’s some hope for a box office comeback. The face of this potential revolt is WB and the DCEU’s first R-rated film Birds of Prey, with Margot Robbie returning to portray the iconic Harley Quinn. Social media reactions are already superb, and expectations say that a 55M+ debut isn’t impossible from over 4,100 theaters.

TOP FIVE:

1. Bad Boys for Life

2. 1917

3. Dolittle

4. Gretel & Hansel

5. The Gentlemen

January 24-26: "Bad Boys for Life", "1917", "Dolittle"

“Bad Boys for Life” Repeats

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, Bad Boys for Life kept up stamina, repeating on top with a rock solid sophomore session, and doubling down internationally. Other holdovers such as 1917 and Dolittle topped newcomer The Gentlemen, which bagged a decent debut. Otherwise, Jumanji: The Next Level rounded out the top five while The Turning disappointed in sixth, adding to the growing list of underwhelming 2020 horror movies at the box office.

Easily topping the charts once again was Sony’s Bad Boys for Life which sold an estimated 34M in ticket sales during its sophomore session, dropping only 45.6% from its excellent debut, and topping a stellar 120.6M after just 10 days in release. This isn’t just “good”, its domestic total could be a sign of nearing the 200M mark at the end of its run, or maybe even reaching it.

Internationally, Bad Boys added another 42M from 58 markets, making way for a foreign gross of 95M and a worldwide bout of 215.6M, already coming near to breaking even with its 90M budget. Russia came on top for this weekend with an estimated 4.7M, followed by France (4.1M), the Netherlands (1.5M) Belgium (1.4M), Ukraine (1.1M), Columbia (1.1M) and South Africa (1M). The movie’s biggest overall market remains the UK with 10.7M.

In runner-up was Universal’s 1917 which continued its strong performance, bagging another 15.8M, dipping just 28% for a North American total now capping 103.8M. Overseas, the acclaimed war film earned 23.7M from 50 material markets, with the movie now reaching 96.6M foreignly, and a very impressive 200.4M worldwide.

Thirdly, Universal took the bronze medal as well with Dolittle. The overly-expensive reboot brought in 12.5M in its second weekend, sliding 42.8% and having a mere 44.6M in the bag domestically. Showing more signs that the 175M production has work to do is its international performance, where it grossed 13.2M, contributing to its jaded 46.4M overseas total and its 91M global cume.

In fourth place lies our first newcomer, STX’s The Gentlemen, which bagged an estimated 11M from 2,165 locations in its opening, averaging a respectable $5,094 per-screen average. The Guy Ritchie gangster film performed solidly enough, and was right on expectations. Internationally, after last weekend’s rollout, the movie added 20 more markets, and brought in 3.1M, for a foreign gross of 22.5M and a global launch of 33.5M. Also, critics gave the film generally positive reviews and audiences handed it a B+ CinemaScore, which could lead to a solid run.

Rounding out the top five was Sony’s Jumanji: The Next Level which drew another stellar hold, bringing in an estimated 7.9M for sales of 283.4M stateside. Overseas, it earned 9.6M for an international grasp of 454M and a worldwide running gross of 737.4M.

Just outside the top five was Universal’s horror film The Turning which disappointed to just 7.3M from 2,571 theaters, debuting on expectations, but those were already conservative. The flick has become the third underwhelming horror flick in one month, joining The Grudge and Underwater. It also began its overseas rollout with 800K from 13 markets, adding to a launch of 8.1M. Critics loathed the movie and audiences gave it the rare F CinemaScore.

Next weekend, we see another two nationwide releases hit theaters. Paramount will release action thriller The Rhythm Section in over 3,000 sites, while UAR will attempt to save horror films this year with Gretel & Hansel in more than 2,500 theaters.

TOP FIVE:

1. Bad Boys for Life

2. 1917

3. Dolittle (2020)

4. The Gentlemen

5. Jumanji: The Next Level

January 17-19: "Bad Boys for Life", "1917", "Dolittle"

“Bad Boys for Life” Fires on MLK Weekend

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, Sony’s Bad Boys for Life easily took control of the weekend with a stellar MLK debut, generating another solid hit for the studio, and bringing the dormant franchise back to life with an impressive performance. Otherwise, the big-budget Dolittle also opened, but to average results, but at least their marginally better than the critical response! The last three spots were taken by holdovers such as 1917, Jumanji: The Next Level and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

As mentioned, riding high in first was Sony/Columbia’s Bad Boys for Life which opened to an excellent 62.2M in three days, contributing to a MLK four-day weekend of 73.4M from a total of 3,775 locations. The performance is far higher than the original 40-45M expectations, and make it the second largest MLK and January debut of all-time. Comparatively, we should look at the likes of John Wick: Chapter 3 (56.8M), Hobbs & Shaw (60M), Straight Outta Compton (60.2M) and perhaps Mission: Impossible - Fallout which opened to 61.2M in 2018. The four comps above make an average multiplier of 3.05x, which would mean a finish of around 189M, which seems very possible considering the word-of-mouth.

Internationally, Bad Boys took in an estimated 38.6M from 39 markets, resulting in a global launch of 112M. Germany was the flick’s biggest opening with 5.1M, followed by Mexico (3.8M), Spain (2.2M), while 12 markets in the Middle East garnered 5.1M in total. Despite its budget capping the 90M mark, the worldwide debut is a good sign, and it should be very simple to break even. Upcoming releases include France (Jan 22), Russia (Jan 23), Brazil (Jan 30), Japan (Jan 31) and Italy (Feb 20).

Review wise, the third installment surprisingly earned some solid reviews, and incredible audience reception. On Sweet and Sour Movies, we gave it a firm 75/100 “sweet” saying that it “wakes up the dormant franchise with some good old fun.” On RottenTomatoes, other critics were aligned with me, giving it a weighted average of 75% “Fresh” based on 190 reviews with a consensus of: “loaded up with action and a double helping of leading-man charisma, Bad Boys for Life reinvigorates this long-dormant franchise by playing squarely to its strengths.” Audiences gave it a nearly flawless 97% approval rating on RT, and a stunning A CinemaScore.

In runner-up was Universal’s 1917 which scored 22M over its sophomore session, resulting in 26.8M over four days. This addition contributes to a total of 81.4M domestically after 27 days of release (including limited), and it should hope to top the 100M mark next weekend or so. Internationally, the film added another 26M from 37 markets, for a foreign gross of 61.9M and a worldwide total of 143.3M.

Thirdly, Universal didn’t do as well with their CGI-laden reboot Dolittle, which outperformed expectations, but not far enough to create a balance with its 175M production budget. With just 21.9M for the three-day weekend, this expensive dud earned only 29.5M over four days from a large 4,155 sites. For the finish, reviews were dreadful, while audiences gave it a B CinemaScore, so perhaps it could go on to top 90-100M stateside, but that’s a major if. For now, we’re going conservative with about 80M.

Overseas, things didn’t go much better as the film picked up another 17.2M from 46 markets after debuting last week, for an international bout of 27.3M and a worldwide launch of 56.8M, not nearly enough to make up for its bloated cost. Australia led the way with a 2.4M debut, followed by Indonesia (2.1M), however the movie’s largest market remains Korea, where it capped 10.6M this weekend. While the situation seems pretty dismal, there’s still plenty of key markets yet to be released, such as Argentina (Jan 23), Spain (Jan 24), Vietnam (Jan 25), Germany (Jan 30), Italy (Jan 30), Mexico (Jan 31), France (Feb 5), the UK (Feb 7), Brazil (Feb 20), Russia (Feb 20), China (Feb 21) and Japan (Mar 20).

In fourth place we saw Sony’s Jumanji: The Next Level continuing its rock-solid box office performance, earning another 9.6M for the weekend, and 12.8M over four days. This makes for North American sales totals topping 273.7M after 39 days in release. Internationally, the film also continued to strive with an additional 17M, bringing its overseas gross to 438.3M and a massive worldwide running cume of 712M.

Rounding out the top five was Disney’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker which dipped 45% for a weekend of 8.3M, with 10.5M over the MLK boost. The ninth installment has now gathered over 494.1M domestically, and will top the 500M mark by this week or next weekend. Internationally, the film added another 10.9M for an overseas bout of 534.6M and a worldwide total topping the one billion mark (1.028B).

Next weekend, we see two new nationwide releases come into play, including STX’s crime comedy The Gentlemen and Universal’s horror film The Turning.

TOP FIVE:

1. Bad Boys for Life

2. 1917

3. Dolittle

4. Jumanji: The Next Level

5. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

January 10-12: "1917", "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker", "Jumanji: The Next Level"

“1917” Explodes to Great Opening

Diving into the weekend, it was Universal’s 1917 that caught audience’s attention, easily topping with a stunning debut during its expansion to wide release, channeling its exceptional reviews and many Oscar nominations. Otherwise, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker barely topped fellow holdover Jumanji: The Next Level while Like a Boss won over Just Mercy’s wide release expansion. Outside of the top five, Underwater sank to the depths of the ocean.

First and foremost, Universal’s expansion of 1917 led the charge with a remarkable 37M from 3,434 locations, averaging an impressive $10,774 per-screen. This not only beats its 20-25M pre-weekend expectations, but it also sets a new bar for films going from limited to wide. With comparisons, the movie is easily ahead of 2014’s Fury (23.7M) and even Unbroken (30.6M), and it opened right behind the likes of Lone Survivor which debuted to 37.8M in expansion, and ways behind the masterful Dunkirk (50.5M). The four films above have an average multiplier of 3.66x, which would mean a finish of around 135M, but considering the word-of-mouth, we are expecting more. Overseas, the 90M production debuted in 30 markets with 23.8M for a worldwide debut of 63.5M.

Review wise, 1917 garnered excellent reviews, and some wonderful audience reception. On Sweet and Sour, we gave it a nearly-perfect 95/100 “sweet”, calling it an “immersive, beautifully made film on WW1”. On Rotten Tomatoes, based on 325 reviews, they have it at a weighted average of 90% “Certified Fresh”, with a consensus reading: “Hard-hitting, immersive, and an impressive technical achievement, 1917 captures the trench warfare of World War I with raw, startling immediacy.” Audiences felt similar, giving it an 89% score on RT and an A- CinemaScore.

Secondly, Disney’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker fell to runner-up after three weekends on top with 15.1M, indicating another sharp drop of 56% and a solid domestic total of 478.2M after 24 days of release. Internationally, the pic added another 24.2M, resulting in a foreign gross now standing at 511.6M and a worldwide total capping 989.9M as it prepares to top the one billion mark this week.

In third place was Sony’s Jumanji: The Next Level which slid 47% for a fifth weekend of 14M, giving way for a North American running cume of 257.1M. Overseas, The Next Level kept its stronghold, and has now grossed 414M foreignly and has reached an epic 671.1M globally.

Fourthly, Paramount’s new R-rated comedy Like a Boss made a buck or two, but didn’t surprise in any way, shape, or form, earning only 10M in its opening weekend. Pre-weekend expectations were a little higher than the turn-out, with analysts expecting around 12-15M, with the studio projecting 10-12M. Reviews were extremely negative and audiences gave it a B CinemaScore.

Rounding out the top five was WB’s expansion of Just Mercy, which earned 9.7M from 2,375 locations, averaging $4,089 per-screen. Not terrific, but it’s an okay start, and it will need some good word-of-mouth. Good news is that the critical reception is generally positive and audiences gave it a pitch-perfect A+ CinemaScore, so hopefully it will have long enough legs.

In seventh position, we find Fox’s sci-fi horror flick Underwater which mostly sank to the bottom of the ocean, bringing in only 7M from 2,791 theaters. While this is in the middle of its conservative 5-10M expectations, it certainly failed to become the new Alien. What isn’t great either are the mixed reviews, the mediocre C CinemaScore and especially the reported 70M production budget.

Next weekend, we see two new nationwide releases hit the multiplex. First off, Sony will be bringing back Will Smith and Martin Lawrence for action comedy Bad Boys for Life in over 3,700 theaters (40-45M expectations) Secondly, Universal’s reboot of Dolittle starring Robert Downey Jr. will open to over 3,900 sites (25-30M expectations).

TOP FIVE:

1. 1917

2. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

3. Jumanji: The Next Level

4. Like a Boss

5. Just Mercy

January 3-5: "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker", "Jumanji: The Next Level", "Little Women"

“The Rise of Skywalker” Tops Start of 2020

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, The Rise of Skywalker once again managed to be the focus of the charts as it three-peats over the first weekend of 2020 with a rock-solid performance. However, Jumanji: The Next Level is gaining close to the ninth Star Wars installment in runner-up. This is while Little Women managed to edge out horror reboot The Grudge, which had an average showing. Rounding out the top five was Frozen II, which hit a major milestone globally.

Topping the charts for a third time straight was Disney’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker which earned an additional 33.7M in ticket sales. This indicates a reasonable, if unspectacular drop of 53% from its sophomore session, which contributes to a domestic total that now stands at 450.7M after 17 days in release. The North American performance is still pacing around 57 million behind The Last Jedi, which finished with just over 620M. Considering this, we have come to expect a finish of around 530M, with room for more or less.

Overseas, The Rise of Skywalker pulled in another 50.5M internationally from many material markets for a foreign gross capping 468M and a global total of 918.7M. Currently, this is still far behind the success of its two predecessors, but the conclusion will more than likely be the seventh Disney flick to top one billion during 2019. Otherwise, it’s still a bit of a disappointment considering that this may be the final installment to the franchise, however, nobody can argue that surpassing one billion isn’t good.

In runner-up, Sony’s Jumanji: The Next Level continued its extremely impressive performance with an estimated 26.5M this weekend, dipping just 25% and reaching a massive 236.2M domestically after 24 days. With another small drop, the sequel is showing similar, if weaker signs of a very long run, and perhaps a possibility to top 300M? Internationally, the film added another excellent 42.4M overseas for a foreign gross of 374M and a large worldwide cume of 610.2M.

In third, Sony also dominated with Little Women which sold a notably strong 13.6M on its sophomore session, sliding only 19% and topping 60M domestically after 10 days. Overseas, the well-reviewed reboot added another 9.5M into the mix from just six markets, contributing to a foreign total of 20.4M and a worldwide bout of 80.4M. We saw an opening in Australia (3.4M), followed by France (1.5M) while its biggest market remains the UK (12M).

Fourthly, Sony once again took the spot with another reboot, this time the R-rated horror flick The Grudge which made 11.3M in its opening weekend. Despite topping its conservative 8-10M pre-weekend expectations, its largely negative reviews and “F” CinemaScore beg to differ, dampening any chances for a long run. The hardcore gore-fest also started its international run with an estimated 5.8M from 29 markets for a global launch of 17.1M. Leading the way was an opening in Indonesia (1M), with upcoming releases such as Germany (Jan 9), France (Jan 15), Russia (Jan 16), the UK (Jan 24), Australia (Jan 30), Brazil (Feb 13) and Italy (Feb 27).

Rounding out the top five was Disney’s Frozen II which earned another 11.2M during its seventh weekend of release, resulting in a wonderful 449.8M in North America so far. Things are more active overseas as it brought in an estimated 42.4M, for foreign earnings of 875.3M and a gargantuan worldwide total of 1.325B, topping the original (1.274B), and making it the biggest animated movie of all-time.

Next weekend, we see another two new wide releases, and another two expansions come into play. Firstly, Fox’s release of Underwater and Paramount’s Like a Boss are going wide. Otherwise, Universal will expand WW1 flick 1917 into 3,200 theaters while WB will go wide with Just Mercy in 2,200 locations.

TOP FIVE:

1. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

2. Jumanji: The Next Level

3. Little Women (2019)

4. The Grudge (2020)

5. Frozen II

December 27-29: "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker", "Jumanji: The Next Level", "Little Women"

“The Rise of Skywalker” Repeats on Last Weekend of 2019

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, it was Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker who easily repeated on top of the box office over the holidays. However, Jumanji: The Next Level had a stellar third weekend in runner-up, while new release Little Women was slightly promising in third, beating out holdover Frozen II and other newcomer Spies in Disguise, which was mediocre in fifth.

First and foremost, Disney’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker topped the box office again with an estimated 72M in ticket sales. This means a sharp drop of 59%, but because of its strong performance during the week, its North American total stands at an impressive 361.7M after 10 days of release. While the slide isn’t terrific, its still notably better than The Last Jedi’s 67.5% drop, and is similar to Avengers: Endgame’s 58.7%, which is marginally positive. While there’s still much ground to cover, we compare it to The Lion King, which nabbed over 351M after 10 days before finishing with 543.6M, and considering this, we are thinking anywhere from 520-600M.

Overseas, The Rise of Skywalker added another 94.3M from nearly every market, contributing to a foreign total capping 363M and a solid worldwide bout now topping 724.7M. This means that the ninth installment to the Skywalker saga is on its way to top the one billion mark, but how far will it get after? Next weekend, the 250-300M production will open in Vietnam, with the UK being its biggest market (51.4M).

In runner-up, Sony’s Jumanji: The Next Level had a stellar showing, earning 35.3M this weekend, increasing 33% over its sophomore frame. The sales give the sequel an impressive domestic total of 175.4M after just 17 days, which is around 35 million behind the original’s three weekend bout. Internationally, the pic added a terrific 61.6M, making for an overseas gross of 296M and a global total of 471.4M.

In third, Sony also thrived with their Little Women adaptation, which sold an estimated 16.525M over three days, giving way for a solid 29M on the five-day holiday. While the debut isn’t exactly explosive, it will be easy enough to turn a profit on its 40M production budget. The movie also started its overseas rollout, bringing in 6.3M from the UK and Spain, for a global launch of 35.3M.

Review wise, the critics thought it was nearly perfect, while audiences had a similar opinion. On Sweet and Sour, we gave it a very impressive 85/100 “sweet”, calling it a “timeless, and witty adaptation of the beloved novel”. Otherwise, RottenTomatoes has it at an excellent 95% “Certified Fresh” based on 260 reviews, with a consensus of: “With a stellar cast and a smart, sensitive retelling of its classic source material, Greta Gerwig’s Little Women proves some stories are truly timeless”. Audiences gave it a 93% approval rating on RT and an A- CinemaScore.

Fourthly, Disney’s Frozen II continued its strong performance with an estimated 16.5M, increasing 27% over last weekend and reaching a massive 421.2M domestically, topping the original’s 400M. Internationally, things are also getting closer with its predecessor, adding 42.2M for an overseas gross of 796.3M and a global total of 1.217 billion dollars.

Rounding out the top five was Fox’s Spies in Disguise which clambered to a three-day of only 13.2M from 3,508 theaters, carving way for 22M over the five-day holiday. This is pretty much on expectations, but it still isn’t great news for star Will Smith, who recently acted in flop Gemini Man. Internationally, it brought in an estimated 16M for a global launch of 38M. The film received generally positive reviews and an A- CinemaScore.

Outside the top five, A24 expanded their release of Uncut Gems, which grossed 9.5M from 2,348 theaters in three days, and an impressive 18.8M over the five-day, giving it a domestic total topping 20M.

Next weekend, we see one new wide release likely to debut under The Rise of Skywalker. This is Sony’s horror reboot of The Grudge which will be released in over 2,500 locations.

TOP FIVE:

1. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

2. Jumanji: The Next Level

3. Little Women (2019)

4. Frozen II

5. Spies in Disguise

December 20-22: "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker", "Jumanji: The Next Level", "Frozen II"

“The Rise of Skywalker” Force-Chokes Box Office

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker dominated the top charts, but with a less-than-stellar debut, also delivering respectably overseas. Otherwise, holdovers such as Jumanji: The Next Level and Frozen II easily topped second newcomer Cats, which massively flopped. Knives Out has managed to round out the top five with another small drop.

As mentioned, Disney’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trumped the weekend with an estimated 175.5M in ticket sales. While this is to be considered a gargantuan debut, it isn’t exactly what we’ve been hoping for. Compared to expectations, we were forecasting somewhere in between 200-220M, with Disney expecting 160M+, so while it did beat the lowest of predictions, it didn’t soar as high as it should have. However, from 4,406 sites, it did average a solid $39,832 per-screen average. Then why are we so negative about it? Well, for one, its the conclusion to the 42-year lasting Skywalker saga, and it pales in comparison to the other two films in the new trilogy. The Force Awakens, in 2015, debuted to 247.9M, and its sequel, The Last Jedi opened to 220M in 2017, which is far higher than The Rise of Skywalker. It’s not quite fatigue, though. For the finish, the two films above create an average multiplier of 3.25x, meaning a close of 570M, however, we also have to consider last year’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, which managed a multiplier of only 2.53x, which could contribute to a 444M finish. Overall, we are expecting around 450-500M, and it depends on audiences.

Overseas, The Rise of Skywalker earned an estimated 198M from 52 overseas markets, giving way for a solid, if unspectacular global debut of 373.5M. This is significantly trailing The Last Jedi (450.8M start, 1.332B finish) and The Force Awakens (529M start, 2.068B finish), but it should still easily top the one billion mark. Leading the way was a 26.8M opening in the UK, followed by Germany (21.8M), France (15.2M), Japan (14.6M), Australia (12.6M), China (12.1M), Spain (7.6M), Mexico (7.4M), Brazil (5.9M), Italy (5.9M), Russia (5.8M) and Sweden (4.6M). In January, the film will have releases in Vietnam, Korea and the Philippines.

It’s unfair. Another similar flick this year, Avengers: Endgame, still took in a franchise record of over 357M during its opening weekend, and just because of the mixed reception, fans showed up in half of that figure for The Rise of Skywalker. While the latter isn’t as good as the former, it still received a positive review from us, and from general audiences. They just didn’t show up. Well, they did, in droves. But not sufficiently. Especially since Star Wars has been going on since 1977, and the MCU kicked off in 2008, its got more nostalgia, and it should have a much larger fan-base. Still, while it’s too bad that one of the longest running franchises ever won’t close out magnificently, it still did its job in the weekend box office.

Review wise, The Rise of Skywalker received mixed reviews from the critics, and mostly warm reception from audiences. With Sweet and Sour, we handed it a generally positive score of 75/100 “sweet”, calling it an “imperfect, but solidly fitting conclusion to the franchise”. On RottenTomatoes, there’s a weighted average of 57% “Rotten” based on 361 reviews with a consensus of: “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker suffers from a frustrating lack of imagination, but concludes this beloved saga with fan-focused devotion”. Audiences gave it an approval rating of 86% on RT based on 37,049 ratings and it received a solid B+ CinemaScore.

In runner-up, Sony’s Jumanji: The Next Level dipped steeply, but still held on to 26.1M over its sophomore session, sliding 55.9% and reaching 101.9M after 10 days. While it’s quickly falling behind its predecessor, it will still go on to finish with around 155-160M. Overseas, the pic added another 32.6M from 52 markets for a foreign total of 210M and a worldwide bout of 311.9M.

Third place holds Disney’s Frozen II which earned an estimated 12.3M in its fifth weekend, dropping only 35.5% for a grand total of 386.5M. Internationally, the film’s overseas gross now stands at 717.2M with a worldwide total of 1.103B as it climbs up the animated ranks, now fourth.

Fourthly, Universal and director Tom Hooper released live-action musical Cats, which principally crashed and burned. Generating only 6.5M from 3,380 locations, it’s not only far behind our expectations, but the 95M budget spells serious worries for losses. It also started overseas, where it did not find any cat nip, bringing in solely 4.4M from the UK, for a worldwide opening of 10.9M. It expands to 37 markets next week. Reviews weren’t great as well, dampening any chance for word-of-mouth. It received largely negative reception on RT that comes with a mediocre C+ CinemaScore.

Rounding out the top five was Lionsgate’s Knives Out, bringing in 6.1M for a North American total that now caps 89.5M. It also added another 6.4M for an overseas gross of 96M and a global total of 185.5M, earning great profit on its 40M budget.

Right outside the top five was also Lionsgate, which expanded their release of Bombshell to 1,480 sites, and brought in a meager 5M. This is behind our 7M expectations, but with its stellar limited showing last weekend, it isn’t fatal.

Next weekend, we see three nationwide releases hit the theater. Firstly, the expansion of A24’s Uncut Gems and Sony’s Little Women will open on Wednesday. Otherwise, Fox will open animated Spies of Disguise on Friday.

TOP FIVE:

1. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

2. Jumanji: The Next Level

3. Frozen II

4. Cats

5. Knives Out

December 13-15: "Jumanji: The Next Level", "Frozen II", "Knives Out"

“Jumanji: The Next Level” Crushes Expectations

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, Sony’s Jumanji: The Next Level ferociously clawed the top spot with some impressive numbers both domestically and overseas, notably crushing expectations, and it’s hit predecessor. Otherwise, holdovers made dough as well, with Frozen II and Knives Out managing to beat out two other new releases, Richard Jewell and Black Christmas, which both tanked.

First and foremost, Sony/Columbia’s Jumanji: The Next Level utterly delivered, earning an estimated 60.1M in ticket sales. From a massive 4,227 theaters, the adventure sequel garnered a per-screen average of $14,218; additionally, it trampled its 45-55M pre-weekend expectations, topping even the most lofty. Despite not reaching the gargantuan-type area, the follow-up generated much Holiday cheer. With comps, The Next Level easily beat the likes of Rampage (35.7M), The Meg (45.4M) and Godzilla: King of the Monsters (47.7M) while even slightly beating Dwayne Johnson’s other big hit this year, Hobbs & Shaw (60M). With the competition above, we get an average multiplier of around 2.8x, which means a finish of around 170M, however, considering this is the sequel to Welcome to the Jungle, the flick that opened to 36M and took its run to over 404M and nearly one billion worldwide, it depends if audiences are willing to stay.

Internationally, the wins won’t stop. After debuting last week overseas, The Next Level brought an additional 85.7M from 52 markets, for a foreign gross of 152.5M and an excellent global opening of 212.6M. This is significantly larger than any of its comps, including the 179M worldwide debut for Hobbs & Shaw, which later went on to top 758M globally. This is very, very good news. The UK is its leading market, with a five-day of 12.6M, followed by Russia (8.9M) and Germany (4.6M). Upcoming releases include Italy (December 25), Australia (December 26) and Brazil (January 16).

Review wise, The Next Level garnered mixed-to-positive reviews from the critics, and very warm reception from audiences. On Sweet and Sour, we gave it a solid 70/100 “sweet/sour”, calling it an “enjoyable, well-acted and solid sequel”. On the other hand, RottenTomatoes weighed it at a 66% “Fresh” from 157 reviews with a consensus of: “Like many classic games, Jumanji: The Next Level retains core components of what came before while adding enough fresh bits to keep things playable”. Audiences gave it an 88% approval rating on RT, and an A- CinemaScore.

In runner-up, Disney’s Frozen II grossed an estimated 19.2M in its fourth weekend, dipping a reasonable 45.5% for a domestic total that now tops 366.5M after 24 days in release. Overseas, the animated sequel’s international earnings now sum up to 666M for a worldwide total quickly topping one billion (1.032B). It has now topped both Zootopia (1.023B) and Finding Dory (1.028B), and is getting ready to surpass Toy Story 3 (1.066B) and Toy Story 4 (1.073B). The question is: will it hold on enough to top the two biggest animated films ever: Incredibles 2 (1.242B), and the original Frozen (1.274B)?

Third place holds Lionsgate’s Knives Out which made 9.3M in its third weekend of release, sliding only 34.9% and topping a solid 78.9M domestically. The murder mystery should be on its way to a 105-110M finish. Overseas, the pic added an estimated 13.6M from 73 material markets, making for a foreign 83.3M and a worldwide bout of 162.2M.

Fourthly, the second new release was WB and Clint Eastwood’s Richard Jewell which debuted fairly disappointingly, finishing with just 5M from 2,502 theaters. This is far behind its 12M forecasts, and is even more concerning considering its positive reviews.

Rounding out the top five was another new release, Universal’s holiday-themed horror flick Black Christmas which utterly tanked, grossing only 4.4M from 2,625 locations, averaging a mere $1,683 per-screen. Not only is the performance trailing its 10-15M expectations, it also matches its fairly negative reception.

Next weekend, it’s the movie event of the year, the end of the saga, its Disney’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker!! Yep, its arrived, and its got 225M+ expectations heading into the weekend, but some still say that it may beat The Force Awakens for the largest franchise opening of all-time. What’s really gonna be terrifying is watching animated feature Spies in Disguise and live-action musical Cats get slayed by the weekend winner.

TOP FIVE:

1. Jumanji: The Next Level

2. Frozen II

3. Knives Out

4. Richard Jewell

5. Black Christmas

December 6-8: "Frozen II", "Knives Out", "Ford v Ferrari"

“Frozen II” Three-Peats!

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, for the third time, Frozen II has led the weekend, and with ease, I may add, dropping more than expected but continuing its extraordinary performance both domestically and internationally. Otherwise, there was a number of holdovers that took the top spots, including Knives Out, Ford v Ferrari, Queen & Slim and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, while newcomer Playmobil: The Movie flopped far outside.

For the third time straight, Disney’s animated sequel Frozen II has swept the top charts with an estimated 34.6M, sliding a more-than-expected 59.7% from last week’s booming Thanksgiving showing, now topping 337.5M after 17 days in theatrical release. Currently, it’s still set to top its predecessor’s 400.7M North American finish, with estimates saying that 420M seems possible. Really, it all depends on how it holds during the upcoming weeks after its stellar hold last weekend, and the underwhelming drop this one.

Overseas, things are going extremely well. Frozen II added an estimated 90.2M overseas for a foreign gross of 582.1M and a worldwide bout of 919.6M. While its still over 300 million from its predecessor’s global close, it still has sufficient stamina, and we are thinking it will surpass the one billion mark by next weekend. This will make it one of the biggest animated films of all-time, which just adds to a big list for Disney.

In runner-up we see Lionsgate’s hit murder-mystery Knives Out, which generated an estimated 14.1M, dipping a reasonable 47.1% from its impressive opening weekend, resulting in North American sales tallying to 63.4M after 10 days in release. Internationally, the production added another 18.7M for an overseas total of 60.6M and a global gross of 124M, already breaking even with its 40M budget.

Thirdly, Fox’s Ford v Ferrari earned an estimated 6.537M, with a drop of 50.4% and a domestic total now reaching 91.1M after 24 days in release. Internationally, the pic added 8.3M, resulting in a foreign round-up of 76.5M and a global total of 167.6M.

Just $7,000 dollars behind in fourth was Universal’s Queen & Slim which generated 6.530M, dipping 45.1% and topping 26.8M domestically after 10 days.

Rounding out the top five was Sony’s A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood which slowed to 5.2M, indicating a sharp drop of 55.8% for a domestic total of 43.1M.

Outside even the top ten was STX Entertainment’s animated feature Playmobil: The Movie which after many push-backs, has finally debuted to a horrible 660K from 2,337 locations, averaging a terrible $282 dollars per-screen, one of the worst for a pic debuting to over 2,000 screens.

Next weekend, we see three new nationwide releases hit the theaters. This includes the anticipated sequel Jumanji: The Next Level (45-55M projections), R-rated teen-horror-flick Black Christmas (10M expectations) and Clint Eastwood’s Richard Jewell.

TOP FIVE:

1. Frozen II

2. Knives Out

3. Ford v Ferrari

4. Queen & Slim

5. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

November 29-December 1: "Frozen II", "Knives Out", "Ford v Ferrari"

“Frozen II” Repeats on Thanksgiving Weekend

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, it was once again Frozen II that took utter command of the weekend, this time taking the five-day holiday to the next level, dropping a minimal amount, and still bringing the heat overseas. Otherwise, Knives Out also took a notable chunk out of Thanksgiving dinner, making for excellent counter-programming while Ford v Ferrari, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and new release Queen & Slim were close in third, fourth and fifth.

Reigning over the top is Disney’s Frozen II, which during its sophomore session, it sold an estimated 85.2M from Friday to Sunday, along with grossing a massive 123.7M throughout the extended weekend. The drop of just 34% leads to a 10 day total now topping 287M, much higher than originally expected. Considering the strong hold, we are looking for more impressive dips, which could possibly lead to a finish of around 480-500M, ranking as the highest grossing animated film of all-time besides Incredibles 2 (608M).

Overseas, the pic took in another monster 163M from many material markets, contributing to a foreign gross of 451M and a worldwide bout of 738.6M after 10 days, outpacing the original Frozen by far. China remains its largest market, but the juggernaut also opened with many more, including Russia (13.7M), Italy (8.6M) and Australia (6.6M). Next weekend, the animated feature opens in South Africa, Uruguay and Paraguay, along with a release in Brazil on January 2nd.

Secondly, Lionsgate’s new release of Knives Out took runner-up with an estimated 26M over three days, leading to a five-day holiday weekend of 41.7M from 3,461 theaters. Not only making for great counter-programming, but it also defied its 20M expectations. Considering the opening, its a very similar release to 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express, which opened to 28.6M, also a murder mystery with a slightly comical approach. The release above garnered a solid multiplier of 3.6x, which is tough to bring around considering the holiday five-day, but we are thinking about 125M+.

Internationally, the pic debuted last week, and added an estimated 28.3M for a global debut of 70M. Firstly, Knives Out had a 13.5M launch in China, followed by the UK (3.8M), Russia (2M), Australia (1.9M) and France (1.5M). Next weekend, the film adds 14 more major markets, including South Korea, Denmark, Norway, Italy and Mexico. Considering its scanty 40M budget, it should be able to break even with around 110M, which seems completely possible, especially since the projections are about 270M.

Review wise, Knives Out generated incredible reception from both critics and audiences alike. On Sweet and Sour Movies, we gave it a shining 85/100 “sweet”, saying it “features an A-list cast, and is a fun installment to the whodunnit genre.” RottenTomatoes additionally gave it a nearly-perfect 97% “Certified Fresh” based on 338 reviews with a consensus reading: “Knives Out sharpens old murder-mystery tropes with a keenly assembled suspenseful outing that makes brilliant use of writer-director Rian Johnson’s stellar ensemble.” Audiences gave it a 93% approval rating, and a CinemaScore of A-.

Continuing to fire all cylinders in third is Fox’s Ford v Ferrari which dipped just 16% for a three-day of 13.2M and a five-day holiday bout of 19M. This leads to a North American total capping 81M after 17 days in release. With more spectacular holds like this, we are thinking of a close that can even top 125-130M. Internationally, it brought in an estimated 10.2M for a foreign total of 62.3M and a worldwide haul of over 143M. With its 97.6M budget, the race to the 240M mark will certainly be a close one, but estimates show about 210-220M+.

Fourth place holds moderate release A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood which despite a slightly disappointing debut, dropped only 13% for a sophomore session of 11.8M, and a holiday weekend of 17.3M. The domestic total now stands at over 34M after 10 days in release.

Rounding out the top five was Universal’s Queen & Slim, debuting with 11.7M in just 1,625 theaters in US ticket sales for a five-day of 15.8M. Ahead of the single-digit expectations, the well-reviewed drama is looking for considerable legs throughout the holiday season. Audiences additionally gave it a CinemaScore of A-, which is a fantastic sign.

Next weekend, we see the pushed back animated film adaptation of Playmobil, which looks to debut with around 5-10M from an unknown amount of locations.

TOP FIVE:

1. Frozen II

2. Knives Out

3. Ford v Ferrari

4. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

5. Queen & Slim

November 22-24: "Frozen II", "Ford v Ferrari", "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

“Frozen II” Brings Heat to Chilly Holiday Box Office

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, animated sequel Frozen II took charge, bringing much-needed heat to a chilly holiday box office, coming in at expectations, and delivering excellently overseas. Otherwise, Ford v Ferrari had a solid sophomore session, but dipped a little more than expected, while A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood beat out cop-thriller 21 Bridges, but with a soft performance.

As mentioned trampling competition was Disney’s extremely-anticipated sequel Frozen II, which sold an estimated 127M in stateside ticket sales. Playing in approximately 4,440 sites nationwide, the gargantuan hit averaged $28,604 per-screen. With its numbers, the children’s movie has claimed the role as the third biggest animated debut of all-time, and the fifth biggest debut in November of all-time. Comps could include the likes of both Toy Story 4 which opened to 120.9M in the Summer, and Finding Dory, which in 2016, debuted to 135M. The two pics above finished with a healthy average multiplier of 3.6x, which would mean an impressive finish of 457M, which seems suitable.

Overseas, Frozen II’s performance just got better. Hauling in an estimated 223.2M from many major markets, the sequel has achieved a massive 350.2M global debut. The movie’s biggest market is China, which debuted to 53M, followed by Korea (31.5M), Japan (18.2M), the UK (17.8M), Germany (14.9M), France (13.4M), Mexico (9.3M), Indonesia (6.2M), the Philippines (6.1M) and Spain (5.8M). Next weekend, we see releases in Italy, Russia, Australia, Greece, New Zealand, Trinidad, Chile and Venezuela. With a list like this, we are expecting a finish easily topping the one billion mark.

Review wise, things were generally positive, while generating nearly-perfect feedback from audiences. Sweet and Sour’s review gave it a solid 70/100 “sweet/sour”, noting the lack of pure awe compared to its predecessor, but praising the beautiful animation, and the charming voice cast. RottenTomatoes scores it at a 76% “Certified Fresh” based on 224 reviews, with a consensus reading: “Frozen II can’t quite recapture the showstopping feel of its predecessor, but it remains a dazzling adventure into the unknown.” Audiences gave it an excellent 93% approval on RT, along with an A- CinemaScore.

In runner-up we see last weekend’s easy champion Ford v Ferrari which delivered a sophomore session of 16M, sliding a more-than-expected 49%, but its still another impressive showing. After now 10 days of release, the biopic has raced to 57.9M domestically, and it is on track to a lesser, but solid 95-100M finish. Overseas, the international haul stands at a still-quiet 45.8M for a worldwide bout of 103.7M. With the 100M budget, its still around 145M from breaking even.

Thirdly, the second newcomer was Sony’s A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood which opened to an estimated 13.5M from 3,235 locations in North America. While this is far from the 17-20M forecast, it will likely have long-enough legs to get through to its paltry 25M production cost. What will help with its performance is the nearly perfect reception from both critics and audiences, and it’s lack of direct competition.

Even worse was the third, and final newcomer, STX Entertainment’s R-rated action thriller 21 Bridges, which shot to a mere 9.3M from 2,665 theaters. While the debut itself is not fatal, it surely is disappointing, and is lower than the then-conservative 10-15M expectations. The film drew largely mixed response from critics, but good reception from audiences.

Rounding out the top five was Lionsgate’s Midway which garnered a third weekend of 4.7M, resulting in domestic earnings now topping 43.1M. The film will likely inch to the 50M mark in the states, while its overseas gross now stands at 55.8M with a worldwide total of 98.9M.

Next weekend, we see two nationwide newcomers coming to play. Firstly, murder-mystery Knives Out will hope to match its excellent reviews and 25M expectations, while more moderate release Queen & Slim will attempt to garner around 11M.

TOP FIVE:

1. Frozen II

2. Ford v Ferrari

3. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

4. 21 Bridges

5. Midway