November 15-17: "Ford v Ferrari", "Midway", "Charlie's Angels"

“Ford v Ferrari” Races to the Top

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, Fox and Disney’s Ford v Ferrari raced past competition with an easy victory in the top spot, flying over expectations and using good word-of-mouth. Otherwise, last week’s champion Midway cruised into its sophomore session, mildly beating largely disappointing reboot of Charlie’s Angels. Playing with Fire additionally beat Last Christmas in the last two spots.

Taking a victory lap in first place was Fox/Disney’s Ford v Ferrari which generated a truly impressive debut of 31M stateside, taking over the box office and its 25M expectations, which seemed high at the time. The picture played in approximately 3,528 theaters and averaged an above-average $8,797 per-screen. A comp could be Walk the Line (22.3M), which is from the same director, but a better one could be Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (41M). The film has had overwhelmingly positive reception, and taking in the two films above, you get an average multiplier of 4.4x, which seems a little optimistic, and would result in a finish of 136M.

Internationally, the film brought in an estimated 21.4M from 41 material markets, for a global opening of 52.4M. Russia serves as the movie’s biggest opening, with 3.2M, followed by the UK (2.3M), France (2.3M), Australia (1.7M), Italy (1.3M), Mexico (1.1M) and Germany (1M). Upcoming releases include Korea (December 5) and Japan (January 10). While the domestic side is excellent, the pic still faces an upward climb in breaking even with its budget of nearly 100M, needing at least 250M.

In runner-up we saw Lionsgate’s Midway which slid 51% for a sophomore weekend of 8.8M, resulting in a domestic total of 35.1M after 10 days in release. We are still hinting at a finish of around 47M, with it pacing far ahead of the likes of Geostorm. The foreign total still stands at 38.2M, for a worldwide bout of only 73.3M, still very far from breaking even.

Thirdly, we see the second newcomer, which is Sony’s Charlie’s Angels, which flopped very badly, garnering an estimated 8.6M from 3,452 sites, falling well behind its conservative 13M pre-weekend forecasts.

TOP FIVE:

1. Ford v Ferrari

2. Midway

3. Charlie’s Angels

4. Playing with Fire

5. Last Christmas

November 8-10: "Midway", "Doctor Sleep", "Playing with Fire"

“Midway” Wins Box Office Battle

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, it was Lionsgate’s Midway that took the top spot with solid numbers, upsetting largely anticipated Stephen King adaptation Doctor Sleep by a fair amount, which is largely disappointing for the latter, but a nice victory for the first. Otherwise, Paramount’s Playing with Fire took charge over a weak Last Christmas, which managed to top the continuously terrible performance by Terminator: Dark Fate.

Aforementioned, Lionsgate’s WW2 biopic Midway took in relatively respectable numbers as it easily topped the box office, beating expectations. With an estimated 17.5M, the Roland Emmerich, FX-laden film toppled over its conservative, 13M forecasts—and playing in approximately 3,242 theaters, the pic averaged a comfortable $5,398 per-screen average. Comparable films include the likes of The 5th Wave (10.3M), or perhaps Geostorm (13.7M), which it easily beat—although its still worth a note that it didn’t take full advantage of its potential as Dunkirk did (50.5M). For a projected finish, if we take in the three films listed, we get an average multiplier of 3.2x, which would hint at a close of 56M, but considering the poor critical reception, we are gaming more for around 45-50M.

Internationally, it didn’t exactly put on a show. Hauling in an estimated 11.6M from its overseas rollout, this hands Midway a worldwide debut of only 29.1M. Considering its 100M production budget, the picture will need around 250M to actually break even, which is a light that is quickly dimming. So, while the first place finish is good, the film will be very far from a hit. We have predictions of a global finish of about 100-125M, which would prove major losses for the studio.

Review wise, Midway hit extremely mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, while garnering impressive approval from audiences. On RottenTomatoes, the picture achieved a lukewarm, 41% “Rotten” rating, with a consensus reading: Midway revisits a well-known story with modern special effects and a more balanced point of view, but its screenplay isn’t quite ready for battle.” Audiences gave it a largely positive approval score of 92% on RT, while CinemaScore ranks it at an excellent A.

Literally snoring in runner-up is WB’s Stephen King adaptation and sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep, which didn’t just largely miss expectations, it also raked an overall disappointing weekend. Selling just 14.1M from stateside ticket sales, the picture managed only a little more than half of its 25M forecast, and not even 50% of its lofty 30M+ predictions. Playing in a very-wide 3,855 locations, the R-rated horror film could only give a $3,660 per-screen average. While it got slaughtered by recent King adaptation Pet Sematary (24.5M), it is especially disappointing because of the two major breakthroughs of the genre, It (123.4M in 2017) and It: Chapter Two (91M this year). Taking in the films above, we are left with a multiplier of 2.4x, which would hand a finish of just 33M.

Overseas, after debuting last week in foreign markets, Doctor Sleep is now playing in 68 material markets, and brought in an additional 13M for a foreign total that now reaches 20M and a global bout of only 34.1M. Leading the way was a 2M debut in Russia, followed by Mexico (1.5M) and Brazil (577K). Next week, the the film will open in Germany, along with a November 29 release for Japan. With a production budget capping 50M, the movie needs around 110-120M+ to break even, which is mildly possible, keeping it from being a total disaster.

Despite its financial shortcomings, the movie actually had the strongest reception of all the newcomers, generating positive reviews from critics, and very high acclaim from audiences. On RottenTomatoes, the 151-minute movie scored a 75% “Fresh” approval rating based on 244 reviews with a consensus reading: “Doctor Sleep forsakes the elemental terror of its predecessor for a more contemplative sequel that balances poignant themes against spine-tingling chills.” Movie-goers gave the movie a 90% weighted average on RT, along with CinemaScore giving the film a solid B+, impressive for the genre.

Climbing to third position was Paramount’s Playing with Fire, which earned an estimated 12.8M from 3,125 theaters, beating its 7-12M expectations. This is far from a notable opening, but for counter-programming, it worked well. Critics generally panned the film while audiences gave it a B+ CinemaScore. Overseas, the children’s movie opened in 10 markets with an estimated 2.5M for a global debut of 15.3M.

The fourth newcomer took fourth position with Universal’s romantic-comedy Last Christmas. The fluffy film earned an estimated 11.6M from 3,448 sites, which is within studio expectations, but is fairly behind our 15M projections. Reviewers were largely polarized, and fans gave it a lower-than-expected B- CinemaScore. Internationally, the pic started its rollout in 10 markets, laughing up a soft 3.1M for a worldwide opening of 14.7M.

Rounding out the top five was last weekend’s champ and disappointment, Terminator: Dark Fate, which continued to struggle, grossing a sophomore session of 10.8M, sliding a sharp 63% and reaching only 48.4M, pacing well behind many previous installments. Out in the foreign world, things don’t look great either. Bringing in 29.9M, the hardcore action movie now has 150.9M and a worldwide total just short of 200M (199.3M). This is still around 270M from breaking even.

Next weekend, we see another three newcomers coming into play. Firstly, Ford v Ferrari will be released in an estimated 3,500 locations (27M projections), along with a reboot of Charlie’s Angels playing in 3,300 sites (15M forecast) and The Good Liar showing in a more moderate 2,500 theaters (7M expectations).

TOP FIVE:

1. Midway

2. Doctor Sleep

3. Playing with Fire

4. Last Christmas

5. Terminator: Dark Fate

November 1-3: "Terminator: Dark Fate", "Joker", "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil"

“Terminator: Dark Fate” Flops on Top

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, Paramount’s Terminator: Dark Fate managed to take the crown, but on a smaller scale than expected, which gives worries for the future of the franchise, underperforming both domestically and overseas. However, both WB’s Joker and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil delivered solid weekends respectively. Newcomer Harriet also got its fair share with a surprisingly strong debut, while The Addams Family rounded out the top five.

As mentioned, Paramount and Fox/Disney’s Terminator: Dark Fate topped the weekend box office, but it didn’t soar high enough. Selling an estimated 29M in ticket sales, this reboot/sequel played in approximately 4,086 theaters stateside, and averaged a mediocre $7,097 per-screen. While its enough to be the focus of Fri-Sun, the opening pales compared to the forecasts saying even a 40M+ performance was possible, with optimistic projections of even 50M. Compared to others, Dark Fate barely beat Terminator Genisys which opened to just 27M in 2015, making it the biggest domestic flop in the franchise—however, it lost to the likes of The Mummy (31.6M), Rampage (35.7M), The Legend of Tarzan (38.5M) and the two largest debuts of the series, which were Salvation (42.5M), and Rise of the Machines (44M).

Internationally, while the situation got fairly better than its North American performance, it still ended a bit of a disappointment. Hauling in an estimated 94.6M from every material market, making for a worldwide opening of 123.6M. This is far higher than Gemini Man’s 59M global weekend, but its ways behind the 170M+ hauls that The Mummy, Hobbs & Shaw and Godzilla: King of the Monsters did before they finished with 409.2M, 758.9M and 385.9M respectively. While this is too much of a variety to have a narrowed down prediction, we find that it needs a massive 470M to break even with its 185M production budget, which seems pretty bleak. We forecast a finish anywhere around 280-400M.

Review wise, things started to get a little more on the bright side, with generally positive reviews from critics, and solid reception from audiences. On Sweet and Sour, we handed it a reasonable 70/100 “sweet/sour”, mainly praising the performances and the special effects, despite noting the rehashed plotting. RottenTomatoes has it on a weighted average of 70% “Fresh” with a consensus reading: “Terminator: Dark Fate represents a significant upgrade over its immediate predecessors, even if it lacks the thrilling firepower of the franchise’s best installments.” RT users give an impressive audience score of 84%, while CinemaScore hands it B+.

In runner-up, WB and DC’s Joker, which sold another 13.9M in North America, dropping only 27.7% from last weekend as it prepares to top the 300M mark domestically (299.6M to-date). Its not just becoming a breakthrough stateside, as it continues to have a late-night party overseas, with a foreign gross that now stands at 634.4M and a massive global bout of 934M. The picture ranks second worldwide in the DCEU, and it looks like as if the Clown Prince of Crime may stick around to top the one billion mark, becoming the only R-rated film to do so.

Thirdly, Disney’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil also had a solid three-day, dropping just 37.1% for a third weekend of 12.1M, contributing to a still-weak 84.3M domestically, although if it holds, it will most likely top the 100M mark. Globally, things are better, but still not great, with an overseas haul that now tops 298.9M and a worldwide gross of 383.2M. The picture still needs around 440M to break even with the 185M production cost, which looks like it could happen, but its still not likely.

In fourth, second newcomer Focus Features’ Harriet delivered a strong debut of 12M from only 2,056 theaters, averaging $5,828 per-screen. While it isn’t exactly a stunning opening, and it probably would have fared better in limited release, it still tramples over its 8M expectations. Audiences gave it a pitch perfect A+ CinemaScore, and critics enjoyed it.

Rounding out the top five, United Artists Releasing’s The Addams Family continued its strong performance with an estimated 8.4M, sliding a mere 29.2% from last weekend and topping 85.2M domestically. Overseas, things took quite a jump, with an international gross of 44M and a worldwide total now crossing 129.2M.

Outside the top five, two more new releases debuted. Firstly, WB’s Motherless Brooklyn struggled to ninth position with an estimated 3.6M from 1,342 theaters. Audiences gave it a 78% approval rating on RT. Even worse was Entertainment Studios’ animated Arctic Dogs, which got itself frost bite with only 3.1M in 10th place from a very-wide 2,844 theaters. Audiences gave it a B- CinemaScore.

Next weekend, we see four new releases hitting theaters. First and foremost, WB will release anticipated sequel to The Shining, dubbed Doctor Sleep (25M forecast). Otherwise, Universal’s romantic comedy Last Christmas will open with 20M estimates, Lionsgate’s WW2 feature Midway will take to the skies with 17M projections, while Paramount’s Playing With Fire will try and reach its conservative 15M predictions.

TOP FIVE:

1. Terminator: Dark Fate

2. Joker

3. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

4. Harriet

5. The Addams Family (2019)

October 25-27: "Joker", "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil", "The Addams Family"

“Joker” Heads Back to Top Spot

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, WB’s Joker is back on top with a fantastic weekend-to-weekend hold, of course, this is by default, but no one is stopping the clown from taking over the financial world! Right behind was Disney’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, which took a bit of a slide to second place, and continued its disappointing performance. Additionally, two new wide releases debuted, with Countdown coming in fifth and Black and Blue sixth.

Coming up in first was the massive comics-adaptation Joker, which earned another 18.9M domestically, dropping only 35% from last weekend, and totaling an excellent 277.5M in North America. Don’t forget, things are just as lively overseas, with the film hauling in an estimated 47.8M, pushing to a foreign gross of 571.5M and a worldwide total of 849M, making it the largest R-rated global release of all-time. Furthermore, it also gives it the title of the fifth largest global release ranked in every DC comics adaptation, behind Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (873.6M).

Close behind in runner-up was Disney’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, which slid a decent 49.8% from its dim opening, earning an estimated 18.5M, and pushing to a domestic total of 65.4M after 10 days in release. The question is: will the sequel hold on enough to even top 100M domestically? Overseas, things aren’t much better, this is where the picture generated 64.3M, this results in a foreign total of 228M, and a global bout of 293.9M as things look like a 395-450M finish.

Third holds another surprise, with the animated reboot of The Addams Family which performed wonderfully on its third weekend, dipping just 28% for a three-day of 11.7M and a domestic haul of 72.8M. Internationally, the picture kicked of its overseas release with an estimated 11.2M from 19 markets, this counts towards a worldwide gross of 84M.

Making it a second close call was Zombieland: Double Tap, which tumbled a steep 57% for a sophomore session of 11.6M, however, its North American total stands at a still-impressive 47M. Overseas, the film added an estimated 9M, for an overseas gross of 16.6M and a worldwide total of 63.6M.

Rounding out the top five was STX Entertainment’s newest release, Countdown, which debuted to an estimated 9M from 2,675 locations. Reviews for the film were generally negative while audiences gave it a C+ CinemaScore, considering the reception, we don’t expect that the release will stick around for too long.

Right outside the top five was Sony’s Black and Blue which opened with 8.3M from 2,062 theaters. Audiences gave it an excellent A+ CinemaScore.

Next weekend, we see four new nationwide releases populate cinemas. First off, Terminator: Dark Fate will play in 3,500+ theaters (45-60M projections), while Arctic Dogs will be accessible in 3,600+ locations. The two more moderate releases include Harriet which is showing in an estimate 2,000 sites, while Motherless Brooklyn will take to approximately 1,250 theaters.

TOP FIVE:

1. Joker

2. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

3. The Addams Family (2019)

4. Zombieland: Double Tap

5. Countdown

October 18-20: "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil", "Joker", "Zombieland: Double Tap"

“Mistress of Evil” Doesn’t Cast a Great Spell

Diving into the weekend, it was Disney’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil which got the most audiences, but the #1 weekend finish wasn’t enough from the complete disappointment it was for the studio, its predecessor and even the forecasts. In a race between second and third position, WB’s Joker that came behind the leader, and continued to shock with its excellent performance both domestically and worldwide. Not far behind, however, was second sequel Zombieland: Double Tap which generated a wealthy weekend on its own.

Taking the top spot was Disney’s live-action sequel, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil which sold an estimated 36M in ticket sales, falling well short of a magical opening. The Sleeping Beauty spin-off was accessible in 3,790 theaters, and averaged a not-so-hot $9,499 per-screen average. The debut is fairly behind the studio’s 45M expectations, the industry’s 50M forecast—and is the lowest opening Disney has had all year (without Fox), which rings especially disappointing. Not to be a wet blanket, but additionally, Mistress of Evil opened to only a little more than half of it’s predecessor’s 69.4M three-day. Heck, the sequel even managed to underperform compared to one of this year’s biggest commercial flops, Dumbo, which garnered just 45.9M. For the domestic close, it’s predecessor finished with an impressive multiplier of 3.5x, which would mean a finish of 126M, but considering the follow-up’s poor debut, we are forecasting a good-bye number of around 110M.

You would imagine, with a budget soaring as high as 185M—that the film given needs serious global aid. That’s when the international numbers arrive. Mistress of Evil earned an estimated 117M from every major market, which results in a worldwide opening of 153M. This is marginally more impressive than its North American performance, but with a finishing forecast of just 400M globally, it pales in comparison to the 2014 original’s 758.5M. Leading the way was a 22.4M opening in China, followed by Russia (10.7M), Mexico (7.8M), Indonesia (4.8M), Korea (4.6M), Brazil (4.5M), the UK (4.3M), France (3.9M), Thailand (3.7M), the Philippines (3.5M), Germany (3.4M) and Spain (3.2M).

Review wise, the darker fairy tale earned mixed response from the critics, but audiences seemingly adored the film. On RottenTomatoes, reviewers gave it an approval rating of 41% “Rotten” based on 191 reviews, with a critics consensus reading: “While it’s far from cursed, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil too rarely supports its impressive cast and visuals with enough magical storytelling to justify its existence.” However, opening day audiences have given the picture a strong 96% score. Metacritic took a similar opinion, handing it a weighted average of 43/100. CinemaScore lists it at an A.

Following close behind in runner-up was DC and WB’s Joker, which continued its strong performance with another 29.2M, dropping a reasonable 47.7% from its stunning sophomore session, now holding a massive 247.2M dollars in the bag after 17 days of release. Overseas, the film is still having an absolute party, laughing up an estimated 77.8M for a foreign gross of 490.3M and a worldwide bout of 737.5M, making it the fifth biggest global release in the DCEU, right behind Suicide Squad (746.8M).

In third place was the second newcomer of the weekend, which was Sony’s Zombieland: Double Tap, which generated a solid 26.7M over three days. This overcomes its 20M pre-weekend expectations, and is exceptional that a comedy sequel keeps box office stamina, especially after 10 years. The debut outperforms the likes of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (20.9M), Pet Sematary (24.5M) and even its predecessor, which opened to 24.7M. The three films above give an average multiplier of 2.91x, which would mean a finish of around 77.6M.

Fourth holds United Artists Releasing’s The Addams Family, which took flight to a solid sophomore weekend, earning an estimated 16M, which instigates a dip of 47% and a domestic bout coming around to 56.8M after 10 days. The film is pacing around seven million ahead of The Emoji Movie, which later finished to 86M—this screams predictions in the area of 95M.

Rounding out the top five was Paramount’s Gemini Man, which shot at a second weekend of 8.5M, sliding a steep 58.6% from its already average opening, while having grossed 36.5M domestically after 10 days of release. Overseas, the film hauled in an estimated 33.4M, which the majority comes from its 21M debut in China. This results in an international total of 82.2M and a global tally of 118.7M.

Next weekend, we see two moderate wide releases on what’s going to be the possibly slowest weekend of the Fall. First and foremost, we regard STX Entertainment’s horror pic Countdown, which is playing an estimated 2,600 theaters, and that is followed by Sony’s cop thriller Black and Blue in an estimated 2,000 sites.

TOP FIVE:

1. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

2. Joker

3. Zombieland: Double Tap

4. The Addams Family (2019)

5. Gemini Man

October 4-6: "Joker", "Abominable", "Downton Abbey"

“Joker” Delivers October Opening Record

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, we saw DC and WB’s prequel, Joker, which defied both expectations and the month’s opening weekend record, devouring the top box office, and providing light in a franchise that was seemingly getting quiet. Abominable, Downton Abbey and Hustlers continued their performances in second, third and fourth while horror hit It: Chapter Two crossed the 200 million domestic milestone, and rounded out the top five this weekend.

Taking charge of the top charts was DC and WB’s comic-book, big-screen adaptation of Joker which sold a stellar 93.5M in North American sales. Playing in a massive 4,374 sites, the film averaged 21,376 per-screen, an excellent number considering the genre. The film not only ranks as the biggest October debut of all-time, topping 2018’s Venom (80.2M), it also remains the fourth largest R-rated opening ever, as well as giving star Joaquin Phoenix and director Todd Phillips their biggest starts of all-time respectively. Comparatively, the film tops the likes of Halloween (76.2M), Logan (88.4M) and even September’s It: Chapter Two (91M)—while falling just behind Justice League (93.8M). For the domestic close, if we look at the four films above (It: Chapter Two is still in release, so we predict an ending of 225M), we get an average multiplier of nearly 2.4x, which could mean a finish of around 224.4M, however, considering the warm audience reception, we are thinking more like 245M+.

Internationally, things got even better. Hauling in an estimated 140.5M from 73 material markets, Joker has delivered a monster 234M global debut, which ranks as 52nd in the all-time worldwide openings—even besting Venom (204M start, 856M close). The largest opening was a solid 16.3M debut in South Korea, followed by the UK (14.8M), Mexico (13.1M), Russia (10M), Brazil (7.3M), Japan (7M), Italy (6.8M), Australia (6.6M), Indonesia (5.9M), Spain (4.6M), India (3.9M), Taiwan (2.9M) and the United Arab Emirates (2.7M). Of those top markets, 12 of the 13 listed were the largest overseas debuts for a WB film this year. Later this week, the picture will debut in both France and Germany.

Review wise, Joker had some real controversy going around, especially with the whole “madman get’s a gun and starts a riot” idea—however, it still garnered solid reception from the critics, and wealthy feedback from audiences. On RottenTomatoes, the Clown Prince of Crime remains at 70% “Certified Fresh” from a particularly large 411 reviews, while audiences were much less skeptical, handing it a 90% on over 20,000 verified ratings. On Metacritic, things look a little different, with a weighted average of just 58/100 based on 56 top critics. On CinemaScore, it was given a respectable B+. Overall, the population was driven towards Joaquin Phoenix’s performance, and the dark tone—but they also noted the mishandling of gun violence, and its predictability.

In runner-up, last weekend’s champ Abominable, produced by Universal, grossed a sophomore frame of 12M, sliding a reasonable 41.8% from the previous Friday-to-Sunday bout, and tallying a so-so 37.8M in domestic sales after 10 days of theatrical release. Overseas, the 75 million production opened in China with 11.2M, contributing to the 24.6M international bout this weekend, adding to a foreign total of 38.5M and a worldwide total of 76.3M. The film still needs around 160M+ to actually break even.

Climbing down the stairs to third position, we regard Focus Features’ TV adaptation of Downton Abbey, which took an estimated 8M in its third weekend of release, and from here on out, the Crawley’s sum has grown to 73.6M on the big screen. Overseas, the 13 million production pulled another 6.6M internationally, pushing towards a foreign total of 61.8M and a worldwide tally of 135.4M.

After a weekend in second, fifth and third place, STX Entertainment’s Hustlers fell 44.7% to fourth place, earning 6.3M in its fourth weekend. Hustling to a domestic total that now reaches 91.3M, it still remains third in the studio’s all-time North American releases. Overseas, the picture added another 1.9M for a meager overseas gross of 18.7M and a global bout of 110M.

Rounding out the top five was WB (New Line’s) It: Chapter Two which made an estimated 5.3M, dipping 47.7%—and contributing to a domestic total that has now amassed to 202.2M after 31 days of release. This makes it the third R-rated horror film ever to top 200 million in North America. Internationally, the picture inched along to another 5.6M from 78 markets, hence an overseas amount of 234.5M, and a global round-up of 436.7M.

Next weekend, we see three new nationwide releases come into play. First and foremost, the animated reboot of The Addams Family will be released in 3,800+ locations, which comes with a forecast of 20M. Secondly, Will Smith-starring and Ang Lee-directed sci-fi film Gemini Man hopes for male audiences in an estimated 3,500 theaters, along with predictions of 25-30M. Finally, at an estimated 2,300 sites, comedy Jexi is projected for numbers between 5-10M.

TOP FIVE:

1. Joker

2. Abominable

3. Downton Abbey

4. Hustlers

5. It Chapter Two

September 27-29: "Abominable", "Downton Abbey", "Hustlers"

“Abominable” Tops With Unspectacular Opening

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, Universal’s newest film, Abominable grabbed the top spot in the box office, delivering just ahead of expectations, and receiving positive reviews, despite not being huge. The last spots were wholly taken by holdovers, with Downton Abbey sliding quite a bit to second place, while Hustlers and It: Chapter Two held excellently, otherwise, Ad Astra rounded out the top five, continuing its disappointingly average performance.

Taking some more yeti success was Universal’s animated film Abominable, which sold an estimated 20.8M in tickets—this is a tad ahead of the 17-20M pre-weekend expectations. Available in 4,242 sites across North America, the 75M production averaged a so-so $4,915 per-screen. While it remains behind both Smallfoot (23M) and 2016’s Storks (21.3M), it is just ahead of The LEGO Ninjago Movie (20.4M) and it crushes Wonder Park (15.8M). For the finish, if we look at the multiplier for the four films above, we get an average of about 3.2x—which translates to a 66M prediction, but considering the excellent audience reception, we might be looking more at a 75M close.

After opening in only a few markets last week, this weekend, the movie expanded to 30 material markets, where it hauled in an estimated 8.8M, for a foreign gross of 10.2M and a global total of 31M. Leading the way was a 1.98M debut in Mexico, followed by Brazil (1.45M). Reversing back to the 75M price tag, the picture still needs to earn more than around 160-170M+ to actually break even. With many markets yet to be released, next weekend sees openings in both Italy and Russia.

Review wise, Abominable received generally positive reception from the critics, while the audiences thought the film was nearly flawless. On RottenTomatoes, based on 90 reviews, it holds a weighted average of 80% “Certified Fresh”, while Metacritic gives it a 62/100 based on 25 top critics. Opening day audiences handed the family family feature an almost perfect 96% on RT, as well as an A CinemaScore.

In runner-up was last weekend’s focal point, Focus Features’ Downton Abbey, which took quite a dip of 53.3% from its excellent opening weekend. This results in a sophomore session of 14.5M, which adds to North American sales tallying to 58.8M after 10 days in release. To keep in mind, the TV adaptation is pacing closely to 2017’s The Mummy, which finished with 80.2M domestically—which is abnormal, considering its positive critical reception, and excellent audience feedback. Overseas, the picture added an estimated 10M internationally, for a foreign total of 48.6M and a worldwide bout of 107.1M.

Third held the real winner for the weekend, with another wonderful hold from STX Entertainment’s Hustlers which dropped just 31.8% for a third Fri-Sun bout of 11.4M, which counts to it’s impressive, 80.6M from just 17 days of theatrical release. Now ranking third in the all-time of STX (topping A Bad Mom’s Christmas’ 72.1M), the stripper drama will likely challenge The Upside (108.2M) for runner-up, and perhaps Bad Moms (113.2M) for the crown. Additionally, the 20 million production added an estimated 3M overseas, for an international gross of 14.8M and a worldwide total of 95.4M.

Staying in fourth position was Warner Bros.’ horror follow-up It: Chapter Two, which also made some solid numbers, sliding 38.8% for a fourth weekend of 10.4M. The United States and Canada show that the Stephen King adaptation has generated 193.9M as it closes in on the 200 million milestone. But how far can the film go over that mark? Considering the most recent weekend drop, we are considering a domestic close of 225M. Overseas, the film hauled in 11M, for an international running gross of 223.5M and a global wrap of 417.4M.

Rounding out the top five was Fox’s big-budget thriller-drama hybrid Ad Astra, which continued its comfortably average performance with an estimated 10.1M, producing a decent drop of 46.6% and tallying 35.5M domestically after 10 days. Really, Fox has not had much luck this year, with their biggest film being Alita: Battle Angel (85.7M), and they have struggled a lot with expensive productions such as the film mentioned before, the picture given and Dark Phoenix, which grossed only 252.4M worldwide on a budget of 200M. Furthermore, the picture added another 18M overseas, and has now made just 89M globally on a cost of 100M.

Next weekend, we see one new, nationwide arrival heading to blow up the top spot. With WB’s Joker around the bend, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a new October opening record, expecting a debut of around 80-90M from an estimated 4,000 locations.

TOP FIVE:

1. Abominable

2. Downton Abbey

3. Hustlers

4. It Chapter Two

5. Ad Astra

September 20-22: "Downton Abbey", "Ad Astra", "Rambo: Last Blood"

“Downton Abbey” Reigns Over Box Office

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, Focus Features’ TV adaptation of Downton Abbey produced a record for the studio, as well as topping two other strong debuts placing second and third. Speaking of that, space-thriller Ad Astra opened well, if not magnificently in runner-up, barely topping the anticipated sequel Rambo: Last Blood which was a tad behind expectations, but still held a solid three day. Popular horror follow-up It: Chapter Two slid to fourth place, while box office surprise Hustlers had a strong hold rounding out the top five.

With a stellar opening in the top spot, Focus Features’ PG-rated Downton Abbey sold an estimated 31M in ticket sales over the course of the weekend. Not only topping its more conservative 16-25M pre-weekend expectations, it also produced a record for the studio (topping Insidious Chapter 3’s 22.6M). The picture also ranks 19th for the highest openings for TV adaptations of all-time, and on a production budget of only 13M, there is a serious possibility for a sequel. For the finish, there isn’t a lot of direct competition to go around here, but we could also look at the audience reception, which was, excellent—with a 96% approval rating on RottenTomatoes, as well as a A CinemaScore. This works in the film’s favor, and we are expecting a spectacular hold next weekend, however, we still do not have exact numbers—the next few weeks will tell all.

Internationally, the film debuted in 17 countries last week, before adding 15 this weekend for a total of 32 material markets to open in. The picture grossed an additional 10M for a foreign tally of 30.8M resulting in a worldwide bout of 61.8M. The largest opening over Friday to Sunday for new markets was a 1.3M release in Germany, however, the UK remains its biggest market, grossing 3.6M this weekend for a total capping 15.6M. Next week, we see releases in France, Belgium and Denmark.

Review wise, we already reviewed the strong reception from opening day audiences, and even more positively, the critics were nearly as warm. On RottenTomatoes (click the link before to see website), based on 179 collected reviews, they calculated a weighted average of 84% “Certified Fresh”. On Metacritic, the reception was more mixed than positive, as we regard a slightly positive 64/100 based on 38 top critics. On a platter, critics thought it captured some beautiful costume design, though a couple noted the familiarity in the storyline and themes—especially if you”re a fan of the PBS show.

Far trailing in runner up was Fox’s Brad Pitt-starring space-set film Ad Astra which garnered a middling 19.2M from 3,460 sites—averaging $5,552 per-screen. For a production made on a possible 100M+, the studio needs a 250-300M worldwide total to break even, and that looks pretty dim now. The performances looks more or less similar to 2018’s First Man, which barely took off to 16M, but that held a much smaller cost of 59 million, still it didn’t really break even, grossing just 105.6M globally. The film ended with a multiplier of 2.75x, which would mean a mediocre 52M domestic finish.

Overseas, the sci-fi film (see RT’s reviews on the link) opened in 44 material markets, and pulled in an estimated 26M for an official global debut of 45.2M (topping First Man’s 25.1M opening, but smaller than Geostorm’s 62.9M opening). Leading the way was 2.8M debuts in both the UK and Korea, followed by France (2.7M), Spain (2.2M), Japan (2.2M), Mexico (1.4M) and Australia (1.3M). These new releases are trailed by openings in Italy, Russia and Brazil the following weekend.

Third holds Lionsgate’s attempted reboot/sequel Rambo: Last Blood, which still stars 70-year old action star Sylvester Stallone as the title character. The anticipated, 89-minute romp was a bit behind its lofty 21-25M pre-weekend expectations, but it still managed 19M in ticket sales. The widest release of the new arrivals club, playing in approximately 3,618 sites, the film averaged a decent $5,256 per-screen. Compared to the previous installment, which was a 2008 revival dubbed plain Rambo, the newest flick was a little ahead of its predecessor’s 18.2M debut. However, the film made eleven years ago has considerable inflation, and only played in 2,751 theaters. Nevertheless, looking at a reasonable prediction for the domestic close, the latter crossed the line with a 2.3x multiplier, which would translate to a a finish nearing 44M.

Nearing the end of the top five this weekend was WB and New Line’s cruising horror sequel It: Chapter Two, which hauled in a third weekend of 17.2M, dipping a parallel to last-week’s 56.5%, for a North American bout of 179.1M. The R-rated film passed both 2018’s Halloween (159.3M), Us (175M) and Get Out (176M) at the domestic box office, and now ranks third in the list of the largest R-rated horror releases of all-time, following both The Exorcist (232.9M) and its predecessor, It (327.4M). Overseas, the film added an estimated 21M internationally, for a foreign total that totals 205M and a worldwide bout topping 385M.

Rounding out the top five was STX Entertainment’s Hustlers which had a strong hold in its sophomore weekend, dipping 48.8% for a weekend of 17M for a domestic total that now tops 62.5M after 10 days in release. After surpassing I Feel Pretty (48.7M), it has now become the fourth biggest release of all-time for STX. Internationally, the 110-minute drama added another 3M overseas from 18 markets, for a foreign bout of 9.8M and a global total of 72.3M.

Next weekend, we see one new, nationwide arrival heading to take the top spot. This release is Universal’s animated flick dubbed Abominable, which is to play in 4,100+ sites over the weekend. Projections are looking solid, as we see it tracking to a 20M+ debut.

TOP FIVE:

1. Downton Abbey

2. Ad Astra

3. Rambo: Last Blood

4. It Chapter Two

5. Hustlers

September 13-15: "It: Chapter Two", "Hustlers", "Angel has Fallen"

“It Chapter Two” has a Strong Hold, Repeating on Top

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, WB’s hit horror sequel It: Chapter Two scared the box office once again, topping the charts—holding solidly domestically, and ripping some considerable numbers internationally. STX’s Hustlers delivered a smashing opening in runner-up, giving the studio their biggest opening yet—this is while the tired holdovers including Angel has Fallen, Good Boys and The Lion King round the top five, a last thrill before the grave. Otherwise, The Goldfinch debuted outside the top five with horribly disappointing results.

Taking the box office once again was Warner Bros. and New Line’s R-rated Stephen King adaptation and sequel It: Chapter Two, which sold another 40.7M in ticket sales. The picture dipped a less-than-expected 55.3% from its strong opening, which is a particularly strong hold. After 10 days in release, the divisive horror movie has earned 153.8M in North America. Internationally, the film grossed an additional 47M from many material markets, adding to a foreign total of 169.5M, resulting in a global bout capping 323.3M. While it’s quickly falling behind its predecessor’s worldwide earnings (which tallied to over 370M after ten days), the film had a #1 opening in France, with an estimated 4.7M. Otherwise its still extremely impressive for an R-rated horror film (clearly not for everyone). This is while the UK remains the picture’s biggest market to date, tallying to 16.5M so far, and Japan remains the final key market for the film, set to be released November 1st.

Making the most noise this weekend was STX Entertainment’s Hustlers, which landed in runner-up with a solid 33.2M for the weekend. The stripper drama played at approximately 3,250 sites, and averaged a considerable $10,225 per-screen. Not only defying its 25-30 million pre-weekend expectations, or giving STX their biggest opening yet (topping Bad Moms with 23.8M), but also handing actress Jennifer Lopez her biggest live-action opening of all-time (trampling the 23.1M from Monster-in-Law). For a solid comparison for the domestic finish, we have 2017’s Girls Trip which delivered a strong debut of 31.2M, before claiming a 3.7x multiplier for a 115.1M North American close. Giving it to Hustlers, we could be eyeing a ending of around 122M.

Internationally, the 20 million production opened in its first 15 markets with an estimated 4.4M for an official global debut capping 37.6M. Various releases include the UK, which grossed 1.7M, followed by a 1.2M opening in the country of Russia.

Review wise, Hustlers opened to the Toronto Film Festival with some excellent critical reception, with decent enough opinions from opening day audiences. On RottenTomatoes, the film has a weighted average of 88% “Certified Fresh” on the Tomatometer, as well as a 69% audience approval rating. On Metacritic, we see a solid 80/100, critics say it has a career-best performance from Lopez, and has significant visual style. CinemaScore handed the flick a B- rating, pretty good, but certainly not the best.

Sliding way down money lane was Lionsgate’s Angel has Fallen, which took in an estimated 4.4M, sliding just 26.5% from last week, and tallying 60.3M domestically after 24 days of theatrical release. The picture continues to pace ahead of London has Fallen, and we are estimating a ending capping 70M.

In fourth place was Universal’s chugging comedy Good Boys, which managed to laugh up another 4.2M, dipping only 22.3% for a climbing domestic bout of 73.3M. Overseas, the film added a paltry 1.8M internationally, for a foreign gross of 18.3M for a worldwide total of 91.6M.

Rounding out the top five was Disney’s The Lion King which continued its astonishing performance with 3.5M over three days, for a North American running gross of 533.9M as it goes through its last week in the top five. This puts it in front of Rogue One (532.1M), making it the 12th biggest domestic release of all-time. Internationally, the global phenomenon added 6.9M for a foreign gross of 1.083B and a global bout of 1.616B.

All the way in eighth place was WB’s other new release, The Goldfinch, which bombed to an estimated 2.6M from 2,542 theaters, averaging just $1,039 per-screen. It also opened in 12 markets with just 985K for a worldwide opening of 3.6M, hardly suitable for a 45 million production.

Next weekend, we see an additional three nationwide releases preparing to battle It: Chapter Two for the top spot. First off, Fox’s Ad Astra is playing in an estimated 3,400 theaters, and is predicted for an 17-20M debut—this is closely followed by Lionsgate’s Rambo: Last Blood heaving to 3,300 sites—hoping for a 21M+ opening. A little ways behind is Focus Features’ Downton Abbey opening in exactly 3,050 locations, estimated for a 15-16M start.

TOP FIVE:

1. It Chapter Two

2. Hustlers

3. Angel has Fallen

4. Good Boys

5. The Lion King (2019)

September 6-8: "It Chapter Two", "Angel has Fallen", "Good Boys"

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, WB and New Line’s killer-clown sequel reigned the first weekend of the Fall box office with some impressive numbers, despite missing the high bar set by its predecessor. The picture also took the majority of the market shares, and opened well worldwide. In an otherwise weak weekend, holdovers such as Angel has Fallen and Good Boys fell into second and third place respectively, and held strong while The Lion King and Overcomer rounded out the top five. Hobbs & Shaw also hit a major milestone globally.

As mentioned, the top spot was taken by WB (and, of course, Pennywise’s) It: Chapter Two which kicked off the Fall movie season with a bang, selling an estimated 91M in North American ticket sales. While not quite reaching the 100 million mark, or the debut of the original—its still extremely impressive on its own. The film played in a monster 4,570 theaters across the states, more than 400 sites than its predecessor—resulting in a per-screen average capping $19,912. The original expectations, for the studio and analysts were 90-100 million, with some saying a 100M+ debut was possible. Technically, that means the film played in the zone of most predictions, but it can’t help but be a little disappointing; critics say it was because of the nearly three hour run-time, and the mixed critical reception. The original film debuted with 123.4M back in 2017, which means the sequel is trailing by over 30 million, however, Chapter Two still trumped other big R-rated horror debuts such as The Nun (53.8M), Us (71.1M), and even 2018’s reboot of Halloween (76.2M)—making it the second biggest R-rated horror opening of all-time, as well as the second biggest debut for a Stephen King adaptation and the fifth largest R-rated debut of all-time. Yep, its still damn, undeniably impressive.

Overseas, the R-rated horror picture grossed an estimated 94M from 75 material markets, for an official global debut capping 185M. The worldwide opening is a little more than four million behind its predecessor, which closed with just over 700 million in the bag. Chapter Two broke horror opening records in 16 of those markets, including Russia, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland and Argentina. The biggest foreign market was Mexico, with an estimated 10.2M—followed by the UK (9.4M), Russia (8.8M), Germany (7.1M), Italy (5.5M), Brazil (4.6M), Australia (4.4M), Spain (3.2M), Korea (3.2M), Indonesia (2.7M), and Argentina (1.4M).

For the finish, we can look at a number of things. IT finished with a multiplier tallying to 2.65x, which would mean a ending of around 241M—however, the three films mentioned before (The Nun, Us and Halloween) have an average multiplier of only 2.25x, meaning crossing the line with 204M. On the lofty side, we have The Conjuring franchise, which has scared an average multiplier of 2.78x, which could give the sequel a solid 252M peak domestically. On the whole, calculating the average would make a reasonable, final prediction capping 232M—but the next few weekends shall tell all.

Review wise, It: Chapter Two found intermittent success with the critics, but scored reasonably well with the audiences. On RottenTomatoes, the 60-80 million production scored a generally positive 63% “Fresh” on the Tomatometer, praising the set-design, performances and “faithful approach”—but noting the lacking of scares and the run-time. On Metacritic, critics took a similar, mixed endeavor, giving it a weighted average of 58/100 from 51 top critics. Audiences went much easier on the anticipated sequel, handing it a solid B+ CinemaScore, and an 80% approval rating on RT. Additionally, the film took the majority of the marketplace, holding 67.4% approximately.

Taking runner-up was Lionsgate’s Angel has Fallen which grabbed an estimated 6M in its third weekend of release, falling 49.1% and tallying a decent domestic total of 53.4M from 17 days in release. Currently, it still maintains a three million lead over its predecessor, London has Fallen. The film took only 0.04% of the marketplace.

Third holds Universal’s hit comic-trip Good Boys, which laughed up a fourth weekend of 5.3M for a North American bout of 66.8M, the film has already broke even—the real question is: how far will it go from there? The 20 million production seized just 0.039% of the marketplace. Internationally, the film added 2.3M from 28 markets, for a global total of 82.4M.

Nearing the end of the top five is Disney’s remake of The Lion King which got by with an estimated 4.1M, roaring to 0.03% of the shares, and reaching 529.1M domestically. Overseas, it added 13.4M for a worldwide total of 1.599 billion dollars—making it the seventh biggest worldwide release of all-time.

Rounding out the top five was Sony’s Overcomer which continued its strong weekend-to-weekend holds with an additional 3.7M in sales. As it continues its climb upwards, the domestic total now, currently lands at 24.7M after 17 days.

Right outside the leaders was Universal’s Hobbs & Shaw which hit a major, global milestone, capping the 700 million mark—with an exact total of 719.7M! It now ranks fourth in the F&F saga (worldwide).

Next weekend we see two more nationwide releases coming to carve up slices of the top five under the rule of It: Chapter Two. STX Entertainment’s Hustlers will be playing in an estimated 3,100 theaters, and is heading towards a 25M debut. Secondly, WB’s The Goldfinch will be taking 2,500+ sites—and is predicted for a 10M opening.

TOP FIVE:

1. It Chapter Two

2. Angel has Fallen

3. Good Boys

4. The Lion King

5. Overcomer

August 30-September 1: "Angel has Fallen, "Good Boys", "The Lion King"

“Angel has Fallen” Repeats on Weak Labor Day Weekend as Summer ends

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into this slow weekend, last week’s biggest film, Angel has Fallen, has topped the charts again on this light Labor Day weekend as the Summer comes to a close. Otherwise, Good Boys eased into its third weekend, dipping a minimal amount, and becoming a low-budget smash. The Lion King continued its spectacular domestic and global run, placing in third—while Hobbs & Shaw and Overcomer rounded out the top five. The one moderately wide release for the three-day was Don’t Let Go which kicked itself in the foot outside of the top ten.

As mentioned, the top spot saw Lionsgate’s Angel has Fallen enslave the box office once again, earning an estimated 11.5M from Fri-Sun, dipping 45.9% from its impressive opening. This results in a four-day performance capping 14.5M for an official domestic total of 43.6M. The U.S. performance is around three million ahead of its predecessor, London has Fallen, which closed with over 62.5M domestically. Considering this, we could be looking at a finish of about 66M.

In runner-up, Universal’s Good Boys laughed up a third weekend of 9.1M, sliding only 21% from its sophomore session, coming up for a Labor Day weekend of 11.5M for a cumulative domestic gross of 58.5M. Internationally, the picture added an estimated 2.7M for a foreign gross of 11.7M and a worldwide total of 70.2M.

Third holds Disney’s live-action retake of The Lion King which continued its already smashing run with an estimated 6.7M, dropping just 16.8%. This results in a Labor Day weekend of 9.2M for a domestic run topping 523.4M. The “animated” children’s film also earned some more numbers overseas, adding an estimated 20.6M internationally for a foreign total of 1.041B and a global gross capping 1.564B, becoming the seventh biggest global release of all-time.

In fourth place was Universal’s worldwide phenomenon Hobbs & Shaw, which fell 22.2% for a three-day performance of 6.2M for a Labor Day weekend of 8M, and a domestic gross reaching 158.8M. Overseas, the action feature earned another 39M from several material markets, tallying a massive 525.3M foreignly for an undeniably impressive global running gross of 684.1M.

Rounding out the top five was Sony’s hit faith film Overcomer, which grossed 5.7M over three days for Labor Day earnings capping 7.8M, resulting in a North American tally of 19.4M.

Outside the top ten was the one wide release of the weekend, which was OTL and Blumhouse’s R-rated horror film dubbed Don’t Let Go which opened to an estimated 2.4M from three days for a Labor Day total topping 3M.

Next weekend, the Fall box office looks to kick off with a bang with WB’s anticipated horror sequel It Chapter Two, which is playing in over 4,400 theaters, and is already predicted for a 100+ million debut. This is especially possible considering its huge predecessor debuted to a monster 123.4M in 2017.

TOP FIVE:

1. Angel has Fallen

2. Good Boys

3. The Lion King (2019)

4. Hobbs & Shaw

5. Overcomer

August 23-25: "Angel has Fallen", "Good Boys", "Overcomer"

“Angel has Fallen” Concludes Trilogy on #1 Spot

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, Lionsgate’s Angel has Fallen proved to be another successful installment to the franchise, as well as bringing a rare hit for the studio—beating expectations by a good chunk. Good Boys held well over the weekend for its sophomore session, and continues to be a low-budget smash for Universal. Faith-film Overcomer surprisingly managed to debut in third place, delivering a solid opening for the genre, while The Lion King quickly followed. Rounding out the top five was Hobbs & Shaw which opened spectacularly well in China, allowing the action pic to break even with its 200 million cost.

Mentioned before, Lionsgate’s release of the third installment to the Fallen franchise, Angel has Fallen, opened considerably well—selling an estimated 21.2M in ticket sales. The R-rated, 40 million production was released in 3,286 sites in North America, resulting in a per-screen average of $6,467—and also easily trumped the original 13-15M pre-weekend expectations. The first film in the trilogy, dubbed Olympus has Fallen, was an unexpected little party box for the top charts, opening to 30.3 million back in 2013. After it’s bout of 170.2 million globally, the picture sprouted a sequel called London has Fallen. The second installment wasn’t as big as its predecessor, but still managed well with a 21.6 million opening in 2016—the film didn’t crack the states as well, but delivered a global franchise record, tallying to 205.7 million, another hit. For the finish, the Fallen franchise has an average multiplier of about 3x, which could mean a finish of around 63 million domestically, which is our prediction currently.

Review wise, Angel has Fallen shot up mixed to negative critical reception, but still managed excellent opinion from opening day audiences. On RottenTomatoes, the violent feature scored just 40% “Rotten” based on 111 reviews. Metacritic was almost as skeptical, handing the picture a below-average 45/100. Audiences, however, loved what they saw, giving it a 95% approval rating on RT, as well as a impeccable A- CinemaScore.

Secondly, Universal’s R-rated hit comedy Good Boys sold another 11.7M in the sophomore session, dipping a quiet 45.1% for a North American total of 42M after 10 days in release. The picture is playing around four million ahead of Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising which made 9.3 million in its second weekend—considering this, we are looking at a possible 65M finish. Internationally, the youth-centered film earned an estimated 3.5M from 22 material markets, adding to a overseas tally of 6.9M and a global total of 48.9M.

Third place holds another nice weekend surprise with Sony’s Overcomer which pummeled its 4M expectations with an estimated 8.2M from just 1,759 locations—averaging a decent enough $4,759 per-screen average. The production cost is 5 million, meaning its an instant hit for the genre, and a low-costing gift for the studio. The film’s creators did 2015 released faith hit War Room which debuted to 11.3 million before having extraordinarily long-legs for a finish copping to 67.7 million. Overcomer wasn’t a hit exactly with critics, but a 99% audience score and an A+ CinemaScore suggest that we could be in for a similar, 6x multiplier.

Taking no prisoners is Disney’s live-action remake of The Lion King which is currently laying in a big pile of cash—earning an estimated 8.1M this weekend for a massive domestic total tallying 510.6M. The film is not only the biggest Disney reboot globally, it has now become the largest Disney live-action re-imagining domestically, topping Beauty and the Beast (504M). Overseas, the picture added another 30M, for a foreign total nearing one billion (997.9M) for a monster global bout of 1.508 billion.

Rounding out the top five was Universal’s Hobbs & Shaw which fell 42.6% for a fourth weekend of 8.1M (a bit behind The Lion King) for a North American bout capping 147.7M heading into its fourth week of release. The expensive action flick has maintained a slight lead over Kong: Skull Island, which means the F&F spin-off is on its way to a possible 165-170M ending. Overseas, the picture added another 120M from its international markets, a huge part of it happens to be a massive, 102M in China, which is an August Record for the market. It’s also the second biggest Chinese debut in the franchise following The Fate of the Furious. This results in a foreign total of 441.2M and a global gross of 588.9M—which technically allows the film to break even with its 200 million budget.

Right outside of the top five, Disney’s release of Fox’s Ready or Not opened to an estimated 7.5M from 2,855 sites, averaging $2,644—allowing a five-day performance of 10.5 million. While it opened a bit above the studio’s 5M expectations, it was still disappointing considering the positive audience and critical reception. On RottenTomatoes, it scored 87% “Certified Fresh” on the Tomatometer, as well as a 63/100 on Metacritic. Audiences handed it a 82% on RT and a B+ CinemaScore.

Next weekend we see one new nationwide release come to the plate, and will possibly give Angel has Fallen some #1 trouble. OTL and Blumhouse’s R-rated horror film dubbed Don’t Let Go will be debuting in an unknown amount of locations, and could surprise.

TOP FIVE:

1. Angel has Fallen

2. Good Boys

3. Overcomer

4. The Lion King

5. Hobbs & Shaw

August 16-18: "Good Boys", "Hobbs & Shaw", "The Lion King"

“Good Boys” Surprises on Top

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, Universal got their third straight weekend on top with their hit comedy Good Boys which topped the charts, as well as severely outperforming its meager expectations. Hobbs & Shaw had another impressive weekend, sitting in runner-up in its third three-day in release, and continues its way uphill to break even with its massive production budget. Holdover The Lion King managed to keep velocity in third, and is nearing 500 million domestically, and also slightly topped animated sequel The Angry Birds Movie 2 which got pummeled. Otherwise, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark rounded out the top five while three other wide releases finished outside the top five including 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, Blinded by the Light and Where’d You Go, Bernadette?.

Topping the charts was Universal’s R-rated coming-of-age comedy Good Boys which laughed its way on top with an estimated 21M in ticket sales. Playing at approximately 3,204 sites across the states, the well-received picture averaged $6,654 per-screen. Not only outranking its conservative 11-13M pre-weekend expectations, the film also was one of the only hit comedies of the year, and is impressive especially cause of the recent coming-of-age flop that was Booksmart. Compared to other films, Boys managed to top both The Upside (20.3M), and the R-rated Blockers (20.5M), but did fall a little behind the likes of Bad Moms which scored 23.8M back in 2016. For the finish, the average multiplier of the film’s competition reaches an impressive 4.4x, which would technically mean an estimated ending of around 92M, but that seems a little too lofty. Considering that, we take in the performance for Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising which ended with a 2.6x multiplier, meaning a finish around 55M. Time will tell.

Internationally, Good Boys earned an estimated 2.1M from only 13 material markets, resulting in an official global debut of 23.1M. The film’s international opening was lead by a 1M debut in the UK. Next weekend, the film is to be released in France, Germany, Spain and Austria, followed by releases in Italy and Australia in September, and an early October launch in Mexico.

Review wise, the picture received generally positive reception from critics, and also benefited from extremely strong reaction from opening day audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes, the picture scored an impressive 80% “Certified Fresh”, and on similar website Metacritic, the film was handed a decent enough 60/100. Audiences on the other hand supposedly enjoyed what they saw, giving it an excellent 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, accompanied by a B+ CinemaScore.

In runner-up, Universal showed again with their other big release Hobbs & Shaw, which grossed a third weekend of 14.1M, sliding only 44% from its second weekend on top, while tallying a solid if unspectacular 133.7M after 17 days in North American release. The film is pacing far behind its previous installments, which says that audiences are finding less interest in the franchise, however, its still mirroring the performance for Kong: Skull Island which topped 168M domestically. Internationally, Hobbs & Shaw added an estimated 45.7M from its overseas markets, reaching 303.3M overseas for a worldwide total topping 437M. Its estimated that the picture needs around 600 million globally to break even with its massive 200 million cost, and with an anticipated Chinese release in the horizon, its certainly possible.

Third holds Disney’s remarkably successful remake of The Lion King, which made another 11.9M on the weekend of August 16-18, sliding 41.1%, resulting in a North American gross of 496.1M, and will hopefully top 500 million this week. Overseas, the divisive, but expensive movie added an estimated 33.8M for an international haul standing at 939.1M and a global total of 1.435B, its now the second biggest global release of the year.

Taking fourth position is the second newcomer of this crowded weekend, Sony’s animated sequel The Angry Birds Movie 2, which killed any other plans for sequels with an estimated 10.5M from a massive 3,869 sites—this results in a six-day performance of just 16.2M. The children’s feature film doesn’t just compare poorly to the original film, which earned over 38 million in its initial weekend, the sequel also missed its meager expectations of 13M for the three-day, and a six-day nearing 20 million dollars. Also, the budget craters to 65 million, meaning there’s in need of some serious overseas help. On a positive side, the film received good reception, with a solid 76% “Fresh” on RottenTomatoes, with an additional 60/100 on Metacritic. Audiences handed it a B+ CinemaScore.

Rounding out the top five was Lionsgate’s newest horror production of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark which dipped a reasonable 51.9% to a sophomore session of 10M resulting in an impressive domestic haul of 40.2M from 10 days in release. The well-reviewed scare-fest continued its overseas performance with an additional 5.6M for the weekend, for a foreign gross of 14.1M and a global total of 54.3M.

Right outside of the top five, Entertainment Studios’ shark sequel 47 Meters Down: Uncaged disappointed with an estimated 9M from 2,853 theaters. This compares disappointingly to the studio’s original expectations reaching 15-16M, and didn’t touch even our conservative predictions reaching 11M. The budget only tallies to 12 million, meaning it should be simple to break even, but it still misses the mark of the original 47 Meters Down which opened to 11.2M on a cost of only 5.5 million back in 2017. Reviews for the film were mixed, scoring a so-so 50% “Rotten” on RottenTomatoes, and an even more skeptical 44/100 on Metacritic. Audiences gave it a C+ CinemaScore.

The last two wide releases debuted in ninth place, and eleventh position respectively, and both flopped. First, WB’s Blinded by the Light opened to only 4.4M from 2,307 locations on a production budget reaching 15 million, meaning the film might have to make around 25 million to break even. Reviews for the film were excellent, and audiences gave it an A- CinemaScore. Despite the reception, this is once again another Warner Bros. produced disappointment, following The Kitchen last week. Secondly, United Artists Releasing’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette? cratered in its debut, opening to only 3.4M from 2,404 sites on a budget capping 18 million, meaning the picture would need nearly 35 million to break even. Reviews were disappointingly mixed, and audiences gave it a B CinemaScore.

Next weekend, three additional nationwide releases come to the plate. First, we have an early start for horror film Ready or Not which starts Wednesday in 2,300 theaters. Otherwise, Lionsgate will release the third installment to the Olympus has Fallen series, Angel has Fallen, which is heading to release in 3,000+ locations. Finally, Sony’s faith-based movie dubbed Overcomer will head to theaters in 1,700 sites.

TOP FIVE:

1. Good Boys

2. Hobbs & Shaw

3. The Lion King (2019)

4. The Angry Birds Movie 2

5. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

August 9-11: "Hobbs & Shaw", "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark", "The Lion King"

“Hobbs & Shaw” Repeats Over “Scary Stories”

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw repeated on top of the charts, and exceeded it’s pre-weekend sophomore expectations, and continued to ram up solid international numbers. Topping the five newcomers was the well-reviewed Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark delivered another impressive debut for the teen horror genre, despite opening in runner-up. Otherwise, holdover The Lion King managed to roar into third place, and became the biggest global release for a Disney live-action re-imagining. An additional newcomer Dora and the Lost City of Gold managed some decent numbers, despite slightly underperforming, while Once Upon a Time in Hollywood topped 100M domestically and rounded out the top five. The final three new wide releases, The Art of Racing in the Rain, The Kitchen and Brian Banks flopped on top of each other.

Topping the charts once again was Universal’s release of Fast & Furious spin-off Hobbs & Shaw which earned an estimated 25.4M in ticket sales, the sophomore session is a bit more than expected. The picture dipped a considerable 57.7% from it’s solid debut, tallying a decent 108.5M in North America after 10 days in release. For the finish, the film is almost mirroring the performance from Kong: Skull Island ahead of it’s 168M finish, the next few weekends will tell whether the Fast & Furious production will perform as well, but for now, a 160-170M finish looks good.

Internationally, the motion picture added an additional 60.8M overseas this weekend, sliding just about 50% from last week’s global performance. Hobbs & Shaw has tallied a so-so 224.1M foreignly, resulting in a worldwide total of 332.6M after 10 days. The film debuted in five new material markets, with France leading the bunch with an estimated 6.9M, this is followed by Italy (2.6M), Belgium (1.6M) etc. The film is being released in Korea on August 14th, along with its anticipated debut in China on August 23rd.

Runner-up holds Lionsgate’s PG-13 rated horror picture Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, which opened to an estimated 20.8M from 3,135 sites nationwide, averaging $6,635 per-screen. The film outpaced pre-weekend expectations, which were around 15-20M, and scored an impressive debut overall. Compared to other pictures, the positively received film managed to top Escape Room and its 18.2M three-day; but failed to reach the heights of Pet Sematary which opened to 24.5M. Review wise, the picture scored an impressive 80% “Certified Fresh” on RottenTomatoes, while it was handed a more skeptical, but still reasonably positive 62/100 on Metacritic. Audiences handed it a mediocre C CinemaScore, which is lower than Insidious: The Last Key and its B- score.

Taking third place is Disney’s live-action remake of The Lion King which delivered a fourth weekend of 20M, sliding a reasonable 48.1% from the previous week, cruising to a massive 473.1M domestically heading into its fourth week of release. Overseas, the film debuted in one new market, Japan, with an estimated 9.3M, a finish in second place. With its recent debut, and more material markets in play, the picture has earned 861.5M internationally, for a global total of 1.334 billion dollars. The reboot has become the biggest global release for the Disney live-action re-imaginings, topping Beauty and the Beast, which finished to 1.263 billion.

Fourth holds the second newcomer of this crowded weekend, Paramount’s TV-to-film adaptation of Dora and the Lost City of Gold, which debuted with a so-so 17M from 3,735 locations, which is a little behind its original 18-20M expectations, but still reasonably satisfying. Comparing, the children targeted feature beat its lowest comp, Wonder Park, which garnered 15.8M from 3,838 theaters earlier this year. However, it lost to both The BFG, which debuted with 18.7M, and its largest comparison used, Alice Through the Looking Glass, which opened to 26.8M back in 2016. The picture received very positive reception, scoring 81% “Certified Fresh” on RT, with an additional 63/100 on Metacritic, this was a great surprise, considering the pathetic TV show. Audiences well agreed, handing the picture an excellent A CinemaScore.

Internationally, the picture opened to 11 material markets, grossing an estimated 2.5M for an official global debut of 19.5M. The film’s leading market remains Russia, where it earned an estimated 878K for the opening. After expanding overseas for the next few months, the motion picture will finish in Brazil, with a release set for November 7th.

Rounding out the top five was Sony’s release of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood which grossed an additional 11.6M on its third weekend, dipping 42% from its sophomore session, managing to tally 100.3M domestically to be exact. The film has become the fourth Tarantino film to top 100 million in North America, continuing to impress. The picture also kicked off its international release with an estimated 7.7M, 100% from its opening in Russia, which is the film’s first major market, tallying to 108M globally. The film will debut in France, the UK, Australia, Brazil, Germany, and Spain next weekend, followed by Mexico (Aug 23), Japan (Aug 30), Italy (Sep 18), and Korea (Sep 26).

Outside the top five, the three remaining wide releases debuted. Disney’s release of Fox’s The Art of Racing in the Rain opened to only 8.1M from 2,765 theaters, also debuting with 1.1M overseas. Secondly, in seventh place, WB’s The Kitchen flopped with an estimated 5.5M from 2,745 theaters, coming in as the worst-reviewed film of the weekend, also failing to reach its 8-10M expectations. Finally, Bleecker Street’s Brian Banks opened to just 2.1M from 1,240 theaters, pretty much opening on expectations.

Next weekend, we see an additional five nationwide releases make their ways to the table. First and foremost, Sony’s animated sequel, The Angry Birds Movie 2 is kicking off its early start on Tuesday from 3,500 sites, and is looking at an impressive six-day. Coming down to Friday, we see a new addition to the shark genre come to the plate with sequel 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, which is debuting in an extremely wide 3,600+ theaters. Thirdly, coming-of-age comedic drama Good Boys will open in 3,000+ locations, while book adaptation Where’d You Go, Bernadette is hiding its way into 2,300+ sites, and finally, Blinded by the Light will laugh to 2,000+ sites.

TOP FIVE:

1. Hobbs & Shaw

2. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

3. The Lion King

4. Dora and the Lost City of Gold

5. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

August 2-4: "Hobbs & Shaw", "The Lion King", "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"

“Hobbs & Shaw” Drives to 60.8M Opening

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, the Fast & Furious spin-off Hobbs & Shaw delivered another #1 finish for the franchise, and punched up some impressive international numbers despite slightly underperforming compared to pre-weekend expectations domestically. The weekend was also bolstered by the continuing successes of holdovers such as The Lion King and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood which both dropped reasonable amounts. Rounding out the top five were Spider-Man: Far from Home and Toy Story 4 which continued their massive domestic and international victories.

Mentioned before, Universal’s release of Fast & Furious’ second spin-off Hobbs & Shaw earned an estimated 60.8M in North American ticket sales, from approximately 4,253 locations across the states, averaging $14,296 per-screen. The film debuted on the lower end of expectations, which were originally 60-70M, but the solid opening has delivered another success for the multi-billion grossing, nine-chapter franchise. The picture trumped last year’s The Meg (45.4M), which was the lowest of comps, and otherwise, it barely managed to top Jason Bourne, which earned 59.2M back in 2016. Disappointingly, the 200M production missed Mission: Impossible - Fallout which shot up 61.2M last year from nearly 4,400 locations nationwide. The Fate of the Furious opened with over 98M, before finishing with 226M, securing a 2.29x multiplier, which would mean a 137M finish. However, with a franchise average multiplier of 2.4x, we could be talking a domestic ending nearing 146M—but with the better audience appeal, we’re looking at a possible finish of 160M.

Internationally, the film earned an estimated 120M from 63 material markets, resulting in an official global debut of 180.8M, which is extremely impressive considering 52 of those markets were number one openings. The picture’s biggest market was Russia, which lead the way with an estimated 8.1M, followed by the UK (7.8M), Indonesia (7.7M), India (7.4M), Mexico (7M), Japan (6.6M), Taiwan (6.2M), Germany (5.5M), Australia (4.9M), Malaysia (4.7M), and Brazil (3.9M). Upcoming releases include Belgium, France, and Italy later this week, while it will open in Korea August 14th, and an extremely anticipated debut in China on August 23rd.

Review wise, Hobbs & Shaw had certain successes with the critics, while the big bang of excellence was really with the opening day audiences. On Sweet and Sour Movies, the action picture churned a solid 68/100 “sweet/sour” on the Lemonradar, we praised the performances, action sequences, and the entertainment value—while we noted the ludicrous plotting, and the slightly long running-time. RottenTomatoes handed the film a positive 67% “Fresh”, while other review aggregator Metacritic scored the motion picture 60/100. Audiences were much less skeptical, giving an extremely high 90% on RottenTomatoes, along with an A- CinemaScore, making way for a possible long domestic run.

Runner-up held Disney’s The Lion King which delivered a third weekend of 38.2M, sliding a relatively quiet 50.1% compared to last weekend’s 60% dip. The film has now topped 400M domestically, rounding to 430.8M heading into it’s third week of release. The divisive picture is tracking around 37 million ahead of Beauty and the Beast, resulting in a hopefully Disney live-action domestic best, with us tracking the reboot for around 550M for the finish. Internationally, the children’s film added another 72 million, resulting in a foreign total of 764.9M, and a massive global gross of 1.195B. The film is headed to Japan next weekend, and Italy August 21st.

In third place was Sony’s release of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which made an estimated 20M in its sophomore session, dipping 51.3% from it’s record debut for a domestic total that tallies 78.8M heading into its second week of release. For the finish, the film’s 10 day total almost mirrors Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which tallied 78.5M with 10 days, and has earned just over 110M domestically, which opens a possible 115-120M finish.

Sony managed to also take fourth place with Marvel’s Spider-Man: Far from Home, which earned another 7.7M this weekend, resulting in a domestic total of 360.3M. Internationally, the well-reviewed superhero film added another 9.5M overseas, resulting in a foreign gross of 715M and a worldwide total of 1.075B, ranking ninth in the MCU.

Rounding out the top five was Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 4, which grossed an estimated 7.1M, sliding another minimal 31.6% for a North American total topping 410M. Overseas, the animated picture delivered 10.2M for a foreign gross of 549.2M, and a global total of 959.2M.

Next weekend, we see a crowded palate of releases, with a massive five nationwide films ready to carve up the charts. Paramount’s Dora and the Lost City of Gold is debuting in an estimated 3,500 locations, and could open with 20M. Additionally, Lionsgate’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is being released into 3,000 theaters, while The Art of Racing in the Rain will open in 2,800 locations, The Kitchen in 2,700+, and finally, Brian Banks will debut in a more moderate 1,500 theaters.

TOP FIVE:

1. Hobbs & Shaw

2. The Lion King (2019)

3. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

4. Spider-Man: Far from Home

5. Toy Story 4

July 26-28: "The Lion King", "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood", "Spider-Man: Far from Home"

“The Lion King” Drops, but Rules Again

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, Disney’s The Lion King remake easily topped the box office once again, dropping hard, but continuing it’s strong domestic and international performance—the film has now made it in to the top five domestic films this year. Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood delivered a strong runner-up debut, and earned an opening weekend record for the masterful filmmaker. Following the two leaders, holdovers such as Spider-Man: Far from Home, Toy Story 4, and Crawl populated the last few spots in the top five.

Disney’s live-action remake of The Lion King topped the box office once again with an estimated 75.5M in domestic ticket sales, and while it’s totals are impressive, the Disney production plummeted 60.6% from last weekend, for a North American domestic total of 350.7M after 10 days in release. Despite the drop, the re-imagining is pacing around 31 million ahead of Beauty and the Beast, which finished with 504M domestically, however, the dip was the biggest of the Disney live-action re-imaginings, and it’s finish will be told over the next few weekends.

Internationally, the 260M production earned another 142.8M, for an overseas total of 611.9M, and a global tally of 962.6M. The film currently ranks fifth globally in the Disney live-action remakes, around four million behind the re-take of The Jungle Book, this week, the film should easily top the one billion mark, along with a few other Disney productions that already have. The production has yet to be released in Japan on August 9th, and Italy on August 21st.

In runner-up position, Sony’s release of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood earned an estimated 40.3M in ticket sales, crumbling the original 30-35M pre-weekend expectations. Debuting in 3,659 locations, the R-rated comedic drama averaged $11,028 per-screen, and delivered the biggest three-day for the director yet, topping Inglourious Basterds (38M). Not only that, but the impressive debut puts the 90M production in line for the fourth 100M+ Tarantino film, in fact, we are thinking a finish of around 115M.

Sony took third place too with Marvel’s Spider-Man: Far from Home, which added another 12.2M domestically for a North American total of 344.4M heading into it’s fourth week of release. To go along with the domestic success, the superhero picture also earned another 21M overseas for a foreign gross of 692.4M, resulting in a massive global total of 1.036B, becoming the ninth MCU production to top the one billion mark.

Fourth place holds Disney and Pixar’s collaboration of Toy Story 4, which obtained another 9.8M at the domestic charts, tallying to a nationwide total of 395.6M, and will hopefully be able to top the 400M mark by the end of the week. Otherwise, the children’s film added an impressive 19.4M overseas for a foreign total of 522.3M, and a worldwide bout of 917.9M. It is still a question on whether the film can duke it out for a worldwide finish topping one billion.

Rounding out the top five was Paramount’s release of Crawl, which slid just 34.4% for a third weekend of 4M, resulting in a domestic total of 31.4M heading towards its third week of release. Internationally, the gore-fest delivered another 3.4M overseas for a foreign running gross of 14.4M, and a global total of 45.8M.

Along with Marvel’s Far from Home, Disney’s remake of Aladdin finally topped the billion mark this weekend, becoming the third Disney live-action reimagining to do so. The film has earned 345.9M domestically, along with 663.8M foreignly for a global bout of 1.009B.

Next weekend, we see another additional nationwide release heading to top the box office over the reign of The Lion King. Universal’s release of a Fast & Furious franchise spin-off dubbed Hobbs & Shaw is hitting the weekend in an estimated 4,200 locations, and is already predicted for a 60-70M North American debut.

TOP FIVE:

1. The Lion King (2019)

2. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

3. Spider-Man: Far from Home

4. Toy Story 4

5. Crawl

July 19-21: "The Lion King", "Spider-Man: Far from Home", "Toy Story 4"

“The Lion King” Roars with 185M

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, we saw Disney’s rebooted version of The Lion King take the top spot with a record debut, punching massive numbers both domestically and globally, giving once again, another turnaround for sequels this Summer. Holdovers were also abundant, with Spider-Man: Far from Home, Toy Story 4 plowing through the 300-400M mark domestically, while Crawl and Yesterday rounded out the top five. Also a note, Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame finally overtook Avatar in the global box office to become number one.

As mentioned, Disney’s extremely anticipated live-action The Lion King topped the box office this weekend with an estimated 185M from 4,725 locations (a record for the widest release of all-time, topping Endgame’s 4,662), also averaging $39,153 per-screen. The big-budget re-imagining clocked the record for biggest July debut, beating Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 with 169.1M, the biggest opening for a live-action Disney reboot, swiping Beauty and the Beast (174.7M) from the throne. Not only those two, but it also set the record for the biggest debut for a PG-rated picture. For the domestic finish, if you take in the average multiplier for all Disney live-action re-imaginings, you get 3.2x, meaning a high of 684M, and a lowest common situation coming around 535M.

Internationally, the film added another 269M overseas to last weekend’s foreign debut, resulting in a foreign gross of 346M and a global total of 531M. The film’s leading market remains China, where it was released last weekend, and has grossed 97.5M. The leader is followed by the UK (19.9M), France (19.6M), Mexico (18.7M), Brazil (17.9M), Korea (17.7M), Australia (17.1M), Russia (16.7M), Germany (12.3M), India (9M), Spain (8.4M), and the Netherlands (6M). Upcoming releases include Hong Kong next weekend, Japan on August 9th, and Italy on August 21st.

Review wise, the remake scored mixed reviews from the critics, but wonderful praise from opening day audiences, a split opinion overall. On Sweet and Sour Movies, The Lion King scored 63/100 “sweet/sour” praising the visuals, and musical soundtrack—but noting the familiarity to the original, and the lack of depth. On RottenTomatoes, it was handed a divided 54% “Rotten” while on Metacritic, the picture scored a similar 55/100. Audiences, on the other hand, enjoyed what they saw, giving the 260M production 89% on RottenTomatoes, and an excellent A CinemaScore.

In runner-up position, Sony/Marvel’s Spider-Man: Far from Home swung to an estimated 21M, dipping a reasonable 53.7% from its sophomore session, totaling an impressive 319.6M domestically heading into its third week of release. Internationally, the film continues to near the 1 billion club of films, resulting in a foreign gross of 651.1M, and a global bout of 970.7M.

Third holds another Disney feature, Toy Story 4, which grossed an estimated 14.6M, sliding another solid 30.3% from last weekend, tallying a wonderful 375.5M coming into its fifth week of release, still pacing to have a franchise record. Internationally, the children targeted film pounded another 25.8M in the toy chest, slamming to an overseas tally of 483.9M, and a worldwide total of 859.4M.

Coming to the end of the top five, Paramount’s Crawl took fourth place with an estimated 6M, falling 50% from the previous week and rounding to a domestic total of 23.8M after 10 days in release. Overseas wise, the bloody creature-feature added just 2.7M this weekend, adding to a foreign total of 9.9M and a global bout of 33.7M.

Rounding out the top five was Universal’s Yesterday, which sang an estimated 5.1M, falling only 24% resulting in a North American total of 57.5M on a production budget of just 26 million. Internationally, the what if? addition clambered another 4.3M overseas for a international running gross of 40.6M and a nationwide total of 98.1M.

On a positive note, Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame finally overtook Avatar to become the biggest global release of all-time after about 90 days in release. The film has earned a massive 854.2M domestically and has a worldwide total of 2.790 billion dollars. With the gargantuan success of this, and the hit that is Spider-Man: Far from Home, Marvel Phase 4 has announced many upcoming films including Blade, Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther 2 and Doctor Strange 2 and are sure to have some good hits. This proves no one is feeling Marvel fatigue, even after almost 25 films have been released.

Next weekend, we see another nationwide release come to the plate under the reign that is The Lion King. It is the ninth film from Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood which is expected for a 30M+ debut from an estimated 3,500 locations.

TOP FIVE:

1. The Lion King (2019)

2. Spider-Man: Far from Home

3. Toy Story 4

4. Crawl

5. Yesterday

July 12-14: "Spider-Man: Far from Home", "Toy Story 4", "Crawl"

“Far from Home” Repeats on Top

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, we saw Spider-Man: Far From Home top the charts for a second weekend over two small newcomers. The film is chugging along well domestically, but its global numbers are extremely impressive, and will soon top the one billion mark. Holdover Toy Story 4 continued to hold well, while Crawl and Stuber debuted in third and fourth place. Solid comedy Yesterday dropped to round out the top five.

As mentioned, Disney and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Far From Home re-took the top spot once again this weekend, earning an additional 45.3M in the domestic box office. The film dipped a reasonable 51.1% from last week, and has earned an impressive 274.5M in North America after 13 days in release. The Marvel production is pacing around 67 million ahead of its predecessor, Homecoming, which ended earning 334.2M domestically. Otherwise, it’s about 21 million behind Captain America: Civil War, which tallied 408M in North America. Considering this, the film is starting to sprout reasonably long legs, and should finish on top of 400M domestically at the finish.

Internationally, the film added another 100M at the overseas box office this weekend, resulting in a international gross of 572.5M, and a global total of 847M. The Spidey flick’s biggest market still remains China, where it has totaled 191.8M by this weekend. The leader is followed by South Korea ($49.7m), the UK ($28.6m), Mexico ($24.1m), Brazil ($18m), Australia ($20.1m), France ($14.8m), Indonesia ($15.9m), Russia ($17m), and Germany ($11.1m). The film currently ranks twelfth in the MCU worldwide, and should top the billion mark in a couple weeks, where it would remain ninth.

Runner-up basks other Disney sequel, Toy Story 4, which grossed an estimated 20.6M in North America this weekend. The film held considerably well, sliding only 39% and nearing 350M (346.3M) domestically heading to its fourth week in release. Internationally, the film shot another 48.1M overseas this weekend, tallying to a foreign running total of 424.7M, and a worldwide total of 771M. New markets include Japan (15.3M), and Hong Kong (4.6M) as it looks to debut in Germany on August 15th.

Third holds Paramount’s R-rated creature-feature, Crawl, which debuted with an estimated 12M from 3,170 North American locations, averaging $3,785 per-screen. The gore-fest opened right on pre-weekend expectations, and while not exactly a chart smasher, its a financial hit because of its minimal 13M budget. Internationally, the film brought in 4.8M from 20 overseas markets, for a global debut of 16.8M. Malaysia led the way with an estimated 1M, while the picture is heading towards releases in France (Jul 24), Mexico (Aug 9), Russia (Aug 22), Germany (Aug 22), the UK (Aug 23), Spain (Aug 23), and Brazil (Sep 26). The film received mixed-to-positive reception, with an 88% “Certified Fresh” on RottenTomatoes, and a so-so 60/100 on Metacritic, along with a B CinemaScore.

Fourth place sees Fox’s stumbling R-rated comedy, Stuber debut with just 8.2M from 3,050 locations, averaging $2,697 per-screen. While not a flop, considering it’s paltry 16M production budget, it’s still another comedic disappointment for 2019. Internationally, the film brought in an estimated 2.8M, resulting in a global debut of 11M. The leading market was Russia with an estimated 500K, as upcoming key markets include Mexico (Jul 26), Germany (Aug 22), Italy (Aug 29), Spain (Sep 13), France (Oct 30), and Brazil (Nov 7). Reviews didn’t help either, with a poor 45% “Rotten” on RottenTomatoes, and a negative 42/100 on Metacritic, audiences gave it a B CinemaScore.

Rounding out the top five was Universal’s hit comedy, Yesterday, which strummed another 6.7M in the domestic box office, sliding just 33.3% and tallying 48.2M domestically heading into it’s third week of release. Internationally, the film plucked another 7.8M overseas from 42 markets, adding to a foreign gross of 32.3M, and a global tally of 80.5M.

Next weekend we see one additional nationwide release heading to crown the top spot. The picture is Disney’s reboot of The Lion King, which is playing in an estimated 4,500 locations and has industry tracking saying a 150-170M debut is in order. The film kicked off internationally this weekend, bringing in 54.1M from China.

TOP FIVE:

1. Spider-Man: Far from Home

2. Toy Story 4

3. Crawl

4. Stuber

5. Yesterday

July 5-7: "Spider-Man: Far from Home", "Toy Story 4", "Yesterday"

“Spider-Man: Far from Home” Trumps Holiday Weekend

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, Marvel’s newest hit film, Spider-Man: Far From Home licked the competition this week, swinging to a holiday record domestically, along with punching some serious earnings globally, another killer success for the tremendous franchise. Otherwise, Toy Story 4 continued to do impressive work in runner-up position, while other holdovers such as Yesterday, Annabelle Comes Home, and Aladdin populate the last few spots. The other wide release for the weekend was Midsommar which delivered a five-day opening weekend outside the top five.

As mentioned, Disney and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Far From Home dominated the charts this weekend, with Friday to Sunday earnings tallying 92.5M, and Tuesday to Sunday six-day grosses totaling to a massive 185M from 4,634 North American locations. The debut is a July 4th weekend record, besting the previous high by The Amazing Spider-Man (137M), and counting the six-day, it’s the biggest debut in the Spider-Man franchise, besting Spider-Man 3 with over 151M. Spider-Man: Homecoming reached 154.1M in its first six days, and taking that into account, it shows that Far From Home is a little over 30M ahead of its predecessor, which finished with 334.2M. Considering this, we should be expecting a finish topping 400M domestically, which would rank ninth in the MCU.

Internationally, the film had already debuted worldwide last weekend, and added an additional 244M this weekend from 66 overseas markets. This results in a foreign gross of 392.7M, and a global total of 577.7M after around a week in release. The film’s biggest market remains China, where it has grossed over 167M since last week, following is South Korea (33.8M), the UK (17.8M), Mexico (13.9M), Australia (12M) and Russia (9.6M). The film will debut in Italy this Wednesday, it’s last market.

Review wise, you can expect Sweet and Sour Movies’ rating tomorrow, but otherwise, Far From Home scored extremely well with both critics and audiences. On RottenTomatoes, the picture was handed an excellent 90% “Certified Fresh”, along with an audience rating of 96%. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average of 69/100, more skeptical, but still very positive. Far From Home also received an A CinemaScore from opening day audiences.

In second place, we saw Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 4, which grossed a third weekend of 33.8M, sliding 43.3% from last weekend, and reaching a massive 306.1M domestically. The film is still pacing as the biggest in the franchise, around 17 million ahead of the third film. Internationally, the film added another 43M, tallying to foreign earnings of 345.8M, and a global gross of 651.9M.

The third slot holds Universal’s comedy, Yesterday, which continued its run with a sophomore session of 10M, dipping only 40% from last weekend, and topping 36.1M domestically after 10 days in release. Internationally, the film added seven new markets, including debuts in France (1.3M), and Spain (1M). The film added another 8M from 35 markets, adding to a foreign gross of 20M, and a worldwide total of 56.1M.

In fourth is WB’s creepy-doll feature, Annabelle Comes Home, which sold an estimated 9.4M, dropping 53.4% and tallying 49.8M domestically from 12 days in release. Internationally, the film delivered an impressive 20M from just 9 overseas markets for a foreign total of 84.3M, and a global running gross of 134.1M.

Rounding out the top five was another Disney feature, Aladdin, which flew to 7.5M this weekend, falling another minimal 25.7% from last weekend, along with tallying a massive 320.7M domestically. Internationally, the film added another 16.2M, for a international gross of 602M, and a massive worldwide total of 922.7M.

Right outside the top five was another holiday weekend, for A24’s Midsommar, which delivered a three-day of 6.3M, and a five-day weekend of 10.9M. The film garnered 81% “Certified Fresh” on RottenTomatoes, and a C+ CinemaScore from audiences.

Next weekend comes two additional nationwide releases, looking to open under the reign of Far From Home. First and foremost is Paramount’s R-rated creature-feature, Crawl, which is opening to an estimated 3,000 locations. Secondly, R-rated comedy picture, Stuber has an unknown theater count.

TOP FIVE:

1. Spider-Man: Far from Home

2. Toy Story 4

3. Yesterday

4. Annabelle Comes Home

5. Aladdin

June 21-23: "Toy Story 4", "Child's Play", "Aladdin"

“Toy Story 4” Delivers Impressive 118M Opening

By: Keaton Marcus

Diving into the weekend, one of Summer’s most anticipated pictures, Toy Story 4, topped the box office easily with a franchise record. However, even it got nipped by the sequel slump this season, far behind original expectations. This weekend’s Child’s Play reboot also fell behind expectations, managing a so-so runner-up three-day, while holdovers such as Aladdin, Men in Black International, and The Secret Life of Pets 2 rounded up the last few spots in the top five. Otherwise, the final wide release, Anna, self-destructed outside the top ten.

As mentioned, Disney’s anticipated sequel, Toy Story 4, gracefully topped the charts with an estimated 118M in sales. The film played in 4,575 North American theaters—making it the second biggest release, following only Avengers: Endgame (4,662). The picture managed a per-screen average of $25,792, and took a franchise record—however, it’s notable that even the biggest debut of the Summer got docked by the sequel slump—missing the optimistic 180M expectations, and even the conservative, 140M+ projections from Disney. Still, the debut gave the animated flick the third biggest opening this year, behind Captain Marvel, and Endgame, giving the top four three-days to Disney. Compared to other films, it beat The Secret Life of Pets (104.3M) and the previous franchise record holder, Toy Story 3 (110.3M). However, it did fall behind the two biggest animated debuts of all-time, with Finding Dory (135M), and Incredibles 2 (182.6M).

For the domestic finish, the previous installment, Toy Story 3, delivered a multiplier of 3.8x—otherwise, The Secret Life of Pets delivered 3.5x, giving the animated sequel a finishing range from 415M, and 448M—which is the third-biggest animated total—and almost gives a definite 400M+ finish. Furthermore, because of the excellent reviews, the PG-rated picture should refrain from dipping too much. Especially since the next major family-friendly picture is The Lion King reboot on Jul 19th. Considering this, our most likely prediction is an ending around 431M.

Internationally, the film sold an estimated 120M from just 37 overseas markets, adding to an official global launch of 238M. Leading the way was Mexico, which delivered an impressive 23.4M debut—following was the UK (15M), China (13.4M), Brazil (9.6M), Korea (8.5M), Argentina (6.9M), and Australia (6.1M). Upcoming releases include France and Italy next weekend, trailed by Japan (Jul 12), and Germany (Aug 15).

Review wise, the film received excellent reception from both critics, and audiences. On Sweet and Sour Movies, you can look for our review tomorrow. However, on RottenTomatoes, the film was handed a spectacular 98% “Certified Fresh”, and on Metacritic, a solid 84/100 indicating “Universal Acclaim”. Audiences gave it a just-as positive 96% with RottenTomatoes, and another wonderful A CinemaScore.

In runner-up position, we saw United Artists Releasing’s Child’s Play reboot, which debuted with an estimated 14M from 3,007 locations. While the film is a little ways behind it’s original 18M expectations, it still managed a satisfying opening. The reviews were pretty mixed, both on the critical, and fan side—with a 60% “Fresh” on RottenTomatoes, and an extremely skeptical 47/100 on Metacritic. Audiences gave it a mediocre C+ CinemaScore, which reflects most R-rated horror pictures.

Thirdly, Disney’s Aladdin, which held well again to a sixth weekend of 12.2M, sliding just 29.5% from last weekend, and reaching a gargantuan 287.5M domestically. Internationally, the film played another 33M, resulting in an overseas total of 522.6M, and a global bout of 810.1M.

Holding fourth place was Sony/Columbia’s Men in Black International, which following a disappointing debut, dipped a severe 64.2%, to a sophomore session of just 10.7M—and a domestic running gross of only 52.6M. Internationally, it’s not faring much better—adding an estimated 30M for an overseas total of 129.4M, and a global gross of 182M.

Rounding out the top five was Universal’s The Secret Life of Pets 2 which sold an estimated 10.2M, and slid 57.8% (generally cause of the rival Toy Story 4) and reached 117.5M domestically heading towards its third week of release. Internationally, the film climbed an estimated 10.8M, adding to an international gross of 77.1M, and a global bout of 194.6M.

Outside the top ten, we finally are looking at Lionsgate’s latest flop, Anna, which sold an estimated 3.5M from 2,114 locations, averaging just $1,672 per-screen.

Next weekend, we see two nationwide releases crowd the theaters. WB’s Annabelle Comes Home is looking at an impressive five-day debut kicking off Wednesday in 3,500+ theaters, but may fall under the empire of Toy Story 4. Otherwise, romantic comedy picture Yesterday is debuting on Friday with an estimated 2,600 locations.

By: Keaton Marcus