Box Office: ‘Madea’ Turns Out To Be A Halloween Treat

Drew Dietsch
Movies
Movies

The box office got an appropriate shock for the weekend before Halloween. Boo! A Madea Halloween took everyone by surprise and easily conquered the top spot this weekend. How did this happen? As always, marketing did their job selling the humor of the film. It didn’t hurt that Jack Reacher: Never Go Back – which took second place – had some of its audience sapped by The Accountant. Not to mention that the other comedic offering for the weekend, Keeping Up with the Joneses, looked bland and uninspiring. Still, this is a certified win for Tyler Perry and the Madea brand.

The only other Halloween appropriate release, Ouija: Origin of Evil, opened on more screens than its predecessor and delivered a smaller opening weekend return. The reviews were surprisingly positive. Granted, the first film put expectations at their lowest, so anything marginally better would have been welcomed. Whether this will hang on next weekend will determine whether or not this franchise continues.

A few tidbits from the box office numbers:

  • Boo! A Madea Halloween had the third highest opening for any Madea film. People taking potshots at this franchise need to recognize that it’s tapping into a market that obviously wants more films like this.
  • Finding Dory is still making money after being released nineteen weeks ago. That fish is unstoppable.

The Numbers Game

Each week, I will guess how much wide-release films will be making on their opening weekend. My estimates come from my heart and my gut. You’d think I’d use my brain but that makes far too much sense. Fandom editor Nick Nunziata will also be providing his guesses because two stabs in the dark are better than one.

Last Week:

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
My Guess: $24,000,000
Nick’s Guess: $18,500,000
Actual: $23,000,000
Result: Another close enough win for me, but still a weaker showing than expected for Mr. Reacher.

Ouija: Origin of Evil
My Guess: $9,000,000
Nick’s Guess: $10,000,000
Actual: $14,060,000
Result: Nick claims this one, but this board game movie did much better than either of us expected.

Keeping Up with the Joneses
My Guess: $14,000,000
Nick’s Guess: $9,000,000
Actual: $5,600,000
Result: Ouch. I think it’s safe to say that nobody won anything when it comes to this movie.

Boo! A Madea Halloween
My Guess: $12,000,000
Nick’s Guess: $10,000,000
Actual: $27,600,000
Result: WOW. What a blindside hit. Never underestimate the power of Madea.

This week:

Inferno

box office inferno tom hanks

The only big release this upcoming weekend is the third film in the Robert Langdon seriesThe Da Vinci Code was a cultural milestone that hasn’t really stuck with audiences as time has gone on. It’s been seven years since the last film and there doesn’t seem to be a fervor over this or the franchise. Tom Hanks is always dependable but this will probably signify the end of this series. And as far as box office goes, it might go out with a whimper. However, these movies are made for international sales. Inferno has already raked in nearly $95 million from overseas showings. The domestic box office is so secondary at this point.

My guess: $33,000,000
Nick’s guess: $29,000,000

See you next week, box office buddies!

Source: Box Office Mojo

Drew Dietsch
Drew Dietsch has been professionally writing about entertainment for over a decade. His bylines include FANDOM - where he was a founding contributor and Entertainment Editor - Bloody Disgusting, SYFY WIRE, and more. He created and hosts GenreVision, a weekly film discussion show at genrevision.com.