With an estimated weekend tally of $26,377,000 Star Wars: The Force Awakens is no longer the number one movie in North America. It’s alright. No need to go into mourning. The film did well financially. No one is going to lose their job at Lucasfilm. Seriously though, what a run that movie has had. It’s very difficult for a film, any film, to not blow its wad in the first two or three weeks. Even a major event film. There is no way on Earth Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is going to maintain for this long, nor is Captain America: Civil War or any other movie with a colon in the title. It was history being made.
JJ Abrams’ movie went from first to third this weekend, which is good if you’re a baserunner on a single, but not as much if you’re a movie. Granted, Ride Along 2 was a sure thing. The Ice Cube/Kevin Hart sequel scraped by with a respectable estimated haul of $35,320,000. The Revenant is another story altogether. The Leonardo DiCaprio movie showed impressive legs, almost surprising everyone and taking the crown with a remarkable $31,800,000. Especially for a movie that is so polarizing and a beautiful but very straightforward bit of uncomfortable business. The Golden Globes and Oscar nominations helped.
Michael Bay’s 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi came in fourth and can only be marked as a failure, though the movie is surprisingly good. What audiences are saying to the director is that the better his films are, as in Pain & Gain and this film, the less interested they are in paying for it. Cue Transformers movies for the next ten years.
Norm of the North went South.
The Numbers Game
I’m adding a little fun into the box office report from here on. A little guessing game. Let’s see how close we can get to guessing the correct box office numbers for the movies opening next week.
The 5th Wave
The Young Adult market has obviously had its share of monster hits. And failures. This installment has the benefit of strong source material and a fan favorite in star Chloë Grace Moretz but it has been graced with truly terrible trailers and publicity, which leaves in in limbo. The reviews have been unkind so far but this does have a bit of a built in market.
My guess: $22,000,000
Dirty Grandpa
Zac Efron hasn’t proven to be a major box office draw unless he’s paired with established talent. Obviously Robert DeNiro is established but well past his sell date as a box office draw. There’s something about this, though. It’s not pretentious. It’s not filled with violence and overwrought drama. It may be just what the doctor ordered. I think it’s going to hit.
My guess: $30,000,000
The Boy
An old school horror flick without slashers, nubile teens, and brand recognition? It’s a tough sell, take it from me. I was a producer on a film with the same problem. It doesn’t look like an awful movie but the odds are stacked against it.
My guess: $12,000,000
See you next week!
Sources: Box Office Mojo