Weekend Estimates: 'Compton' at the Top Again, 'Sinister' Doesn't Possess, 'Hitman' Misfires and Audiences Don't Go 'Ultra'

     Universal's biopic hit 'Straight Outta Compton' continues to rule the box office, defeating three new wide releases that all opened well below pre-release expectations.

     'Straight Outta Compton' dipped 55.5% from its opening to gross $26.8 million. That is a better hold than 2002's '8 Mile' (-62.2%) and 2009's 'Notorious' (-71.8%), but is an unimpressive one. Benefiting from strong reviews (89% on Rotten Tomatoes) and word-of-mouth (96% on Flixter), 'Compton' has so far brought in a whopping $111.5 million, and a domestic total north of $165 million is likely.
     Runner-up for the weekend once again belonged to 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation'. The big-budgeted Tom Cruise led spy film eased a light 32% from last weekend to gross $11.7 million in its fourth frame. With a solid $157.8 million in the bank already, a cume of $175 million shouldn't be too hard.
     Horror sequel 'Sinister 2' led the newcomers with a lackluster $10.6 million debut. That and the per-theater average ($3.8k) are well below the first 'Sinister''s opening ($18m debut and $7.1k average). Critical reviews (12% on RT) likely hurt the film's opening as well as  word-of-mouth (44% on Flixter and 'B-' on CinemaScore). 'Sinister 2' began with $4.7 million on Friday, fell 22.7% on Saturday to earn $2.6 million, and is expected to fall 35% on Sunday to go on and make $2.3 million. That puts the weekend-to-Friday ratio at a front-loaded 2.26-to-1, suggesting that the $10-million Jason Blum produced horror flick won't be able to hold up well in the following weeks. A domestic tally of around $25 million would be likely, which is a far cry from the first movie's $48.1 million finish.
     Video game adaptation and movie franchise reboot 'Hitman: Agent 47' grossed a disappointing $8.2 million ($2.5k per-theater average) this weekend. Performing on the lower end of expectations, which ranged from $7-$11 million, the $35-million action thriller from 20th Century Fox began with $3.1 million on Friday, slipped 5.3% on Saturday and earning $2.9 million, and is estimated to decline 26.2% on Sunday to gross $2.2 million. The weekend-to-Friday ratio there is a fairly back-loaded 2.65-to-1. With that in mind, 'Hitman' might have longer legs than recent video game adaptations, but don't count on it to make much more than $18 million total, especially with disastrous reviews (7% on RT) and mixed audience reception (55% on Flixter).

     Rounding out the Top 5, 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' was down a respectable 44.7% from its opening and making $7.4 million. That is little consolation, though, for performing way below pre-release expectations (totals ranging from $50-$60m). With an uneventful $26.6 million, 'U.N.C.L.E.' should end its run with over/under $45 million.
     $12-million Jesse Eisenberg/Kristen Stewart led action comedy 'American Ultra' debuted outside the Top 5 with a disappointing $5.5 million opening and a $1.98k per-theater average. The stoner comedy earned a lackluster $2.1 million on Friday, dropped 8.1% the next day, making $1.9 million, and is expected to fall 23.8% on Sunday to gross $1.5 million. That puts the weekend-to-Friday ratio at 2.62-to-1. This could turn into a modest success if it holds up that well in the coming weeks (it cost just $12 million), but with dismal reviews (45% on RT) and middling word-of-mouth ('B-' on CinemaScore), it should be able to crawl past $15 million total.   
     'The Gift' haunted seventh place with an estimated $4.3 million, which is down 33.9% from last weekend. The $5-million Joel Edgerton directed psychological thriller has so far made an impressive $31.1 million, and a domestic tally north of $35 million should be a lock.
     'Ant-Man' stole $4.1 million this weekend, down a very solid 25.6%. The $130-million Paul Rudd led heist comedy from Marvel has so far took in a strong $164.5 million, and $170 million should be in reach.
     'Minions' placed in ninth with $3.7 million, easing 27.9% from last weekend's performance. With $320 million in the bank, the $74-million 3D animated blockbuster from Universal should end up with a solid $330 million total.
     Critically panned $120-million superhero team-up flop 'Fantastic Four' fell a troubling 55.3% in its third weekend, adding $3.65 million to its dismal $49.6 million total. The troubled production should fall short of $55 million, making it all the more disappointing as the previous 'Fantastic Four' films opened around that figure.
     R-rated family road trip comedy 'Vacation' continued experiencing strong holds as it dropped 40% and made $3.1 million. However, it is still performing below expectations with just $52.3 million, and a domestic total of around $60 million is likely.
     'Ricki and the Flash' made $2.96 million this weekend, dropping just 35%. The Meryl Streep led comedy/drama has so far made a so-so $20.2 million against an $18-million budget, so $25 million should be in range.
     Overall, the Top 12 this weekend earned a combined total of $85.96 million, which is down 16% from last year when surprise hit 'Guardians of the Galaxy' was back on top with $17.2 million.

Friday Report: 'Compton' Continues Making Money, 'Hitman' Misses the Mark while 'Sinister' and 'Ultra' Don't Thrill

     It looks like a slow weekend at the box office is a lock, as three new wide releases fail to unseat 'Straight Outta Compton' from the top spot on Friday.
     Rap biopic 'Straight Outta Compton' added $8.3 million yesterday, bringing its domestic cume to a very strong $93 million in eight days of release. It had a sharp decline from opening day however (-65.6%), although that is common in rap movies ('8 Mile' dropped 66.3% and 'Notorious' fell 78.7%). Riding on a wave of solid buzz and word-of-mouth (89% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes and 'A' on CinemaScore), a second weekend finish of around $28 million is likely.
     Horror sequel 'Sinister 2' scared up a lackluster $4.7 million (including $850k from Thursday night previews). That is way below the first film's $7.4 million opening day back in 2012, and way, way off from the $20.2 million opening of 'Insidious Chapter 2'. With reviews in the cellar (12% on RT) and middling audience reception (46% on RT), a front-loaded opening of around $10-13 million should be a lock. Still, the film only cost $10 million to make, so this is still a success, but a rather disappointing one.
     'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' continued to hold well against the new releases, falling 32% from last Friday and making $3.3 million. The $150-million spy action flick has so far grossed a solid $149.4 million, and a fourth weekend of $11 million is possible.
     Video game adaptation and series reboot 'Hitman: Agent 47' misfired with just $3.1 million ($600k of that coming from Thursday night screenings). That is less than half of the $6.7 million start of last March's 'Need for
Speed', and well below the original 'Hitman''s $5.2 million Friday gross, and even falls short of the $4.4 million Wednesday take of 'Hitman'. The $35-million action thriller from Fox has so far been panned by critics (7% on RT), and audiences aren't particularly fond of it either (57% on RT). This film will probably go on to earn $7 million or more for the three-day weekend.
     'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' slipped 54.5% from opening day to earn $2.2 million. The disappointing $75-million spy comedy starring Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer has so far took in an uneventful $21.4 million in eight days, and a $6.5 million second weekend is in 'U.N.C.L.E.''s sights.
     Opening outside the Top 5, 'American Ultra', the $12-million Jesse Eisenberg/Kristen Stewart led action comedy from Lionsgate, mustered up a so-so $2.1 million (including $425k from Thursday night previews). A lackluster debut of around $5-6 million should be in reach.

Weekend Forecast

1. 'Straight Outta Compton' - $27.6 million (-54.2%)

2. 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' - $11.7 million (-32%)

3. 'Sinister 2'- $10.1 million

4. 'Hitman: Agent 47' - $8.2 million
5. 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' - $7.5 million (-44%)

6. 'American Ultra' - $6.1 million

Weekend Actuals: 'Straight Outta Compton' Hits the Big Bucks, 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' Fails its Mission

     Universal's record-breaking year continues this weekend with 'Straight Outta Compton', which opened to a very impressive $60.2 million against its modest $28 million budget. On the other hand, Warner Bros.' 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' debuted below pre-release expectations, and doesn't look like it can make back its $75 million budget domestically.

     Rap biopic 'Straight Outta Compton' debuted to a more-than-excellent $60.2 million this weekend, averaging a stellar $21,835 per screen. Because of this opening, 'Compton' just had the fifth-biggest August debut ever (barely above 'Signs' with $60.1m). It started out with $24.1 million on Friday, dropped 20% on Saturday to earn $19.3 million, and declined 13.1% on Sunday to go on and make $16.8 million. That marks an initially front-loaded weekend (2.49-to-1 weekend-to-Friday ratio), which proves that the N.W.A.'s fanbase did rush out to see this on Friday. Still, its success is probably due in part to spectacular reviews (89% on Rotten Tomatoes) and exceptional word-of-mouth ('A' on CinemaScore). 'Compton' opened stronger than 2002's '8 Mile' ($51.2m) and 2009's 'Notorious' ($20.5m). This is undeniably a hit, and with strong reviews and word-of-mouth 'Compton' will hope to hold up well in the following weeks against next weekend's 'American Ultra', 'Hitman: Agent 47', and 'Sinister 2'. A final tally of around $145 million should be a lock.

     'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' had to relinquish the box office throne this weekend, dropping down to second place and earning $17.2 million. That is off a solid 39.7% from last weekend, and with exceptional holding power thus far (due in part to strong reviews (93% on RT) and word-of-mouth ('A-' on CinemaScore)) and $138.3 million in the bank so far, 'Rogue Nation' could make it past $175 million total.
    
Fellow spy action flick 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' debuted to an underwhelming $13.4 million this weekend. That is way below the recent three-day starts of 'Rogue Nation' ($55.5m) and 'Kingsman: The Secret Service' ($36.2m). Opening to a modest $4.8 million on Friday, 'U.N.C.L.E.' increased 5.1% on Saturday to gross $5 million and slid 29.3% on Sunday to make $3.6 million, putting its weekend-to-Friday ratio to a promising 2.79-to-1, suggesting that this could save some face in the long run. Still, the weak $3,689 per-theater average is nothing to do cartwheels over, and decent reviews (67% on RT) guarantee that they won't be helping out in anyway. Word-of-mouth is also sort of mixed ('B' on CinemaScore), but the Flixster score is promising (80%). So if 'U.N.C.L.E.' does hold up well, it will wind up in the range of a disappointing $40 million to a decent $50 million, and if it manages to be front-loaded, it will wind up with an even worse $30 million. Either way, this is a domestic failure, and anywhere between those numbers is likely.

     Troubled superhero production 'Fantastic Four' continued to be not-so-fantastic this weekend, plummeting a ghastly 68.2% from last weekend to make $8.2 million. 'Fantastic' has so far been experiencing dismal holds, with a more front-loaded second weekend (3.28-to-1 weekend-to-Friday ratio) than recent superhero team-ups 'Marvel's The Avengers' (3.53-to-1) and 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' (3.47-to-1) and a current gross of just $42.1 million. With very terrible reviews (8% on RT) and poisonous word-of-mouth (22% on Flixster), it is becoming more and more likely that the 'Fantastic Four' franchise may have to retire from the big screen for good with this installment on track for a horrible $55 million finish.
     STX Entertainment's 'The Gift' grossed an extra $6.5 million this weekend, rounding out the Top 5 and down a respectable 45.1% from opening weekend. The $5 million psychological thriller directed by Joel Edgerton has had decent holds so far, but a solid final cume of $35 million is nothing to feel sorry about.
     Marvel's latest superhero flick 'Ant-Man' had a sixth-place take of $5.5 million, down just 30.6% from last weekend. With $157.5 million so far, the tiny superhero should be able to get past $165 million total.
     'Vacation' occupied seventh place this weekend with $5.2 million, down 42.1% from last weekend. With an underwhelming yet solid $46.7 million gross, 'Vacation' will eventually get past $60 million, which would be a solid final gross.
     Universal's 'Minions' slipped 30.9% this weekend to earn an estimated $5.1 million. The little creatures have earned $312.9 million thus far, and a total of around $335 million is still a lock.
     'Ricki and the Flash' eased just 31.1% from its opening, grossing $4.6 million. With $14.6 million already, a total cume over $20 million is likely.
     'Trainwreck' rounded out the Top 10 this weekend, declining 37.6% and making $3.8 million. The R-rated Judd Apatow directed comedy from Universal has so far made an impressive $97.96 million, and a total north of $110 million is very likely.

      Mid-July Sony sci-fi comedy flick 'Pixels' eased a light 38.1% and earned $3.4 million. Even with the solid hold, the $88 million disappointment has so far earned $64.5 million, and $70 million should be a lock.
     'Shaun the Sheep Movie' enjoyed a light decline this weekend, dropping just 28.7% from its three-day opening and going on to make $2.9 million. However, since opening on Wednesday, 'Shaun' has made an underwhelming $11.1 million, but getting over $15 million shouldn't be too hard.
     The Top 12 made an estimated $135.95 million this weekend, which is up an encouraging 5.4% from last year when surprise hits 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' and 'Guardians of the Galaxy' ruled against the new releases.
    

Friday Report: 'Straight Outta Compton' Attracts Huge Crowds, 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' Doesn't Go Boom

     Friday was ruled by rap biopic 'Straight Outta Compton', which pulled in a solid $24.2 million. That is the fourth biggest opening day for an August release, behind 'Guardians of the Galaxy' ($37.8m), 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' ($25.6m), and 'The Bourne Ultimatum' ($24.7m). It is also way ahead of Eminem's film debut '8 Mile' ($19.6m) and outpaced the entire opening weekend of 'Notorious' ($20.5m). It will likely have legs going into the weekend due to strong reviews (88% on Rotten Tomatoes), which will avoid front-loading from the N.W.A.'s fanbase rushing out on opening day. An opening in the range of $55-$60 million is a lock, and a solid debut nonetheless.
     'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation', which led the box office for 13 of the past 14 days, dropped down to second for $4.875 million, which was down a solid 40.3% from last Friday when superhero flop 'Fantastic Four' debuted to first place. The $150m Tom Cruise led spy action flick should be able to get past $16 million for the weekend.

     'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' placed in a very close third, grossing a modest $4.865 million. The $75m Guy Ritchie directed spy adaptation opened slightly below expectations, which ranged from $15-$20 million. That is much lower than the $20.3 million debut of 'Rogue Nation' earlier this year, and well below the $14.7 million debut of 2006's 'Casino Royale'. With a so-so 68% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, a three-day take of $14.5 million is most likely.
     Speaking of 'Fantastic Four', the $120m Marvel-based superhero team-up from Fox plummeted a ghastly 78.7% from opening day, grossing  a paltry $2.4 million. 'Fantastic Four' has been acting front-loaded thus far due to critics and audiences alike panning it (8% for critics and 22% for audiences on RT, respectively). A dismal second weekend take of around $7.5 million is in place.
      'The Gift' rounded out Friday's Top 5 with an estimated $1.9 million, falling 53.3% from its opening day. The $5m Joel Edgerton psychological thriller should earn around $6-$7 million for the weekend.

Weekend Forecast (Updated)

1. 'Straight Outta Compton' - $59.3 million

2. 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' - $16.7 million (-41.4%)

3. 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' - $14.7 million

4. 'Fantastic Four' - $7.2 million (-72%)

5. 'The Gift' - $6.1 million (-48.7%)

    

Weekend Forecast: 'Straight Outta Compton' to Make Big Money, 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' to Fail to Detonate

     'Straight Outta Compton' and 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' drop into theaters this weekend, with the former to easily take the top spot from strong holdover 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' while the latter will open fairly low for a spy film.
     The N.W.A. biopic 'Straight Outta Compton' is being delivered across 2,755 locations this weekend, which is the widest release ever for a rap drama. If it can exceed expectations or open below them, we will not know until Friday. Still, there are some factors that can determine the opening of the highly-anticipated film. 'Straight Outta Compton' revolves around the story of N.W.A., founded by popular hip hop artists Arabian Prince, DJ Yella, Dr. Dre, Eazy E, and Ice Cube. The organization has countless fans, and the film also has an impressive fanbase with a stellar 1.79 million likes. And don't forget that Ice Cube's most recent film, 'Ride Along' which also starred Kevin Hart, was a massive hit back in 2014 when it earned $134.9 million. The trailers have been performing rather remarkably, as the Red Band (restricted) version has generated 6.4 million views. Plus, very similar rap biopic/drama 8 Mile, starring Eminem, opened with a terrific $51.2 million in 2002 and closed with a hefty $116.8 million, proving that rap movies can still be box office successes. And last but not least, 'Compton' has earned an 85% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and users on that site give the anticipation score a promising +96% want-to-see rating.
     However, some things are against 'Straight Outta Compton'. First, a series of recent events where African-Americans are shot by police are worrying some that these incidents can influence a shooting at a showtime for this film. It is gang-based (Compton is a very dark place to live in), and those moviegoers who are worried about this happening will likely skip out on this, as they believe that this film will cause a rise in gang activity. Rap movies are also notoriously front-loaded, as even 8 Mile had a second weekend drop of 62.2%. 'Notorious' is another rap movie that was, ironically, notoriously front-loaded with a second weekend drop of 71.8%. However, both had decently back-loaded weekends, so if 'Straight Outta Compton' underperforms on Friday it can still save some face going through the weekend.

     The weekend's other newcomer is spy flick 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.', debuting in over 3,638 platforms. The Guy Ritchie directed action film from Warner Bros. has low box office potential, although the possibility of breaking out isn't completely out of the question. It costs $75 million, which is relatively modest compared to what higher-profile blockbusters are made for ($150-250m). However, that number is still a risky bet, as if this film fails domestically 'U.N.C.L.E.' will have to rely on overseas audiences, and they aren't always a film's savior ('Pixels' and 'Fantastic Four' have had disappointing runs in foreign countries). One pro is that 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' is at least directed by Guy Ritchie, who has found success in the 'Sherlock Holmes' films ($395.8m total). One of the stars, Henry Cavill, is also fairly popular thanks mostly in part to his performance as Superman in 2013's 'Man of Steel' ($291m) and his role in the much highly-anticipated 'Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice'.
     Unfortunately, there seems to be more cons than pros for this one. To begin with, reviews aren't terrible, but they're nothing to do cartwheels over, with a so-so 65% on Rotten Tomatoes. It has higher anticipation than the other weekend's new wide release, although less users voted for 'U.N.C.L.E.'. The most recent 'Mission: Impossible' might have stole some of its potential, as it is also a spy film centered around high-profile actors doing crazy stunts with a handful of co-stars working with them as well. Audiences who have seen 'Mission: Impossible' and didn't like it will probably look over this, thinking it is a rip-off of the 'M:I' franchise (it was even a 60's TV show like 'U.N.C.L.E.'!). Co-star Armie Hammer also isn't a box office draw, as his latest films 'The Lone Ranger' ($89.3m cume/$215m budget) and 'Mirror Mirror' ($64.9m cume/$85m budget) flopped domestically. Also, it has been a tough summer for films to break out ('Pixels', 'Fantastic Four', and R-rated comedies, we're all looking at you), so a film like this probably won't make a huge dent.

Weekend Forecast

1. 'Straight Outta Compton' - $53.1 million

2. 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' - $20 million (-29.8%)

3. 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' - $15.8 million

4. 'Fantastic Four' - $9.2 million (-64.2%)

5. 'The Gift' - $6.1 million (-48.4%)

Weekend Actuals: 'Rogue Nation' Back on Top While 'Fantastic Four' Breaks Down, 'The Gift' a Pleasant Surprise, 'Ricki' Fails to Rock 'n' Roll, 'Shaun' Gets Sheared

     The box office was surprisingly slow this weekend, where a franchise reboot flops, an under-the-radar thriller surprises, and a dramedy and comedy fail to live up to expectations. This weekend was worse than last year's, where another reboot ('Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles') and a 'marvel'ous surprise led the weekend.

     'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' claimed the top spot again, with an estimated $28.5 million, down a solid 48.7% from its opening. The $150m Tom Cruise led spy-action flick from Paramount easily took first place from 'Fantastic Four', which was betrayed by horrible reviews and atrocious word-of-mouth. So far, 'Rogue Nation' has earned $107.8 million, and should end its run with around $165 million.
  

One of the weekend's newcomers, Fox's reboot of the 'Fantastic Four' franchise, bombed with just $25.7 million in three days. The $120m superhero pic brought in a lackluster $11.3
million on Friday (including $2.7m from previews), fell 24% on Saturday, earning $8.6 million, and declined a troubling 32.1% on Sunday to make a disappointing $5.8 million. That puts its weekend-to-Friday ratio at 2.27-to-1. That marks a pretty front-loaded weekend, and indicates that this film will have trouble holding up well in the following weeks. Plus, its per-theater average was a breathtakingly terrible $6.4k, which is abnormally low for a summer blockbuster, and especially considering that superhero films usually perform rather successfully. 'Fantastic Four' was absolutely crushed by heavily negative reviews (an atrocious 9% on Rotten Tomatoes) and very unenthusiastic word-of-mouth (a terrible 'C-' on CinemaScore and a Flixter score of just 23%). This usually doesn't guarantee great holds, so a total north of $55 million is likely.
     In third place, fellow new wide release 'The Gift' from STX Entertainment surprised with a strong opening of $11.9 million. The psychological thriller debuted to a solid $4.1 million on Friday, was up 9.6% to earn $4.5 million on Saturday, and decreased 28.8% on Sunday to go on and earn $3.2 million. The weekend-to-Friday ratio here is a solid 2.90-to-1, indicating strong holding power going through the weekend. If it can replicate that hold in the coming weeks, a total cume of around $35 million is a lock.
     Fourth place belonged to 'Vacation', which eased 39% from its opening to earn $8.96 million this weekend. Although that is a solid hold, the R-rated road trip comedy franchise revival has earned an underwhelming $37.1 million in 12 days. Still, with strong holds thus far, 'Vacation' should close with over $65 million.
     Marvel's 'Ant-Man' rounded out the Top 5 with $7.9 million, down a very respectable 38.2%. The strong hold is likely due in part because of the very underwhelming performance of 'Fantastic Four' this weekend. With a current total of $147.5 million, a solid final gross of just below $170 million is likely.
     Universal's 3D animated blockbuster 'Minions' fell 39.9% this weekend, grossing an estimated $7.4 million. 'Minions' has earned an impressive $302.8 million, and should make it past $330 million total.

     'Ricki and the Flash' debuted in seventh place with a fairly low $6.6 million take this weekend. That is way below star Meryl Streep's most recent releases, opening below 'Into the Woods' ($31.1m), 'The Giver' ($12.3m), and 'Hope Springs' ($14.7m). Performing in line with expectations, the comedy-drama from TriStar cost just $18 million, so if 'Ricki' does experience strong holds, this will undoubtedly be a hit. It will likely end up in the range of $20-30 million total.
     'Trainwreck' eased 36%, earning $6.1 million. The Judd Apatow led Amy Schumer led comedy has made a promising $90.9 million, and a cume north of $110 million is still a lock.
     Late summer misfire 'Pixels' fell 48.3% from last weekend and made $5.4 million this weekend. The $88m Adam Sandler led sci-fi comedy disappointment has grossed a lackluster $57.6 million, and, with unimpressive holding power, should make a total of around $68 million.
     The $30m Jake Gyllenhaal led boxing drama 'Southpaw' rounded out the Top 10, dropping 38.3% and earning $4.7 million this weekend. It has so far totaled $40.7 million, and is currently on track to end its run with a solid $50 million take.
     'Shaun the Sheep Movie' earned a disappointing $4.04 million this weekend, making a lackluster $1,741 per-theater take. Since opening on Wednesday, the stop-motion animated comedy has earned an unimpressive $5.6 million. Even though films like these are usually back-loaded, 'Shaun' is likely to gross just $15 million total.
     'Inside Out' fell 40% to make $2.7 million this weekend. The $175m animated flick from Pixar has so far made an impressive $335.4 million, and should make it over $340 million total.
     The Top 12 grossed $120 million, which is down a disappointing 31.1% from last year when, as previously said, 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' opened to a stellar $65.6 million and 'Guardians of the Galaxy' had the biggest second-weekend of the summer with $42.1 million (-55.3%). The Top 12 then earned $174.2 million. With only a few appealing releases debuting this month, August 2015 should be one of the slowest months of the year and on of the slowest overall. Two new wide releases will hope to reverse that trend next weekend when The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Straight Outta Compton arrive in theaters.

Weekend Forecast: 'Fantastic Four' to Kick Off a Slow August, 'Ricki' and 'Gift' to Shake Up $8M+ Debuts

     Four new wide releases debut this weekend, with the likes of Fox's 'Fantastic Four', STX Entertainment's 'The Gift', TriStar's 'Ricki and the Flash', and Lionsgate's 'Shaun the Sheep Movie'. The first former should easily take first place from last weekend's victor 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' while the other openers should all wind up with less than $10 million.

     'Fantastic Four' is the third installment in the franchise from 20th Century Fox, following 2005's 'Fantastic Four' and its 2007 sequel. It is, in fact, a reboot of the mostly negatively-received superhero series after the first two earned an underwhelming $286.6 million total. The film starts from scratch with stars Miles Teller ('Divergent'), Kate Mara ('127 Hours'), Michael B. Jordan ('Chronicle'), and Jamie Bell ('King Kong'), all of which did fairly well at the box office, especially 'Divergent'. The appealing cast team up with Josh Trank, who had a sleeper hit in his hands in 2012 with the previously mentioned 'Chronicle' ($64.6m). Although that film was received warmly (85% on Rotten Tomatoes), 'Fantastic Four' has been greeted with IMMENSE criticism (an atrocious 9% on RT) and anticipation is performing rather disappointingly for a superhero film. The previous installments weren't really enjoyed by people either. Even with some noticeable box office draws, 'Fantastic Four' should wind up below the first film's debut (unadjusted for inflation), which would be pretty disappointing considering how popular the superhero genre is right now. An opening around $45 million is likely for the $120 million film.

     'The Gift' is one of the other films opening in wide release this weekend, being a psychological thriller starring Jason Bateman ('Hancock') and Rebecca Hall ('Iron Man 3'). The $5 million production is directed by Joel Edgerton, who recently starred in 'Exodus: Gods and Kings' ($65m) and 'The Great Gatsby' ($144.8m). It has been a while since the last thriller was released (Self/Less with $12.2m), so fans of the genre will probably go out to see this. The film is also being buoyed by strong reviews (93% on RT) and high anticipation (+96% on RT). It has also been a tough year for thrillers to break out, and with the box office slowing down as summer comes to an end, it is unlikely that 'The Gift' will significantly break out this weekend. Still, look for a debut north of $7.5 million, which would be a good start for the low-budget thriller.

     'Ricki and the Flash', starring Meryl Streep, is another movie debuting this weekend, costing $18 million. The comedy-drama is on track to earn a bit less than $10 million, which would be surprisingly low for a Meryl Streep flick. Fans of the actress will rush out to see this, although the marketing hasn't given much effort so general audiences will probably skip this. 'Ricki' has also suffered from mixed critical reviews (55% on RT) and relatively low anticipation (+87% on RT). It would be surprising if the film got past $12 million.

     The latest stop-motion animated flick is 'Shaun the Sheep Movie' from Lionsgate. It will present itself as a more family-friendly films than the weekend's other offerings, although it shouldn't make that much of a dent. The comedy opened to a so-so $852.1k on Wednesday, which is lower than that of 'The Pirates! Band of Misfits' ($2.7m) and 'The Boxtrolls' ($4.9m), although those films opened on Friday. 'Shaun the Sheep Movie' will likely wind up with a Friday gross lower than those two, and a total three-day gross of over $4.5 million and a five-day start of $8 million is a lock.

Weekend Forecast

1. 'Fantastic Four' - $42.8 million

2. 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' - $33.7 million (-39.3%)

3. 'Vacation' - $9.6 million (-35.4%)

4. 'Ricki and the Flash' - $9.4 million

5. 'The Gift' - $8.7 million

-- 'Shaun the Sheep Movie' - $5.2 million (3-day), $7.9 million (5-day)

'Mission' Isn't 'Rogue', Audiences Take 'Vacation' from Theaters

     The fifth entry of the popular 'Mission: Impossible' exceeded expectations this weekend, taking the top spot from two-time winner 'Ant-Man'. The $150-million Tom Cruise led action flick opened way ahead of fellow newcomer 'Vacation', which failed to break out from the crowded field of R-rated comedies this summer.

     'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' took in a healthy $55.5 million for the three-day weekend, which significantly outpaced its scaled-back projections (some were going as far back as $40m). That's the second best opening in the spy franchise, barely behind the $57.8 million debut of 'Mission: Impossible II', and the third best for Tom Cruise in a lead role (trailing 'Mission: Impossible II' and 'War of the Worlds' ($64.9m)). Goodwill from the previous installment 'Ghost Protocol' was likely carried to this one, and moviegoers who were on the fence about this were probably persuaded by strong reviews (a stellar 93% on Rotten Tomatoes). Although Cruise has taken a hit in recent years
(big-budget action flops like 'Oblivion' and 'Edge of Tomorrow'), he was soon back on top. With strong word-of-mouth ('A-' on CinemaScore), 'Rogue Nation' will have to hold up well against upcoming action films like Fox's 'Fantastic Four' and Warner Bros.' 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'. Still, look for the film to earn around $160 million total.
     The weekend's other new wide release, Warner Bros.' road trip comedy 'Vacation', underwhelmed greatly, with a three-day take of just $14.7 million and a mediocre five-day start of $21 million. The Ed Helms led R-rated pic was crushed by negative reviews (24% on RT) and mixed word-of-mouth ('B' on CinemaScore), although the film performed rather back-loaded (Friday-to-weekend ratio of 3.27-to-1). That could be a good sign going forward, although word-of-mouth isn't all that great. The budget was kept under control, costing just $31 million, and if it does hold up well in the following weeks a total cume of over $60 million is likely.
     In holdover news, 'Ant-Man' fell two spots and placed in third with $12.8 million, dropping 48.6% from last weekend's take. The Paul Rudd led superhero film has been performing mostly on the low end of expectations, although its solid $132.2 million gross is nothing to be ashamed of. It is currently on track to end its run in the range of $155-170 million.
     'Minions' fell a respectable 46% from last weekend, earning $12.4 million, placing in a close fourth. The animated blockbuster has so far made a spectacular $287.6 million, and is on pace to close with $335 million.

     Last weekend's 'Pixels' plummeted 56.3% from its debut, making just $10.5 million. So far, horrible reviews (18% on RT) and mixed word-of-mouth ('B' on CinemaScore) have been working against the $88-million Adam Sandler led flick, and reaching a total north of $65 million is a lock at this point. Sony has been having a decent year, with its highest-grossing 2015 release being 'Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2' with a $71 million gross.
     Judd Apatow's 'Trainwreck' slipped 44.4%, going on to add $9.6 million to its solid 17-day take of $79.6 million. The R-rated comedy should earn well over $110 million by the end of its run.
     'Southpaw' fell 54.4%, making $7.6 million. That is an unremarkable hold, and actually quite a disappointing one considering that it opened to a strong $16.7 million last weekend. However, with $31.7 million in the bank already, the boxing drama should total over $50 million in the long run.
     'Paper Towns' crashed 63.3% this weekend to earn $4.6 million, bringing its domestic cume to $23.9 million. Its current trajectory is pointing to a final $30 million gross, which is around 76% lower than the $124.9 million take of last year's 'The Fault in our Stars'.
     'Inside Out' eased a light 39.2%, making $4.5 million this weekend and pushing its domestic gross to $329.6 million. Look for a final gross of around $345 million.
     None other than 'Jurassic World' filled out the Top 10, biting off $3.9 million (-45.7%). So far, the $150-million Chris Pratt led dino flick from Universal (which is having a great year) has earned a whopping $631.6 million, and will close with around $650 million total.
     The Ian McKellen led 'Mr. Holmes' brought in $2.4 million this weekend, down a slim 14.5% from last weekend. With a cume of over $10.3 million, the family-friendly mystery film will probably fall short of $20 million.
     July misfire 'Terminator Genysis' fell a large 61% this weekend, earning $0.943 million. The $155 million Arnold Schwarzenegger led franchise reboot from Paramount (which also released 'Rogue Nation' this weekend) has so far brought in a meager $87.7 million gross, and should end its run with about $93 million.
     This weekend's Top 12 gross ($136.2m) was down 21% from last year ($172.4m), which was led by the stunning, significantly stronger-than-expected $94.3 million debut of 'Guardians of the Galaxy'. Look for another decline from last year when 'Fantastic Four', 'The Gift', 'Shaun the Sheep', and 'Ricki and the Flash' debut next weekend.