The weekend's new wide release, Ridley Scott's 'The Martian', barely missed the October opening weekend record, which is still held by 'Gravity'. Meanwhile, 'Sicario' was greeted with good numbers going into its nationwide expansion. Unfortunately, not all of the new releases was a winner, as Robert Zemeckis's 'The Walk' pretty much lost its balance going into the weekend.
In first place, 'The Martian' took in an outstanding $54.3 million debut, which is just $1.5 million behind 'Gravity' and the October opening record. The $108-million Matt Damon led sci-fi from Fox managed a strong $14,176 per-theater average, which is just below the $15,604 average of 'Gravity'. 'Martian' started out with $18.1 million Friday, increased 22.6% on Saturday to gross $22.3 million, and declined 37.5% on Sunday to earn $13.9. million. That places the weekend-to-Friday ratio at a very promising 3-to-1. 'Martian' obviously benefited greatly from strong reviews (94% on Rotten Tomatoes) and solid word-of-mouth ('A' on CinemaScore) as well as NASA's latest announcement of actual water on Mars. The novel has also been considered by many to be a best-seller, and that book's fanbase pretty much came out to see this. While it will obviously have great legs going forward, 'Martian' will probably fail to experience the strong holds 'Gravity' did back in 2013. Still, expect a domestic finish of around $220 million.
In second place, 'Hotel Transylvania 2' exceeded expectations yet again as it had a very strong second-weekend hold. The $80-million Adam Sandler led animated comedy from Sony dipped just 31.5% from its debut to gross $33.2 million. That is a better hold than its predecessor's 36.4% decline back in 2012. Word-of-mouth ('A-' CinemaScore) has been more helpful to 'Transylvania' than critical reviews (50% on RT), and with $90.7 million in the bank already, it should continue to carry the film to a $160m+ domestic cume.
While it had to settle for third place, 'Sicario' nevertheless posted an excellent nationwide expansion this weekend with $12.1 million, up a very impressive 607.4% from last weekend when it was playing at 59 locations. The $30-million crime thriller from Lionsgate grossed $4.3 million on Friday, increased 8.8% on Saturday to earn $4.7 million, and fell 31.9% on Sunday to make $3.2 million, putting the weekend-to-Friday ratio at a solid 2.81-to-1. 'Sicario' has so far brought in $15.1 million, and will have to hope to hold up well against upcoming adult-targeting releases like 'Steve Jobs', 'Bridge of Spies', and 'Our Brand is Crisis'. Still, it should wind up with over/under $45 million.
Fourth place belonged to 'The Intern', a $35-million comedy starring Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro. It eased 34.1% from last weekend and grossed $11.7 million. 'Intern' continues to slightly outpace expectations as it has taken in a 10-day total of $36.6 million, and should still close with $65 million.
Rounding out the Top 5, $61-million YA adaptation 'Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials' fell 45.3% to earn $7.8 million. 'Scorch Trials' has been performing solidly but has also been underwhelming, as its cume is now at $63.4 million. Due to weak reviews (50% on RT), uneventful word-of-mouth ('B+' CinemaScore), and its nature as a sequel, 'Scorch Trials' should end up in the range of $76-$85 million.
$53-million Johnny Depp led crime film 'Black Mass' grossed $5.8 million, down 47% from last weekend and bringing its cume to $52.5 million. 'Black Mass' has been front-loaded thus far in comparison to 'The Town' and 'The Departed'. A domestic finish of around $70 million should be likely.
'Everest' clearly took a big hit from losing its IMAX screens to 'The Walk', but nobody expected a drop this big. The $55-million thriller from Universal plummeted 57.4% from its nationwide expansion, grossing a meager $5.6 million. 'Everest' has so far been unimpressive, with a domestic take of just $33.3 million. 'Everest' isn't really a flop, but it isn't a success either (or at least domestically, since it has grossed $104.1m overseas). Expect 'Everest' to close with around $45 million.
M. Night Shyamalan's $5-million horror comedy 'The Visit' took in $4 million this weekend, down 40.5%. 'Visit' has been experiencing great holds for a film in the horror genre, and those holds have got it to a solid $57.7 million cume. If 'Visit' can continue getting respectable drops, $70 million isn't out of the question.
'War Room' placed in ninth this weekend with $2.8 million, declining just 33.4% as well as passing the $60-million mark in the process. The $3-million production has brought in a very impressive $60.6 million in 38 days, and still looks to finish with around $68 million.
'The Perfect Guy' rounded out the Top 10 with a $2.4 million fourth weekend and a 49.5% drop. The $12-million Sony thriller has grossed a strong $52.6 million, and $55 million should be a lock.
In 11th place, TriStar's 'The Walk' eaked out a paltry $1.6 million this weekend for a $3,460 average. Since opening on Wednesday, the $35-million biographical drama has made a weak $1.98 million. Playing in 448 IMAX locations, 'The Walk' opened with $240.4k on Wednesday, declined 24.3% on Thursday to gross $181.9k, increased 114.6% on Friday to earn $390.3k, increased another 80.1% on Saturday to make $702.9k, and fell 33.6% to make $467k. That places the weekend-to-Friday ratio at 4.01-to-1. While that is undeniably solid, and reviews (86% on RT) and word-of-mouth (85% Flixter score) are strong, 'Walk' will have a difficult time finding balance going forward. Next weekend it looks to expand nationwide, and with a below-par performance, should end up like 'Everest' and barely make anything at all.
Eli Roth's $5-million cannibal horror 'The Green Inferno', like I said last weekend, pretty much died out when it grossed $1.3 million, down a whopping 62.7% from its opening. With a $6 million take, it should end up with $7 million total.
Overall, this weekend's Top 12 was up 11.7% from last weekend, making $142.7 million, and up 2.3% from last year when 'Gone Girl' narrowly beat 'Annabelle for first place. Next weekend, Warner Bros. releases 'Pan', which is pretty much a wild card due to how big-budget originals usually perform, and Universal's 'Steve Jobs', which opens in select locations in NY/LA.
Bill Murray's latest $15-million comedy 'Rock the Kasbah' flopped with just $75k. Although older audiences should help it carry on through the weekend, $1.5-$3 million is nothing to do cartwheels over.
'Goosebumps' performed below expectations, although it still did solid business in the #1 spot. The $58-million Jack Black led horror comedy adaptation of R. L. Stine's series of novels grossed a strong $23.6 million for a $6,746 per-theater average. That is especially good as it was first projected to earn just $18 million in its debut weekend. Starting out with $7.3 million on Friday, 'Goosebumps' increased a healthy 32.9% on Saturday to earn $9.8 million, and dropped 33.4% on Sunday to gross $6.5 million. That puts the weekend-to-Friday ratio at a solid 3.23-to-1. It was likely aided by strong reviews (72% on Rotten Tomatoes) and word-of-mouth ('A' CinemaScore) as well as opening just a week before Halloween. With no notable family competition until November 6 when Fox's 'The Peanuts Movie' comes out, it should hold up very well throughout the rest of October. A $75 million finish should be likely.
Guillermo del Toro's gothic horror 'Crimson Peak' belly-flopped into fourth place this weekend with just $13.1 million, representing a poor $4,405 average. Suffering day-to-day declines throughout the weekend instead of even the smallest uptick, 'Peak' began with $5.3 million on Friday, declined a light 6.3% on Saturday to gross $4.9 million, and plummeted 39.7% on Sunday to earn $3 million. That places the ratio at a disappointing and front-loaded 2.47-to-1, although there is the possibility of holding up well once Halloween comes. Otherwise, the $55-million horror from Universal and Legendary should end its run with a lackluster $35 million.
'Steve Jobs' jumped up 5 spots from last weekend, raking in a strong $1.5 million ($25.2k average) and up 190.1% from when it grossed $521.5k from 4 locations last weekend. The $30-million Michael Fassbender led biopic from Universal has so far grossed $2.2 million. Next weekend sees its nationwide expansion, which could possibly translate into a $20m+ weekend take.
#1 spot belonged to 'The Martian' once again, which claimed $37 million this weekend and a solid 31.9% decline. That is a stronger hold than 'Interstellar''s second weekend drop (-40.4% for $28.3m) and reasonably below 'Gravity''s (-22.6% for $43.2m). The $108-million Matt Damon led sci-fi pic from Fox has been benefiting from strong reviews (93% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audience reception ('A' CinemaScore), and with $108.7 million already and no major competition until the first weekend of November (when the latest James Bond film and Blue Sky's most recent come out), should end its run with a spectacular $225 million.
In a disappointing third place debut, Warner Bros. $150-million Hugh Jackman led fantasy 'Pan' brought in a terrible $15.3 million for a $4,357 per-theater average. The weekend gross is less than half of 'Tomorrowland''s $33 million debut earlier this year on Memorial Day weekend and the average is much less than that film's $8,315 take. It is also noticeably behind 2013's 'Jack the Giant Slayer', which grossed a shameful $27.2 million in its opening weekend for a $7,717 average. 'Pan' started out with $5.2 million on Friday, increased 16.2% on Saturday and grossed $6 million, and fell 30.8% on Sunday to earn $4.1 million. That puts the weekend-to-Friday ratio at 2.94-to-1, suggesting it could have good legs going forward. However, due to the lackluster debut, weak reviews (23% on RT) and word-of-mouth (52% Flixter score), and a crazily huge budget ($150m), 'Pan' will likely crawl past $40 million but anything much more than that would be surprising, making this a box office bomb.
$53-million Johnny Depp led gangster tale 'Black Mass' grossed $3.1 million this weekend, down an estimated 46.7%. 'Black Mass' has grossed a solid $57.6 million, although that is behind 'The Departed' and 'The Town'. However, anything above $65 million total shouldn't be considered a failure.
In the number one spot this weekend, Ridley Scott's $108-million Matt Damon led sci-fi pic 'The Martian' grossed $10.8 million on Friday, down just 40.8% from opening day and up 182.8% from Thursday. That's a weaker drop than 'Gravity' (-27.9%) but stronger than 'Interstellar' (-50.8%). Those films made $43.2 million ('Gravity') and $28.3 million ('Interstellar') in their second weekends, and with strong reviews (93% on Rotten Tomatoes) and word-of-mouth ('A' on CinemaScore) as well as a performance of $82.5 million so far, anywhere between those numbers is a lock.
Universal's $30-million Michael Fassbender led drama 'Steve Jobs' did outstanding in limited release on Friday, premiering in 4 locations in LA and NY and grossing $175k for an impressive $43,750 per-theater average. That is greater than last year's 'Birdman''s Friday performance ($135.6k for a $33,901 average). 'Birdman' also opened in four exclusive locations in LA/NY. That film went on to earn $424.4k over the weekend for a $106,099 average, and anything above that number is very likely. Expect a stellar weekend of well over $500k, which would definitely be a success.
'Everest' clearly took a big hit from losing its IMAX screens to 'The Walk', but nobody expected a drop this big. The $55-million thriller from Universal plummeted 57.4% from its nationwide expansion, grossing a meager $5.6 million. 'Everest' has so far been unimpressive, with a domestic take of just $33.3 million. 'Everest' isn't really a flop, but it isn't a success either (or at least domestically, since it has grossed $104.1m overseas). Expect 'Everest' to close with around $45 million.
First off, the highly-anticipated adaptation of Andy Weir's best-seller 'The Martian' grossed $18 million yesterday. That is an outstanding figure, as that bests 2013's 'Gravity' ($17.5m) and last November's 'Interstellar' ($16.9m). The $108-million sci-fi pic starring Matt Damon grossed $2.5 million in Thursday night grosses, also beating 'Gravity' ($1.4 million) in that field. 'Martian' has also garnered universal acclaim from critics and audiences alike (94% on both Rotten Tomatoes and Flixter). Its CinemaScore rating is also impressive, with an 'A' rating on the website. The big question now is whether or not it will be able to overtake 'Gravity''s October opening record. That film earned $55.8 million in its debut weekend, so a figure around that number is likely.
$30-million Emily Blunt led drug cartel thriller 'Sicario' successfully expanded nationwide on Friday to $4.3 million, representing a 666.4% increase in domestic grosses. 'Sicario' has been doing very well in limited release, and nearing its nationwide expansion predictions continuously went upwards, ranging from $11.5-$14.5 million. Right in between those numbers, which would translate into $13 million, is a lock for 'Sicario'.
TriStar's 'The Walk' underperformed greatly with just $390k. Playing in 448 IMAX-only locations, the $35-million biographical drama/thriller started out with $240.4k on Wednesday, fell 24.3% on Thursday to earn $181.9k, and increased 114.4% to get its Friday gross. It has been performing WAY below the very recent 'Everest', which began on Friday with $2.3 million, although that film was playing in 97 more locations, and it didn't open on a Wednesday. Still, expect a limited release weekend of around just $1 million.
First, the biggest nationwide release is Ridley Scott's sci-fi novel adaptation 'The Martian', costing $108 million and starring Matt Damon. The lead star's most recent film, 'The Monuments Men', was an unexpected hit last year when it opened to $22 million and closed with an impressive $78 million. Reviews and anticipation are also very encouraging, as it has a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score and a +99% Flixter score based on over 40k users, beating last November's 'Interstellar''s reviews (72% on RT), a similar space-based epic with major lead stars and directors involved. 'Martian' also boasts impressive social media activity, with almost 94k total mentions on Twitter over the past three days. However, Facebook activity isn't nearly as enthusiastic as it has 158k likes while 'Interstellar' had 1.2 million fans and 'Gravity' had 607k. However, interest should have definitely sparked up since NASA's latest announcement that they found actual water on Mars, which could prompt moviegoers to check this film out. The marketing is going pretty smoothly as well, with the #BringHimHome and solid ads. Matt Damon's recent box office track record is pretty spotty however, with a couple hits like the previously said 'Monuments Men' and 'We Bought a Zoo' ($75.6m) while others haven't been nearly as successful like 'Green Zone' ($35.1m) and 'Elysium' ($93.1m). Director Ridley Scott has also been struggling, since his most recent films 'Exodus: Gods and Kings' ($65m) and 'The Counselor' ($17m) flopped while 'Prometheus' ($126.5m) and 'Robin Hood' ($105.3m) failed to pass their budgets ('Prometheus' had a $130m budget while 'Robin Hood' had a $200m budget). However, Fandango sales have reportedly been succeeding 'Gravity', hinting at a $55-million+ weekend, which is pretty likely for the sci-fi drama and definitely marking an improvement over 'Interstellar''s $47.5 million opening.
Next, we have the nationwide expansion of Lionsgate's thriller 'Sicario', which has enjoyed especially lucrative incomes from limited release ($2.7m since being released on September 18). 'Sicario' so far has the highest per-theater average of any film in 2015 ($66.9k), and its limited expansion last weekend also posted an excellent average with $29.1k. Reviews (92% on RT) and word-of-mouth have obviously helped as well as respectable Twitter activity (4.8k mentions today). However, not all limited releases translate into very impressive grosses, such as 'Everest''s expansion last weekend. After making good money in its IMAX/PLF locations, many expected a $17m+ weekend gross, but ended up making just $13.2 million. 'Selma' opened to a great $571.5k in 19 locations while it ended up making $11.3 million during its nationwide release. 'Sicario' will likely avoid that fate, as 'Everest' ($13.3k) and 'Selma' ($30.1k) had much lower per-theater averages in their limited release. 'Sicario' will probably end up making over $13 million for the three-day weekend, which would represent a strong nationwide expansion.