The Weekend Report

It was close encounters of a second kind for The Martian as it retained top spot in session movie going with an estimated $37.2 million. Debuting wide releases had a much tougher ride with family adventure Pan slotting a disappointing third with $15.4 million. The Walk, following last week’s large-format special engagement, failed to get a toehold with a $3.7 million box office.

The family drama Big Stone Gap also crumbled in limited wide, with a $342,000 tally. In Canada Afghan war saga Hyena Road was unenthusiastically received with a $337,000 gross.

In the niches, Latino-targeted crime saga Ladrones was off to a bueno start of $1.4 million. Indian imports saw solid returns for Telugu epic Rudrama Devi at $644,000, while Hindi entries Jazbaa and Dildariyaan failed to click. The expanding Chinese market saw a potent $347,000 for Goodbye Mr. Loser at 22 venues, and an encouraging start of $19,100 for South Korea Oscar submission The Throne.

Exclusives were dominated by Steve Jobs’ $520,000 product launch from four screens, the biggest per screen of a limited opener so far this year. Universal, which set a domestic box office record last month, as of Saturday set a new domestic admissions record with eight more weeks to readjust the benchmark even higher.

Frame revenues posted close to $120 million that was 21% below last weekend’s performance. It also lagged 20% behind the 2014 session when the second weekend of Gone Girl edged out Dracula Untold with $26.4 million to the latter’s $23.5 million launch.

Pan, a sorta-prequel to Peter Pan, was viewed as “in trouble” with dire predictions of a $20-22 million opening for the big ticket spectacle. It had already bowed in Australia two weeks ago and chalked up a soft gross of $5 million or so internationally. The current weekend saw the addition of 52 foreign territories with an estimated $4 million Friday that bodes ill for its future (additional international data was unavailable at deadline). Studio exit polling identified the audience as 55% female with 52% of viewers aged 25-years and younger.

The Walk, the fictionalized recreation of Philippe Petit’s 1974 high wire act between the twin towers had already demonstrated audience indifference last weekend when it opened exclusively at 3D IMAX locations. Despite scattered upbeat reviews and positive audience exit polling, it failed to spark even a smattering of “want to see” factor.

Pan and The Walk should be send a shudder through the industry. Both films strived for a general audience and the grim truth may be that contemporary movies need the bedrock of a narrower target audience to achieve and secure wider recognition in its theatrical life.

That said, this week’s expansions of critically-lauded teen Nobelist doc He Named Me Malala and one-percent-bashing 99 Homes both sputtered as they reached out.

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