By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com

The Weekend Report

It was another dawn of the Deadpool as the curmudgeonly  remained top choice with an estimated $55.3 million. A trio of national releases proved not much of a threat including the faith-based Risen that ranked third with $11.7 million. Also bowing was seventeeth-century horror chiller The Witch with a sturdy $8.5 million while Race, a biopic of sprinter Jesse Owens ran off the track with $7.3 million.

Exclusive newcomers included Oscar foreign-language short-lister Embrace of the Serpent with an impressive $59,400 from six journeys. The big splash came from Stephen Chow’s Chinese The Mermaid with a bit more than $1 million from only 35 screens. It was the second biggest opener in the international marketplace last weekend and has grossed more than $300 million in its initial five-territory launch.

In the niches, Indian imports had strong starts. Hindi Neerja bowed to $598,000 while Punjabi Channo Kamil Yaar Di grossed $148,000 from 25. Mexican comedy Busco Novio para mi Mujer raised a few titters with $908,000; Korea’s A Violent Prosecutor was solid with $119,000 and the Filipino Walang Forever had a disappointing $99,000 tally. In Quebec, French animated kidpic Belle & Sebastien – l’aventure continue was soft with $88,300.

Revenues for the frame edged close to $140 million and a 42% dip from seven days prior. It was nonetheless a 19% improvement from 2015 when Fifty Shades of Grey’s second weekend led with $22.3 million and the top title McFarland USA grossed $11 million.

Risen proved prophetic in some unexpected respects. The saga of the resurrection viewed from the perspective of a Roman soldier was directed by Kevin Reynolds, who’s made only one film in the past decade. That helped elevate both the dramatic and technical aspects of the production. Studio exit polling identified the audience as 53% female with 70% aged 25-years and older.

Reaching back to the era of Salem, The Witch was scooped up at the Sundance Film Festival for a reported $1 million. Things worked out for all parties and opening weekend brought in a 56% male viewership with 72% of viewers aged between 18 and 34-years old.

The tale of Jesse Owens’ triumph at the 1936 Berlin Olympics may be the stuff of legend but tracking suggested a soft imprint of $8 million to $10 million for Race.

With seven days to the big shoooow, Oscar contenders are keeping their collective heads above water with a couple of pictures benefiting disproportionately better than the crowd in a season with very few sure bets. Among the favored few is Brooklyn that’s received a big boost in Canada with a box office of more than $5 million. But the biggest surprise is The Lady in the Van that was snubbed by the Academy but with all the ballyhooing this campaign season it’s not unreasonable to assume its audience assumes that Maggie Smith is a best actress nominee.

Weekend (estimates) February 19 – 21, 2016
Title Distributor Gross (average) % chng Thtrs Cume
Deadpool Fox 55.3 (14,870) -58% 3722 235.7
Kung Fu Panda 3 Fox 12.1 (3,500) -39% 3448 116.7
Risen Sony 11.7 (4,010) NEW 2915 11.7
The Witch A24 8.5 (4,140) NEW 2046 8.5
How to Be Single WB 8.2 (2,430) -54% 3357 31.7
Race Focus 7.3 (3,070) NEW 2369 7.3
Zoolander No. 2 Par 5.5 (1,600) -60% 3418 23.7
Star Wars: The Force Awakens BV 3.8 (2,340) -38% 1618 921.6
The Revenant Fox 3.8 (1,940) -42% 1939 165.1
Hail, Caesar! Uni 2.6 (1,520) -59% 1726 26.1
Ride Along 2 Uni 2.2 (1,800) -51% 1210 86.5
The Choice Lionsgate 1.8 (1,010) -65% 1817 16.4
The Lady in the Van Sony Classics 1.5 (2,720) 165% 540 3.8
The Boy STX/eOne 1.4 (1,470) -54% 977 33.4
The 5th Wave Sony 1.2 (1,460) -54% 850 31.9
The Mermaid Sony 1. 0 (29,110) NEW 35 1
The Finest Hours BV 1.0 (1,070) -62% 946 25.5
Busco Novio para mi Mujer Lionsgate .91 (2,610) NEW 348 0.91
The Big Short Par .86 (1,990) -36% 432 67.1
Brooklyn FoxSearc/Mongrel .72 (1,620) -31% 443 35.3
Dirty Grandpa Lionsgate/VVS .71 (900) -68% 789 34.5
Where to Invade Next Drafthouse .62 (2,250) -31% 275 2.1
Neerja Fox Intl .60 (8,160) NEW 73 0.6
13 Hours: Secret Soldiers of Benghazi Par .59 (980) -61% 601 51.7
Daddy’s Home Par .55 (1,350) -47% 408 147.7
Spotlight Open Road/eOne .49 (1,220) -30% 401 38.1
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) $134.95
% Change (Last Year) 19%
% Change (Last Week) -42%
Also debuting/expanding
45 Years IFC/Mongrel .32 (1,280) -53% 248 3.6
Room 424/Elevation .40 (1,130) -26% 352 12.6
2016 Oscar Shorts Magnolia .22 (1,110) -56% 202 2.3
Channo Kamli Yaar Di Punjabi .15 (5,920) 25 0.15
A Violent Prosecutor Dreamwest .12 (4,580) 26 0.12
Le Petit prince Seville .11 (2,220) -22% 51 0.28
Carol Weinstein Co. .10 (1,000) -49% 101 12.3
Walang Forever ABS .10 (1,470) 67 0.1
Belle & Sebastien – L’aventure continue Seville 88,300 (1,700) 52 0.08
Son of Saul Sony Classics 81,600 (1,090) -5% 75 1.1
Embrace of the Serpent Oscilloscope 59,400 (9,900) 6 0.06
Sethupathi Zeus 55,600 (1,680) 33 0.06
Mustang Cohen/Mongrel 41,500 (1,660) -26% 25 0.87
Forsaken Momentum 24,200 (590) 41 0.02
Miruthan ATMUS 21,300 (580) 37 0.02
Crazy About Tiffany’s Gravitas 9,900 (1,240) 8 0.01
Ange et Gabrielle A-Z Films 8,800 (1,000) 8 0.01
City of Women (reissue) Cohen Media 6,700 (6,700) 1 0.01
Domestic Market Share (January 1 – February 18, 2016)
Distributor (releases) Box Office Market Share
20th Century Fox (8) 506.8 32.90%
Buena Vista (4) 302.8 19.60%
Paramount (5) 196.3 12.70%
Universal (5) 146.9 9.50%
Lionsgate (6) 73.4 4.80%
Sony (7) 62.1 4.00%
Weinstein Co. (6) 50.3 3.30%
Warner Bros. (6) 49.2 3.20%
Focus (2) 32.6 2.10%
STX (2) 30.2 2.00%
Open Road (2) 21.4 1.40%
Fox Searchlight (2) 12.3 0.80%
Other * (63) 57.7 3.70%
1542 100%
* none greater than 0.45%
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Leonard Klady's Friday Estimates
Friday Screens % Chg Cume
Title Gross Thtr % Chgn Cume
Venom 33 4250 NEW 33
A Star is Born 15.7 3686 NEW 15.7
Smallfoot 3.5 4131 -46% 31.3
Night School 3.5 3019 -63% 37.9
The House Wirh a Clock in its Walls 1.8 3463 -43% 49.5
A Simple Favor 1 2408 -50% 46.6
The Nun 0.75 2264 -52% 111.5
Hell Fest 0.6 2297 -70% 7.4
Crazy Rich Asians 0.6 1466 -51% 167.6
The Predator 0.25 1643 -77% 49.3
Also Debuting
The Hate U Give 0.17 36
Shine 85,600 609
Exes Baggage 75,900 62
NOTA 71,300 138
96 61,600 62
Andhadhun 55,000 54
Afsar 45,400 33
Project Gutenberg 36,000 17
Love Yatri 22,300 41
Hello, Mrs. Money 22,200 37
Studio 54 5,300 1
Loving Pablo 4,200 15
3-Day Estimates Weekend % Chg Cume
No Good Dead 24.4 (11,230) NEW 24.4
Dolphin Tale 2 16.6 (4,540) NEW 16.6
Guardians of the Galaxy 7.9 (2,550) -23% 305.8
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4.8 (1,630) -26% 181.1
The Drop 4.4 (5,480) NEW 4.4
Let's Be Cops 4.3 (1,570) -22% 73
If I Stay 4.0 (1,320) -28% 44.9
The November Man 2.8 (1,030) -36% 22.5
The Giver 2.5 (1,120) -26% 41.2
The Hundred-Foot Journey 2.5 (1,270) -21% 49.4