By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com

The Weekend Report

Sully was redeemed again with a strong estimated hold of $21.7 million that led weekend viewing. The anticipated horse race with Blair Witch simply didn’t happen with the ghoster a distant second with $9.6 million. Also disappointing among new national releases was the $8.2 million bow of Bridget Jones’ Baby while Snowden was on target with tracking at $7.9 million.

In limited wide, inspirational doc Hillsong – Let Hope Rise failed to reach the faithful with a $1.4 million tally and the return of Eddie Murphy in Mr. Church went largely unattended with $344,000. In the niches, Hindi Pink was off to a good start of $348,000 and Ron Howard’s The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years trilled a tuneful $611,000 at 85 venues. None of the exclusive releases rang up potent results.

Revenues for the frame pushed to about $90 million for a 13% decline from last weekend. It was a steeper 22% drop from 2015, when the launch of Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials and Black Mass led with opening grosses of $30.3 million and $22.6 million.

The reboot of Blair Witch was anticipated to gross close to $20 million but once screening responses came out, that  was pared to a mid-teens result. Critical response and buzz on social media proved withering and fan boys and girls gave it a wide berth. The brave disbelievers were 56% male with 61% aged 25-years and older.

More of a head-scratcher was Bridget Jones’ Baby, which encountered skepticism for both a twelve year absence and an undistinguished sequel. Early reports were laudatory and tracking suggested an opening in the low-to-mid teens. The audience skewed to, no great surprise, female with 79% of viewers but the core 17-34 year old core was a mere 26% with 72% aged 35 years and older.

International openings were the opposite where the character was beloved in the UK to the tune of $11 million. It opened in 39 foreign climes to an estimated $30 million. Despite its controversial subject, Snowden proved to be a relatively tame, if unabashedly pro perspective of the whistleblower. It hit modest estimations but failed to get the critical traction necessary for an early award season momentum akin to last year’s Spotlight, from the same distrib, Open Road.

Weekend (estimates) September 16 – 18, 2016
Title Distributor Gross (average) % chng Thtrs Cume
Sully WB 21.7 (6,150) -38% 3525 70.2
Blair Witch Lionsgate 9.6 (3,080) NEW 3121 9.6
Bridget Jones’ Baby Uni 8.2 (2,810) NEW 2927 8.2
Snowden Open Road 7.9 (3,240) NEW 2443 7.9
Don’t Breathe Sony 5.5 (1,710) -33% 3208 75.2
When the Bough Breaks Sony 5.5 (2,440) -61% 2246 22.6
Suicide Squad WB 4.7 (1,720) -18% 2740 313.8
The Wild Life Lionsgate 2.6 (1,050) -22% 2493 6.6
Kubo and the Two Strings Focus 2.5 (1,420) -24% 1757 44.2
Pete’s Dragon BV 2.1 (1,060) -33% 1948 72.8
Hell or High Water CBS/VVS 1.9 (1,270) -22% 1505 22.7
Bad Moms STX/eOne 1.7 (1,170) -33% 1486 110
Hillsong – Let Hope Rise Pure Flix 1.4 (1,700) NEW 816 1.4
No Manches Frida Lionsgate 1.2 (2,720) -41% 456 9.2
The Secret Life of Pets Uni 1.2 (1,170) -23% 1005 363.3
Sausage Party Sony 1.2 (1,000) -49% 1181 95.3
Jason Bourne Uni 1.1 (1,060) -38% 1008 160.4
War Dogs WB 1.0 (1,120) -51% 902 41.7
Mechanic: Resurrection Lionsgate/VVS .82 (860) -52% 958 20.2
The Light Between Oceans BV .75 (660) -59% 1133 11.2
Star Trek Beyond Par .62 (1,220) -33% 508 157.6
The Beatles: 8 Days a Week Abramorama .61 (7,210) NEW 85 0.61
Florence Foster Jenkins Par/eOne .39 (680) -55% 567 26.6
The Disappointments Room Relativity .38 (240) -73% 1554 2.2
Pink NH .35 (4,900) NEW 71 0.35
Mr. Church FreeStyle .34 (970) NEW 354 0.34
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) $83.80
% Change (Last Year) -22%
% Change (Last Week) -13%
Also debuting/expanding
Don’t Think Twice Film Arcade .19 (1,360) -35% 140 3.8
The Hollars Sony Classics .12 (1,210) 85% 97 0.4
Café Society LGF/Mongrel 88,300 (990) -37% 89 10.9
Captain Fantastic Bleecker St/e1 85,400 (1,030) -6% 83 5.6
Dharam Yudh Morcha Singh 72,800 (4,040) 18 0.07
Kicks Focus 63,400 (980) 97% 65 0.1
Cock and Bull China Lion 32,300 (2,690) 12 0.03
S Storm Media Asia 31,700 (2,880) 11 0.03
Embrasses-moi comme tu m’aimes Filmoption 27,100 (1,810) 15 0.03
Actor in Law Urdu 23,900 (1,040) 23 0.02
The Last Descent Excel 22,600 (1,410) 16 0.02
3 Weeks in Yerevan Richmond 21,500 (7,170) 3 0.02
Wild Oats Weinstein Co. 18,800 (190) 100 0.02
The Vessel Filmbuff 11,600 (610) 19 0.01
La Notte (reissue) Rialto 9,900 (4,950) 2 0.01
Live Another Day Dalton 8,200 (150) 55 0.01
Operation Avalanche Lionsgate 5,600 (2,800) 2 0.01
Tanna Lightyear 5,400 (2,700) 2 0.01
Command and Control PBS 5,100 (2,550) 2 0.01
Be Sociable, Share!

Comments are closed.

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