By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com
The Weekend Report
The Split held sway at the box office with a second weekend estimate of $26.2 million. Nipping at its heels was newcomer A Dog’s Purpose that wow bowed at $18.4 million. Also debuting were a fond farewell for Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, slotting fourth with $13.5 million and pure pyrite for Gold that opened to $3.4 million.
Exclusive newcomers were dominated by Iran’s short-listed The Salesman with a solid $68,700 from three screens. Another foreign-language nominee, Toni Erdmann, added a few playdates to excellent effect.
Many of the Oscar contenders including Manchester By the Sea, Arrival, La La Land, Moonlight and Hacksaw Ridge added significant numbesr of theaters to good, but hardly second-wind results.
Among international day-and-dates, Mexican Un Padre no Tan Padre grossed an OK $982,000 following its $4.2 million tally on home turf after four weeks. Indian imports were back in force with a potent $1.8 million bow for Raees and fair results of $684,000 for another Hindi offering, Kaabil. Chinese freshmen Buddies in India and Kung Fu Yoga both received good starts with respective box office of $183,000 and $109,000. The Japanese anime Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions debuted with $749,000 and South Korea’s The King opened to $158,000.
Revenues for the session pushed past $140 million and slipped a modest 3% from last weekend. It was a comparably slim 1% improvement from 2016 when the debut of Kung Fu Panda dominated with a $41.3 million launch. The frame also saw its first $100 million grosser in the new calendar for Oscar hopeful Hidden Figures.
A Dog’s Purpose‘s solid opening was comparable to a kennel of howlers that included Hotel for Dogs, Snow Dogs and Eight Below. The audience was 56% female with 47% identified as families. No stats were available on the percentage of dog and cat owners. A Dog’s Purpose also opened in 20 foreign markets to an estimated $5 million. Mexico contributed with $1.8 million and Brazil grossed $820,000.
The finale of Resident Evil bowed a month ago in Japan where it’s rocked audiences to $35 million. The latest installment bowed on the high end of tracking estimates in a franchise that has generated more than $1 billion theatrically, not to mention a financial gusher in ancillaries. Studio exit demos identified the audience as 56% female with 55% aged 25 and over.
Gold received an Oscar qualifying run (as did it stablemate The Founder) that failed to coalesce with Academy voters. Its general release mirrored that indifference and the company will have to console itself with vigorous campaigning for Lion.
| Weekend (estimates) January 27 – 29, 2017 | |||||
| Title | Distributor | Gross (avg) | % chng | Thtrs | Cume |
| Split | Uni | 26.2 (8,200) | -34% | 3199 | 78 |
| A Dog’s Purpose | Uni | 18.4 (6,010) | NEW | 3058 | 18.4 |
| Hidden Figures | Fox | 13.9 (4,160) | -11% | 3351 | 104 |
| Resident Evil: Final Chapter | Sony | 13.5 (4,340) | NEW | 3104 | 13.5 |
| La La Land | Lionsgate | 12.1 (3,850) | 43% | 3136 | 106.5 |
| xXx: Return of Xander Cage | Par | 8.3 (2,280) | -59% | 3651 | 33.6 |
| Sing | Uni | 6.2 (2,290) | -31% | 2702 | 257.4 |
| Rogue One | BV | 5.1 (2,500) | -29% | 2049 | 520 |
| Monster Trucks | Par | 4.1 (1,630) | -42% | 2496 | 28.1 |
| Gold | Weinstein | 3.4 (1,590) | NEW | 2166 | 3.4 |
| Patriots Day | CBS | 2.8 (1,530) | -51% | 1847 | 28.4 |
| The Founder | Weinstein | 2.6 (2,360) | -23% | 1115 | 7.5 |
| Moana | BV | 2.4 (1,290) | -10% | 1894 | 240.1 |
| Lion | Weinstein | 2.3 (4,070) | 33% | 575 | 19.7 |
| Manchester By the Sea | Roadside | 1.9 (1,650) | 103% | 1168 | 41.4 |
| Raes | Zee Studios | 1.8 (6,830) | NEW | 265 | 2.4 |
| Sleepless | Open Road | 1.7 (1,620) | -50% | 1055 | 17.8 |
| Arrival | Par | 1.5 (1,210) | 363% | 1221 | 97.3 |
| Moonlight | A24/Elevation | 1.5 (1,330) | 147% | 1104 | 17.7 |
| Fences | Par | 1.4 (1,600) | 16% | 880 | 50.8 |
| The Bye Bye Man | STX/VVS | 1.2 (1,040) | -66% | 1127 | 21.9 |
| Un Padre no Tan Padre | Lionsgate | 1.0 (3,150) | NEW | 312 | 1 |
| Passengers | Sony | 1.0 (1,560) | -57% | 625 | 96.3 |
| 20th Century Women | A24 | .87 (1,340) | -37% | 650 | 3.9 |
| Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions | 4K Media | .75 (1,300) | NEW | 577 | 0.75 |
| Kaabil | B4U | .68 (2,640) | NEW | 259 | 0.83 |
| Jackie | Fox Searchlight | .65 (1,280) | 72% | 508 | 12.2 |
| Silence | Par | .55 (1,750) | -52% | 316 | 6.3 |
| Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) | $137.90 | ||||
| % Change (Last Year) | 1% | ||||
| % Change (Last Week) | -3% | ||||
| Also debuting/expanding | |||||
| Buddies in India | China Lion | .18 (3,330) | 55 | 0.18 | |
| Paterson | Bleecker Street | .17 (3,300) | 29% | 51 | 0.79 |
| The King | AG Entertainment | .16 (5,640) | 28 | 0.16 | |
| Elle | Sony Classics | .12 (970) | 13% | 128 | 1.8 |
| Julieta | Sony Classics | .12 (2,490) | 31% | 48 | 0.84 |
| Kung Fu Yoga | Well Go | .11 (7,780) | 14 | 0.11 | |
| Toni Erdmann | Sony Classics | .10 (4,980) | 267% | 20 | 0.38 |
| The Salesman | Cohen Media | 68,700 (22,900) | 3 | 0.07 | |
| The Red Turtle | Sony Classics | 61,300 (4,090) | 192% | 15 | 0.11 |
| Jomonte Suviseshangal | Full Moon | 54,200 (3,610) | 15 | 0.05 | |
| Ang Babae se Septic Tank 2 | ABS | 17,600 (630) | 28 | 0.02 | |
| Confidential Assignment | CJ | 17,200 (8,600) | 2 | 0.02 | |
| Paris 05:59: Theo & Hugo | Wolfe | 8,900 (2,220) | 4 | 0.01 | |
| Get the Girl | Orion | 2,800 (280) | 10 | 0.01 | |
| Midsummer in Newton | Participant | 2,600 (1,300) | 2 | 0.01 | |
