By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com

The Weekend Report

Not truly turb0charged, but way out in front, The Fate of the Furious cruised to an estimated $38.6 million to lead in its second weekend. A clutch of new releases proved disappointing overall, though Disney’s annual wildlife doc Born in China (opening on Earth Day) was comparatively okay with a $5 million debut.

The rest of the national debuts were below par with distaff revenge thriller Unforgettable bowing with $4.7 million, and the Armenian genocide romantic drama The Promise struggling to $4.1 million. Also grim was the Blair Witch-like Phoenix Forgotten at $1.8 million.

In limited wide release, neither violent romp Free Fire nor stoner comedy Grow House found footing, with respective openings of $1 million and $294,000. There was good response for Filipino romcom Can’t Help Falling in Love at $343,000, but a pancake return of $51,500 for Indian import Noor. In Quebec, French comedy hit Raid dingue failed to translate with a box office of $65,700.

Among exclusive newcomers, only the documentary Citizen Jane: Battle for the City registered a pulse with a $38,400 tally from two planned communities.

Revenues for the frame approached $110 million and dipped a sizeable 37% from the prior weekend. It was a more modest 16% decline from 2016 when the second weekend of The Jungle Book led with $61.5 million. In the bridesmaid slot The Huntsman: Winter’s War debuted to $19.4 million.

While none of the new titles were anticipated to make potent bows, overall results were unusually tepid. Tracking favored Unforgettable with projections in the $7-$8 million range. The official studio response was “very disappointing.” Its exit demos identified the limited crowd as 61% female with 77% aged 25 and older.

The top newcomer was Born in China , which bowed in China last year and finished its run with $9.5 million. Focusing on pandas in the wild, the studio’s annual Earth Day release recalls Disney’s venerable Wildlife Adventures and proved to be one of the series most potent openings.

Much was anticipated for The Promise considering its subject matter and the filmmaker’s earlier success with Hotel Rwanda. Early previews and downbeat critical response damped expectations. Exit demos were unavailable at deadline.

Weekend (estimates) April 21 – 23, 2017
Title Distributor Gross (average) % chng Thtrs Cume
The Fate of the Furious Uni 38.6 (9,110) -61% 4329 163.5
The Boss Baby Fox 12.6 (3,410) -21% 3697 136.9
Beauty and the Beast BV 9.8 (2,960) -28% 3315 470.9
Going in Style WB 5.0 (1,640) -21% 3038 31.7
Born in China BV 5.0 (3,300) NEW 1508 5
Smurfs: The Lost Village Sony 4.8 (1,750) -29% 2737 33.3
Unforgettable WB 4.7 (1,950) NEW 2417 4.7
Gifted Fox Searchlight 4.6 (2,300) 48% 1986 10.8
The Promise Open Road/eOne 4.1 (1,810) NEW 2251 4.1
The Lost City of Z Bleecker Street 2.1 (3,470) 1838% 614 2.3
Phoenix Forgotten Cinelou/D Films 1.8 (1,110) NEW 1633 1.8
Get Out Uni 1.7 (1,740) -44% 965 170.3
The Case for Christ Pure Flix/Mongrel 1.6 (1,270) -43% 1247 11.4
Kong: Skull Island WB 1.5 (1,280) -43% 1203 164
The Zookeeper’s Wife Focus/Elevation 1.4 (1,390) -29% 1033 13.2
Power Rangers Lionsgate 1.4 (1,060) -51% 1292 83.1
Free Fire A24/Elevation 1.0 (950) NEW 1070 1
Logan Fox 1.0 (1,300) -49% 754 223.4
Ghost in the Shell Par .88 (960) -64% 913 39.1
Colossal Neon .57 (2,710) 24% 211 1.3
Their Finest STX .55 (3,130) 59% 176 1.1
Life Sony .47 (640) -25% 730 29.3
Can’t Help Falling in Love ABS .34 (4,900) NEW 70 0.34
Your Name FunImation .33 (1,970) -55% 169 4.1
Grow House Rocky Mountain .29 (470) NEW 624 0.29
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) $104.70 104.7
% Change (Last Year) -16%
% Change (Last Week) -37%
Also debuting/expanding
Manje Bistre White Hill .27 (4,530) -59% 59 1.2
Maudie Mongrel .18 (6,500) 258% 28 0.28
Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall … Sony Classics .13 (7,430) 35% 18 0.27
A Quiet Passion Music Box/Mogrel 77,400 (5,530) 69% 14 0.16
Tommy’s Honor Roadside Attractions 73,400 (820) -65% 89 0.41
Raid dingue Kino/A-Z Films 65,700 (1,830) 36 0.07
Frantz Music Box/Mongrel 73,300 (1,090) -46% 67 0.8
Noor B4U 51,500 (730) 71 0.05
Citizen Jane: Battle for the City IFC 38,400 (19,200) 2 0.04
Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki MUBI 14,600 (2,430) 6 0.01
Slack Bay Kino 6,900 (3,450) 2 0.01
Let It Fall ABC 2,400 (1,200) 2 0.01
Domestic Market Share (January 2 – April 20, 2017)
Distributor (releases) Box Office Market Share
Universal (9) 759.5 22.10%
Buena Vista (4) 609.9 17.70%
20th Century Fox (12) 569.9 16.60%
Warner Bros. (11) 440.1 12.80%
Lionsgate (10) 362.9 10.60%
Paramount (10) 192.9 5.60%
Sony (8) 156.4 4.60%
Weinstein Co. (3) 62.9 1.80%
Open Road (4) 34.1 1.00%
CBS (2) 32.6 0.95%
STX (4) 29.6 0.85%
Focus (7) 27.8 0.80%
Fox Searchlight (5) 21.2 0.60%
A24 (2) 19.1 0.50%
Roadside Attractions (3) 17.8 0.55%
Other * (105) 102.6 3.00%
3439.3 100%
* none greater than 0.35%
Top Domestic Titles (January 2 – April 20, 2017)
Title Distributor Box Office
Beauty and the Beast BV 461,124,384
Logan Fox 222,428,262
The Lego Batman Movie WB 173,972,739
Get Out Uni 168,638,145
Hidden Figures * Fox 166,322,889
Kong: Skull Island WB 162,423,946
Split Uni 137,853,380
The Fate of the Furious Uni 124,896,220
The Boss Baby Fox 124,241,870
La La Land * Lionsgate 116,690,917
Fifty Shades Darker Uni 114,534,596
Rogue One * BV 107,594,089
Sing * Uni 103,754,500
John Wick: Chapter 2 Lionsgate 91,846,388
Power Rangers Lionsgate 81,687,052
A Dog’s Purpose Uni 64,059,050
The Shack Lionsgate 56,430,689
Lion * Weinstein Co. 45,466,197
The Great Wall Uni 45,254,751
xXx: Return of Xander Cage Par 45,092,492
* does not include 2016 box office
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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