By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com
The Weekend Report
Spinning to record highs, Spider-Man: Homecoming left the competition in the distance with an estimated $116.2 million debut. The absence of counter-programming again underlines the majors’ growing lack of confidence in that strategy.
A couple of exclusive debuts had encouraging starts, but only the meditative A Ghost Story raised goosebumps with a $106,000 launch from four hauntings. The slow rollout of The Big Sick continues as a commercial powerhouse, with $3.7 million from 326 screens. The season has also offered strong responses for Beatriz at Dinner, The Hero and Paris Can Wait. Canada has local heroes with Bon Cop Bad Cop 2 and Maudie.
Among international day-and-dates, Indian imports saw a strong debut for Telugu Ninnu Kori of $723,000 and an okaky start for Hindi Mom at $249,000.
Revenues for the session climbed to about $210 million and rose 22% from last weekend. It was a modest 4% decline from 2016 when The Secret Life of Pets opened to $104.4 million with The Legend of Tarzan in the bridesmaid slot with $21 million.
Following a cameo in the most recent Captain America entry, Spider-Man: Homecoming introduced a new Peter Parker and expectations were high for a $100-million-plus debut. Strong previews and positive response on social media helped meet that goal in a global juggernaut that lifted flagging studio morale. It was Sony’s second largest all-time domestic debut, beat only by confrère Spider-Man 3.
The film opened simultaneously in 56 markets to an estimated $140 million. South Korea was top grosser at $25.8 million. Other potent starts included Mexico at $12 million, the U.K. with $11.8 million, Russia at $7.8 million and the usually tough-to-crack Indian market bowing with a sterling $6.5 million. Among the top territories yet to open were China, France, Germany and Japan.
Studio exit polls identified the domestic audience as 59% male with 57% of viewers aged 25 and younger. 3-D engagements spun 28% of the domestic box office with $11 million of that from large format play dates.
Despicable Me 3 had a comparable overseas weekend box office that included a $66 million bow in China, which set a new benchmark for an animated film there.
| Weekend (estimates) July 7 – 9, 2017 | |||||
| Title | Distributor | Gross (average) | % chng | Thtrs | Cume |
| Spider-Man: Homecoming | Sony | 116.2 (26,730) | NEW | 4348 | 116.2 |
| Despicable Me 3 | Uni | 34.0 (7,490) | -53% | 4535 | 149.2 |
| Baby Driver | Sony | 12.8 (3,970) | -38% | 3226 | 56.9 |
| Wonder Woman | WB | 10.0 (3,240) | -36% | 3091 | 368.7 |
| Transformers: The Last Knight | Par | 6.3 (1,940) | -63% | 3241 | 118.9 |
| Cars 3 | BV | 5.6 (2,060) | -43% | 2702 | 133.7 |
| The House | WB | 4.8 (1,530) | -45% | 3134 | 18.6 |
| The Big Sick | Lionsgate/Elevation | 3.7 (11,290) | 123% | 326 | 6.9 |
| 47 Meters Down | Entertainment/VVS | 2.7 (1,560) | -40% | 1740 | 38.4 |
| The Beguiled | Focus | 2.1 (2,200) | -35% | 941 | 7.4 |
| Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales | BV | 1.2 (1,150) | -53% | 1039 | 168.8 |
| The Mummy | Uni | 1.1 (1,090) | -64% | 1045 | 77.9 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | BV | .85 (1,300) | -44% | 660 | 383.6 |
| Ninnu Kori | RedHeart | .72 (5,090) | NEW | 142 | 0.72 |
| The Hero | Orchard | .62 (1,390) | -26% | 447 | 2.8 |
| All Eyez on Me | Lionsgate/VVS | .61 (1,020) | -66% | 599 | 44.3 |
| Beatriz at Dinner | Roadside Attractions | .50 (1,180) | -53% | 417 | 6 |
| Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie | Fox | .33 (800) | -71% | 407 | 70.5 |
| Rough Night | Sony | .29 (740) | -77% | 388 | 21.5 |
| Mom | Zee Studios | .25 (2,620) | NEW | 95 | 0.25 |
| Megan Leavey | Bleecker/Elevation | .22 (860) | -55% | 254 | 12.4 |
| The Boss Baby | Fox | .19 (980) | -13% | 195 | 173.9 |
| The Little Hours | Gunpowder & Sky | .19 (5,080) | 205% | 37 | 0.28 |
| Maudie | Mongrel/Sony Classics | .18 (2,720) | 86% | 67 | 2.8 |
| Baywatch | Par | .18 (920) | -28% | 193 | 57.6 |
| Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) | 203.8 | ||||
| % Change (Last Year) | -4% | ||||
| % Change (Last Week) | 22% | ||||
| Also debuting/expanding | |||||
| Paris Can Wait | Sony Classics | .15 (1,180) | -42% | 131 | 5.1 |
| Bon Cop Bad Cop 2 | Seville | .14 (3,020) | -18% | 47 | 4.9 |
| A Ghost Story | A24 | .11 (26,570) | 4 | 0.11 | |
| The Exception | A24 | 65,300 (1,360) | -27% | 48 | 0.51 |
| Our Time Will Come | China Lion | 48,700 (2,860) | 18 | 0.05 | |
| Guest in London | B4U | 28,500 (920) | 31 | 0.03 | |
| City of Ghosts | IFC | 14,400 (7,200) | 2 | 0.01 | |
| Anarchist from Colony | Media Asia | 10,100 (5,050) | 2 | 0.01 | |
| Hickock | Cinedgm | 4,900 (410) | 12 | 0.01 | |
| Swim Team | Argot | 4,200 (4,200) | 1 | 0.01 | |
| Domestic Market Share (January 2 – July 6, 2017) | |||||
| Distributor (releases) | Box Office | Market Share | |||
| Buena Vista (8) | 1347.2 | 23.10% | |||
| Universal (11) | 1060.3 | 18.20% | |||
| Warner Bros. (16) | 923.5 | 15.80% | |||
| 20th Century Fox (17) | 834.3 | 14.30% | |||
| Lionsgate (14) | 448.2 | 7.70% | |||
| Paramount (12) | 365.4 | 6.30% | |||
| Sony (11) | 255.2 | 4.40% | |||
| Weinstein Co. (4) | 63.1 | 1.10% | |||
| Focus (11) | 53.5 | 0.90% | |||
| STX (5) | 50.6 | 0.85% | |||
| Fox Searchlight (6) | 42.4 | 0.70% | |||
| Open Road (5) | 41.4 | 0.70% | |||
| Entertainment (2) | 38.9 | 0.65% | |||
| A24 (6) | 36.3 | 0.60% | |||
| CBS (3) | 32.9 | 0,55% | |||
| Roadside Attractions (6) | 26.7 | 0.45% | |||
| Other * (179) | 209.1 | 3.60% | |||
| 5829 | 100% | ||||
| * none greater than 0.4% | |||||
