By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com
The Weekend Report
The Dark Tower edged ahead to take the crown with an estimated $19.4 million. The session also saw two new companies debut their initial national releases. Aviron launched distaff actioner Kidnap to a decent box office of $10 million, slotting fifth. Annapurna’s critically acclaimed Detroit bowed way below expectations with $7.2 million following last weekend’s successful exclusive run on 20.
Exclusive newcomers included strong starts for Columbus of $25,300 at two sites and $144,000 for the dance documentary Step. The biggest noise swept through the thriller Wind River with a $163,000 gross from just four investigations.
In international day-and-dates, Hindi Jab Harry Met Sejal had a solid debut of $1.3 million while Punjabi Toofan Singh landed softly with $54,300 from 32 venues. Filipino rom-com Finally Found Someone was off to a potent start of $507,000. Also strong were South Korea’s Battleship Island with a $380,000 tally and the second weekend of China’s Wolf Warrior II made a big jump to $450,000.
Revenues for the frame generated about $125 million and ebbed back 15% from the prior weekend. It was a more severe 47% decline from 2016 when the opening of Suicide Squad had a jaw dropping $133.7 million start and Jason Bourne was in second with $22.4 million.
The long gestation of a screen adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower included a change of studios and key creative components. Tracking anticipated a debut in the neighborhood of $20 million despite generally withering reviews and indifferent preview screenings. Exit demos identified the audience as 58% male with 68% of viewers aged 25 and older. The film also had a modest international start of roughly $8 million in 19 primarily secondary markets. Its only major territory was Russia where it led with a $4 million debut.
Also fraught with a circuitous production history Kidnap was modestly expected to launch in a range of $8-$10 million. The Halle Berry vehicle skewed 63% female with 73% of its crowd aged 25 and older.
The most acutely-observed opening was unquestionably Detroit, which dipped into the marketplace last weekend, and emerged with a $17,500 average from 20 engagements. Already being touted as an awards heavyweight the chronicle of 1960s race conflict with contemporary resonance was expected to draw a significant audience and gross between $11-$13 million.
A company spokesperson underlined that “we are proud of the picture and hope it will continue to spawn discussion of this critical issue.” Some industry insiders felt that Detroit expanded too quickly and required more TLC to broaden its audience. Exit demos revealed viewers were 52% female with 64% aged 25 and older. The key corridor of 25-34 year olds composed 29% of the total with African Americans at 37%.
An Inconvenient Sequel also added playdates following its exclusive start last weekend and continues to maintain solid per screens in limited release.
Weekend (estimates) August 4 – 6, 2017 | |||||
Title | Distributor | Gross (avg) | % chng | Thtrs | Cume |
The Dark Tower | Sony | 19.4 (5,620) | NEW | 3451 | 19.4 |
Dunkirk | WB | 17.4 (4,340) | -35% | 4014 | 133.4 |
The Emoji Movie | Sony | 12.3 (3,010) | -50% | 4075 | 49.4 |
Girls Trip | Uni | 11.4 (4,410) | -42% | 2582 | 85.4 |
Kidnap | Aviron/eOne | 10.0 (4,220) | NEW | 2378 | 10 |
Spider-Man: Homecoming | Sony | 8.8 (2,820) | -34% | 3116 | 294.9 |
Atomic Blonde | Focus | 8.2 (2,470) | -55% | 3326 | 34.1 |
Detroit | Annapurna/eOne | 7.2 (2,380) | 1948% | 3007 | 7.7 |
War for the Planet of the Apes | Fox | 6.0 (2,230) | -42% | 2704 | 130.3 |
Despicable Me 3 | Uni | 5.3 (2,160) | -30% | 2445 | 240.8 |
Baby Driver | Sony | 2.5 (1,780) | -36% | 1424 | 97.1 |
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets | STX/eOne | 2.4 (1,320) | -63% | 1795 | 36.1 |
Wonder Woman | WB | 2.2 (1,700) | -34% | 1307 | 399.4 |
The Big Sick | Lionsgate/Elevation | 2.2 (2,150) | -32% | 1005 | 33.9 |
Jab Harry Met Sejal | Yash Raj | 1.3 (4,770) | NEW | 279 | 1.3 |
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power | Par | .91 (5,040) | 626% | 180 | 1.1 |
De Pere en Flic 2 | Seville | .60 (7,820) | 83% | 77 | 4.1 |
Cars 3 | BV | .58 (1,200) | -40% | 477 | 147.7 |
Finally Found Someone | ABS | .51 (7,570) | NEW | 67 | 0.51 |
Wolf Warrior II | Well Go | .45 (14,190) | 107% | 32 | 1.1 |
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | BV | .44 (1,750) | 59% | 252 | 388.4 |
The Lion King (reissue) | BV | .43 (1,080) | 400 | 0.43 | |
The Battleship Island | CJ | .38 (9,240) | 41 | 0.44 | |
Wish Upon | Broad Green | .29 (850) | -69% | 345 | 13.8 |
Transformers: The Last | Par | .27 (830) | -52% | 322 | 129.4 |
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) | $119.20 | ||||
% Change (Last Year) | -47% | ||||
% Change (Last Week) | -15% | ||||
Also debuting/expanding | |||||
Maudie | Mongrel/Sony Classics | .25 (1,350) | -24% | 187 | 4.7 |
Landline | Magnolia | .22 (1,580) | 75% | 141 | 0.49 |
Wind River | Weinstein Co. | .16 (40,800) | 4 | 0.16 | |
Lady Macbeth | Roadside Attractions | .16 (1,200) | -11% | 131 | 0.73 |
Step | Fox Searchlight | .14 (4,980) | 29 | 0.14 | |
A Ghost Story | A24 | .14 (680) | -62% | 208 | 1.3 |
The Midwife | Music Box | 81,600 (1,900) | 3% | 43 | 0.23 |
Menashe | A24 | 79,800 (7,980) | 28% | 10 | 0.18 |
The Little Hours | Gunpowder & Sky | 74,700 (1,240) | -37% | 60 | 1.3 |
Toofan Singh | White Hill | 54,300 (1,700) | 32 | 0.05 | |
Brigsby Bear | Sony Classics | 41,500 (2,770) | 5% | 15 | 0.1 |
The Trip to Spain | eOne | 31,600 (4,510) | 7 | 0.03 | |
Brice 3 | Seville | 30,100 (1,670) | 18 | 0.03 | |
We Love You, Sally Carmichael | Purdie | 25,900 (3,700) | 7 | 0.03 | |
Columbus | Superlative | 25,300 (12,650) | 2 | 0.03 | |
Brave New Jersey | Gravitas | 15,100 (1,160) | 13 | 0.02 | |
Some Freaks | Good Deed | 6,400 (640) | 10 | 0.01 | |
Domestic Market Share (January 2 – August 3, 2017) | |||||
Distributor (releases) | Box Office | Market Share | |||
Buena Vista (8) | 1373.1 | 20.00% | |||
Universal (12) | 1258 | 18.30% | |||
Warner Bros. (17) | 1090.1 | 15.90% | |||
20th Century Fox (18) | 962.7 | 14.00% | |||
Sony (14) | 616.5 | 9.00% | |||
Lionsgate (14) | 476.3 | 6.90% | |||
Paramount (13) | 382.8 | 5.60% | |||
Focus (12) | 84.8 | 1.20% | |||
STX (6) | 80.6 | 1.20% | |||
Weinstein Co. (4) | 63.1 | 0.90% | |||
Entertainment (2) | 46 | 0.65% | |||
Fox Searchlight (6) | 42.6 | 0.60% | |||
Open Road (5) | 41.4 | 0.60% | |||
A24 (8) | 37.9 | 0.55% | |||
CBS (3) | 32.9 | 0.50% | |||
Other * (214) | 278.2 | 4.10% | |||
6867 | 100% | ||||
* none greater than 0.4% |
THANKS, the Philippines’ movie has been included…