The Weekend Report

The nation definitely has It as horror held sway in its second weekend with an estimated $59.4 million. That left a pair of newcomers scrambling for scraps. The high octane thriller American Assassin was a distance second with OK response of $14.6 million while parable paradise mother! had a chilling response of $7.5 million.

Exclusive openers were bleak with exception of the doc Ex Libris booking $10,800 on a Manhattan solo and middle-aged comedy Brad’s Status with a $98,300 debut from four venues. In international day-and-dates, a handful of Indian imports fizzled, with the best of the bunch Simran grossing $238,000.

Revenues for the session generated close to $110 million and dipped 33% from last weekend. It was however a 24% improvement from 2016 when the second weekend of Sully led with $21.6 million and newcomers Blair Witch, Bridget Jones’s Baby and Snowden failed to click with respective starts of $9.6 million, $8.6 million and $8 million.

Industry trackers suggested American Assassin would likely bow in a $12-$14 million range. It pushed above its weight as an unlikely counter-programmer. It unsurprisingly swung 55% male, with 71% of the audience aged 35 and older.

Pundits projected a low teen result for mother! but Friday matinees clearly indicated only a miracle would result in an eight-figure return. The film’s previous October date would have at least provided some distance from the It juggernaut. Audience and some critical response was withering. The admittedly questionable Cinemascore rating polled audience response at an “F” — rating that only about a dozen films have ever gotten. Studio exit polling identified scare-mongers as 56% female with 72% at 25 and older.

The curious case of a single-picture marketplace will likely be shaken upnext weekend with the arrival of The Lego Ninjago Movie and the Kingsman sequel.

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