By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com
The Weekend Report
The righteous prevailed as Justice League dominated the marketplace with an estimated $95.6 million debut. Counterprogramming still proved effective with Wonder charting second with a potent $27.1 million and inspirational animated The Star grossing $9.8 million.
Exclusives were led by Roman J. Israel, Esq., which launched at four locations to $64,700 prior to a wide expansion Wednesday. Expansions of Lady Bird and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri sizzled as early favorites in an awards season that’s just starting. Indian imports had bland returns with Tamil Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru opening to $243,000, while Hindi Tumhari Sulu< entered with a $182,000 box office. Also soft was The Ghost Bride> from the Philippines with a $47,600 tally from 39 haunts.
Expectations were high for Justice League while critical response faulted its somber tone at the expense of simple fun. Nonetheless industry trackers predicted a debut of more than $100 million and the film came close to a bullseye on the domestic front. A studio spokesman admitted that both domestic and international results were below internal projections, but that holiday viewing could improve its vitality. Exit demos identified the audience as 58% male with 69% aged 25-years and older.
The costumed crusaders opened in 65 foreign markets to an estimated $185 million. China led with $51 million.Justice was strong in Latin territories, with Brazil leading with $14 million and Mexico posting $9.5 million. Other hefty grossers included the UK with $9.8 million and Australia opening with $6.3 million.
Revenues for the session touched $200 million and improved 35% from last weekend. It was a 28% uptick from 2016 when the debut of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them led with a $74.4 million debut and Doctor Strange took bridesmaid spot with $17.8 million.
Audience response to Wonder was jaw-dropping. Few expected the uplifting tear-jerker to gross more than $18 million and industry mavens are doing a collective-head scratch to explain. Even factoring in potent word-of-mouth and social media buzz fails to explain its potent debut. Unsurprisingly it tilted 58% female with 66% of the audience aged 25 and older.
The Star also significantly topped high-end estimates of $8 million. The tale of Joseph and Mary’s donkey appeared to be the sort of hokum that draws family audiences, which comprised 61% of viewers. Nonetheless 55% of the audience was aged 25 and older. Females accounted for 62% of the audience.
| Weekend (estimates) November 17 – 19, 2017 | |||||
| Title | Distributor | Gross (average) | % chng | Thtrs | Cume |
| Justice League | WB | 95.6 (23,620) | NEW | 4052 | 95.6 |
| Wonder | Lionsgate | 27.1 (8,760) | NEW | 3096 | 27.1 |
| Thor: Ragnarok | BV | 21.7 (5,340) | -62% | 4060 | 247.3 |
| Daddy’s Home 2 | Par | 14.8 (4,130) | -50% | 3575 | 50.5 |
| Murder on the Orient Express | Fox | 13.7 (4,080) | -52% | 3354 | 51.6 |
| The Star | Sony | 9.8 (3,470) | NEW | 2837 | 9.8 |
| A Bad Moms Christmas | STX/eOne | 6.9 (2,330) | -40% | 2948 | 50.9 |
| Lady Bird | A24/Elevation | 2.5 (10,420) | 107% | 238 | 4.7 |
| Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | Fox Searchlight | 1.1 (21,540) | 248% | 52 | 1.6 |
| Jigsaw | Lionsgate | 1.1 (900) | -69% | 1201 | 36.5 |
| Blade Runner 2046 | WB | .61 (1,300) | -58% | 466 | 89.3 |
| Boo 2! A Madea Halloween | Lionsgate | .49 (680) | -76% | 718 | 46.7 |
| Geostorm | WB | .39 (780) | -76% | 502 | 32.6 |
| Loving Vincent | Good Deed | .38 (1,800) | -25% | 212 | 4.6 |
| Let There Be Light | Atlas | .34 (630) | -70% | 542 | 6.7 |
| The Florida Project | A24/Elevation | .31 (1,440) | -42% | 217 | 4.3 |
| The Lego Ninjago Movie | WB | .25 (550) | -69% | 455 | 58.9 |
| Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru | ATMUS | .24 (2,610) | NEW | 93 | 0.28 |
| Only the Brave | Sony | .23 (640) | -75% | 363 | 17.6 |
| Happy Death Day | Uni | .22 (510) | -83% | 427 | 55.4 |
| Victoria & Abdul | Focus | .22 (840) | -68% | 257 | 21.7 |
| The Killing of a Sacred Deer | A24 | .18 (970) | -60% | 190 | 2 |
| Tumhari Sulu | Grand Shiwbiz | .18 (2,930) | NEW | 62 | 0.18 |
| Kingsman: The Golden Circle | Fox | .17 (630) | -59% | 271 | 99.7 |
| My Friend Dahmer | FilmRise | .16 (2,010) | -15% | 79 | 0.48 |
| The Foreigner | STX/VVS | .16 (630) | -80% | 250 | 33.9 |
| Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) | $195.40 | ||||
| % Change (Last Year) | 28% | ||||
| % Change (Last Week) | 35% | ||||
| Also debuting/expanding | |||||
| Marshall | Open Road | .13 (480) | -68% | 275 | 8.8 |
| Last Flag Flying | Lionsgate | .12 (1,980) | -33% | 59 | 0.41 |
| Jane | Abramorama | .11 (1,370) | -50% | 84 | 1 |
| LBJ | Electric | 90,500 (670) | -81% | 135 | 2.3 |
| The Square | Magnolia | 89,300 (1,720) | -41% | 52 | 0.61 |
| Wonderstruck | Roadside Attractions | 66,300 (580) | -73% | 114 | 1 |
| Roman J. Israel, Esq. | Sony | 64,700 (16,180) | 4 | 0.06 | |
| Novitiate | Sony Classics | 61,600 (1,010) | 16% | 61 | 0.25 |
| The Ghost Bride | ABS | 47,600 (1,,220) | 39 | 0.04 | |
| Verna | Hum | 44,400 ((1,930) | 23 | 0.04 | |
| The Breadwinner | Gkids | 14,500 (4,830) | 3 | 0.01 | |
| Prematho Mee Karthik | Raman | 10,900 (450) | 24 | 0.01 | |
| The Crime of Monsieur Lange (reissue) | Rialto | 9,300 (9,300) | 1 | 0.01 | |
| Mudbound | Netflix | 5,700 (2,850) | 2 | 0.01 | |
| On the Beach at Night Alone | Cinema Guild | 8,400 (4,200) | 2 | 0.01 | |
| Domestic Market Share (January 2 – November 16, 2017) | |||||
| Distributor (releases) | Box Office (millions) | Market Share | |||
| Warner Bros. (20) | 1786.7 | 19.50% | |||
| Buena Vista (9) | 1607.9 | 17.50% | |||
| Universal (16) | 1450.2 | 15.80% | |||
| 20th Century Fox (23) | 1155.8 | 12.60% | |||
| Sony (20) | 819.5 | 8.90% | |||
| Lionsgate (21) | 675.7 | 7.30% | |||
| Paramount (16) | 446.6 | 4.90% | |||
| STX (8) | 154.7 | 1.70% | |||
| Focus (14) | 139.1 | 1.50% | |||
| Weinstein Co. (7) | 118.8 | 1.30% | |||
| Open Road (9) | 100.2 | 1.10% | |||
| CBS (4) | 69.2 | 0.75% | |||
| Fox Searchlight (11) | 59.1 | 0.65% | |||
| Entertainment (3) | 51.2 | 0.55% | |||
| A24 (12) | 49.7 | 0.55% | |||
| Bleecker Street (6) | 48.9 | 0.50% | |||
| Other * (343) | 452.1 | 4.90% | |||
| 9185.4 | 100% | ||||
| * none greater than .04% | |||||
| Top Domestic Grossers (January 2 – November 16, 2017) | |||||
| Title | Distributor | Box Office | |||
| Beauty and the Beast | BV | 504,014,165 | |||
| Wonder Woman | WB | 412,563,408 | |||
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | BV | 389,813,101 | |||
| Spider-Man: Homecoming | Sony | 334,137,958 | |||
| It | WB | 326,748,251 | |||
| Despicable Me 3 | Uni | 264,069,520 | |||
| Logan | Fox | 226,277,068 | |||
| The Fate of the Furious | Uni | 225,966,192 | |||
| Thor: Ragnarok | BVI | 225,596,170 | |||
| Dunkirk | WB | 188,028,882 | |||
| The Lego Batman Movie | WB | 175,969,510 | |||
| Get Out | Uni | 175,589,248 | |||
| The Boss Baby | Fox | 175,001,663 | |||
| Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales | BV | 172,610,484 | |||
| Kong: Skull Island | WB | 168,583,087 | |||
| Hidden Figures * | Fox | 167,061,097 | |||
| Cars 3 | BV | 153,016,558 | |||
| War for the Planet of the Apes | Fox | 146,865,336 | |||
| Split | Uni | 138,280,171 | |||
| Transformers: The Last Knight | Par | 130,656,140 | |||
| * does not include 2016 box office | |||||
