By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com
The Weekend Report
The final installment of Maze Runner, The Death Cure, navigated to the top of the weekend charts with an estimated $23.6 million. Also debuting nationally was Hostiles following five weeks in limited release. Padmaavat cracked the top 10 with a near-record $4.4 million. Following several delays it was released worldwide Thursday and sparked violent demonstrations in India by fundamentalists.
Another Indian import – Telugu Bhaagamathe – also had a strong start of $763,000 and the Filipino comedy Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes had a potent $237,000 opening.
Capitalizing on last week’s Oscar nominations the likes of The Shape of Water, Lady Bird, I, Tonya and Three Billboards added a significant number of playdates. The result can be best characterized as an Oscar flutter that should continue through the remainder of the awards season. This year’s absence of a clear frontrunner is a mixed blessing with a greater number of films benefitting from exposure but no film getting a dramatic boost.
Revenues for the frame inched close to $145 million and experienced a modest 4% gain from last weekend. It was an infinitesimal 0.6% improvement from 2017 when the second weekend of Split led with $25.6 million and newcomer A Dog’s Purpose took the bridesmaid spot with $18.2 million.
The dystopian YA series Maze Runner trotted to the finish line with The Death Cure. Never quite The Hunger Games commercially the trilogy has been a decent performer especially in the international arena where this installment opened last weekend in four territories to an impressive $15 million. Studio exit polls identified the domestic crowd as 51% female with 57% of viewers 25 and younger.
The Death Cure opened in an additional 68 territories this weekend and added about $62 million to its larder with a handful of major markets including France, Germany and Mexico yet to open.
| Weekend (estimates) January 26 – 28, 2018 | |||||
| Title | Distributor | Gross (avg) | % chng | Thtrs | Cume |
| Maze Runner: The Death Cure | WB | 23.6 (6,220) | NEW | 3787 | 23.6 |
| Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | Sony | 16.3 (4,590) | -16% | 3553 | 338 |
| Hostiles | Ent Studios/Elev | 10.1 (3,580) | 2979% | 2815 | 11.9 |
| The Greatest Showman | Fox | 9.6 (3,600) | -10% | 2663 | 126.6 |
| The Post | Fox | 8.9 (3,380) | -24% | 2640 | 58.6 |
| 12 Strong | WB | 8.6 (2,840) | -46% | 3018 | 29.7 |
| Den of Thieves | STX/VVS | 8.4 (3,460) | -45% | 2432 | 28.5 |
| The Shape of Water | Fox Searchlight | 5.7 (3,090) | 162% | 1854 | 37.7 |
| Paddington 2 | WB | 5.6 (2,010) | -30% | 2792 | 32.1 |
| Padmaavat | Viva | 4.4 (13,520) | NEW | 324 | 4.9 |
| Star Wars: The Last Jedi | BV | 4.1 (2,370) | -37% | 1745 | 610.7 |
| Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Mo | Fox Searchlight | 3.6 (2,480) | 89% | 1457 | 37 |
| Forever My Girl | Roadside/Elevation | 3.5 (2,450) | -18% | 1422 | 9 |
| The Commuter | Lionsgate/VVS | 3.4 (1,890) | -48% | 1811 | 31.4 |
| Insidious: The Last Key | Uni | 3.2 (1,680) | -46% | 1901 | 63.5 |
| I, Tonya | Neon | 3.0 (3,090) | 4% | 960 | 18.8 |
| Phantom Thread | Focus | 2.9 (2,820) | -11% | 1021 | 10.6 |
| Darkest Hour | Focus | 2.9 (2,150) | 6% | 1333 | 45.2 |
| Lady Bird | A24/Elevation | 1.9 (1,600) | 57% | 1177 | 41.6 |
| Coco | BV | 1.5 (2,350) | -24% | 621 | 202.7 |
| Proud Mary | Sony | 1.4 (1,370) | -62% | 1003 | 19.3 |
| Pitch Perfect 3 | Uni | 1.3 (1,260) | -57% | 1039 | 102.7 |
| Call Me By Your Name | Sony Classics | 1.3 (1,570) | -11% | 815 | 11.3 |
| Ferdinand | Fox | .96 (1,420) | -43% | 675 | 80.5 |
| Molly’s Game | STX/eOne | .88 (1,590) | -46% | 556 | 25.9 |
| Bhaagamathie | Great India | .76 (6,520) | NEW | 117 | 0.76 |
| Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) | $137.80 | ||||
| % Change (Last Year) | 1% | ||||
| % Change (Last Week) | 4% | ||||
| Also debuting/expanding | |||||
| Dunkirk (Oscar reissue) | WB | .18 (570) | 311 | 0.18 | |
| Get Out (Oscar reissue) | Uni | .17 (350) | 471 | 0.17 | |
| Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes | ABS | .24 (5,640) | 42 | 0.24 | |
| Mary and the Witch’s Flower | Gkids | .13 (1,710) | -60% | 77 | 1.8 |
| Hochelaga, Terre des ames | Seville | .11 (3,080) | -17% | 36 | 0.34 |
| The Disaster Artist | A24/Elevation | .10 (1,180) | -43% | 84 | 20.9 |
| Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds | Well Go | 61,300 (3,830) | -41% | 16 | 1.8 |
| The Insult | Cohen Media | 59,200 (5,920) | 155% | 10 | 0.14 |
| Cuando los Hijos Regresan | Tribe | 25,500 (1,210) | 21 | 0.03 | |
| Les Scenes fortuites | Entract | 17,300 (8,650) | 2 | 0.02 | |
| Keys to the Heart | CJ | 13,800 (6,900) | 2 | 0.01 | |
| Have a Nice Day | Strand | 10,900 (10,900) | 1 | 0.01 | |
| American Folk | Good Deed | 7,600 (690) | 11 | 0.01 | |
| The Competition | Gravitas | 7,100 (790) | 8 | 0.01 | |
| Like Me | Kino | 5,500 (1,830) | 3 | 0.01 | |
| Hollow in the Land | Elevation | 3,800 (3,800) | 1 | 0.01 | |
