The Weekend Report

Black Panther held sway at the multiplex with a third weekend estimated tally of $66.3 million. The session’s two new national releases followed with Red Sparrow opening to $16.8 million and a resurrected MGM debuting Death Wish with $12.8 million.

Hindi Pari was off to a good start of $171,000. And best of the exclusive entries was the Israeli foreign language Oscar submission Foxtrot that grossed $35,300 from four locations.

Revenues for the frame generated about $145 million and shrank 24% from the prior weekend. It was a comparable 23% decline from 2017 when the debut of Oscar-nominated Logan led with a potent $88.4 million and Get Out’s second weekend followed with $28.2 million.

Red Sparrow, a tale of a Russian ballerina chained into espionage, was largely compared to Atomic Blonde and not in a positive fashion. It didn’t get to industry predictions that suggested an $18 million to $20 million start. Studio exit demos identified the audience as 53% female with 79% of viewers aged 25 and older.

The Jennifer Lawrence vehicle also opened in 65 foreign markets to an estimated $26 million. Its top grossing territories were Germany with $2.6 million, the UK grossing $2.5 million and Taiwan with $2.4 million.

The wisdom of getting back into the distribution arena by MGM certainly can’t be determined by a single picture… or the prospects of the next James Bond if it chooses not to auction off the rights to another studio. The original Death Wish back in 1974 was a huge commercial success as well as highly controversial for its perspective of vigilantism. Even its author Brian Garfield felt the screenplay perverted its message. Nonetheless it spawned a handful of sequels over two decades.

The author hasn’t weighed into its new incarnation but critics have largely savaged the effort. It too was slightly below tracking that pegged a $12 million to $14 million domestic launch. The film’s opening crowd was 57% male with 81% aged 25-years and older.

The Big Show will broadcast in a few hours. It’s an odd year in the sense that there’s less of a feeling that someone, anyone will finally receive a long-overdue Oscar; and a tilt toward who will be a surprise winner. With the Academy Awards unspooling three months after the first prize announcements back in December something called award malaise sets in. While far from a scientific study, talking to Academy members in the past two weeks certainly reveals that most are tired of seeing the predictable honorees get yet another shelf ornament. If this admittedly small sampling were the consensus the likes of Paul Thomas Anderson, Willem Dafoe and Laurie Metcalf would be tripping over good luck charms on the way to the podium. Good viewing… we can hope.

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