By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com
The Weekend Report
Deadpool 2 swam to the top of weekend viewing with an estimated $124.9 million. The session’s other national newcomers targeted those averse to snark. The golden girls of Book Club charted third with $12.4 million while the kiddie mix of animation and live-action in Show Dogs grossed $6 million.
Pope Francis: A Man of His Word underperformed with a $473,000 offering. Exclusive starts included an OK launch for Brit romance On Chesil Beach of $35,400 from four screens and a potent debut for First Reformed, with $96,700 that from four rectories. Newly un-scrubbed 2001: A Space Odyssey netted $193,000.
Revenues pushed close to $210 million and ballooned 49% from last weekend. It was an even better outcome of 69% plus from 2017 when the debut of Alien: Covenant led with $36.2 million and Guardians of the Galaxy 2’s third weekend was on its tail with $34.6 million.
The second Deadpool came up about 6% short of its inspiration and on the low end of industry prognostications of its premiere potency. One might speculate that a royal wedding put a crimp on its box office but its core appeal crowd hardly appeared to be distracted by pageantry. The least likely Avenger’s hard struggle to the screen in 2016 found an unexpectedly fierce appeal and a rush to get him back on the screen.
Exit polling identified the opening crowd as 61% male and 62% 25 and older. Internationally the film opened in 81 territories (with China and Japan yet to debut) and set a new record debut for Fox estimated at $176 million. Its top grossing market was the UK. Other leading markets included South Korea grossing $17 million, $12 million in Russia, Australia bowing with $11.7 million and Mexico opening with $10 million.
One can quibble with the reading choices of the Book Club but the delight of watching the quartet of veteran performers leafing through their lives was worth the sticker price. The film performed as anticipated and was a bullseye for those in a non-Marvel realm. The audience was 80% female with 88% 35 and older.
Pope Francis profile A Man of His Word failed to reach an anticipated $1 million return. The 81-year-old Pontifex could not compete with 85-year-old Supreme Ruth Bader Ginsburg who saw RBG climb into the Top 10 on its third weekend with $1.3 million and $3.9 million to date. g
