By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com
The Weekend Report
Cinelicious
Truly living up to its name Incredibles 2 opened to record-breaking returns estimated at $180.1 million. The animated yarn accounted for about two-thirds of all tickets sold for the frame. Still two other new films attempted a bit of counter-programming with the droll Tag succeeding in grabbing a niche with $14.4 million in third position while Superfly got swatted down with $6.2 million.
The true-life crime saga Gotti managed to escape a fated direct-to-video verdict and grossed $1.6 million in a limited wide debut. In the niches the Hindi Race 3 also rang up a $1.6 million launch with its Indian debut eyeing a very potent $15 million weekend during its Eid holiday session. Telugu-lingo Sammohanam was lower down the ladder with a $327,000 opening weekend tally.
A couple of alternative titles – American Animals, Hearts Beat Loud – effectively squeezed out expansions. And among exclusive newcomers Eating Animals devoured a tasteful $31,300 box office from two engagements.
Revenues for the session generated about $267 million and ballooned 122% from the prior weekend. It was also a significant 40% boost from 2017 when Cars 3 opened to $53.7 million and the music bio All Eyez on Me bowed in third position with $26.4 million.
Thanks to continuing exposure on a variety of platforms Incredibles 2 didn’t seem like a movie 14-years in the making. And perhaps as a tip to its timelessness it literally resumed its story where the 2004 movie concluded. Industry pundits anticipated a domestic bow in the arena of $145 million to $150 million and its $18.5 million return from Thursday previews didn’t significantly alter that bit of crystal ballgazing.
The bottom line is that it posted the biggest ever box office start for an animated movie, eclipsing the former benchmark of $135 million set by Finding Dory two years ago. Exit polling characterized the audience as 52% female with 56% aged 25-years and younger and 57% that identified as families.
Incredibles 2 also stepped out internationally in 25 territories to about $51 million. Top tier market debuts included Mexico with $12.3 million, Australia grossing $7.7 million and Russia contributing $5.4 million.
However, the big noise overseas remained Jurissac World: Fallen Kingdom that rang up a second weekend gross estimated at $174 million including a Chinese premiere weekend of $112 million. It has an overseas cume of $370 million prior to its domestic bow later this week and has the industry humming I believe in dinos.
Tag proffered that you cannot root out the boy in the man and assembled a charismatic cast to prove that point. Essentially a high-end programmer, the film wound up on the high end of tracking that suggested a $13 million to $15 million first weekend. Though expected to tilt male tracking claimed 51% of viewers were female and more likely accurate 76% were aged 25-years and older.
One would be hard pressed to find a significant slice of folk conversant with 1972’s Superfly that starred and was directed Gordon Parks Jr. who died in a tragic plane crash. The new film retains the bare bones of the original plot but failed to generate more than a modicum of buzz. Its studio opted to get ahead of the Incredibles with a Wednesday debut that netted about $2.1 million prior to the weekend with hopes of a 5-day box office of $10 million or $11 million. Exit polling revealed an audience that was 53% male with 72% aged 25-years and older.
Weekend (estimates) June 15 – 17, 2018 | |||||
Title | Distributor | Gross (avg) | % chng | Thtrs | Cume |
Incredibles 2 | BV | 180.1 (40,830) | NEW | 4410 | 180 |
Ocean’s 8 | WB | 19.5 (4,710) | -53% | 4145 | 79.1 |
Tag | WB | 14.4 (4,270) | NEW | 3382 | 14.4 |
Solo: A Star Wars Story | BV | 9.2 (2,900) | -42% | 3182 | 193 |
Deadpool 2 | Fox | 8.7 (2,710) | -38% | 3212 | 295 |
Hereditary | A24/Elevation | 6.9 (2,290) | -49% | 2998 | 27 |
Superfly | Sony | 6.2 (2,810) | NEW | 2220 | 8.4 |
Avengers: Infinity War | BV | 5.3 (2,460) | -26% | 2164 | 664 |
Adrift | STX/VVS | 2.1 (1,070) | -61% | 1929 | 26.8 |
Book Club | Par | 1.9 (1,140) | -56% | 1656 | 62 |
Gotti | Vertical | 1.7 (3,300) | NEW | 503 | 1.7 |
Race 3 | Yash Raj | 1.6 (5,210) | NEW | 315 | 1.6 |
A Wrinkle in Time | BV | 1.3 (5,270) | 1165% | 245 | 99.5 |
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? | Focus | .97 (10,130) | 105% | 96 | 2 |
Hotel Artemis | Global Road/Cineplex | .93 (410) | -71% | 2299 | 5.7 |
Upgrade | Focus | .50 (780) | -79% | 646 | 11.1 |
Life of the Party | WB | .44 (730) | -80% | 608 | 51.9 |
Breaking In | Uni | .42 (840) | -71% | 504 | 45.2 |
RBG | Magnolia | .41 (1,660) | -45% | 249 | 10 |
Overboard | Lionsgate | .36 (620) | -69% | 581 | 48.5 |
A Quiet Place | Par | .36 (900) | -66% | 397 | 187 |
Sammohanam | Nirvana | .35 (2,870) | NEW | 121 | 0.42 |
First Reformed | A24 | .32 (1,180) | -42% | 273 | 2.4 |
Rampage | WB | .26 (910) | -46% | 288 | 96.4 |
Hearts Beat Loud | Gunpowder & Sky | .23 (2,890) | 214% | 81 | 0.33 |
American Animals | Orchard | .21 (2,940) | -9% | 71 | 0.75 |
Also debuting/expanding | |||||
The Seagull | Sony Classics | .14 (650) | 37% | 211 | 0.87 |
2001: A Space Odyssey (reissue) | WB | 78,200 (6,020) | -18% | 6 | 0.85 |
The Rider | Sony Classics | 69,500 (740) | -43% | 94 | 2.1 |
Believer | Well Go | 57,300 (2,730) | -61% | 21 | 0.28 |
Naa Nuvve | LA Telugu | 37,400 (320) | 118 | 0.1 | |
Eating Animals | IFC | 33,100 (16,550) | 2 | 0.03 | |
7 Din Mohabbat In | B4U | 31,300 (1,230) | 31 | 0.03 | |
Outez-moi d’un doute | Axia | 10,300 (940) | 11 | 0.01 | |
Five Seasons: Gardens of Piet Oudolf | Argot | 5,800 (1,450) | 4 | 0.01 | |
The Yellow Birds | Saban | 5,200 (1,010) | 17 | 0.01 | |
The Year of Spectacular Men | MarVista | 4,800 (440) | 11 | 0.01 | |
Gabriel and the Mountain | Strand | 4,700 (2,350) | 2 | 0.01 | |
Straight Into a Storm | Abramorama | 3,200 (3,200) | 1 | 0.01 | |
Domestic Market Share (January 2 – June 14, 2018) | |||||
Distributor (releases) | Box Office (millions) | Market Share | |||
Buena Vista (8) | 1788.4 | 34.00% | |||
20th Century Fox (9) | 662.4 | 12.60% | |||
Warner Bros. (19) | 606.1 | 11.50% | |||
Universal (9) | 405.8 | 7.70% | |||
Sony (11) | 394.5 | 7.50% | |||
Paramount (7) | 335.3 | 6.40% | |||
Lionsgate (9) | 156.4 | 3.00% | |||
Fox Searchlight (4) | 139.3 | 2.70% | |||
STX (6) | 132.5 | 2.50% | |||
Roadside Attractions (5) | 98.9 | 1.90% | |||
Focus (8) | 85.9 | 1.60% | |||
Entertainment (3) | 51.6 | 1.00% | |||
A24 (7) | 41.1 | 0.75% | |||
MGM (2) | 37.1 | 0.70% | |||
Global Road (4) | 28.9 | 0.55% | |||
Neon (4) | 25.8 | 0.50% | |||
Other * (191) | 267 | 5.10% | |||
5257 | 100% | ||||
* none greater than 0.45% |