The Weekend Report

Cruise Control

The folks at IMF were at full tilt as Mission: Impossible – Fallout led weekend movie going with an estimated 60.8 million. The session’s counter-programmer Teen Titans Go! To the Movies slotted fifth with a respectable $10.4 million.

In the niches a clutch of new Indian imports largely tanked apart from the Punjabi Ashke that bowed to $241,000 from 41 venues. Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings from China also opened well with a $132,000 box office from 31 screens and in Quebec the comic remembrance 1991 had a fresh start of $437,000.

Exclusive newcomers included encouraging starts for the family drama Puzzle of $62,600 at five screens and a $29,200 tally from a solo flight for the doc on bygone La La Land, Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood.

Revenues for the frame hovered around $157 million and took a 9% dip from the prior weekend. It was nonetheless a 9% improvement from 2017 when Dunkirk’s second weekend retained the crown with $26.6 million and the premiere of The Emoji Movie was on its tail with $24.5 million. Atomic Blonde also started strong with an $18.3 million box office that was fourth in the lineup.

The sixth theatrical outing for Mission: Impossible initially received the industry ho hum. But things began to change as successful previews and studio leaks slowly trickled out. Tracking leading up to the release indicated slightly better than a $60 million debut that was bolstered by record-setting Thursday sneaks and what’s turned out to be the franchise’s biggest domestic box office debut. It arguably received its best reviews ever and generated enthusiastic response on social media platforms.

Exit polling identified the opening audience as 55% male with 60% of viewers aged 35-years and older.

The film proved to be even more potent internationally with an estimated $92 million debut from 36 markets with 30 reporting the biggest opening for the series in their territory. Korea was the top grossing arena with a $24.6 million launch. Other significant territories included the UK with $9 million, India grossing an eye-popping $7 million and Mexico adding $4.8 million to the trove. Territories yet to open include France, Australia, Japan and China.

A cable fave the animated Teen Titans bowed back in 2003 on its long trek to the big screen. Tracking indicated a debut of roughly $15 million or $16 million and buttressed by generally positive reviews that seemed to be in reach. But unlike Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies failed to expand its audience. Data wasn’t available on the percentage of the crowd that identified as families but for the rest it skewed 55% male with 54% aged 25-years and younger.

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