Weekend Box Office Roundup

Weekend Box Office Top 10: BLADE RUNNER 2049 opened at #1 with $31.5M (Million) domestic, and $50.2M overseas, for a total global launch of $81.7M. Produced and co-financed between Alcon and Sony, the film is released in the U.S. by Warner Bros. for a distribution fee, while all international is handled by Sony on this sci-fi epic directed by Denis Villeneuve from a screenplay by Michael Green and Hampton Fancher. International came in a little higher than expected this weekend, but was not enough to make up for the film collapsing in the United States, where tracking suggested a much stronger opening number. Produced for $150M plus marketing, the film will definitely be a financial loss for all involved.

THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US opened at #2 with a so-so debut of $10M domestic and a very, very early $13M worldwide, right in line with tracking. Produced for $35M plus marketing, this Fox release was written by Chris Weitz and J. Mills Goodloe from the novel by Charles Martin, and directed by Hany Abu-Assad. It will need to show decent holds domestically as well as good numbers internationally if the film has any hope to break-even or reach profitability. IT held onto the #3 spot this weekend, bringing in another $9.5M domestic, for a U.S. total now of $304.9M and a huge worldwide haul of $603.7M. Produced for $35M plus marketing by Warner Bros. and New Line, Andy Muschietti's hit horror event has been wildly profitable for the studio, with the second film due in 2019. MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE opened at #4 with a disappointing debut of just $8.8M domestic and an early worldwide total of $12.6M. This is far below what tracking suggested the Lionsgate film would open at, somewhere in the mid-teens this weekend; but the family audience did not come out to see this, as the film did not enjoy the typical Saturday bump of most animated family films. KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE slipped to #5 with $8.1M, a domestic total now of $79.9M, and a worldwide total of $253.5M. The Fox sequel is from the original film's director Matthew Vaughn, with a script by original writer Jane Goodman and Vaughn, based upon the comic book series by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons.With a budget of $104M plus marketing, the film should be profitable by next weekend, thanks in large part to its international popularity. AMERICAN MADE is #6 with a second weekend take of $8M, bringing the domestic total to $30M, and the worldwide total on this Tom Cruise vehicle to $98.5M. From Universal, this true story written by Gary Spinelli and directed by Doug Liman cost $50M plus marketing, and should reach profitability thanks to strong holds in the states and a decent international run. THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE is #7 with $6.7M, a domestic total of $43.8M, and a worldwide total of just $77.4M. This Warner Bros. animated film is off sharply from the previous two LEGO releases, but the IP should rebound nicely with the next installment, a return to the "mothership" franchise with THE LEGO MOVIE 2 on the way. Specialty release VICTORIA AND ABDUL is #8 with a $4.1M expansion playing in just 732 theaters, and bringing this film from Focus Features to a domestic total now of $5.9M, while worldwide, where the film has been in play for awhile, stands at $30.9M. Written by Lee Hall based on the novel by Shrabani Basu, and directed by Stephen Frears, this drama is off to a very solid start in the U.S. with more expansions in the coming weeks. Sony's FLATLINERS is #9 with $3.8M, and a total now of $12.3M domestic and a very early worldwide total of $18.3M. With a budget of $19M plus marketing, this remake/reboot of Joel Schumacher's horror hit, this time from director Niels Arden Oplev, is looking like a moderate financial loss for the studio. BATTLE OF THE SEXES is #10 with $2.4M, and a total now of just $7.6M. Despite expanding into 609 more theaters, bringing the theater count to a very solid 1,822, this specialty release still fell -29.8% as the film has failed to catch on with audiences, though is expected to be in the awards conversation later this fall. Next weekend is on the quieter side, with MARSHALL, THE FOREIGNER, HAPPY DEATH DAY, PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN, and GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN all debuting in various theater counts hoping to connect with their respective audiences.