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SUNDAY AM WRITETHRU: Refresh for chart and more analysis…After a poor Memorial Day weekend, we have a poor post-holiday period, with all titles grossing an estimated $67.4M, -67% from a year ago. Remember when? That’s when Sony proved superhero movies weren’t dead with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse contributing to a marketplace that grossed $205.1M.
Some sources who I speak with continue to question theatrical’s viability in its fierce competition with streaming, however, we wouldn’t be in this box office downturn if it wasn’t for the strikes, which disrupted the supply chain, and overall product. Many are lumping Garfield and Furiosa in one big ball of blah, but that’s not right: The family film on its own is fine given its reported $60M production cost parameters (before P&A), whereas Furiosa was a very expensive gamble at $168M with– face it–a limited audience appeal. If there was a big profitable tail on Mad Max: Fury Road due to Oscars, than perhaps it was better to go with a sequel than a prequel given that the movie just rebooted a dude dystopian franchise after 30 years. Sequels are always more sound commercial investments than prequels.
That said, in slow times come interesting battles and throughout the weekend, Paramount’s IF was bullying Furiosa out of second place, the two respectively reporting $10.8M and $10.75M (-59%).
Meanwhile, Sony’s The Garfield Movie reigns with a second weekend of $14M (-52%), global weekend of $41M, domestic cume of $51.5M, and global of $152.2M. Meanwhile, given those low family ticket prices, admissions for Garfield this weekend outstripped Furiosa again, with 1.3 million admissions to 700K admissions. Garfield’s average ticket price was $10.75 vs Furiosa’s $15.
Furiosa still has Imax auditoriums, but Crunchyroll/Sony’s Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle has some of those, that pic looking at a No. 5 slot with $1.9M Friday and $3.5M for the weekend, now in 6th place. Remember that when it comes to these anime movies, the U.S. market is simply gravy money, much like domestic is for Bollywood movies. Dumpster Battle already has made $75M from Japan, Vietnam, South Korea and Hong Kong.
20th Century Studios’ Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes had a fourth Friday of $2.4M at 3,450 theaters, 3-day of $8.8M, -34%, and running total of $139.9M. By EOD, the Wes Ball directed sequel is $6.9M away from overtaking previous chapter War for the Planet of the Apes’ domestic total of $146.8M in 2017. See some event movies are working. Invest in Apes.
Outside the Top 5, IFC’s horror movie In a Violent Nature is still looking great. On Thursday, the movie posted the best previews ever for an IFC movie at $410k. While Late Night with the Devil posted IFC’s biggest opening ever at $2.8M last year, and looks to be its highest-grossing horror movie ever at $10M, In a Violent Nature is eyeing a very strong opening with an estimated $2.119M in 1,426 locations after $1M Friday. In terms of theater count, that’s IFC’s widest ever.
Said Head of AMC Networks’ Film Group, Scott Shooman: “Since its premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, In a Violent Nature has been steadily making waves for redefining the classic slasher genre. Chris Nash’s feature debut masterfully delivers a radical approach and some of the most original kills in history, establishing itself as a film that will have a lasting impact in the horror space. Our opening weekend reach is a testament to the continued collaboration between IFC Films and Shudder in championing fresh theatrical experiences, which can also be seen in our ongoing successes with Late Night with the Devil and Skinamarink. We’re thrilled to keep this momentum going and continue to deliver the highest quality and most unique genre films around.”
Other wide entries scraping the bottom of the barrel are Bleecker Street’s Ezra with $571K on Friday and $1.1M for the weekend. Roadside Attractions femme comedy Summer Camp is seeing $390K, and just under $1M outside the top 10 with a C CinemaScore.
Jerry Bruckheimer’s highest-tested movie, the British period movie Young Woman in the Sea starring Daisy Ridley, looks to have made, per industry estimates, around $500K. The 84% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes title, which was pivoted from a Disney+ debut, is only in theaters for two weeks before hitting the streaming service. Disney isn’t reporting grosses, as they’re eyeing this strictly as an awards play and don’t want to bring any tarnish to the movie’s prestige.
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FRIDAY AM: Crunchyroll/Sony Pictures’ volleyball anime movie Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle made $800K in previews yesterday, in what’s one of the few moderate wide releases this weekend in which the studio’s own The Garfield Movie is expected to clinch first place with a $12M second frame.
Warner Bros.’ R-rated Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is expected to take second place with $10M take, down roughly -60%, in weekend 2. The George Miller directed prequel ends its first week with $38.9M, which is -39% behind the first week of 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road which did $63.4M.
Haikyu! previews started at 4 PM yesterday at 1,086 locations, boosted by Imax and PLFs. The movie is only expected to do in the single digits this weekend at 1,119 locations. In the Susumu Mitsunaka directed/written movie, Shoyo Hinata joins Karasuno High’s volleyball club to be like his idol, a former Karasuno player known as the “Little Giant.”
But Hinata soon finds that he must team up with his middle school nemesis, Tobio Kageyama. Their clashing styles turn into a surprising weapon, but can they beat their rival Nekoma High in the highly anticipated “Dumpster Battle,” the long-awaited ultimate showdown between two opposing underdog teams? Pic is based on the original Weekly Shonen Jump manga series from Haruichi Furudate, Haikyu!!
Also opening this weekend is IFC’s horror movie, In a Violent Nature, which is their widest release of all-time at 1,400 locations. The Gotham-based distributor has had a nice arthouse win this year with Late Night With the Devil which opened to $2.8M at 1,034 and has grossed close to $10M. In a Violent Nature is 89% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Directed and written by Chris Nash, the movie’s blurb is as follows: When a locket is removed from a collapsed fire tower in the woods that entombs the rotting corpse of Johnny, a vengeful spirit spurred on by a horrific 60-year old crime, his body is resurrected and becomes hellbent on retrieving it.
Roadside Attractions’ Summer Camp is booked in 1,787 theaters. The Book Club demo leaning feature stars Diane Keaton, Kathy Bates, Alfree Woodard and Eugene Levy. Single digits expected in this critically panned comedy at 7%. The Castille Landon- directed and written feature follows Nora, Ginny, and Mary, three childhood best friends who used to spend every summer at a sleep away camp together. After years, when the opportunity to get back together for a summer camp reunion presents itself, they all seize it. Summer Camp made $100K in previews yesterday.
Bleecker Street has in 1,320 venues the Robert De Niro, Bobby Cannavale, Vera Farmiga, Rainn Wilson, Whoopi Goldberg, Rose Byrne movie, Ezra, which made its world premiere at TIFF. Logline: Comedian Max (Cannavale) co-parents autistic son Ezra with ex-wife Jenna. Faced with crucial decisions about Ezra’s future, Max and Ezra go on a life-changing cross-country road trip. It’s 65% fresh on RT. Tony Goldwyn directed and also stars. Low single digits also expected.
Week’s top five and Thursday releases as follows:
1.) Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (WB) 3,804 theaters, Thu $1.73M (-9% from Wed), Week $38.9M/Wk 1
2.) The Garfield Movie (Alcon/Sony) 4,035 theaters, Thu $1.87M (+5%), Wk $37.5M/Wk 1
3.) IF (Par) 4,068 theaters, Thu $1.4M (+4%), Wk $27M Total $69.6M/Wk 2
4.) Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (20th/Dis) 3,550 theaters, Thu $1.2M (-4%) Wk $21.7M Total $131.1M /Wk 3
5.) Fall Guy (Uni) 2,955 theaters, Thu $567K (even) Wk $9.8M, Total $76M/Wk 4
