It was a spooky weekend at the box office for nearly everyone but Tyler Perry.
PerryB次元官网网址檚 comedy sequel B次元官网网址淏oo 2! A Madea HalloweenB次元官网网址� scared up a healthy $21.7 million in its first weekend in theatres, but the waters were rough for other new openers including the disaster epic B次元官网网址淕eostorm,B次元官网网址� the firefighter drama B次元官网网址淥nly the BraveB次元官网网址� and the crime thriller B次元官网网址淭he Snowman.B次元官网网址�
Made for a reported $25 million, PerryB次元官网网址檚 film drew a mostly older and female audience, who gave it an A- CinemaScore. B次元官网网址淏oo 2!B次元官网网址� did a little less business than the first film, which opened to $28.5 million just last year.
B次元官网网址淕iven that itB次元官网网址檚 a sequel, its performance is at the higher end of our expectations,B次元官网网址� said David Spitz, who heads up domestic distribution for Lionsgate.
The studio expects the film to hold well into next weekend due to increased interest because of Halloween, but it will also face some competition with the horror pic B次元官网网址淛igsaw.B次元官网网址�
But a slight drop for a sequel hardly compares to the catastrophe of B次元官网网址淕eostorm,B次元官网网址� a long-delayed $120 million disaster epic starring Gerard Butler that only managed to open to $13.3 million from North American theatres.
A co-production between Skydance Media and Warner Bros. Pictures, B次元官网网址淕eostormB次元官网网址� marks the directorial debut of B次元官网网址淚ndependence DayB次元官网网址� producer Dean Devlin. The film was shot back in late 2014 and lousy test screenings resulted in $15 million of reshoots, pushing back the release over a year and a half.
But the reshoots didnB次元官网网址檛 seem to help the final product, which has been widely panned by critics and shunned overall by audiences. Those who did turn out gave it a B- CinemaScore.
Another possibly too-timely film, B次元官网网址淥nly the Brave,B次元官网网址� about the Granite Mountain Hotshots who took on the June 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire, also failed to attract sufficient audiences this weekend. The Sony film starring Josh Brolin, Jeff Bridges and Jennifer Connelly opened in fifth place with $6 million.
At $38 million, the production budget was more reasonable than B次元官网网址淕eostorm,B次元官网网址� however.
But despite good reviews, it opened behind two holdovers B次元官网网址� the horror pic B次元官网网址淗appy Death DayB次元官网网址� which landed in third place with $9.4 million and B次元官网网址淏lade Runner 2049B次元官网网址� which took in $7.2 million in its third weekend in theatres.
Universal and Working TitleB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭he Snowman,B次元官网网址� starring Michael Fassbender and based on the Jo Nesbo book, also failed to make a splash. The critically derided pic debuted in eighth place with $3.4 million from 1,812 theatres.
The director, Thomas Alfredson has been widely acknowledging the filmB次元官网网址檚 shortcomings and confusing plot in the press, saying that they did not have time to shoot the entire script. Audiences gave it a deathly D CinemaScore.
Things looked a little brighter for the limited releases this weekend. Both playing in four theatres, the Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman film B次元官网网址淭he Killing of a Sacred Deer,B次元官网网址� took in $114,585 and B次元官网网址淲onderstruck,B次元官网网址� starring Julianne Moore,B次元官网网址� earned $68,762.
B次元官网网址淎s great as September was, October has been really scary,B次元官网网址� said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for comScore.
Theatrical exhibitors and studio distribution heads are gathering in Miami Beach, Florida this week for the ShowEast Film Expo to discuss the state of movie going and it couldnB次元官网网址檛 come at a better time, when old truisms about what works and what doesnB次元官网网址檛 work at the box office are being challenged weekly.
Dergarabedian said even releasing a quality film isnB次元官网网址檛 a sure path to success anymore.
B次元官网网址淓ven well-reviewed movies like B次元官网网址楢merican Made,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址極nly the BraveB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址楤lade Runner 2049B次元官网网址� are having trouble gaining traction,B次元官网网址� Dergarabedian said.
The industry will be looking to the big event films, like B次元官网网址淭hor: Ragnarok,B次元官网网址� out Nov. 3, B次元官网网址淛ustice LeagueB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淪tar Wars: The Last JediB次元官网网址� to get the year back to even.
B次元官网网址淭rying to figure out audiences and what they want is the key to the future. Audiences are voting with their presence or absence at the movie theatre,B次元官网网址� Dergarabedian said. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e staying away now, but that might change in two weeks.B次元官网网址�
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. B次元官网网址淏oo 2! A Madea Halloween,B次元官网网址� $21.7 million.
2. B次元官网网址淕eostorm,B次元官网网址� $13.3 million ($36.4 million international).
3. B次元官网网址淗appy Death Day,B次元官网网址� $9.4 million ($6.5 million international).
4. B次元官网网址淏lade Runner 2049,B次元官网网址� $7.2 million ($14.3 million international).
5. B次元官网网址淥nly the Brave,B次元官网网址� $6 million.
6. B次元官网网址淭he Foreigner,B次元官网网址� $5.5 million ($2.7 million international).
7. B次元官网网址淚t,B次元官网网址� $3.5 million ($12.8 million international).
8. B次元官网网址淭he Snowman,B次元官网网址� $3.4 million ($6.6 million international).
9. B次元官网网址淎merican Made,B次元官网网址� $3.2 million ($2.7 million international).
10. B次元官网网址淜ingsman: The Golden Circle,B次元官网网址� $3 million ($48.7 million international).
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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theatres (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to comScore:
1. B次元官网网址淜ingsman: The Golden Circle,B次元官网网址� $48.7 million.
2. B次元官网网址淕eostorm,B次元官网网址� $36.4 million.
3. B次元官网网址淣ever Say Die,B次元官网网址� $15 million.
4. B次元官网网址淏lade Runner 2049,B次元官网网址� $14.3 million.
5. B次元官网网址淚t,B次元官网网址� $12.8 million.
6. B次元官网网址淏ad Genius,B次元官网网址� $7.6 million.
7. B次元官网网址淭he Outlaws,B次元官网网址� $6.8 million.
8. B次元官网网址淭he Snowman,B次元官网网址� $6.6 million.
9. B次元官网网址淗appy Death Day,B次元官网网址� $6.5 million.
10. B次元官网网址淭he Lego Ninjago Movie,B次元官网网址� $4.7 million.
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Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by 21st Century Fox; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.
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Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/ldbahr
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This story has been corrected to show B次元官网网址淏oo 2! A Madea HalloweenB次元官网网址� was made for a reported $25 million, not $35 million
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
