OPENINGS: READY PLAYER ONE (Village Roadshow/Warners) had a fair if unthrilling start, with $41.2M over the 3-day Good Friday/Easter weekend plus $12M on its Thursday opening day for a $53.2M 4-day total, considerably less than the $61M Kong: Skull Island earned in its first 3 days. That points toward a $125M US ultimate, and against roughly $325M in production/marketing costs, it will need strong performance overseas to reach profit. It also opened in all major international territories except Germany and Japan, and had a $128M weekend, $61.7M of it from China. This will be Steven Spielberg’s biggest worldwide box office take in the decade since the last Indiana Jones, but that may not be enough to make it a hit.
ACRIMONY (Lionsgate) had a $17.1M opening, near the bottom of Tyler Perry’s stack and ahead of only Single Moms Club, A Madea Christmas and Good Deeds over the past decade. With Perry’s economics, a $40M US total should be enough for modest profit.
GOD’S NOT DEAD: A LIGHT IN DARKNESS (Pure Flix) couldn’t attract the Christian holiday audience with a low $2.6M weekend. It was a steep drop from the $9.2M/$7.6M starts for the previous installments in the franchise.
HOLDOVERS: BLACK PANTHER (Marvel/Disney) continued on its road to the #3 all-time US box office slot with a 34% drop to $11.3M in its 7th weekend, and it should reach $675M before it’s done. Overseas, it’s at $623.2M.
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE (Roadside) continued to be the Christian film of choice, down just 21% in its 3rd weekend (aided by a 18% increase in theatre count) to $10.8M, and should get to $75M before it’s done.
Despite the holiday weekend, PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING (Legendary/Universal) fell 67% in its 2nd weekend to $9.2M, and probably won’t reach $65M in the US. Its fate rests entirely overseas, and the signs aren’t good, as it’s at $96.6M after a $22.2M weekend in 63 markets, with Japan (where the first Pacific Rim earned $14.5M) to come.
SHERLOCK GNOMES (MGM/Paramount) benefited from the holiday with a 34% drop to $7M, and may reach $40M in the US. It also has $8M overseas.
LOVE, SIMON (Temple Hill/20th) lost 37% to $4.8M, hoping to get past $40M in the US.
TOMB RAIDER (MGM/Warners) kept dropping, down 54% to $4.7M, not likely to top $60M in the US, and not all that healthy overseas, either, compared to its $225M cost, with $194.6M ($75.8M from China) after a $12M weekend in 66 markets.
A WRINKLE OF TIME (Disney) fell 43% to $4.7M, and might make its way to $95M in the US. Its slow international roll-out is at $21M.
PAUL, APOSTLE OF CHRIST (Affirm/Sony) dropped 32% on Easter weekend to $3.5M, and will probably be short of $20M in the US.
UNSANE (Fingerprint/Bleecker Street) fell 62% in its 2nd weekend to $1.4M, with $10M probably too far a goal in the US.
LIMITED RELEASE: ISLE OF DOGS (Fox Searchlight) widened to 165 theatres with a $17K per-theatre average, better than the $13K average Moonrise Kingdom had at 178 theatres. THE DEATH OF STALIN (IFC) expanded to a near-wide 484 theatres with a $3K average. THE LEISURE SEEKER (Sony Classics) averaged $1600 at 155. FINDING YOUR FEET (Roadside) averaged a mediocre $4400 in its opening at 14. FLOWER (The Orchard) expanded to 102 theatres, but couldn’t even reach a $500 per-theatre average. GEMINI (Neon), despite an aggressive program of in-theatre Q&A, managed a $8500 average at 4. FOXTROT (Sony Classics) averaged $1400 at 35. JOURNEY’S END (Good Deed) averaged $1300 at 35. FINAL PORTRAIT (Sony Classics) widened to 9 with a $3700 average.
NEXT WEEKEND: BLOCKERS (Universal) and A QUIET PLACE (Paramount), both with SXSW raves in hand, begin wide release, along with CHAPPAQUIDDICK (Entertainment Studios) and THE MIRACLE SEASON (LD). Limited releases include LEAN ON PETE (A24) and YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE (Amazon).
About the Author
