OPENINGS: We’re starting to get a feel for what this pandemic box office looks like, absent big-studio blockbusters. This week’s HONEST THIEF (Open Road) opened at $3.7M in 2425 theatres (a weekend per-theatre $1525 average), just about the same as last week’s The War With Grandpa, even though they’re in completely different genres. Honest Thief should also end up around $15-20M in the US, a number that presumably made a theatrical release worthwhile for its studio. The film has an additional $1.3M overseas.
There were a few smaller openings as well. 2 HEARTS (Freestyle) earned $565K at 1683, a $335 average
THE KID DETECTIVE (Stage 6/Sony) arrived at 865 theatrs with $135K, a $156 average.
LOVE AND MONSTERS (Paramount) opened at 387 in addition to being available on VOD, and took in $255K in its theatrical run, a $658 average.
HOLDOVERS: Similarly, we’re seeing that films decline around 30-40% on a week-to-week basis, a softer pattern than we’d see if there were major openings refreshing the weekly box office. The exception this week was TENET (Warners), which dipped 24% to $1.6M in its 7th weekend, although apparently that was partly because it benefited from the reopening of theatres in Seattle, which provided most of its highest-grossing venues. There may or may not be a NY/LA bump ahead, depending on the studio’s plans for digital release, but the US theatrical run seems unlikely to get past $60M. Tenet is slowing down overseas as well, with $283.3M after a $5M weekend.
THE WAR WITH GRANDPA (101) dropped 31% to $2.5M in its 2nd weekend, and as noted should reach $15M or so in the US. It also has $3.5M overseas.
THE NEW MUTANTS (20th/TSG/Disney) lost 34% to $465K in its 8th weekend, still on track for $25M in the US, and with $21M overseas.
UNHINGED (Solstice) fell 38% to $425K in its 9th weekend, on its way to $22M or so in the US, and with $19.2M in the US.
Disney is also providing re-release product to theatres in need of features, with THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS at $1.3M, HOCUS POCUS at $756K, COCO at $131K, and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK at $79K.
NEXT WEEKEND: The horror movie THE EMPTY MAN (20th/Disney) is scheduled for wide release.
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