Though new entries “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” and “Uncle Drew” scored higher debuts than expected, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” still reigns supreme at the domestic box office.
“Fallen Kingdom” picked up 60 million US dollars from 4,485 locations in its second outing, bringing its domestic tally to 264.8 million US dollars. Even with a 59 percent drop, the dinosaur tentpole has nothing to fear. To date, the Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard-led sequel has pocketed 932 million US dollars globally and is well on its way to crossing 1 billion US dollars. Overseas, the Universal and Amblin Entertainment blockbuster pulled in 56.1 million US dollars this weekend.
“Sicario: Day of the Soldado” bowed with 19 million US dollars in 3,055 locations, while fellow newcomer “Uncle Drew” racked up 15.5 million US dollars from 2,742 theaters. Meanwhile, the third outing of “Incredibles 2” stayed at No. 2 with 44.6 million US dollars from 4,410 locations. That takes the Disney-Pixar sequel’s domestic total up to 438.8 million US dollars in three weeks.
“Ocean’s 8” continues to stay in the top five, stealing another 8 million US dollars from 2,345 theaters this weekend. In four weeks, the Warner Bros. heist film has amassed 114 million US dollars at the domestic box office.
Earlier in the week, “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” and “Uncle Drew” were targeting openings between 10 million US dollars and 13 million US dollars. The follow-up to Denis Villeneuve’s “Sicario” scored a better debut than its predecessor, which opened with 12 million US dollars in 2015. The critically acclaimed original film – which scored three Oscar nods – picked up 84 million US dollars globally during its theatrical run. The sequel hasn’t gathered the same praise, earning a B CinemaScore and an average 64 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. To compare, “Sicario” received a 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, critics praised Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro for their performances. Stefano Sollima took over directing duties for “Soldado,” while Taylor Sheridan returned to pen the script.
"Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom," starring (left to right) Jeff Goldblum, Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt, seen at the film's Los Angeles premiere /AFP Photo
"Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom," starring (left to right) Jeff Goldblum, Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt, seen at the film's Los Angeles premiere /AFP Photo
Like “Sicario 2,” Lionsgate’s sports comedy “Uncle Drew” – based on the Pepsi commercial starring NBA icon Kyrie Irving – also served as counterprogramming against a series of superhero tentpoles. The film received an A CinemaScore, though its Rotten Tomato average was slightly less enthusiastic at 67 percent. As expected, the audience was 59 percent male, while 58 percent of moviegoers were over the age of 25.
At the specialty box office, Neon’s “Three Identical Strangers” made 163,000 US dollars when it opened in just five theaters. That’s a per screen average of 32,000 US dollars – a solid start during a summer where documentaries have fared exceptionally well.
Another documentary, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” ranked in the top 10 at the domestic box office again. Morgan Neville’s film, focusing on beloved children’s show host Mister Rogers, made another 2.3 million US dollars from 654 theaters in its fourth frame. In total, it has grossed 7.5 million US dollars.
The 2018 box office, which just hit 6 billion US dollars in record time, is up 9.3 percent, according to ComScore. Meanwhile, the summer box office remains a force, up 15.3 percent compared to last summer, which was the lowest popcorn season in over a decade.
Next weekend sees the release of Marvel’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp” starring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly. The superhero sequel is currently tracking between 68 million US dollars and 80 million US dollars.
“The much-anticipated debut of Disney’s ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp’ will get the momentum train rolling again with what will be the latest in an impressively long line of box office and critical hits for the Marvel brand,” said Paul Dergarabedian, box office analyst at ComScore.
Source(s): Reuters