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Audiences were not all that interested in the new films offered up to them this weekend. If they had been, something could have actually dethroned M. Night Shyamalan’s Glass after just a single week. Instead they were catching up on Oscar nominees and the surprise hit of 2019 while Glass (still a success) may be coming up shorter than expected.
(Photo by Universal Pictures)
M Night Shyamalan’s Glass managed to stay on top despite a 52% drop. Another $19 million has brought the film to just over $73 million, but where exactly does that leave it after 10 days? Split had $77.3 million by its 10th day but that was also just after a 35.9% drop to a $25.6 million weekend. No film with $70 million in ten days ever failed to reach $100 million. The lowest-grossing film on that list ended up being The Conjuring 2 with $102.4 million — it had a 63.2% drop in its second weekend to $14.8 million. At this rate it is conceivable that 2019’s first real breakout hit, The Upside, could leapfrog Glass in the coming weeks and may even have a shot at outgrossing it if Night’s fans begin dropping off harder in the coming weeks. Stay tuned, money watchers.
(Photo by 20th Century Fox)
Things do not look great for either of the new releases this weekend. Fox’s The Kid Who Would Be King grossed just $7.2 million, with some expectations of at least $10 million. Neither is positive for a production reportedly costing $59 million. The only number that is positive for Joe Cornish’s film is the critical response, which has registered a Certified Fresh 86% on the Tomatometer, comparable to his Attack the Block, which was also Certified Fresh at 90%.
Then there is Aviron Pictures’ Serenity, delayed from its October release into the January dumping ground, where critics have already turned it into a story by publicizing it’s crazy twist ending. That mocking has it down to a 21% score, and its $4.8 million start is a career low for star Matthew McConaughey for a film opening in more than 2500 theaters. (His previous low was We Are Marshall with $6.1 million, though that holiday release went on to gross over $43 million.) Serenity could struggle to make $10 million.
(Photo by 20th Century Fox)
Maze Runner: The Death Cure ended a three-week run for Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle by topping the box office with $24.1 million. Jumanji was not too far behind with $16.1 million for second place, while the expansion of Hostiles with Christian Bale netted $10.1 million. Also entering the Top Ten was the Hindi film, Padmaavat, which grossed $4.49 million in just 326 theaters for the highest per-theater-average of the week. The Top Ten films grossed $102.4 million and scored an average of 68.4% on the Tomatometer. Last year, the week’s Top Ten grossed an estimated $102.4 million and averaged 68.4%. This week’s Top Ten grossed an estimated $75.3 million and averaged 61.8%.
(Photo by Canana Films)
Gina Rodriguez stars in the American remake of 2011’s Miss Bala, the original film from Mexico that was Certified Fresh at 87% on the Tomatometer. Catherine Hardwicke, who directed the 2019 version as well as the first Twilight, debuted with a Certified Fresh 81% for Thirteen back in 2003 and has only had one Fresh film since. Joe Penna, meanwhile, is making his feature debut with the survival drama, Arctic, starring Mads Mikkelsen. It will be in limited release.
Erik Childress can be heard each week evaluating box office on WGN Radio with Nick Digilio as well as on Business First AM with Angela Miles and his Movie Madness Podcast.
[box office figures via Box Office Mojo]
