The crowds continue to arrive.
August is traditionally a sluggish month of the summer, with much of the ticket-buying audience heading back to school and family money being directed elsewhere. So far this August has been rather robust.
It was another weekend with a title exceeding expectations while some holdovers enjoyed strong follow-up business. Compared to the same date on the schedule last year the August returns so far are up well over 15%, adding to a summer that was already a vast improvement.
1. CRAZY RICH ASIANS – $34.0 Million (5 day total)
Based on the popular novel this is a bit of a landmark film as it not only has a cast of Asian-Americans but also the writing and production. The advance word on the film had been strong and the numbers have been revised upwards through the weekend. It will be turning into a strong money maker for Warner Brothers as it has already exceeded its $30 million budget.
2. THE MEG – $21.15m
Coming off the eye-opening debut last week this fared well again, seeing a slight improvement through Saturday. It ended up dropping only -53% in week #2 off of that $45.5 million debut, a sign of lasting strength. It has already earned over $300 million globally.
3. MILE 222 – $13.62m
The smaller studio STX was looking to launch a franchise with this Mark Wahlberg action piece, but the figures are suggesting that idea is fading. The early projections had already been softer, in the $15-17 million range, and falling short of that timid estimate is a bad sign for future prospects.
4.(tie) MISSION IMPOSSIBLE-FALLOUT – $10.5m
The sixth installment in the action franchise has moved up to the fourth-highest grossing title in the series, and should keep going higher. It has moved past $500 million worldwide, and by next weekend should cross the $200 million level in North America.
4. (tie) ALPHA – $10.5m
Sony’s small division Studio 8 gave a decent media push behind this historical drama surrounding the domestication of wolves to dogs, and it performed better than many projections. Expected to earn only in the single-digits it is doubtful if this is strong enough to generate further titles. Considering it cost $50 million to make, and a significant spend on promotions, the slated sequel “Beta” is now in question.
6. DISNEY’S CHRISTOPHER ROBIN – $8.86m
While far from a breakout hit it is performing respectably, having made $67 million. Not the expected return of a Disney live action title, but there may be a chance this legs out to a decent finish.
7. BLACKkKLANSMAN – $7.0m
Spike Lee’s retelling of the true-life story has been earning positive reviews. Focus Features added 275 screens and the theater average was the third best of the week.
8. SLENDER MAN – $4.96m
The disappointing horror attempt has managed to not implode entirely. Despite getting torched by critics and fans grading it low it has managed to earn more than its miniscule budget.
9. HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION – $3.67m
This weekend sees the animated romp moving beyond the $150 million mark.
10. MAMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN – $3.38m
Softening significantly against the original it is still a strong hit. It looks to fall well short of the global haul of $600 million, earning just over $300 million to date.
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