For most of the year the box office has made slow and steady strides to catch up with last year’s numbers. This past weekend took a massive turn in the other direction. While we do have a #1 movie, the box office of it and its companions turned out horrendous. This past weekend’s box office took tanked miserably. All 36 films for this past weekend’s box office brought in $128 million. This time last year, the #1 movie, The Incredibles 2, brought in $182.6 million all on its own! The entire box office from last year listed 103 active movies compared to the 36 of this year and made a total of $$271 million.
Weekend Box Office #1 – Men In Black International
While MIB: International may be the number one movie of the weekend box office, its haul will have the studio wanting to be neuralized. MIB could only manage a measly $28.5 million weekend. Last weekend we had great diversity in the box office numbers with the top 5 all in the double didgets. This weekend only the top three managed it. All other MIB movies opened with over $50 million openings. This sequel has also not fared well with reviews. Cinemascore only gives it B and over on Rottentomatoes it has a 24% with critics and only 66% with audiences.
#2 – The Secret Life of Pets 2
Pets 2 milked out one more good week, only dropping 49% in its second week, bringing in $23.8 million. It has had a nice little run, but its success will only come from those wishing to avoid the crowds of Toy Story 4 next weekend.
Aladdin Holds Strong at #3 in this Weekend Box Office
Aladdin also got one more week of strong numbers. In its fourth week, it made $16.7 million. Once questioned as the next big Disney flop after Dumbo, Aladdin has been anything but a flop. It has made $183 million domestically so far, but it too will like hit a buzz saw at the next weekend box office.
#4 – Dark Phoenix
While I was hoping for better turnout, it appears word off mouth has torpedoed the final Fox X-Men movie. In a horrible 72.6% drop in its second week, it only managed $9 million. Only 50 Shades of Grey dropped further, faster. The Phoenix remains dead until Disney resurrects the mutants.
Rounding Out the Weekend Box Office at #5 – Rocketman
Rocketman has had small box office numbers, but it has done a great job staying consistent. In its 3rd week it only dropped 36% and brought in $8.8 million. So far it has made $66 million on a $40 million budget.
Outside the Top 5
What makes things even worse is two new movies could not even crack the Top 5. The Sam Jackson remake of the classic Shaft only made $8 for a sixth place finish and the Zombie comedy starring Bill Murray and Adam Driver, The Dead Don’t Die, only made a disappointing $2.3 million, finishing 12th.
NEXT WEEKEND
While next weekend sees the release of the action movie Anna and the horror reboot of the classic Child’s Play, the box office will lay solely on a single movie – Toy Story 4. Look for big numbers here and small numbers across the rest of the board.
