Weekend Wrap-Up: Breathe Blows Away the New Releases
September 7, 2016
The Labor Day long weekend wasn’t even close with Don’t Breathe earning more over three days than any other film earned over four. There were a couple of other major stories as Suicide Squad hit $300 million on Monday and Bad Moms hit $100 million on Saturday. Given the production budgets of those two films, the latter has a lot more reasons to celebrate. As for the new releases, the studios will just be hoping no one remembers them in a few weeks. The Light Between Oceans missed the top five, while Morgan missed the top ten. The overall box office fell 16% to $99 million over the three-day weekend and $127 million including Monday. This is 8.9% higher than the same weekend last year. Year-to-date, 2016’s lead over 2015 grew to $500 million at $7.98 billion to $7.48 billion. That’s a lead of 6.7%. It would take a real collapse for 2016 to lose at this rate.
Don’t Breathe had a stunning hold down just 40% earning $15.83 million over the three-day weekend. Add in Monday and the film pulled in $19.71 million over the long weekend for a two-week total of $55.13 million. Strong reviews and a high per theater average will help it stick around through to the end of the month. Even if it goes nowhere internationally, it will break even early in its home market run.
Suicide Squad was next with $9.91 million / $12.69 million over the weekend for a total of $300.10 million. The lack of real competition really helped the film the past couple of weeks, but Warner Bros. should still be happy with this result.
Kubo and the Two Strings earned $6.37 million / $8.76 million over the weekend for a total of $36.63 million after three weeks of release. The film will reach $40 million soon and maybe finish with $50 million. It will need help on the home market to break even any time soon.
Pete’s Dragon was really close behind with $6.35 million / $8.50 million over the weekend for a total of $66.25 million after four weeks of release. This is more than the film cost to make, so if it had done as well internationally as it did domestically, it would have broken even sometime on the home market.
Sausage Party rounded out the top five with $5.19 million / $6.46 million over the weekend for a total of $89.60 million, also after four weeks of release. It has a shot at $100 million, if the studio gives it a push over the top.
The Light Between Oceans was the “best” new release, but it only managed $4.77 million / $6.18 million during its opening weekend, which was only enough for eighth place from Friday through Sunday. Ouch. Its reviews stabilized at 59% positive, which is better than average for a September release, but that’s small comfort at this point.
No Manches Frida earned 12th place with $3.68 million / $4.63 million during its opening weekend. That’s excellent for a film that’s only playing in 362 theaters. There are still no reviews, so it is hard to say what the film’s legs will be like, but I’m sure the studio is happy with this start.
There have been just over 100 films to open truly wide (2,000 or more theaters) that missed the Mendoza Line (theater average of less than $2,000). Last year was a particularly bad year with four wide releases that opened with average of less than $1,000. This year there had been no such films... until this weekend. Morgan had the worst opening of the year earning just $2.01 million / $2.52 million over the weekend. Had the film earned $2.52 million during its opening day, it still would have only be a mediocre opening for a Labor Day weekend. I’m shocked it did this poorly. The reviews are 42% positive, which is fine for this type of release.
- No Manches Frida Comparisons
- Morgan Comparisons
- The Light Between Oceans Comparisons
Filed under: Weekend Wrap-up, Sausage Party, The Light Between Oceans, Suicide Squad, Kubo and the Two Strings, Pete’s Dragon, Bad Moms, Don’t Breathe, Morgan, No Manches Frida