Weekend Box Office (August 11 - 13, 2017)
THIS WEEKEND With the box office contracting in the final weeks of summer, studios will try to yank what dollars they can from moviegoers. Warner Bros. looks to reclaim number one with Annabelle: Creation, the latest from its wildly popular Conjuring horror franchise. The PG-13 pic follows the sturdy $37.1M debut of the first film from 2014. However, the new pic is not expected to reach the same height.
Reviews are decent enough and a lack of fright flicks in recent weeks will work in its favor. Some fans may hold onto their money for the September-October corridor which is prime time for spookfests. Plus there is lack of momentum at the box office right now as many people are perfectly fine getting their weekend entertainment elsewhere. Entering 3,502 theaters, Annabelle: Creation may open to about $26M.
Junk food is still needed for kids during the dog days of summer. Catering to that group is Open Road with the season's latest toon sequel The Nut Job 2 which aims to allow parents to pass some time in an air conditioned theater. The PG-rated pic follows a predecessor which opened to $19.4M on its way to $64.3M. The property is not loved enough for another installment, but kidpics can make a decent buck over time with ancillaries. Opening ultrawide in over 4,000 theaters, The Nut Job 2 might gross about $13M this weekend.
Many books are called "best-sellers" and turned into movies. Not all have a built-in fan following that will pay top dollar to see the story on the big screen. The Glass Castle faces that test this weekend as the PG-13 drama starring Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts opens in moderate national release. Reviews have been mixed and will limit the potential for this one which should skew older and female. Lionsgate releases it in 1,400 locations and might collect about $4M this weekend.
Last week's box office leader The Dark Tower has had a lukewarm response from paying audiences and probably attracted much of its built-in fan base upfront. A 55% tumble would give Sony about $8M for a cume of $35M.
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Watch the extended trailer for Justice League.
LAST YEAR Plunging by two thirds in its second weekend, Suicide Squad was still able to hold the top spot with a $43.5M haul. Sony's animated raunchfest Sausage Party debuted in second with $34.3M while Disney's much tamer kidpic Pete's Dragon bowed in third with $21.5M. Finals reached $97.7M and $76.2M, respectively. Holdovers in their third rounds followed. Jason Bourne did $13.8M and Bad Moms eased slightly to $11.4M.
This column is updated three times each week: Thursday (upcoming weekend's summary), Sunday (post-weekend analysis with estimates), and Monday night (actuals). Opinions expressed in this column are those solely of the author.
Last Updated: August 10, 2017 at 3:35PM ET
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