Weekend Box Office (September 27 - 29, 2019)
THIS WEEKEND DreamWorks Animation and Pearl Studios captured the number one spot with the debut of the yeti toon Abominable, but also gave DWA its lowest launch in over a decade. The PG-rated film grossed an estimated $20.9M from 4,242 locations for a good $4,915 average. For distributor Universal, this was its seventh number one opening of 2019.
While good enough for the top spot over a slow frame, it dipped below some of the smaller openings in recent years by DreamWorks toons like the $21.3M of Turbo and the $23.9M of Captain Underpants which both released in the busier summer play period. Compared to recent toons launching in the back-to-school month of September, it fell behind the $23M of last year's Smallfoot (also a yeti toon) and the $21.3M of Storks. For DreamWorks Animation is was the smallest opening weekend in 13 years.
Abominable scored high marks with critics and audiences alike. Reviews were positive across the board, and ticket buyers have had a good time with an A grade from CinemaScore. But it was a tough sell. There is no brand here. No major starpower to push moviegoers. And the yeti thing was just done recently. So only so many people wanted to pay to bring their family out this time. Set in China, Abominable opens in that lucrative market this week so there is potential to still collect a respectable worldwide gross by the end of the run.
Falling 53% in its second weekend was Downton Abbey with an estimated $14.5M and a new cume of $58.5M for Focus. Jennifer Lopez and her gang from Hustlers showed off great legs sliding only 32% to an estimated $11.5M in its third weekend. STX has banked a strong $80.6M to date on its way to the $100M club.
The horror sequel It: Chapter Two followed with an estimated $10.4M, down 39%, raising the Warner Bros. sum to $193.9M. Brad Pitt saw his space saga Ad Astra fall 47% in its second round to an estimated $10.1M putting Fox at $35.5M.
Stallone's Rambo: Last Blood dropped a big 55% in its sophomore session to an estimated $8.6M for $33.2M overall for Lionsgate. Delivering the best screen average of any film in the top ten was the Renee Zellweger pic Judy which debuted to an estimated $3.1M from 461 locations for a solid $6,705 average. The Roadside Attractions release earned very positive reviews plus awards buzz and audiences are loving the PG-13 film too.
Dipping only 22% was the raunchy comedy Good Boys with an estimated $2M and $80.4M to date for Universal. With a new kidpic in town The Lion King fell farther down, but still managed to spend its eleventh weekend in the top ten with an estimated $1.6M, off 40%. New totals for Disney are now $540M domestic and $1.64 billion worldwide. Rounding out the top ten was another franchise vehicle, Angel Has Fallen, with an estimated $1.5M falling 36% and putting Lionsgate at $67.2M.
The top ten films grossed an estimated $84.2M which was down 9% from last year when Night School opened at number one with $27.3M; but up 5% from 2017 when Kingsman: The Golden Circle stayed on top with $16.9M.
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Last Updated: September 29, 2019 at 3:10PM ET
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