Weekend Box Office (October 9 - 11, 2015)
THIS WEEKEND Hollywood's big offering over the Columbus Day frame is the PG-rated adventure Pan which hopes to provide big-screen thrills for the whole family. A known brand and some starpower from Hugh Jackman could spark some interest, especially with older kids who may be uninterested in Hotel Transylvania 2.
But weak reviews will give many parents pause and following so many other related films over the years, consumer interest is low and audiences are not really clamoring for another Peter Pan story. Plus Jackman is barely recognizable in his role as Blackbeard. Even reaching second place may not be possible. Opening in over 3,300 locations, Pan could take in around $17M this weekend.
Robert Zemeckis was a victim of the fall stampede last weekend as the special large-format release of The Walk was met with plenty of empty seats. Averaging a dull $3,483 from 448 higher-priced venues, moviegoers clearly said this was not an event film for them, especially given the cost per ticket and with The Martian drawing in so much interest from mostly the same crowd.
Sony now expands the 3D highwire flick nationwide and will continue to face a big challenge when it comes to making this film feel like a priority. Widening to over 2,500 locations, The Walk might gross about $7M this weekend.
Looking to stay put in the top spot for a second round is the Matt Damon smash The Martian which has been generating electric buzz with audiences. All that good will, coupled with weak direct competition for adults, should lead to a strong hold as more people jump on the bandwagon. Monday's Columbus Day holiday will help Sunday grosses too. A 35% drop may be in order putting Martian at about $36M for the frame and $107M overall on its way to possibly reaching the double century mark.
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LAST YEAR Staying on top for a second weekend was the crime mystery Gone Girl which held up well dipping 30% to $26.4M for Fox. Horror fans came out in strong numbers for the pre-Halloween offering Dracula Untold which bowed to $23.5M on its way to $56.3M for Universal. Disney enjoyed a moderate debut for Steve Carell's Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day which opened to $18.4M heading to a $67M finish. Annabelle tumbled to $15.9M in its sophomore frame and The Judge had a soft start with $13.1M and a $47.1M final cume.
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: October 8, 2015 at 2:35PM ET
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