Weekend Wrap-Up: Frankenstein's Debut isn't Lively

January 27, 2014

Ride Along poster

I, Frankenstein died at the box office, as it missed the top five entirely. This gave Ride Along an easy road to first place over the weekend. Meanwhile, the rest of the top five all matched expectations, or came within a rounding error of doing so. This helped the overall box office somewhat. It was still a post-holiday frame and the total box office fell 34% to $117 million, but it could have been worse. Compared to last year, the overall box office was 4% higher, which is good news early in the year. 2014 has extended its lead over 2013 to 9% at $823 million to $754 million.

Ride Along added $21.30 million over the weekend for a total of $75.54 million. It avoided the 50% drop-off many were predicting and is better than its reviews would normally suggest. At this pace, it will have no trouble getting to $100 million, but it will likely have to wait at least one more week to get there.

Lone Survivor remained in second place with $12.90 million over the weekend for a total of $93.91 million after just over a month of release. It too will get to $100 million, likely this coming weekend.

Meanwhile, The Nut Job came within a rounding error of predictions with $12.10 million over the weekend giving the film $40.06 million after ten days of release. Given its week-to-week decline, it should have a shot at $75 million or more, but The LEGO Movie opens in just two weeks, so its legs will likely be cut short then.

Frozen rose a spot to fourth place with $9.12 million over the weekend for a total of $347.90 million after more than two months of release. At this pace, it has a real shot at topping Despicable Me 2 for biggest animated film of the year, especially if it can win an Oscar or two.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit fell to fifth place with $9.08 million over the weekend for a total of $30.45 million after two. This is actually a little better than expected, but unless the movie is a much bigger hit internationally, the studio won't be turning it into a new franchise.

I, Frankenstein didn't exactly bomb, but it came close with $8.61 million in 2,753 theaters during its opening weekend. Its per theater average was just $3,128, which is less than Frozen's average during its ninth weekend of wide released. Even if the film held on well next weekend, movie owners will still be looking to dump this movie as soon as they are contractually able to. And given the film's abysmal reviews, it will likely collapse next weekend.

The only film in the sophomore class to not reach the top five was Devil's Due, which fell to tenth place with just $2.79 million over the weekend for a total of $12.92 million after ten days of release. Its 66% week-over-week decline was the worst in the top ten, top twenty in fact. Granted, the movie reportedly only cost $7 million to make, so the studio has likely recouped that already. On the other hand, they likely spent $20 million on P&A, so unless the film does well internationally and on the home market, it might not break even.


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Filed under: Weekend Estimates, Lone Survivor, Ride Along, Frozen, I, Frankenstein, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, The Nut Job, Devil's Due