Weekend Wrap-Up: Butting Heads

August 26, 2013

Summer is rapidly ending and you can tell by the box office numbers of the wide releases this weekend. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones had the biggest opening of the three wide releases, but not really the best opening. The World's End earned a little less over the three-day weekend, but it also reportedly cost just $20 million to make, so it will earn a profit, unlike City of Bones. The final new release was You're Next, which couldn't live up to its reviews, but again, it is rumored to have cost very little to make, perhaps less than $1 million, so it should break even sooner rather than later. With the weakness in the new releases, Lee Daniels' The Butler had no trouble repeating in first place, but the overall box office did fall by 21% from last weekend to $110 million. This was still better than last year by 12%, which extends 2013's winning streak to five weeks. Year-to-date, 2013 has pulled in $7.18 billion leading 2012's pace of $6.97 billion by 3%.

Lee Daniels' The Butler repeated as box office champion with $16.50 million over the weekend for a ten-day total of $51.76 million. Given its reviews and its shallow sophomore stint decline, it is on pace to reach $100 million before it is done.

We're the Millers held on even better down just 27% to $13.05 million over the weekend for a total of $91.29 million after three weeks of release. By this time next week, it will be past the century mark.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones landed in third place with $9.34 million over the weekend for a five-day total opening of $14.09 million. Its per theater average is not good, while its reviews are even worse, so it will likely have really short legs. I don't see it getting to $40 million domestically, which is bad for a film that cost $60 million to make. Unless it is a surprisingly strong hit on the international market, it will have no chance at breaking even.

The World's End did better than a lot of people were expecting, but didn't live up to my bullish predictions. It did manage fourth place with $8.79 million in just 1,551 screens. Its per theater average was the best in the top ten at $5,667, while its reviews were among the best of any wide release released this year. Additionally, the other films in the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy had strong legs, so there is a chance this film could reach $30 million or more. Since it only cost $20 million to make, that would be nearly enough to cover its production budget. Finally, the film will very likely be a much bigger hit internationally, so it should break even early on the home market, if not sooner.

Disney's Planes slipped to fifth place with $8.58 million over the weekend for a total of $59.60 million after three weeks of release. It will cross $75 million with relative ease and assuming it can do as well internationally as it did domestically, it will break even sooner rather than later.

You're Next missed the top five with $7.02 million, which is disappointing given its reviews. On the other hand, it is rumored that the film cost just under $1 million to make, so that number is already covered. It just has to pay for its P&A budget and its home market run should accomplish that.

The sophomore class was crowded this week with Kick-Ass 2 landing in ninth place with $4.37 million over the weekend for a total of $22.53 million after two. There were a lot of factors working against this film, including the end of summer, the Fanboy Effect, and of course its reviews, but a 67% decline is still bad and it likely won't reach $30 million in total. Jobs held on a little better, but a sophomore stint decline 57% is terrible for a drama. It added $2.87 million over the weekend for a total of $12.01 million after two. Its theater count will take a beating this weekend. Paranoia fell from 13th place to 17th with $1.31 million over the weekend for a total of just $6.25 million after ten days of release. Its per theater average is just $534 and nearly every theater owner showing the film will drop it as soon as they can.


-

Filed under: Weekend Estimates, We’re the Millers, Kick-Ass 2, Lee Daniels' The Butler, The World's End, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Paranoia, You're Next, Disney Planes, Jobs, Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy