Weekend Wrap-Up: Lego Batman Begins with $53.00 million
February 14, 2017
As expected, it was a big weekend at the box office with three massive hits. The Lego Batman Movie did earn first place, but not with as much as predicted at just $53.00 million. Fifty Shades Darker wasn’t that far behind with $46.61 million. Meanwhile, John Wick: Chapter Two just cracked $30 million, which is one of the ten best third place openings of all time. Week-over-week, the box office nearly doubled growing 90% from last weekend. Sadly, it was down 22% from last year. Granted, Valentine’s Day landed on a Sunday last year, so that boosted the weekend box office and 2017 should make some of that decline back on Tuesday. Year-to-date, 2017 has pulled in $1.28 billion, putting it $40 million or 3.0% behind 2016’s pace. It is still way too soon to tell how 2017 will finish in the end, but hopefully things will turn around soon.
The Lego Batman Movie opened in first place with $53.00 million over the weekend. On the one hand, this is significantly less than predicted. On the other hand, its reviews are 91% positive and the film earned an A minus from CinemaScore. Combine this with its family friendly target demographic and the film should have long legs, long enough to break even during its initial push into the home market, if not sooner.
Fifty Shades Darker earned a close second place with $46.61 million. This is a huge step back from the original, Fifty Shades of Grey; however, that film got a boost from Valentine’s Day landing on a Saturday. This hurt Darker’s opening weekend, but it should help its legs. The reviews suggest really short legs, but the film’s CinemaScore was a B plus, which is acceptable for this type of release. It should get close to $100 million domestically and will break even before it reaches the home market.
John Wick: Chapter Two beat expectations, both in terms of quality, earning 90% positive reviews and an A minus from CinemaScore and more importantly, at least as far the the studio is concerned, in terms of takings, opening with $30.44 million. Lionsgate struggled in 2016, to be polite, so this is a much needed box office win for the studio. The film reportedly cost $40 million to make and with this opening, the studio should recap that domestically. If it can do as well internationally, it could break even before it reaches the home market. There will be a third film in the franchise.
Split fell from first place to fourth with $9.53 million over the weekend for a total of $112.50 million after four weeks of release. The film may have already broken even just on its domestic numbers, so even if it disappeared from theaters tomorrow, the studio would still be going ahead with a sequel.
Hidden Figures rounded out the top five with just under $8.00 million over the weekend for a running tally of $131.45 million. This is likely the film’s final weekend in the top five, but it has already earned a profit, so I don’t think the studio will be too upset.
Rings fell 57% to $5.65 million over the weekend for a ten-day total of $21.32 million. It might get to $30 million domestically. It is doing marginally better internationally, but I don’t think it will be a major financial success. The Space Between Us fell out of the top ten with $1.69 million over the weekend for a total of $6.51 million after two weeks of release. Its theater average was just $611, so its theater count will be slashed on Friday.
- The Lego Batman Movie Comparisons
Fifty Shades Darker Comparisons
- John Wick: Chapter Two Comparisons
Filed under: Weekend Wrap-up, The Lego Batman Movie, Rings, Fifty Shades Darker, John Wick: Chapter Two, Split, The Space Between Us, Hidden Figures, John Wick