Theater Counts: Last Jedi Holds Firm

January 4, 2018

Insidious: The Last Key starts the ball rolling for 2018 with a wide release in 3,116 theaters this weekend. That’s the widest opening for the Insidious franchise, topping Chapter 2’s 3,049 theater debut in 2013. It’s been more than two years since the last installment, Chapter 3, came out, which is a long time in horror years, so there’s not much expectation that this new outing will top the chart, particularly since it’s only the sixth-widest release this weekend, behind five holiday holdovers.

The widest release remains The Last Jedi, which will get one more week in 4,232 theaters. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle has a shot at winning the weekend overall, and its chances will be helped a little by the fact that it’s adding 36 new locations, to take it into 3,801 theaters this time around.

Molly’s Game expands wide into 1,608 theaters and should move well into the top 10. STX Entertainment would be happy with a top five finish.

Also expanding significantly is Darkest Hour, which will play in 1,730 movie houses this weekend, up from 943 last time around. Focus would also be very happy with a top five finish this weekend.

Looking ahead to next week, Warner Bros. is going big with Paddington 2, a film it only very recently picked up from Weinstein. The family film will open in 3,600 theaters or so—about 300 more than the opening count for the first film in the franchise. That outing opened with just short of $19 million, and the new film has a definite shot at topping the chart next week.

Also opening wide will be The Commuter and Proud Mary, the former in 2,800 theaters, and the latter in 2,200. Both films have a shot at a good opening, dependent on reviews.

Bruce Nash

Filed under: Theater Counts