Friday Estimates: 12 and Thieves Start Strong with $5.66 million Apiece
January 20, 2018
As expected, 12 Strong opened in first place on Friday. Technically it tied for first place according to the estimates. It did do a little bit better than expected, earning $5.66 million, which puts it on pace for about $15 million over the weekend. Its reviews got a little bit better since Thursday and are now 56% positive, while it is earning an A from CinemaScore. Clearly this movie is connecting with its target audience. This is great news for Warner Bros., as they only spent $35 million making the movie and likely a little under that advertising it. Strong legs would be a good omen for strong home market sales. On the other hand, I don’t think its going to find an audience internationally.
Den of Thieves had a stunning opening day, earning a tie with an estimated $5.66 million. Give its weak reviews and the direct competition, I thought this one would be a dud. Fortunately for STX Entertainment, that isn’t the case. It will still slip over the weekend, as its reviews are not good and its CinemaScore is just a B plus, but it should earn $14 million during its opening weekend. That’s a good start for a film that cost $30 million to make. Assuming it can find an audience internationally, it will break even sometime during its home market push. Even if it doesn’t, it will likely break even eventually.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle slipped to third place with $4.7 million on Friday, but since it is a holdover and a family-friendly film, it will bounce back and retain first place with about $19 million. This will be enough to overtake Thor: Ragnarok on the 2017 domestic chart. In fact, the film is closing in on a top five spot in Sony’s history and will likely reach third place in the end, behind only Spider-Man One and Two.
It looks like Forever My Girl could earn a spot in the top ten, as it managed 10th place on Friday with $1.47 million. Its reviews are not going to help, as its Tomatometer Score is just 18% positive. (It was too small of a release to be scored by CinemaScore.) Its target audience is not the type to rush out and see a film opening day, so it could do well over the rest of the weekend. Look for $4 million during its opening weekend.
- 12 Strong Comparisons
- Den of Thieves Comparisons
- Forever My Girl Comparisons
Filed under: Friday Estimates, Thor: Ragnarok, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Den of Thieves, 12 Strong, Forever My Girl, Spider-Man