Weekend Estimates: Maze Runner Trilogy Ends with $23.5 Million Opening

January 28, 2018

Maze Runner: The Death Cure

The delayed final film in the Maze Runner trilogy, The Death Cure, will open with $23.5 million, per Fox’s Sunday morning estimate. With another $82 million overseas so far, the film will have earned a little over $100 million by the end of the weekend, and its early international pace looks a little better than The Scorch Trials, which amassed $78 million over its first two weekends back in 2015. (Scorch Trials had a more staggered release, making a direct comparison difficult.)

Death Cure needs to make $342 million for the franchise to top $1 billion at the global box office. Its domestic opening is down 22% from its predecessor, which grossed $310 million worldwide. So international earnings are going to be key to reaching the milestone. The Scorch Trials made $30 million in China, and that territory will be the determining factor in the success of Death Cure.

Hostiles expanded into 2,816 theaters this weekend, and ESMP will be very happy to have come close to their target with a $10.2 million weekend. That’s the second-best weekend ever for the studio, behind 47 Meters Down’s $11.2 million in June last year. Given that this is a harder time of year to reach audiences, it’s an impressive performance, and marks the first time ESMP has had a film in the top three.

Hostiles is sandwiched between two films that are enjoying remarkable legs. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle will earn $16.4 million in its sixth weekend, down just 16% from its last outing, and The Greatest Showman will earn another $9.5 million, down only 11% in its sixth weekend. Greatest Showman is headed towards our list of leggiest movies ever, and will be the first film to get on that list that isn’t a major Oscar contender since Napoleon Dynamite.

Also making headlines this weekend is Padmavati, which will top the theater averages with an estimated $4.27 million opening in just 324 theaters. The Indian film will earn just enough to hit the top 10, according to current projections.

The other big news, of course, is the various expansions and improved business for Oscar nominees.

The Shape of Water will have its best weekend so far, and re-enter the top 10, with $5.7 million. Its theater average is the third-worst in the top 10, however, which suggests it still isn’t connecting with a wider audience. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri will earn an estimated $3.6 million, up 88% from last weekend. Both films are being distributed by Fox Searchlight, while its sister distributor, 20th Century Fox is in charge of The Post, which is off 24% this weekend to $8.85 million, for $58.5 million so far. With Fox also behind Maze Runner and The Greatest Showman, the studio is having a great weekend—Disney should be taking note.

Also picking up additional business this weekend are Lady Bird, which will be up 61% to $1.92 million; Darkest Hour, with $2.885 million, up 6%; and I, Tonya, with $2.97 million, up 4% from last weekend.

- Weekend estimates

- Maze Runner: The Death Cure Comparisons
- Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Comparisons
- Hostiles Comparisons
- The Greatest Showman Comparisons
- The Post Comparisons
- 12 Strong Comparisons
- Den of Thieves Comparisons
- Paddington 2 Comparisons
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi Comparisons

Filed under: Weekend Estimates, The Greatest Showman, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Darkest Hour, I, Tonya, The Post, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Shape of Water, Lady Bird, Hostiles, Padmavati, The Maze Runner