Weekend Estimates: Onward Hit by Box Office Shutdown

March 15, 2020

Onward

People are clearly taking the concept of social distancing seriously and this is causing a massive drop at the box office. Onward is going to lead the way at the box office this weekend, but with just $10.53 million. This is down 73% from its opening weekend, which is the worst in the top ten. Granted, it is a family film during its sophomore stint, so it would naturally be affected the most by social distancing. Internationally, things were much worse as some markets were shutting down theaters entirely. The film is only earning $6.8 million in 47 markets for totals of $41.4 million internationally and $101.7 million worldwide. On the positive side, its reviews are really strong, so it should find a second life on the home market.

I Still Believe is also missing expectations with an estimated $9.5 million during its opening weekend. Mixed reviews didn’t help, but it did earn an A-rating from CinemaScore, so those that did risk seeing it enjoyed it. There’s no word on international numbers yet, but I’m not expecting much.

Bloodshot is earning $9.3 million according to projections, which makes it the only film in the top five to truly top predictions. Neither its reviews nor its B-rating from CinemaScore will help its legs and I fear it will be all but forgotten by the time it comes out on the home market. The film is doing a little better internationally with an estimated haul of $13.0 million on 11,800 screens in 50 markets for an early total of $15.1 million.

Films usually fall fastest during the second weekend of release and then recover during their third, unless they are performing so poorly that theater owners start dropping the movie by the third weekend of release. Such is not the case for The Invisible Man, which is plummeting 60% to $6.0 million over the weekend for a running tally of $64.4 million after three weeks of release. I think this is a good sign for widespread use of social distancing, but a bad sign for the box office going forward. The film is only doing a little better internationally with $6.2 million on 56 markets over the weekend for totals of $58.3 million internationally and $122.7 million worldwide. This is already enough to break even, so at least Universal can be happy with that.

The Hunt is rounding out the top five with $5.32 million during its opening weekend, putting it below the Mendoza Line. Its reviews were mixed, but still the best of the weekend, while its C-plus score from CimemaScore was the weakest. The film earned $700,000 internationally in four markets, almost all of which came from its third place, $673,000 debut on 449 screens in the U.K.

- Weekend Box Office Chart
- Friday Box Office Chart
- Thursday Box Office Chart

- Friday Estimates: COVID-19 Outbreak Takes Out Box Office
- Thursday Night Previews: Bloodshot Draws First Blood
- Weekend Predictions: Trio of Films Opening Wide could be Last Wide Releases for Weeks
- Theater Counts

Filed under: Weekend Estimates, Weekend Estimates, Onward, Bloodshot, The Invisible Man, The Hunt, I Still Believe