Weekend Wrap-Up: COVID-19 Scare Results in Worst Weekend in Decades

March 16, 2020

Onward

The weekend broke a record, one that I thought would never be broken. Ticket price inflation means the smallest overall weekend record looked unbreakable, but this weekend only managed $53.50 million, although that number should be adjusted up as some indie films report numbers later in the week. This is down 47% from last weekend and down 61% from the same weekend last year. Only one film managed to top $10 million, Onward, while the total box office was less than what Captain Marvel earned this weekend last year. This is easily the worst weekend since I’ve been in the business, but I fear it will get worse before it gets better. Year-to-date is, to be blunt, a disaster. 2020 is already $100 million behind 2019’s pace and 2019 was not a good year at the box office. Furthermore, the $1.76 billion box office is only 195 million tickets sold, meaning we are on pace for the lowest ticket sales since the turn of the century.

Onward remained in first place, but with just a tiny $10.60 million for a two-week total of $60.36 million. This is less than Disney assumed it would make during its opening weekend. Sadly, it will be the biggest box office hit until the COVID-19 outbreak subsides.

Bloodshot opened in second place with $9.18 million during its opening weekend. This is better than predicted, but I think we can chalk that up to its target audience being young males, who are the least likely to take precautions in times like this. Its reviews and its B-rating from CinemaScore suggest short legs, but there will also be no real competition for the foreseeable future.

I Still Believe only managed third place with $9.10 million over the weekend. The film earned mixed reviews, but an A from CinemaScore, so it could find an audience on the home market, especially if the box office doesn’t fully recover by the time it comes out on VOD.

The Invisible Man was down 61% to $5.89 million over the weekend for a total of $64.31 million after three weeks of release. This is already enough to ensure a profit early in its home market run. It is one of the few bright spots at the box office right now.

The Hunt missed the Mendoza Line with just $5.30 million during its opening weekend. Its reviews and its C plus rating from CinemaScore won’t make a difference and the only way it has any legs is if theater owners don’t have any new films to replace it in the coming weeks.

As for the sophomore class, The Way Back fell 71% to just $2.36 million over the weekend for a two-week total of $13.38 million. This wasn’t the worst decline in the top ten, but that’s hardly high praise.

- Weekend Estimates: Onward Hit by Box Office Shutdown
- 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 Wrap-up, Onward, Bloodshot, The Invisible Man, The Hunt, I Still Believe, The Way Back