It was a spooky weekend at the box office for nearly everyone but Tyler Perry.
Perry害羞草研究所檚 comedy sequel 害羞草研究所淏oo 2! A Madea Halloween害羞草研究所� scared up a healthy $21.7 million in its first weekend in theatres, but the waters were rough for other new openers including the disaster epic 害羞草研究所淕eostorm,害羞草研究所� the firefighter drama 害羞草研究所淥nly the Brave害羞草研究所� and the crime thriller 害羞草研究所淭he Snowman.害羞草研究所�
Made for a reported $25 million, Perry害羞草研究所檚 film drew a mostly older and female audience, who gave it an A- CinemaScore. 害羞草研究所淏oo 2!害羞草研究所� did a little less business than the first film, which opened to $28.5 million just last year.
害羞草研究所淕iven that it害羞草研究所檚 a sequel, its performance is at the higher end of our expectations,害羞草研究所� said David Spitz, who heads up domestic distribution for Lionsgate.
The studio expects the film to hold well into next weekend due to increased interest because of Halloween, but it will also face some competition with the horror pic 害羞草研究所淛igsaw.害羞草研究所�
But a slight drop for a sequel hardly compares to the catastrophe of 害羞草研究所淕eostorm,害羞草研究所� a long-delayed $120 million disaster epic starring Gerard Butler that only managed to open to $13.3 million from North American theatres.
A co-production between Skydance Media and Warner Bros. Pictures, 害羞草研究所淕eostorm害羞草研究所� marks the directorial debut of 害羞草研究所淚ndependence Day害羞草研究所� producer Dean Devlin. The film was shot back in late 2014 and lousy test screenings resulted in $15 million of reshoots, pushing back the release over a year and a half.
But the reshoots didn害羞草研究所檛 seem to help the final product, which has been widely panned by critics and shunned overall by audiences. Those who did turn out gave it a B- CinemaScore.
Another possibly too-timely film, 害羞草研究所淥nly the Brave,害羞草研究所� about the Granite Mountain Hotshots who took on the June 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire, also failed to attract sufficient audiences this weekend. The Sony film starring Josh Brolin, Jeff Bridges and Jennifer Connelly opened in fifth place with $6 million.
At $38 million, the production budget was more reasonable than 害羞草研究所淕eostorm,害羞草研究所� however.
But despite good reviews, it opened behind two holdovers 害羞草研究所� the horror pic 害羞草研究所淗appy Death Day害羞草研究所� which landed in third place with $9.4 million and 害羞草研究所淏lade Runner 2049害羞草研究所� which took in $7.2 million in its third weekend in theatres.
Universal and Working Title害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淭he Snowman,害羞草研究所� starring Michael Fassbender and based on the Jo Nesbo book, also failed to make a splash. The critically derided pic debuted in eighth place with $3.4 million from 1,812 theatres.
The director, Thomas Alfredson has been widely acknowledging the film害羞草研究所檚 shortcomings and confusing plot in the press, saying that they did not have time to shoot the entire script. Audiences gave it a deathly D CinemaScore.
Things looked a little brighter for the limited releases this weekend. Both playing in four theatres, the Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman film 害羞草研究所淭he Killing of a Sacred Deer,害羞草研究所� took in $114,585 and 害羞草研究所淲onderstruck,害羞草研究所� starring Julianne Moore,害羞草研究所� earned $68,762.
害羞草研究所淎s great as September was, October has been really scary,害羞草研究所� said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for comScore.
Theatrical exhibitors and studio distribution heads are gathering in Miami Beach, Florida this week for the ShowEast Film Expo to discuss the state of movie going and it couldn害羞草研究所檛 come at a better time, when old truisms about what works and what doesn害羞草研究所檛 work at the box office are being challenged weekly.
Dergarabedian said even releasing a quality film isn害羞草研究所檛 a sure path to success anymore.
害羞草研究所淓ven well-reviewed movies like 害羞草研究所楢merican Made,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所極nly the Brave害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所楤lade Runner 2049害羞草研究所� are having trouble gaining traction,害羞草研究所� Dergarabedian said.
The industry will be looking to the big event films, like 害羞草研究所淭hor: Ragnarok,害羞草研究所� out Nov. 3, 害羞草研究所淛ustice League害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淪tar Wars: The Last Jedi害羞草研究所� to get the year back to even.
害羞草研究所淭rying to figure out audiences and what they want is the key to the future. Audiences are voting with their presence or absence at the movie theatre,害羞草研究所� Dergarabedian said. 害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e staying away now, but that might change in two weeks.害羞草研究所�
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 害羞草研究所淏oo 2! A Madea Halloween,害羞草研究所� $21.7 million.
2. 害羞草研究所淕eostorm,害羞草研究所� $13.3 million ($36.4 million international).
3. 害羞草研究所淗appy Death Day,害羞草研究所� $9.4 million ($6.5 million international).
4. 害羞草研究所淏lade Runner 2049,害羞草研究所� $7.2 million ($14.3 million international).
5. 害羞草研究所淥nly the Brave,害羞草研究所� $6 million.
6. 害羞草研究所淭he Foreigner,害羞草研究所� $5.5 million ($2.7 million international).
7. 害羞草研究所淚t,害羞草研究所� $3.5 million ($12.8 million international).
8. 害羞草研究所淭he Snowman,害羞草研究所� $3.4 million ($6.6 million international).
9. 害羞草研究所淎merican Made,害羞草研究所� $3.2 million ($2.7 million international).
10. 害羞草研究所淜ingsman: The Golden Circle,害羞草研究所� $3 million ($48.7 million international).
___
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theatres (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to comScore:
1. 害羞草研究所淜ingsman: The Golden Circle,害羞草研究所� $48.7 million.
2. 害羞草研究所淕eostorm,害羞草研究所� $36.4 million.
3. 害羞草研究所淣ever Say Die,害羞草研究所� $15 million.
4. 害羞草研究所淏lade Runner 2049,害羞草研究所� $14.3 million.
5. 害羞草研究所淚t,害羞草研究所� $12.8 million.
6. 害羞草研究所淏ad Genius,害羞草研究所� $7.6 million.
7. 害羞草研究所淭he Outlaws,害羞草研究所� $6.8 million.
8. 害羞草研究所淭he Snowman,害羞草研究所� $6.6 million.
9. 害羞草研究所淗appy Death Day,害羞草研究所� $6.5 million.
10. 害羞草研究所淭he Lego Ninjago Movie,害羞草研究所� $4.7 million.
___
Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by 21st Century Fox; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.
___
Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/ldbahr
___
This story has been corrected to show 害羞草研究所淏oo 2! A Madea Halloween害羞草研究所� was made for a reported $25 million, not $35 million
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
