Studio Weekend Estimates: ‘Don’t Breathe’ Inhales Again w/ $15.7M 3-Day Weekend; ‘The Light Between Oceans’ Goes Dark w/ $4.9M 3-Day Opening; ‘Morgan’ Among the Worst Debuts Ever w/ $1.9M 3-Day

Sony’s horror thriller Don’t Breathe gasped to a second straight weekend atop the box office during this Labor Day weekend, with an estimated $15.70 million three-day / $19.375 million four-day holiday weekend. Down 40.6 percent, the film actually had one of the highest percentage drops of any film this weekend, but managed to hold onto the top spot due its commanding opening last weekend, when it reigned with more than double the gross of its nearest competitor.

If its numbers hold, Don’t Breathe would rank as the seventh-highest Labor Day four-day weekend gross when adjusted for inflation. It has now earned $51.12 million through two weekends, impressive for a non-sequel horror movie, especially one released in August when many releases gross less. Among similar original horror movies in the past year, it’s running 19.2 percent ahead of the $42.87 million for July’s Lights Out and 20.1 percent ahead of the $42.56 million for last year’s The Visit through the same points.

Further down on the charts was worse news, with the new wide releases this weekend both failing to take off.

Disney’s period drama The Light Between Oceans failed to light, opening in sixth place with an estimated $4.98 million three-day / $6.31 million four-day holiday weekend. The period drama stars Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander as a married couple living on a remote island who raise a baby that washes ashore. It was hurt by its middling reviews, with a B+ CinemaScore and 61 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, especially considering that the pre-release hype was that it might prove to be a top Oscar contender.

It also failed to appeal to wide enough demographics, with the audience running a mere eight percent under age 25 and 44 percent over age 50 (even though none of the three lead characters are in that age group). The audience was also 66 percent female, although a similar breakdown didn’t seem to have hurt recent release Bad Moms too badly.

Oceans started with an estimated $1.35 million on Friday, increased 26.6 percent on Saturday to $1.71 million, and sported an unusual Sunday increase of 10.9 percent to $1.90 million. This places its opening three-day weekend to Friday ratio at an estimated 3.67 to 1. While such a backloaded ratio would typically be a positive sign indicating good word of mouth, in this case it more likely just reflects the lack of a rush to see the film on its opening day, as sometimes occurs with adult-centered dramas.

Fox’s Morgan opened with an estimated $1.86 million three-day / $2.40 million four-day holiday weekend. Playing in 2,020 theaters, this gives it the seventh-worst opening weekend ever for a film playing in 2,000+ theaters. The sci-fi drama starring Kate Mara and Paul Giamatti is about a child genetically created in a laboratory who develops and advances beyond all expectations. But with low buzz and bad reviews including a 43 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie was unable to break out.

Morgan started with $615 thousand on Friday, increased 13.0 percent on Saturday to $695 thousand, and declined 6.4 percent on Sunday to $650 thousand. This places its opening three-day weekend to Friday ratio at an estimated 3.18 to 1. The film should have a difficult time even cracking $6 million or so total, which is about the lowest that a national wide release ever grosses.

Warner Bros.’ Suicide Squad maintained its second place finish from last weekend, with an estimated $10.00 million three-day weekend. (A four-day weekend estimate was not yet available from the studio.) Down a mere 18.3 percent, the film finally appears to have stabilized its box office hemorrhaging after sizable 67 percent and 52 percent drops in its second and third weekends, respectively. It’s now earned $297.42 million through five weekends, which is 6.9 percent behind the $319.48 million for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, 9.3 percent behind the $328.21 million for Deadpool, and 23.5 percent behind the $389.17 million of Captain America: Civil War through the same points.

Elsewhere in the box office charts, Lionsgate’s and CBS Films’ Western Hell or High Water finally cracked the top 10 after yet another theater expansion, coming in eighth place with a 26.6 percent increase to an estimated $4.50 million. The Spanish-language comedy No Manches Frida from Lionsgate and Pantelion opened with an estimated $3.65 million in only 362 theaters; the film is about a bank robber who becomes a substitute teacher to retrieve his stolen money which is buried underneath the school’s gym. And Disney’s Finding Dory more than tripled its prior weekend’s gross to an estimated $1.92 million as it saw a revival theater expansion.

The top 10 films this weekend made an estimated $67.14 million total, which is 26.3 percent below the $91.22 million total for last weekend and 11.8 percent above the $60.03 million total for the same weekend last year.

Check back on Tuesday for four-day weekend actuals.

Overseas Update:

Proving once again that it’s all about China, Star Trek Beyond commanded the overseas box office this weekend with an estimated $37.0 million in 40 markets, of which $31.3 million was from China. That’s more than double the China opening gross of Star Trek Into Darkness a few years ago. To put that into perspective, the film only made $4.7 million overseas last weekend. It’s now earned a $131.1 million overseas and $285.3 million global total total.

Though nothing could touch Beyond overseas, other notable overseas weekend grosses include The Secret Life of Pets with $17.3 million (down 29.7 percent) in 55 markets, Jason Bourne with $12.0 million (down 78.9 percent) in 64 markets, and Suicide Squad with $11.8 million (down 41.3 percent) in 65 markets.

Studio 3-Day Weekend Estimates for Friday, September 2 – Sunday, September 4, 2016: