Studio Weekend Estimates: ‘Inferno’ Lands Cold, ‘Madea’ & ‘Moonlight’ Keep Spirits High on Halloween Weekend

Inferno failed to heat up the box office on Halloween weekend, falling short of its potential with a $15 million debut. Putting that number in context, the previous entries adapted from Dan Brown’s best-selling novels opened considerably higher; The Da Vinci Code took a $77 million debut in May 2006 and Angels & Demons opened to $46 million over the same month in 2009.

Inferno opened wide across 3,576 locations in North America, notching a B+ CinemaScore from audiences. Friday and Saturday grosses remained somewhat consistent ($5.6M and $5.76M respectively) before a sudden drop-off on Sunday estimated at $3.64 million. Sony is quoting a $75 million production budget for the film, reportedly half the budget of the previous entries in the franchise. Inferno will now have to rely on the overseas box office, where it is has already grossed more than $130 million in 61 total markets. China won’t be one of the markets providing much help, however, as the film struggled there in its opening weekend with $13.3 million from 8,000 screens. IMAX screenings worldwide contributed a total of $3.3 million from 844 screens, lifting its Large Format haul up to $7.8 million globally.

The World Series and early Halloween festivities might have scared away business this weekend, giving Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween the chance to repeat as the #1 film in North America. A 41% drop and slight bump (+39) in locations gave the comedy a $16.6 million haul in its sophomore frame, lifting it to an early $52 million domestic total. Saturday was the title’s best day of the weekend with an estimated $7.8 million. All seven films in Tyler Perry’s Madea franchise have grossed more than $50 million in North America, led by 2009’s Madea Goes to Jail ($90.5M).

Paramount’s Jack Reacher: Never Go Back sputtered in its second weekend, falling 58% from last week’s debut to a $9.5 million take. While its opening frame was actually higher than the 2012’s original $15 million bow, the sequel’s second weekend is sharply behind the original’s $13.6 million sophomore frame. Jack Reacher grossed a total of $80 million domestically following its December 2012 release; Never Go Back will have a challenge in its hands to try to meet that number with a number of high-profile films coming up in the schedule. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back brought in $11.6 million from 46 overseas markets this weekend. The film has grossed a total of $54.2 million overseas and $93.8 million worldwide.

Warner Bros. and Universal titles close out the weekend’s top five. The Accountant dropped 38% in its third weekend, grossing $8.4 million from 3,780 locations and crossing the $60 million mark domestically. The Accountant opened in three major overseas markets this weekend: Russia ($1.2M / 902 Screens), United Arab Emirates ($670k / 60 Screens), and Italy ($621k / 304 Screens). It expands to France, Australia, the UK, and Mexico next week.The Ben Affleck vehicle has grossed over $80 million worldwide.

Ouija: Origin of Evil grossed an estimated $7 million from 3,168 locations in its second weekend. The horror flick is trailing its previous entry, 2014’s Ouija, by $10 million over the same point in release. It expanded to 20 territories this weekend, adding $8.3 million to its overseas bounty. Spain was the weekend’s top new territory with $982k fourth place finish. The Ouija sequel has now grossed a total of $24 million domestically and $43.7 million worldwide.

LIMITED RELEASE

Indian title Ae Dil Hai Mushkil edged out Deepwater Horizon to sneak into the top ten this weekend after opening to $2.13 million from 302 theaters across North America. The film has grossed a total of $11.2 million worldwide, including an $8.2 million top spot debut in India and an $816k bow in the UK.

Moonlight continues to impress as it leads the per-screen average in its second weekend of limited release, taking in an estimated $900k from 36 screens. That accounts for a sturdy $25k per-screen average, the highest in the nation. Moonlight has now grossed $1.4 million over its first two weekends.

Politi-doc Michael Moore in Trumpland expanded to 49 more cities this weekend, taking in an estimated $75k from 51 screens. The self-distributed film has now grossed $149k as it ramps up its release on digital VOD platforms. “I’m amazed and thankful for the response,” Moore said in a press release. “This election may end up being very close. If just a few thousand decided to vote instead of staying home after seeing my movie, I will be proud of whatever small role I helped to play.”

A Man Called Ove increased its screen count by 50% over the weekend, grossing $345k from 150 locations and reaching a $1.2 million total in North America. The film will expand to approximately 30 new locations next week as it looks to become the highest grossing foreign language art house titles of the year.

OVERSEAS UPDATE

Doctor Strange enjoyed an $86 million overseas bow across 33 territories ahead of its North American release.  IMAX screens contributed $7.8 million from 213 locations across 32 countries.

Trolls grossed an additional $30 million from 40 markets, launching its global total to $61.6 million ahead of next weekend’s North American debut.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children added $7.5 million from 45 markets to reach a $163.5 million overseas total. The film has grossed a total of $243.3 million globally.

Storks took in $5.2 million from 62 markets, taking its overseas total to $93.2 million. The animated film has grossed $161.4 million globally.

Bridget Jones’s Baby opened in Colombia ($71k/65 dates) and Japan ($791k/94 dates) this weekend, finishing its latest frame overseas with $3.9 million from 48 territories. The film has now grossed a total of $167.7 million overseas and $191.8 million worldwide. It will open in Argentina on November 3 and Paraguay on November 17.

The Secret Life of Pets crossed the $500 million overseas milestone this weekend. The film has now grossed $867.4 million worldwide.

 

Studio Weekend Estimates for Friday, October 28 – Sunday, October 30, 2016:

WIDE (1000+)

# TITLE WEEKEND LOCATIONS AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween $16,675,000 -41% 2,299 39 $7,253 $52,019,343 2 Lionsgate
2 Inferno $15,000,000 3,576 $4,195 $15,000,000 1 Sony / Columbia
3 Jack Reacher: Never Go Back $9,550,000 -58% 3,780 0 $2,526 $39,679,177 2 Paramount
4 The Accountant $8,475,000 -38% 3,402 70 $2,491 $61,257,172 3 Warner Bros.
5 Ouija: Origin of Evil $7,070,000 -50% 3,168 1 $2,232 $24,638,625 2 Universal
6 The Girl on the Train (2016) $4,270,000 -40% 2,758 -333 $1,548 $65,918,480 4 Universal
7 Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children $3,975,000 -33% 2,797 -336 $1,421 $79,879,180 5 Fox
8 Keeping Up with the Joneses $3,375,000 -38% 3,022 0 $1,117 $10,779,313 2 Fox
9 Storks $2,785,000 -30% 1,901 -244 $1,465 $68,244,612 6 Warner Bros.
10 Deepwater Horizon $2,100,000 -38% 2,054 -774 $1,022 $58,360,245 5 Lionsgate / Summit
11 Kevin Hart: What Now? $1,670,000 -59% 1,656 -911 $1,008 $21,898,555 3 Universal
12 Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life $1,225,000 -44% 1,295 -477 $946 $18,450,071 4 CBS Films / Lionsgate

LIMITED (100 — 999)

# TITLE WEEKEND LOCATIONS AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Ae Dil Hai Mushkil $2,135,000 302 $7,070 $2,135,000 1 FIP
2 Sully $940,000 -37% 855 -317 $1,099 $122,357,965 8 Warner Bros.
3 Denial $597,590 -37% 587 -61 $1,018 $2,981,970 5 Bleeker Street
4 The Birth of a Nation (2016) $545,000 -40% 404 -229 $1,349 $15,072,151 4 Fox Searchlight
5 I’m Not Ashamed $440,000 -53% 516 11 $853 $1,627,984 2 Pure Flix
6 A Man Called Ove $345,000 34% 150 53 $2,300 $1,275,707 5 Music Box Films
7 Desierto $300,000 -40% 168 0 $1,786 $1,598,472 3 STX Entertainment
8 Queen of Katwe $281,000 -25% 238 -81 $1,181 $8,178,219 6 Disney
9 Finding Dory $144,000 -35% 165 -18 $873 $485,705,079 20 Disney
10 Priceless (2016) $124,425 -52% 181 -113 $687 $1,372,536 3 Roadside Attractions
11 Max Steel $118,626 -83% 281 -1753 $422 $3,768,025 3 Open Road
12 Masterminds (2016) $109,500 -62% 215 -305 $509 $17,281,144 5 Relativity Studios
13 Pete’s Dragon (2016) $89,000 -9% 152 18 $586 $75,443,395 12 Disney

PLATFORM (1 — 99)

# TITLE WEEKEND LOCATIONS AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Moonlight (2016) $900,826 124% 36 32 $25,023 $1,471,619 2 A24
2 The Handmaiden $334,282 263% 76 71 $4,398 $469,513 2 Magnolia Pictures
3 Oasis: Supersonic $231,820 14 $16,559 $441,226 1 A24
4 Certain Women $202,500 45% 90 49 $2,250 $486,275 3
5 American Pastoral $86,000 -42% 51 1 $1,686 $293,935 2 Lionsgate
6 Mr. Donkey $81,350 20 $4,068 $81,350 1 China Lion
7 Snowden $77,988 -54% 87 -69 $896 $21,372,419 7 Open Road
8 Michael Moore In TrumpLand $75,000 51 $1,471 $149,090 2 Michael Moore
9 Hell or High Water $59,000 -33% 71 -16 $831 $26,750,733 12 CBS Films / Lionsgate
10 Gimme Danger $44,025 3 $14,675 $44,025 1 Magnolia Pictures / Amazon Studios
11 Harry & Snowman $40,000 -12% 25 0 $1,600 $297,175 5 FilmRise
12 The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years $39,566 -43% 60 -22 $659 $2,771,226 7 Abramorama
13 No Manches Frida $37,000 13% 53 16 $698 $11,512,729 9 Lionsgate / Pantelion
14 Christine (2016) $30,325 -12% 21 9 $1,444 $108,243 3 The Orchard
15 Don’t Think Twice $19,111 -33% 16 -9 $1,194 $4,362,127 15 The Film Arcade
16 The Light Between Oceans $19,000 -52% 58 -42 $328 $12,535,175 9 Disney / DreamWorks
17 King Cobra $12,192 5% 4 2 $3,048 $29,071 2 IFC Films
18 Hunt for the Wilderpeople $7,062 -50% 15 -5 $471 $5,202,410 19 The Orchard
19 The Uncondemned $3,672 -16% 2 1 $1,836 $10,424 2 Abramorama
20 Demon $2,813 230% 9 6 $313 $102,876 8 The OrchardThe Orchard
21 The Greasy Strangler $2,000 114% 1 0 $2,000 $41,716 4 FilmRise
22 Greater $1,948 -60% 6 -3 $325 $1,948 10 Hammond Entertainment