Studio Weekend Estimates: ‘Wonder Woman’ Wonderful w/ $100.5M; ‘Captain Underpants’ Captains $23.5M

Monday Update: December is no longer the most “wonder”-ful time of the year, as Wonder Woman launched with a $103.2 million opening.

Despite a Sunday estimate of $100.2 million that caused doubt about whether the “actual” number would remain above $100 million once Monday weekend actuals were revealed, the film actually came in several million dollars above its original estimate. The Warner Bros. superhero film became the third movie to debut at nine digits this year, along with Beauty and the Beast and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Fox’s animated Captain Underpants started in second place with $23.8 million, the lowest DreamWorks animation opening since 2013 but about in line with pre-release expectations.

The full table of weekend actuals is at bottom, after our Sunday update featuring deeper analysis.


Sunday Update: December is no longer the most “wonder”-ful time of the year, as Wonder Woman launched with an estimated $100.5 million opening.

The Warner Bros. superhero origin story, starring Gal Gadot in the title role, is not guaranteed to remain above the $100 million mark by the time weekend actuals come out on Monday. In April, Universal’s The Fate of the Furious posted a Sunday weekend estimate of $100.2 million, but that dropped to $98.7 million by Monday’s weekend actuals.

“This resonated with audiences around the globe, since it’s just fun,” Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution Jeff Goldstein tells Boxoffice in an interview. “[Director] Patty Jenkins had a vision for the movie, there’s a great story, great characters, great chemistry, great marketing with the iconic poster featuring the sunset in the background. Then all the things that go with it, like the release at the beginning of June.”

Wonder‘s audience was 52 percent female, unusually high for the male-driven superhero genre. Asked about the film’s female audience, Goldstein says, “We weren’t expecting that, but we were hoping we might. But a large male audience was also our goal, and we also achieved that.”

Compared to other superhero origin films of recent years, Wonder begins higher than some and lower than others: 18.1 percent above Doctor Strange and 6.5 percent above Guardians of the Galaxy, but 24.1 percent below Deadpool and 24.8 percent below Suicide Squad.

Wonder rode its positive word of mouth including a 93 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an “A” CinemaScore. Goldstein also expressed optimism regarding the film’s future earnings, citing its very mild 7.6 percent Friday-to-Saturday decline as evidence that it may not prove as frontloaded as many other superhero titles.

This release represents a much-needed rebound for Warner Bros., which is coming off one of Hollywood’s biggest financial losses of the entire decade with May’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie started in second place with an estimated $23.5 million. Fox’s animated comedy based on the long-popular children’s book series starring the voices of Ed Helms and Kevin Hart came about in line with pre-release expectations.

Compared to other recent DreamWorks animated films, it posts the lowest start since Turbo in summer 2013. It starts well below other recent DreamWorks hits like The Boss Baby, Trolls, and Home, instead opening comparably to moderate earners like Storks and Ice Age: Collision Course.

Last weekend’s leader, Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, took third place with an estimated $21.6 million. It fell 65.7 percent, the largest second-weekend drop among the five Pirates film, “beating” the 61.5 percent decline of At World’s End. Disney’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 took fourth place with $9.7 million, while Paramount’s Baywatch rounded out the top five with $8.5 million.

The top 10 films this weekend earned an estimated $174.9 million total. That’s 30.5 percent above the $133.9 million earned by the top 10 last weekend. It’s also 11.1 percent above the $157.2 earned by the top 10 on this weekend last year, when X-Men: Apocalypse led with $65.7 million.

Overseas Update:

Wonder Woman started with a terrific $122.5 million estimated overseas weekend in 55 markets, led by $38.0 million in China. That makes for a $223.0 million global opening and total, a great start. [More numbers and info here.]

Pirates, after a huge overseas start last weekend, fell 64.6 percent to $73.8 million. Its totals now stand at $386.6 million overseas and $501.2 million globally, which appears likely to result in a lower global total than the previous two Pirates installments.

The Fate of the Furious continues to pad its amazing overseas total, with a $1.5 million overseas weekend. That lifts its total to $1.004 billion overseas (#6 all time) and $1.227 billion globally (#11 all time).


Weekend Actuals for Friday, June 2 – Sunday, June 4, 2017:

WIDE (1000+)

# TITLE WEEKEND LOCATIONS AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Wonder Woman $103,251,471 4,165 $24,790 $103,251,471 1 Warner Bros.
2 Captain Underpants $23,851,539 3,434 $6,946 $23,851,539 1 Fox / DreamWorks Animation
3 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales $22,087,099 -65% 4,276 0 $5,165 $115,095,870 2 Disney
4 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 $9,839,370 -53% 3,507 -364 $2,806 $102,848,141 5 Disney
5 Baywatch $8,741,285 -53% 3,647 0 $2,397 $41,965,723 2 Paramount
6 Alien: Covenant $4,122,884 -61% 2,660 -1112 $1,550 $67,342,368 3 Fox
7 Everything, Everything $3,301,366 -45% 2,375 -426 $1,390 $28,282,953 3 Warner Bros.
8 Snatched $1,318,582 -67% 1,625 -1033 $811 $43,846,996 4 Fox
9 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul $1,289,793 -71% 2,088 -1086 $618 $17,894,397 3 20th Century Fox
10 King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword $1,173,672 -64% 1,222 -1281 $960 $37,176,629 4 Warner Bros.

LIMITED (100 — 999)

# TITLE WEEKEND LOCATIONS AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Beauty and the Beast $658,056 -55% 527 -549 $1,249 $502,136,527 12 Disney
2 The Boss Baby $621,139 -64% 684 -658 $908 $170,921,703 10 Fox / DreamWorks Animation
3 3 Idiotas $609,249 349 $1,746 $609,249 1 Lionsgate / Pantelion
4 Paris Can Wait $529,395 23% 151 81 $3,506 $1,606,002 4 Sony Pictures Classics
5 The Fate of the Furious $489,465 -67% 593 -765 $825 $223,807,400 8 Universal
6 Churchill $400,843 215 $1,864 $400,843 1 Cohen Media Group
7 How to Be A Latin Lover $277,496 -71% 277 -392 $1,002 $31,701,000 6 Lionsgate / Pantelion
8 The Lovers $244,817 -62% 348 -95 $703 $1,912,185 5 A24
9 Going in Style $230,076 -6% 303 -41 $759 $44,245,405 9 Warner Bros. / New Line
10 Smurfs: The Lost Village $224,882 -21% 272 -90 $827 $44,035,646 9 Sony / Columbia
11 Kong: Skull Island $211,867 -22% 208 -38 $1,019 $167,755,562 13 Warner Bros.
12 The Wedding Plan $210,925 -32% 123 26 $1,715 $985,067 4 Roadside Attractions
13 Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer $202,826 -58% 232 -92 $874 $3,458,709 8 Sony Pictures Classics
14 Lowriders $201,620 -67% 179 -155 $1,126 $5,754,625 4 BH Tilt
15 Gifted $177,362 -54% 225 -155 $788 $24,066,707 9 Fox Searchlight
16 The Zookeeper’s Wife $75,885 -51% 115 -50 $660 $17,304,281 10 Focus Features
17 Get Out $75,385 -58% 121 -67 $623 $175,428,355 15 Universal
18 The LEGO Batman Movie $74,221 -42% 166 -10 $447 $175,686,290 17 Warner Bros.
19 Born in China $73,395 -25% 115 -115 $638 $13,664,718 7 Disneynature

PLATFORM (1 — 99)

# TITLE WEEKEND LOCATIONS AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 A Quiet Passion $100,912 -42% 98 -20 $1,030 $1,618,107 8 Music Box Films
2 The Circle $54,286 -54% 91 -117 $597 $20,476,300 6 EuropaCorp/STXfilms
3 Their Finest $51,765 -59% 73 -34 $709 $3,506,461 9 EuropaCorp/STXfilms
4 Love, Kennedy $43,489 19 $2,289 $43,489 1 Purdie Distribution
5 Logan $42,993 -63% 92 -67 $467 $226,187,306 14 Fox
6 Wakefield $41,923 -33% 30 14 $1,397 $153,735 3 IFC Films
7 The Case For Christ $34,891 -19% 73 10 $478 $14,606,100 9 Pure Flix
8 Obit. $29,361 -3% 22 2 $1,335 $234,569 6 Kino Lorber
9 Band Aid $29,013 3 $9,671 $29,013 1 IFC Films
10 God of War $23,912 27 $886 $23,912 1 Well Go USA
11 The Exception $21,351 2 $10,676 $21,351 1 A24
12 Letters from Baghdad $19,725 2 $9,863 $19,725 1 Vitagraph Films
13 Colossal $19,278 -47% 53 1 $364 $2,983,656 9 Neon
14 I, Daniel Blake $18,682 12 $1,557 $70,106 1 IFC Films
15 Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan $13,707 -31% 4 2 $3,427 $57,358 2 Abramorama
16 Stalker $12,321 -42% 4 -2 $3,080 $138,550 5 Janus
17 Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent $10,480 32% 30 17 $349 $198,566 7 The Orchard
18 KEDi $10,258 -43% 10 -9 $1,026 $2,685,756 17 Oscilloscope Laboratories
19 Hidden Figures $9,159 -47% 13 -16 $705 $169,332,972 24 Fox
20 Manifesto $9,061 -14% 8 4 $1,133 $63,617 4 FilmRise
21 Buena Vista Social Club: Adios $8,412 -87% 27 -53 $312 $118,253 2 Broad Green Pictures
22 Chuck $8,392 -78% 30 -63 $280 $315,024 5 IFC Films
23 Citizen Jane: Battle for the City $8,194 -19% 10 -2 $819 $274,299 7 IFC Films
24 Like Crazy $7,196 -59% 8 0 $900 $85,086 5 Strand Releasing
25 Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary $6,887 11 $626 $276,358 8 Abramorama
26 David Lynch: The Art Life $6,798 101% 3 2 $2,266 $160,051 10 Janus
27 The Recall $6,570 7 $939 $6,570 1 Freestyle Releasing
28 Cezanne and I $4,591 3% 3 -1 $1,530 $243,071 10 Magnolia Pictures
29 Hermia & Helena $4,029 -69% 2 0 $2,015 $25,007 2 Kino Lorber
30 The Commune $3,854 -50% 11 -2 $350 $31,556 3 Magnolia Pictures
31 Champion $3,805 -72% 5 -11 $761 $151,706 3 ArtAffects Entertainment
32 The Dinner $3,471 -59% 10 -10 $347 $1,318,305 5 The Orchard
33 Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe $3,253 -77% 1 -1 $3,253 $58,648 4 First Run Features
34 Bang! The Bert Berns Story $3,182 4 $796 $55,151 6 Abramorama
35 The Wall $3,157 -90% 10 -61 $316 $1,797,627 4 Roadside Attractions
36 I am Not Your Negro $3,065 -9% 4 -2 $766 $7,120,626 18 Magnolia Pictures
37 This Is Not What I Expected $2,813 -57% 2 -1 $1,407 $332,141 5 Well Go USA
38 Frantz $2,739 0% 5 0 $548 $872,134 12 Music Box Films
39 Risk $2,671 -52% 6 -2 $445 $193,852 5 Neon
40 Truman $2,385 -64% 3 -2 $795 $205,184 9 Filmrise
41 Donnie Darko (15th Anniversary Re-Release) $2,359 31% 5 3 $472 $186,639 10 Arrow Films
42 The Last Shaman $2,351 4 $588 $15,616 4 Abramorama Entertainment
43 Leon Morin, Priest (2017 re-release) $2,178 -47% 2 1 $1,089 $39,146 4 Rialto Pictures
44 Buster Mal’s Heart $2,108 4 $527 $69,269 6 Well Go USA
45 Graduation $2,047 28% 2 -2 $1,024 $173,668 9 IFC Films / Sundance Selects
46 Personal Shopper $1,994 -3% 3 0 $665 $1,302,844 13 IFC Films
47 Afterimage $1,813 -83% 5 -1 $363 $23,937 3 Film Movement
48 Abacus: Small Enough to Jail $1,794 -83% 1 -1 $1,794 $33,024 3 PBS Distribution
49 After the Storm $1,412 119% 3 0 $471 $254,806 12 Film Movement
50 Alive and Kicking $1,296 7% 2 -2 $648 $56,628 9 Magnolia Pictures
51 Phoenix Forgotten $813 -80% 1 -4 $813 $3,598,389 7 Cinelou Films
52 Seven Beauties (1975) $625 -60% 1 0 $625 $10,442 8 Kino Lorber
53 One Week and a Day $606 1 $606 $38,417 6 Oscilloscope
54 Tomorrow $469 2 $235 $1,667,837 13 Under the Milky Way
55 Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait $394 1 $394 $8,679 5 Cohen Media Group
56 Behind the White Glasses $216 -36% 1 0 $216 $2,223 7 Kino Lorber
57 Slack Bay $210 -93% 2 -4 $105 $47,233 7 Kino Lorber Films
58 Soul on a String $49 -91% 1 -1 $49 $2,077 3 Film Movement

Studio Weekend Estimates for Friday, June 2 – Sunday, June 4, 2017:

WIDE (1000+)

# TITLE WEEKEND LOCATIONS AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Wonder Woman $100,505,000 4,165 $24,131 $100,505,000 1 Warner Bros.
2 Captain Underpants $23,500,000 3,434 $6,843 $23,500,000 1 Fox / DreamWorks Animation
3 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales $21,613,000 -66% 4,276 0 $5,054 $114,621,771 2 Disney
4 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 $9,733,000 -53% 3,507 -364 $2,775 $355,474,332 5 Disney
5 Baywatch $8,500,000 -54% 3,647 0 $2,331 $41,724,438 2 Paramount
6 Alien: Covenant $4,000,000 -62% 2,660 -1112 $1,504 $67,219,484 3 Fox
7 Everything, Everything $3,320,000 -45% 2,375 -426 $1,398 $28,301,587 3 Warner Bros.
8 Snatched $1,340,000 -66% 1,625 -1033 $825 $43,868,414 4 Fox
9 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul $1,220,000 -73% 2,088 -1086 $584 $17,824,604 3 20th Century Fox
10 King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword $1,170,000 -65% 1,222 -1281 $957 $37,172,957 4 Warner Bros.

LIMITED (100 — 999)

# TITLE WEEKEND LOCATIONS AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 The Boss Baby $635,000 -63% 684 -658 $928 $170,935,564 10 Fox / DreamWorks Animation
2 Beauty and the Beast $620,000 -58% 527 -549 $1,176 $502,098,471 12 Disney
3 3 Idiotas $600,000 349 $1,719 $600,000 1 Lionsgate / Pantelion
4 Paris Can Wait $550,979 28% 151 81 $3,649 $1,627,586 4 Sony Pictures Classics
5 The Fate of the Furious $488,285 -67% 593 -765 $823 $223,806,220 8 Universal
6 Churchill $426,616 215 $1,984 $426,616 1 Cohen Media Group
7 How to Be A Latin Lover $300,000 -69% 277 -392 $1,083 $31,723,504 6 Lionsgate / Pantelion
8 The Lovers $273,180 -58% 348 -95 $785 $1,940,548 5 A24
9 Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer $213,378 -55% 232 -92 $920 $3,469,261 8 Sony Pictures Classics
10 The Wedding Plan $209,700 -32% 123 26 $1,705 $983,842 4 Roadside Attractions
11 Lowriders $193,410 -68% 179 -155 $1,081 $5,746,415 4 BH Tilt
12 Gifted $170,000 -56% 225 -155 $756 $24,059,345 9 Fox Searchlight
13 Born in China $81,000 -17% 115 -115 $704 $13,672,323 7 Disneynature
14 The Zookeeper’s Wife $75,660 -52% 115 -50 $658 $17,304,056 10 Focus Features
15 Get Out $72,825 -60% 121 -67 $602 $175,425,795 15 Universal

PLATFORM (1 — 99)

# TITLE WEEKEND LOCATIONS AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Dean $60,366 15 $4,024 $60,366 1 CBS Films
2 Love, Kennedy $49,300 19 $2,595 $49,300 1 Purdie Distribution
3 The Lost City of Z $44,460 -66% 77 -44 $577 $8,370,779 8 Amazon Studios / Bleecker Street
4 Wakefield $42,000 -33% 28 12 $1,500 $201,042 3 IFC Films
5 Band Aid $31,500 3 $10,500 $31,500 1 IFC Films
6 Beautiful Accident $25,000 15 $1,667 $25,000 1 China Lion Film Distribution
7 The Exception $23,337 2 $11,669 $23,337 1 A24
8 Letters from Baghdad $18,250 2 $9,125 $18,250 1 Vitagraph Films
9 Colossal $17,102 -53% 53 1 $323 $2,981,480 9 Neon
10 Past Life $16,215 4 $4,054 $16,215 1 Orion Pictures / Samuel Goldwyn Films
11 Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan $12,256 -38% 4 2 $3,064 $55,907 2 Abramorama
12 Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent $10,533 33% 30 17 $351 $198,619 7 The Orchard
13 KEDi $9,500 -48% 9 -10 $1,056 $2,684,998 17 Oscilloscope Laboratories
14 Manifesto $9,000 -15% 8 4 $1,125 $63,556 4 FilmRise
15 The Recall $6,728 7 $961 $6,728 1 Freestyle Releasing
16 Maurice (2017 re-release) $6,068 -2% 2 1 $3,034 $29,177 3 Cohen Media Group
17 The Dinner $3,634 -57% 10 -10 $363 $1,318,468 5 The Orchard
18 Truman $2,500 -62% 3 -2 $833 $205,299 9 Filmrise
19 Risk $2,414 -57% 6 -2 $402 $193,595 5 Neon
20 Radio Dreams $2,053 1 $2,053 $2,053 1 Matson Films
21 Phoenix Forgotten $750 -81% 1 -4 $750 $3,598,326 7 Cinelou Films
22 Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait $309 1 $309 $859 5 Cohen Media Group

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