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Sam Mendes’ Universal/Amblin WWI pic 1917 already is seeing a Golden Globes bounce from its surprise wins for Best Motion Picture – Drama and Director.
Fandango reports a boost in advance sales this morning for 1917, selling five times more tickets than the film did a week ago for the Sunday-Monday overnight. Industry projections see the movie from the Skyfall and Spectre director clocking a $25M wide opening this weekend. Since Christmas Day, 1917 has been playing in 11 locations including NY, LA, D.C. and elsewhere, grossing $2.2M.
While 1917 will play older and more Caucasian, there’s very good potential here for the war pic to find a broader audience here thanks to the Globes. 1917 revolves around two British soldiers who must cross German enemy lines. Mendes with DP Roger Deakins created a movie that takes place in one continuous shot. The pic, which was screened for awards voters before Thanksgiving, is certified 90% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an A CinemaScore.
It also wouldn’t come as a surprise for the war pic to overindex as they typically do during January, i.e. previous champs like Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper (which remains the month’s biggest opener with $89.2M) and Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down, which widened in 2002 after a 2001 limited play with a three-day of $28.6M (final domestic of $108.6M). The box office comparison for 1917 is more in line with Black Hawk Down than American Sniper.
1917 will play at 3,300 locations against Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which is expected to decline around 45% between $17M-$19M finally ceding the No. 1 spot in its fourth weekend.
More films prior to MLK Day on January 20 are being slapped on the marquee this Friday: Paramount has the Tiffany Haddish-Rose Byrne-Salma Hayek comedy Like a Boss, which is expected to bring in $10M-$12.5M, drawing females and African Americans.
Warner Bros. goes wide with its Jamie Foxx-Michael B. Jordan social justice drama Just Mercy from four theaters in NY and LA with an eye on $7.5M, possibly $10M. The pic counts $400K since Christmas with an A+ CinemaScore in every demo polled from its limited play. The pic, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, also is tracking notably among African Americans and females. RT score is at 79% certified fresh.
Bound to drown is 20th Century Fox’s Kristen Stewart deep-sea action feature Underwater in the single digits. No RT scores yet for this film or Like a Boss.
Fandango compared 1917 during its first 12 hours following the Globes, from 9 p.m. Sunday through 9 a.m. Monday, with a similar 12-hour time period the week prior, Sunday, December 29, 9PM PT through Monday, December 30, 9AM PT. As of 12 noon, 1917 is the second biggest ticket-seller in today’s sales on Fandango, following Rise of Skywalker.