Products You May Like
SATURDAY AM Update: Even though just 37% of the entire Los Angeles theatrical market is back online, it was enough to propel the DMA to the top weekend spot on Friday with $427,2K, repping a +1,100% jump from the same period a week ago. Los Angeles will feasibly be the No. 1 box office market this weekend, besting New York, with well over $1M.
Meanwhile, over at the El Capitan Theatre last night on Hollywood Blvd, Raya and the Last Dragon star Kelly Marie Tran and the pic’s director Carlos Lopez Estrada greeted returning moviegoers. While the numbers may not appear amazing at first glance, Raya and the Last Dragon‘s Friday posted $1.4M at 2,261 theaters (+98), even with the same day a week ago, and headed for a third weekend of $5.7M, even percent-wise with last weekend. That’s a hold any studio would envy, and it’s indicative that there is a yearning in the nation to go back to the movies. Running total for Raya by tomorrow is $24.8M, with the pic also available to Disney+ subscribers for an extra $30.
Yesterday, the New York City DMA was the No. 1 marketplace, per distribution sources, with $241.1K, -5%. Last weekend, NYC grossed $1.018M and ended its second week of ops on Thursday with $1.35M.
As far as the complete return of exhibition, we still have a ways to go in the US and Canada market, with only 3.1K locations of 588K back online. That’s still with 98% of AMC and 92% of Cinemark operating. The lack of No. 2 chain Regal leaves a big hole. In addition, only 18% of the Canadian province Ontario, which contains the Toronto DMA, is open. On the bright side, 47 of California’s 58 counties have reopened cinemas and are operating between 25%-50%. Sources tell me that by Easter weekend, if not shortly after, Los Angeles movie theater capacities could jump to 50%, knock on wood.
Second place goes to Warner Bros.’ Tom & Jerry, which grossed an estimated $1.02M in its fourth Friday, +2%, on its way to $4.3M at 2,508 sites (+54), +5% for a running total on Sunday of $34.1M. The pic is still available on HBO Max, free to subscribers, for another eight days before theaters have the animation hybrid exclusively during the title’s second month run.
Lionsgate’s Chaos Walking in weekend 3 saw a $574K Friday, -11% for a 3-day of $2.1M, -5% at 2,132 (+112) for a $9.6M running cume.
Fourth goes to Roadside Attractions’ new wide entry thriller The Courier, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Rachel Brosnahan, which made $671K yesterday at 1,433 locations, on its way to a $1.95M 3-day debut. Pic has an 83% certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and earned an 82% positive score, with a very good 62% definite recommend from Screen Engine/Comscore PostTrak audience exits.
Fifty-seven percent guys showed up, 85% over 25, with 66% over 35 years old. Diversity demos were 72% Caucasian, 11% Hispanic, 8% Black, & 9% Asian. Courier played best on the East coast overall, but their best market was Salt Lake City, I hear. The Dominic Cooke-directed feature follows Cold War spy Greville Wynne and his Russian source, who try to put an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s Croods: A New Age in weekend 17 at 1,411 sites (-29) did $170K yesterday, +45%, on its way to $780K, +44%, for a running total of $55.4M.
Sixth place is owned by Focus Features’ Eddie Huang movie Boogie, with a third weekend of $640K, -18%, for a running total of $3.3M. The movie, starring Taylour Paige, Pop Smoke, and Taylor Takahashi, grossed $180K on Friday, -18% from a week ago.
Also, way down the chart, making its first appearance in hard-top theaters since Los Angeles reopened, is Warner Bros’ Tenet. The movie is booked at many Imax auditoriums, including AMC Universal CityWalk, where it can be seen in 70mm, AMC Burbank, AMC Century City, AMC Promenade Woodland Hills, AMC Santa Anita, AMC Del Amo Torrance and AMC Covina, and at Cinemark Imax Lancaster. The movie grossed an estimated $23K last night from 35 locations for an estimated $80K weekend, putting its running total at $58.3M stateside, still the highest-grossing movie during the pandemic since theatres reopened in late August.