For the first time in 25 years, there were no new movies released in over 1000 theaters this weekend. Yet, despite Labor Day being historically one of the worst weekends of the year, this Labor Day weekend managed to avoid becoming the worst box-office weekend since 9/11 by actually rebounding slightly from last weekend, adding $5 million to the overall total and ending with nearly $75 million. For the four-day haul, the box office could actually see $100 million. It was a bad weekend — down 22 percent from last Labor Day — but it was not a historically awful one.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard held on to the top spot this weekend — in fact, it held even with last weekend with $10.2 million, pushing it over the $50 million mark. It’s also the only movie of the summer to win the box office three weekends in a row (despite never making more than $20 million on any given weekend). Annabelle: Creation held on to the number two spot, falling only 5 percent from last weekend. With $7.3 million, it’s approaching the $90 million mark and $227 million worldwide.
Meanwhile, the rest of the top 10 were all also holdovers, but numbers 3 through seven actually saw upticks from last weekend, as moviegoers apparently used the weekend to catch up on movies they missed over the summer. Wind River jumped 27 percent with the addition of 500 theaters and with $18 million now, the Taylor Sheridan film actually looks profitable on an $11 million budget. As the newest option for kids in theaters, Leap also jumped slightly from last weekend, adding $4.8 million to bring its 10-day total to $14 million (and $95 million worldwide).
The best movie of August, Logan Lucky also nudged up 4 percent to end the weekend with $4.4 million and $21 million overall (with a $30 million budget, breakeven looks like a possibility now). Dunkirk made $4.1 million to drive its domestic total to $178 million and $418 million worldwide. The biggest leap, percentage-wise, this weekend came from Spider-Man: Homecoming which jumped 29 percent to end the weekend with $3.6 million and $324 million. It’s made $746 million worldwide, so far, and it still hasn’t opened in China yet.
The Emoji Movie continues to move right along, adding $2.4 million to bring its total to $80 million. Despicable Me 3 comes in at number 9 with $2.3 million and $257 million overall. Finally, Girls Trip rounds out the top ten with $2.3 million and $111 million overall.
There were a few new releases this weekend, as well, but they all fell outside of the top ten. Tulip Fever, which was delayed four times, opened with only $1.2 million. The 11 percent on Rotten Tomatoes seemed to justify the Weinstein’s decision to embargo reviews, even after the movie had premiered in some markets. The pilot for Marvel’s Inhumans, meanwhile, didn’t make much of a splash, earning $1.5 million in 393 theaters. The 40th Anniversary re-release of Close Encounters Of The Third Kind did a decent $1.8 million, which helped the box-office nudge past last weekend’s totals.
That’s it for Labor Day weekend. After a miserable August, however, the box-office looks to rebound in a big way next weekend with It, which is getting great reviews and great buzz and is looking like it could make up to $60 million next weekend. Reese Witherspoon’s Home Again will also be opening wide, looking to counter program against the horror offering.
(Via Box Office Mojo)
