Weekend Box Office Key Insights: Midway, Projected in 4th Place, Takes Surprise 1st w/ $17.8M

Four films debuted in wide release this weekend — two coming in notably above expectations, the other two below.

Not “Mid”dle of the Pack

Lionsgate’s WWII action film Midway went all the “way,” surpassing even the most optimistic expectations with a $17.8M opening. Most pre-release projections had it in third or fourth place, around $12M.

Theater counts reflected that tempered expectations, as the film’s 3,242 screens were only had the fourth-highest of any film this weekend.

Read our interview with Midway director Roland Emmerich here.

Asleep at the Wheel

Warner Bros. horror-thriller Doctor Sleep, projected to open atop the box office, actually came in second place with $14.1M..

Most pre-release projections had it in first place, around $25M,  in line with the $24.5M opening for April’s fellow Stephen King novel adaptation Pet Sematary. Instead, Doctor starts -42.3% behind.

On Fire

Paramount’s comedy Playing with Fire came in a bit above expectations, with a third place debut of $12.7M. Many pre-release projections had it as low as sixth place, with around $7-8M.

I Gave You My Heart

Warner Bros.’ romantic comedy Last Christmas failed to bring the Christmas cheer, with a fourth place opening of $11.4M. Many pre-release projections had it in second place, with around $16M.

Christmas-themed movies are often released in early November, including last year’s smash The Grinch, which became the 7th-highest domestic earner of 2018. However, Last‘s poor word of mouth makes it unlikely to overcome its disappointing start during the rest of November and December.

A Dark Fate Indeed

Last weekend’s leader, Paramount’s sci-fi action sequel Terminator: Dark Fatefell a steep -62.7% in its sophomore weekend. 

That’s a sharper sophomore weekend drop than for either of its two predecessors: -48.8% for Terminator: Genisys or -61.3% for Terminator: Salvation.

Read our interview with Terminator: Dark Fate director Tim Miller here.

Harriet

Focus Features’ historical drama Harriet fared much better on its own sophomore weekend, declining only -36.5% on the strength of good buzz.

Yet that was still a sharper sophomore weekend decline than for several other comparable race-based historical dramas: -22.3% for Selma, -28.5% for Green Book, or -8.5% for Hidden Figures.

Read our interview with Harriet director Kasi Lemmons here.

Joker Nears $1B Globally

Warner Bros.’ Joker has now earned $673.0M overseas and $313.5M domestically, for $986.5M worldwide. The film will cross the 10-figure mark later this week, or next weekend at the latest — the seventh film of 2019 to do so.

But unlike the other six, all of which were considered guaranteed or likely billion-dollar films — Avengers: EndgameThe Lion KingSpider-Man: Far From HomeCaptain MarvelToy Story 4, and Aladdin — virtually nobody predicted Joker reaching that mark.

Limited Releases

Neon’s thriller Parasite expanded to 603 theaters, its widest release to date, and rose +2.0% to $2.5M. This weekend, it became the highest-grossing foreign-language film this year, surpassing March’s Spanish-language No Manches Frida 2 with $9.2M.

Fox Searchlight’s historical comedy Jojo Rabbit expanded to 798 theaters, also its widest release to date, and rose +69.4% to $3.9M.

Well Go USA’s release of the Chinese teenage drama Better Days managed to just eclipse $1M, in only 70 theaters.

The debut of Amazon Studios’ Honey Boy posted the weekend’s best per-theater average with $75,266. That’s the fifth-best average of the year, after the openings for ParasiteJay and Silent Bob RebootThe Farewell, and Avengers: Endgame.

How’d This Weekend Compare?

Total box office this weekend was $120.9M. That’s +4.7% above last weekend but -28.1% below this same weekend last year, when The Grinch led with $67.2M.

The Year So Far

Year-to-date box office stands at $9.45B. That’s -6.3% behind this same date last year, down from -5.5% after last weekend.


Monday’s Weekend Actuals (Domestic)

FRI, NOV. 8 – SUN, NOV. 10

WIDE (1000+)

# TITLE WEEKEND   LOCATIONS   AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Midway $17,897,419 3,242 $5,520 $17,897,419 1 Lionsgate
2 Doctor Sleep $14,114,124 3,855 $3,661 $14,114,124 1 Warner Bros.
3 Playing with Fire $12,723,781 3,125 $4,072 $12,723,781 1 Paramount Pictures
4 Last Christmas $11,441,055 3,448 $3,318 $11,441,055 1 Universal Pictures
5 Terminator: Dark Fate $10,808,236 -63% 4,086 0 $2,645 $48,465,366 2 Paramount
6 Joker $9,221,303 -32% 2,806 -713 $3,286 $313,512,810 6 Warner Bros.
7 Maleficent: Mistress of Evil $8,414,186 -36% 3,201 -619 $2,629 $97,714,087 4 Disney
8 Harriet $7,406,790 -37% 2,186 127 $3,388 $23,639,930 2 Focus Features
9 Zombieland: Double Tap $4,303,498 -42% 2,427 -910 $1,773 $66,643,981 4 Sony Pictures
10 The Addams Family $4,160,262 -50% 2,674 -933 $1,556 $91,427,967 5 United Artists Releasing
11 Countdown $2,882,160 -50% 1,829 -846 $1,576 $22,314,665 3 STX Entertainment
12 Motherless Brooklyn $2,170,353 -38% 1,342 0 $1,617 $7,327,427 2 Warner Bros.
13 Black and Blue $1,876,606 -55% 1,129 -933 $1,662 $19,058,471 3 Sony / Screen Gems
                   
15 Arctic Dogs $1,071,246 -63% 2,320 -524 $462 $4,839,592 2 Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures

LIMITED (100 — 999)

# TITLE WEEKEND   LOCATIONS   AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Jojo Rabbit $3,952,157 69% 798 542 $4,953 $9,128,039 4 Fox Searchlight
2 Parasite $2,591,765 2% 603 142 $4,298 $11,318,741 5 NEON
3 The Lighthouse $900,825 -54% 683 -295 $1,319 $8,897,456 4 A24
4 Downton Abbey $634,965 -45% 474 -438 $1,340 $95,672,880 8 Focus Features
5 Abominable $449,920 -58% 406 -731 $1,108 $59,213,005 7 Universal Pictures
6 Gemini Man $411,660 -78% 480 -1392 $858 $48,030,507 5 Paramount Pictures
7 Pain and Glory $395,573 20% 266 155 $1,487 $2,691,642 6 Sony Pictures Classics
8 The Current War $235,526 -80% 403 -679 $584 $5,719,835 3 101 Studios
9 Judy $216,906 -62% 246 -358 $882 $23,488,614 7 Roadside Attractions / LD Entertainment
10 Ad Astra $205,553 1% 248 111 $829 $49,951,498 8 20th Century Fox
11 Hustlers $175,501 -54% 179 -229 $980 $104,645,944 9 STX Entertainment
12 The Lion King $83,281 -25% 135 -23 $617 $543,465,226 17 Walt Disney Pictures
13 It Chapter Two $60,737 -73% 126 -250 $482 $211,406,417 10 Warner Bros
14 Western Stars $38,429 -77% 211 -342 $182 $1,541,341 4 Warner Bros.

PLATFORM (1 — 99)

# TITLE WEEKEND   LOCATIONS   AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Better Days $1,038,127 70 $14,830 $1,038,127 1 Well Go USA Entertainment
2 Honey Boy $301,065 4 $75,266 $301,065 1 Amazon Studios
3 Jay & Silent Bob Reboot $278,754 23% 15 0 $18,584 $2,338,958 4 Fathom Events / Saban Films
4 Housefull 4 $126,713 -71% 85 -230 $1,491 $2,014,283 3 FIP
5 No Safe Spaces $65,738 13% 38 27 $1,730 $207,692 3 Atlas Distribution
6 The Peanut Butter Falcon $48,708 -44% 82 -40 $594 $20,329,464 14 Roadside Attractions
7 Toy Story 4 $44,224 -20% 89 -16 $497 $433,938,888 21 Disney
8 Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice $43,378 -53% 59 -35 $735 $4,072,073 10 Greenwich Entertainment
9 Once Upon a Time In Hollywood $40,017 -46% 38 -47 $1,053 $140,878,766 16 Sony Pictures
10 Overcomer $30,273 -32% 72 -24 $420 $34,700,142 12 Sony Pictures
11 The Angry Birds Movie 2 $24,729 -40% 49 -7 $505 $41,657,076 13 Sony Pictures
12 Frankie $23,813 -5% 22 11 $1,082 $85,680 3 Sony Pictures Classics
13 The Kingmaker $23,600 2 $11,800 $23,600 1 Greenwich Entertainment
14 Synonyms $17,872 -14% 7 1 $2,553 $101,840 3 Kino Lorber
15 Rambo: Last Blood $17,027 -76% 58 -147 $294 $44,741,172 8 Lionsgate
16 Where’s My Roy Cohn? $16,546 -49% 30 -34 $552 $674,629 8 Sony Pictures Classics
17 My Dear Liar $11,712 29 $404 $11,712 1 CMC
18 By the Grace of God $9,530 70% 11 1 $866 $44,069 4 Music Box Films
19 Cyrano, My Love $8,584 266% 18 12 $477 $343,583 4 Roadside Attractions
20 The Captain $8,247 -79% 5 -11 $1,649 $702,899 4  
21 The All-Americans $7,805 3 $2,602 $7,805 1 Abramorama
22 American Dharma $7,152 -2% 3 2 $2,384 $17,421 2 Utopia
23 Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins $6,933 -49% 12 -9 $578 $676,120 11 Magnolia Pictures
24 End of the Century $4,596 3 $1,532 $56,788 13  
25 The Cave (2019) $4,128 -38% 4 0 $1,032 $44,053 4 National Geographic Documentary Films
26 To Be of Service $3,577 88% 1 0 $3,577 $5,961 2 First Run Features
27 Miles Davis: Birth of The Cool $2,563 3 $854 $612,275 12 Abramorama
28 Crown Vic $2,468 1 $2,468 $2,468 1 Screen Media
29 47 Meters Down: Uncaged $2,338 -45% 7 -5 $334 $22,260,201 13 Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures
30 Give Me Liberty $1,605 -70% 3 -2 $535 $226,122 12 Music Box Films
31 Aquarela $1,398 113% 3 -1 $466 $297,663 13 Sony Pictures Classics
32 A Fish in the Bathtub $1,237 3 $412 $1,237 1 Cohen Media Group
33 Maiden $933 27% 3 -4 $311 $3,154,865 20 Sony Pictures Classics
34 Anthropocene: The Human Epoch $755 606% 1 0 $755 $101,769 7 Kino Lorber
35 Chained for Life $584 587% 2 1 $292 $15,909 9 Kino Lorber Films
36 Stuffed $442 -79% 1 -2 $442 $8,977 4 Music Box Films
37 After The Wedding $435 -70% 2 -3 $218 $1,573,935 14 Sony Pictures Classics
38 David Crosby: Remember My Name $264 -82% 2 -2 $132 $729,589 17 Sony Pictures Classics