Studio Weekend Estimates: ‘Rogue One’ Not Slowing with $49.5M (3-Day) / $64.3M (4-Day); ‘Sing’ Vocalizes $42.8M / $56.4M

Disney’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story just can’t be stopped, winning the box office for the third consecutive weekend with an estimated $49.53 million 3-day and $64.33 million 4-day. Lifting its total to $439.71 million to date, the film cracks the inflation-adjusted top 100 highest grossing films of all time in only its third weekend, currently ranking at #98. It now seems a lock to overtake Finding Dory as the highest-grossing film released in 2016 domestically, potentially overtaking Dory‘s $486.29 million cumulative as soon as next weekend. Whether Star Wars actor Carrie Fisher’s death this past Tuesday prompted audiences to see Rogue — in which Fisher does not appear in person — is unclear.

Universal’s animated Sing took second place with an estimated $42.82 million 3-day and $56.40 million 4-day. After coming in the runner-up position last weekend as well, Sing closes the gap with a 2.6 percent increase 4-day to 4-day, compared to a 33.0 percent drop in that same metric for Rogue. If Sing continues to hold on that well while Rogue drops, Sing might even lead the box office next weekend, its third frame of release — and it’s very rare indeed for a film to rise to the top spot instead of debuting there. Sing has now earned $180.0 million to date.

Sony’s sci-fi romance Passengers came in third with an estimated $16.15 million 3-day and $20.70 million 4-day, for an 8.7 percent 4-day to 4-day drop. The film held on better than some expected given its lackluster reviews and the expectation that a blockbuster costarring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt might burst out of the gate with a more frontloaded sum. The film has earned $60.0 million to date.

With no new releases this weekend, the top three films at the box office remained the same as last weekend — but fourth place was a pleasant surprise for Disney, as Moana ascended from sixth place last weekend. With an estimated $10.97 million 3-day and $14.30 million 4-day, the film reverses its downward trajectory along the box office rankings thanks to a 13.9 percent improvement 4-day to 4-day. With $213.36 million banked, the film might remain in the top 10 throughout January at its current rate.

Fox’s Why Him? rounded out the top five with an estimated $10.06 million 3-day and $13.00 million 4-day. The R-rated comedy declined 16.3 percent 4-day to 4-day, but is experiencing much better holds than other holiday releases like Assassin’s Creed or Collateral Beauty.

The top 10 films this weekend earned an estimated $166.64 million cumulative for the 3-day and $215.36 million for the 4-day. Versus last weekend, that’s an 0.8 percent improvement over the $165.19 million for the 3-day, but a 14.1 percent decline over the $250.89 million for the 4-day.

Limited Releases:

Lionsgate’s La La Land continues to stun with a seventh-place finish over the 4-day weekend, despite playing in far fewer theaters than any other film in the top 10, as it continues its expansion rollout. On only 750 screens nationwide, the film earns an estimated $9.53 million 3-day and $12.33 million 4-day, up 33.4 percent 4-day to 4-day. With $34.24 million earned to date, it looks to exceed industry expectations of how much any film could earn while playing in less than a thousand theaters.

Weinstein Company’s Lion made an estimated $2.26 million 3-day and $2.94 million 4-day, while Fox Searchlight’s Jackie took in an estimated $1.55 million 3-day and $2.00 million 4-day.

Overseas Update:

Rogue One continued its dominance and proved once again that Star Wars is the most lucrative film franchise across the globe, with an estimated $45.8 million overseas weekend in 55 markets. A mere 2.8 percent drop from last weekend, the film has now banked a $350.0 million overseas and $789.7 million global total, en route to a likely billion-dollar sum.

Several other films earned around half that sum, which would generally be considered impressive if they weren’t all jockeying for second place. Sing took in an estimated $24.3 million overseas weekend, a 4.0 percent drop, in 56 markets, for a $97.8 million overseas and $277.8 million global total. Fox’s Assassin’s Creed made an estimated $21.9 million overseas weekend, up 64.9 percent, in 49 markets, for a $44.1 million overseas and $86.1 million global total. The Great Wall earned an estimated $21.6 million overseas weekend, down 16.9 percent, in seven markets ahead of its February domestic release, for a $151.6 million overseas total. And Moana rode the wave to an estimated $21.3 million overseas weekend, up 14.9 percent, in 28 markets, for a $189.1 million overseas and $402.5 million global total.

4-Day Weekend Estimates for Friday, December 30, 2016 – Monday, January 2, 2017: