On the Record
Disney and Pixar’s Onward opened with only $39.1M, on the lowest end of expectations and Pixar’s lowest inflation-adjusted wide opening ever.
The previous low for a Pixar wide opening was 2015’s The Good Dinosaur with $39.1M, or $42.2M adjusted for ticket price inflation.
For context, on one popular box office prediction website, the lowest that any user projected for Onward was $39.0M — just $100K below what it actually earned.
What went wrong? Several factors were at play — but the coronavirus, despite fears it would severely impact the box office, was largely not one of them.
- An original. Pixar’s recent focus on sequels had been terrific for their box office. Their two prior releases Toy Story 4 and Incredibles 2 both debuted over $120M. Without relying on preexisting properties, originals are always a tougher sell.
- Mixed word of mouth. Its Rotten Tomatoes score of 86%, while certainly still good, ranks among the bottom third of all Pixar movies.
- Lower attention. Its official YouTube trailers only earned a cumulative 18.3M views prior to release, far lower than the 88.4M for Toy Story 4 or 159.7M for Incredibles 2.
- A March release date. This was the first Pixar film ever released outside the summer or holiday movie seasons. This reason is a little more flimsy, though, considering this same weekend last year saw the $153.4M debut of Captain Marvel.
Onward‘s weekend estimate steadily decreased, from a studio estimate of $42.0M on Saturday, down to $40.0M on Sunday, and finally to $39.1M by Monday actuals.
The audience demographics were 52% female and 52% under age 25.
Read our cover story interview with Onward director Dan Scanlon here.
Elsewhere at the box office…
- Warner Bros.’ sports drama The Way Back opened with $8.1M in third place. That was in line with pre-release projections, although less than half of such other sports dramas as Cinderella Man, Moneyball, and Coach Carter.
- Focus Features’ period film Emma expanded wide to $4.8M and sixth place, also in line with projections. That was more than double the wide opening of Mary Queen of Scots,+15.1% above Victoria and Abdul, and +84.4% above the best weekend of The Favourite.
- truTV’s Impractical Jokers: The Movie spent a second weekend in the top 10, declining -48.8%. That’s in line with the -48.3% drop for Borat and -44.0% for Jackass: The Movie.
- FUNimation’s anime My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising also spent a second weekend in the top 10, declining -71.1%. That’s in line with the studio’s highest grossing film Dragon Ball Super: Broly with -69.3%.
- Disney overtook Universal to become the second-highest grossing studio at the domestic box office this year.
How’d This Weekend Compare?
Total box office this weekend was $100.3M. That’s +3.1% above last weekend, but -52.3% behind this same weekend last year, when Captain Marvel led with $153.4M.
The Year So Far
Year-to-date box office stands at $1.69B. That’s +1.8% above this same date last year, down from +6.4% after last weekend.
That sharp YTD dropoff is due to Captain Marvel opening on this same weekend last year.
While 2020 year-to-date is running ahead of 2019, it’s falling considerably below 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015 through the same point. The 2020 box office is poised to fall below 2019’s YTD later this week.
Studios
Sony remains the top studio of the year so far, at $449.8M.
Disney (including 20th Century Studios films) rises from third to second place with $333.4M. It’s almost certain that Disney will end the year as the top studio, likely starting with the release of Mulan later this month.
Universal falls from third to second place with with $333.2M.
Monday’s Weekend Actuals (Domestic)
FRI, MAR. 6 – SUN, MAR. 8
| # | TITLE | WEEKEND | LOCATIONS | AVG. | TOTAL | WKS. | DIST. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Onward | $39,119,861 | — | 4,310 | — | $9,077 | $39,119,861 | 1 | Disney |
| 2 | The Invisible Man | $15,132,340 | -46% | 3,610 | 0 | $4,192 | $52,675,910 | 2 | Universal Pictures |
| 3 | The Way Back | $8,170,315 | — | 2,718 | — | $3,006 | $8,170,315 | 1 | Warner Bros. |
| 4 | Sonic The Hedgehog | $7,704,067 | -53% | 3,717 | -460 | $2,073 | $140,522,219 | 4 | Paramount |
| 5 | The Call Of The Wild | $6,762,405 | -49% | 3,914 | 49 | $1,728 | $57,246,143 | 3 | 20th Century Studios |
| 6 | Emma. | $4,805,785 | 314% | 1,565 | 1468 | $3,071 | $6,697,850 | 3 | Focus Features |
| 7 | Bad Boys For Life | $3,022,087 | -31% | 2,159 | -549 | $1,400 | $202,000,190 | 8 | Sony / Columbia |
| 8 | Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) | $2,137,794 | -48% | 2,173 | -951 | $984 | $82,538,376 | 5 | Warner Bros. |
| 9 | Impractical Jokers: The Movie | $1,845,000 | -48% | 1,775 | -125 | $1,039 | $10,197,091 | 3 | truTV |
| 10 | My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising | $1,704,205 | -71% | 1,198 | -62 | $1,423 | $12,899,612 | 2 | FUNimation Entertainment |
| 11 | 1917 | $1,336,835 | -51% | 1,535 | -697 | $871 | $158,260,929 | 11 | Universal Pictures |
| 12 | Jumanji: The Next Level | $1,323,154 | -39% | 1,403 | -408 | $943 | $315,854,748 | 13 | Sony Pictures |
| 13 | Brahms: The Boy II | $1,239,717 | -53% | 1,355 | -796 | $915 | $11,771,571 | 3 | STX Entertainment |
| 14 | Fantasy Island | $870,700 | -63% | 1,362 | -1362 | $639 | $25,801,597 | 4 | Sony Pictures |
| # | TITLE | WEEKEND | LOCATIONS | AVG. | TOTAL | WKS. | DIST. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parasite | $611,453 | -59% | 625 | -699 | $978 | $52,784,907 | 22 | NEON |
| 2 | Portrait of a Lady on Fire | $524,107 | -30% | 334 | 66 | $1,569 | $3,346,388 | 14 | NEON |
| 3 | Baaghi 3 | $509,616 | — | 265 | — | $1,923 | $509,616 | 1 | FIP |
| 4 | The Gentlemen | $373,633 | -66% | 492 | -981 | $759 | $36,017,816 | 7 | STX Entertainment |
| 5 | Dolittle | $351,180 | -66% | 687 | -790 | $511 | $76,826,710 | 8 | Universal |
| 6 | The Photograph | $343,005 | -67% | 382 | -1067 | $898 | $20,357,055 | 4 | Universal Pictures |
| 7 | Knives Out | $294,558 | -53% | 401 | -269 | $735 | $165,157,003 | 15 | Lionsgate |
| 8 | Las Píldoras De Mi Novio | $263,219 | -57% | 280 | -70 | $940 | $2,811,624 | 3 | Lionsgate / Pantelion Films |
| 9 | Greed | $200,725 | 731% | 596 | 592 | $337 | $231,800 | 2 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 10 | Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker | $198,365 | -45% | 269 | -124 | $737 | $515,028,178 | 12 | Disney |
| 11 | Little Women | $166,743 | -59% | 263 | -169 | $634 | $107,973,828 | 11 | Sony Pictures |
| 12 | Frozen II | $144,228 | -54% | 229 | -115 | $630 | $477,272,608 | 16 | Disney |
| 13 | Spies in Disguise | $133,935 | -40% | 187 | -58 | $716 | $66,644,649 | 11 | 20th Century Fox |
| 14 | Just Mercy | $94,061 | -46% | 211 | -89 | $446 | $35,915,353 | 11 | Warner Bros. |
| 15 | Jojo Rabbit | $84,776 | -67% | 159 | -148 | $533 | $33,310,164 | 21 | Fox Searchlight |
| 16 | Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band | $82,951 | -51% | 131 | -18 | $633 | $388,581 | 3 | Magnolia Pictures |
| 17 | Ordinary Love | $57,983 | -28% | 125 | 55 | $464 | $274,149 | 4 | |
| 18 | Seberg | $25,836 | -88% | 213 | -160 | $121 | $413,758 | 3 | Amazon Studios |
| # | TITLE | WEEKEND | LOCATIONS | AVG. | TOTAL | WKS. | DIST. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Extra Ordinary | $82,543 | — | 32 | — | $2,579 | $82,543 | 1 | Cranked Up Films |
| 2 | First Cow | $81,323 | — | 4 | — | $20,331 | $81,323 | 1 | A24 |
| 3 | Wendy | $46,957 | 79% | 69 | 65 | $681 | $76,936 | 2 | Fox Searchlight |
| 4 | The Lodge | $46,164 | -83% | 96 | -299 | $481 | $1,648,051 | 5 | Neon |
| 5 | CatVideoFest 2020 | $41,150 | -77% | 27 | -47 | $1,524 | $478,775 | 3 | Oscilloscope Laboratories |
| 6 | Burden | $40,205 | 99% | 31 | 26 | $1,297 | $68,243 | 2 | 101 Studios |
| 7 | Ford v. Ferrari | $39,202 | -59% | 95 | -58 | $413 | $117,589,553 | 17 | 20th Century Fox |
| 8 | Gretel & Hansel | $31,632 | -58% | 77 | -130 | $411 | $15,315,577 | 6 | United Artists Releasing |
| 9 | Hope Gap | $30,978 | — | 18 | — | $1,721 | $30,978 | 1 | Roadside Attractions |
| 10 | The Assistant | $28,036 | -74% | 55 | -100 | $510 | $1,078,414 | 6 | Bleecker Street |
| 11 | Corpus Christi | $23,836 | 14% | 19 | 6 | $1,255 | $105,517 | 4 | Film Movement |
| 12 | Underwater | $21,879 | -51% | 50 | -28 | $438 | $17,281,763 | 9 | 20th Century Fox |
| 13 | And Then We Danced | $21,441 | -22% | 23 | 3 | $932 | $162,283 | 5 | Muisc Box Films |
| 14 | Downhill | $19,251 | -90% | 69 | -608 | $279 | $8,274,557 | 4 | Fox Searchlight |
| 15 | The Whistlers | $17,885 | -13% | 7 | 4 | $2,555 | $46,495 | 2 | Magnolia Pictures |
| 16 | The Last Full Measure | $16,621 | -41% | 48 | -13 | $346 | $2,933,946 | 7 | Roadside Attractions |
| 17 | The Burnt Orange Heresy | $16,163 | — | 4 | — | $4,041 | $16,163 | 1 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 18 | The Booksellers | $15,794 | — | 1 | — | $15,794 | $15,794 | 1 | Greenwich Entertainment |
| 19 | Bacurau | $14,691 | — | 2 | — | $7,346 | $45,172 | 1 | Kino Lorber Films |
| 20 | Saint Frances | $14,220 | -1% | 4 | 3 | $3,555 | $31,640 | 2 | Oscilloscope Laboratories |
| 21 | Uncut Gems | $13,678 | -53% | 33 | -28 | $414 | $50,018,557 | 13 | A24 |
| 22 | A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood | $13,193 | -55% | 41 | -33 | $322 | $61,696,436 | 16 | Sony Pictures |
| 23 | The Times of Bill Cunningham | $13,024 | -8% | 17 | 7 | $766 | $123,727 | 4 | Greenwich Entertainment |
| 24 | Swallow | $12,850 | — | 3 | — | $4,283 | $12,850 | 1 | IFC Films |
| 25 | Beanpole | $12,642 | -54% | 22 | -12 | $575 | $187,024 | 6 | Kino Lorber Films |
| 26 | Made in Hong Kong (2020 re-release) | $12,000 | — | 1 | — | $12,000 | $12,000 | 1 | Metrograph Pictures |
| 27 | 2020 Oscar-Nominated Short Films | $10,581 | -5% | 7 | -6 | $1,512 | $3,304,748 | 6 | Magnolia Pictures ShortsTV w/ Magnolia Pictures |
| 28 | Sorry We Missed You | $9,436 | — | 3 | — | $3,145 | $19,873 | 2 | Zeitgeist Films |
| 29 | The Traitor | $9,005 | -52% | 17 | -14 | $530 | $279,825 | 6 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 30 | Powerbomb | $8,712 | — | 3 | — | $2,904 | $8,712 | 1 | Indican Pictures |
| 31 | Come and See | $8,157 | -37% | 3 | 2 | $2,719 | $61,979 | 3 | Janus Films |
| 32 | The Woman Who Loves Giraffes | $7,152 | 26% | 15 | 5 | $477 | $106,234 | 23 | Zeitgeist Films |
| 33 | Straight Up | $6,541 | 61% | 5 | 4 | $1,308 | $11,966 | 2 | |
| 34 | The Song Of Names | $6,538 | -52% | 11 | -13 | $594 | $1,070,821 | 11 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 35 | Incitement | $5,216 | -58% | 9 | -7 | $580 | $136,035 | 6 | Greenwich Entertainment |
| 36 | The Wild Goose Lake | $4,573 | — | 1 | — | $4,573 | $6,079 | 1 | Film Movement |
| 37 | Balloon | $2,886 | — | 5 | — | $577 | $31,957 | 27 | Distrib Films |
| 38 | Just One More Kiss | $2,550 | 52% | 2 | 0 | $1,275 | $8,445 | 3 | Indican Pictures |
| 39 | Cunningham | $2,002 | -43% | 5 | 1 | $400 | $265,014 | 13 | Magnolia Pictures |
| 40 | Play the Flute | $1,970 | — | 1 | — | $1,970 | $239,411 | 58 | |
| 41 | King’s Gambit | $1,936 | — | 2 | — | $968 | $1,936 | 1 | Indican Pictures |
| 42 | Young Ahmed | $1,787 | -4% | 3 | 1 | $596 | $19,535 | 3 | Kino Lorber Films |
| 43 | Judy | $1,594 | -78% | 10 | -9 | $159 | $24,313,888 | 24 | Roadside Attractions / LD Entertainment |
| 44 | Varda by Agnes | $1,002 | 19% | 1 | -1 | $1,002 | $158,651 | 16 | Janus Films |
| 45 | I Was at Home, But… | $799 | -55% | 4 | -1 | $200 | $13,828 | 4 | Cinema Guild |
| 46 | Pain and Glory | $668 | -60% | 4 | -5 | $167 | $4,566,056 | 23 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 47 | Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project | $576 | — | 1 | — | $576 | $55,142 | 17 | Zeitgeist Films |
| 48 | Premature | $543 | -91% | 10 | -19 | $54 | $22,648 | 3 | IFC Films / Sundance Selects |
| 49 | Zombi Child | $437 | -81% | 3 | -36 | $146 | $25,454 | 7 | Film Movement |
| 50 | Lost in America | $350 | -95% | 1 | -1 | $350 | $8,760 | 2 | Indican Pictures |
| 51 | Edie | $139 | -55% | 1 | 0 | $139 | $71,611 | 27 | Music Box Films |
| 52 | Mr. Klein | $123 | -55% | 1 | 0 | $123 | $192,076 | 27 | Rialto Pictures |
| 53 | By the Grace of God | $83 | 28% | 1 | 0 | $83 | $66,260 | 21 | Music Box Films |
| 54 | Advocate | $72 | — | 1 | — | $72 | $16,634 | 10 | Film Movement |
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