BOX OFFICE: ‘Lego’ Blockbuster $69M; ‘Monuments Men’ Solid Second; ‘Vampire Academy’ Has No Bite
OPENING: The Lego Movie (WB), blockbuster expected anywhere from $69M; The Monuments Men (Sony), around $22M in 2nd position; Vampire Academy (TWC) anemic with $3.9M.
4TH UPDATE, 1 P.M: The Lego Movie ended its weekend run with $69M. Sony is reporting The Monuments Men at $22M (slightly less than yesterday) and the other newcomer distributed by The Weinstein Company, Vampire Academy, ended the 3-day holiday weekend with a mere $3.9M. Next weekend openers are a slew of 1980s back-to- the-future movies with re-worked titles MGM’s Robocop, which opens Wednesday; Sony’s About Last Night, starring Ride Along‘s Kevin Hart; and Universal’s remake of Endless Love. Here are the final numbers as reported from the studios for Top 20 titles from this weekend:
1). The Lego Movie (WB) 3,775 theaters / Est. 3-day Cume: $69M / Per screen: $18,291 / Wk 1
2). The Monuments Men (SONY), 3,083 theaters / 3-day Cume: $22M / Per screen: $7,137 / Wk 1
3). Ride Along (UNI), 2,800 theaters (-67) / 3-day Cume: $9.5M (-20%) / Per screen: $3,425 / Total Cume: $105.3M / Wk 4
4). Frozen (DIS), 2,460 theaters (-294) / 3-day Cume: $6.8M (-23%) / Per screen: $2,794 / Total Cume: $368.6M / Wk 12
5). Lone Survivor (UNI), 2,869 theaters (-416) / 3-day Cume: $5.5M (-22%) / Per screen: $1,940 / Total Cume: $112.8M / Wk 7
6). That Awkward Moment (FOCUS), 2,809 theaters (0) / $3-day Cume: $5.2M (-40%) / Per screen: $1,864 / Total Cume: $16.5M / Wk 2
7). Vampire Academy (TWC), 2,676 theaters / 3-day Cume: $3.9M / Per screen: $1,466 / Wk 1
8). The Nut Job (OPRD), 3,004 theaters (-468) / 3-day Cume: $3.7M (-48%) / Per screen: $1,249 / Total Cume: $55M / Wk 4
9). Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (PAR), 2,139 theaters (-768) / 3-day Cume: $3.5M (-34%) / Per screen: $1,651 / Total Cume: $44.4M / Wk 4
10). Labor Day (PAR), 2,584 theaters (0)/ 3-day Cume: $3.1M (-38%) / Per screen: $1,233 / Total Cume: $10.1M /Wk 2
11). American Hustle (SONY), 1,640 theaters (-576) / 3-day Cume: $3M (-26%) / Per screen: $1,871 / Total Cume: $138M / Wk 9
12). The Wolf of Wall Street (PAR), 1,167 theaters (-440) / 3-day Cume: $2.5M (-24%) / Per screen: $2,213 / Total Cume: $107.8M / Wk 7
13). Gravity (WB), 701 theaters (-431) / 3-day Cume: $1.6M (-17%) / Per screen: $2,384 / Total Cume: $266.4M / Wk 19
14). August: Osage County (TWC) 1,327 theaters (-992) / 3-day Cume: $1.4M (-50%) / Per screen: $1,116 / Total Cume: $34.2M / Wk 7
15). I, Frankenstein (LGF) 1,427 theaters (-1326) / 3-day Cume: $1.4M (-61%) / Per screen: $1,035 / Total Cume: $17.4M / Wk 3
16). 12 Years a Slave (FOX), 678 theaters (-494) / 3-day Cume: $816K (-43%) / Per screen: $1,204 / Total Cume: $47.3M / Wk 17
17). Philomena (TWC), 504 theaters (-63) / 3-day Cume: $797K (-17%) / Per screen: $1,583 / Total Cume: $28.6M / Wk 12
18). Her (WB), 457 theaters (-346) / 3-day Cume: $731K (-39%) /38 Per screen: $1,600 / Total Cume: $22.4M / Wk 8
19). Nebraska (PARVAN), 525 theaters (-350) / 3-day Cume: $703K (-38%) / Per screen: $1,139 / Total Cume: $14.9M / Wk 13
20). The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug (WB), 537 theaters (-396) / 3-day Cume: $688K (-44%) / Per screen: $1,282 / Total Cume: $255.3M / Wk 9
3RD UPDATE, SUNDAY 8 AM: The Lego Movie is in the record books as the biggest animated pic opener of all time for Warner Bros., surpassing Happy Feet which opened to $41.5M in 2006 (and went onto gross $384.3M worldwide). It’s also the biggest opener ever for the studio in February. The final number is hovering around $69.1M and that’s with movie going percentages estimated for Sunday to be off by about 32% so if it does better than that, the number will, of course, rise. Congrats to all – Village Roadshow, producer Dan Lin of Lin Pictures and producer Roy Lee of Vertigo Ent., filmmakers Chris Miller and Phil Lord – and did we see a shout-out to former WB executive Jeff Robinov (who greenlighted the film) actually in the film? Yep. Classy move, guys. Yes, caught that. “We had an enormous weekend,” said WB distribution head Dan Fellman. “It’s a major franchise for Lego and Warner for years to come. We tried to find a window to introduce the movie which was not a competitive weekend. We took a risk in February and we showed like we did with Gravity that you can open tentpoles in a period of time that might not necessarily be usual and let the content speak for itself.” Amen.
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Sony’s The Monuments Men performed slightly better than the early tracking expected going into the weekend and will end up at around $22M+ for filmmaker George Clooney and Columbia Pictures (Sony has it at $22.7M but other distribs have it around $22.1M). “It’s a terrific opening for us. It’s exactly in our sweet spot.” said Rory Bruer, Sony’s president of worldwide distribution. You can’t ask for a better partner than George (Clooney). We expect the film to around for a very long time.” They will need it to be for it to become profitable. The other newcomer, Vampire Academy, which IM Global thru Reliance financed (and TWC provided marketing and distribution costs), failed to draw audiences and only took in around $4M for the three-day. Noteworthy: Frozen passed $900M worldwide after opening in China this weekend, and it just passed Despicable Me 2 to become the third highest grossing domestic animated release of all-time (based on original runs) and highest grossing original (non-sequel) animated release of all-time. Here’s the chart:
1). The Lego Movie (WB) 3,775 theaters / $17.2M Fri. / $30.9M Sat (+80%) / $21.8M Sun. (-30%) / Per screen: $18,569 / Est. 3-day Cume: $69.1M / Wk 1
2). The Monuments Men (SONY), 3,083 theaters / $6.8M Fri. / $9.5M Sat. (+39%) / $5.7M Sun. (-40%) / 3-day Cume: $22.7M / Per screen: $7,169 / Wk 1
3). Ride Along (UNI), 2,800 theaters (-67) / $2.5M Fri. / $4.6M Sat. (+81%) / $2.2M Sun. (-47%) / 3-day Cume: $9.3M (-22%) / Per screen: $3,355 / Total Est. Cume: $105.1M / Wk 4
4). Frozen (DIS), 2,460 theaters (-294) / $1.3M Fri. / $3.3M Sat. (+142%) / $2.1M Sun. (-35%) / 3-day Cume: $6.9M (-23%) / Per screen: $2,785 / Total Est. Cume: $368.7M / Wk 12
5). Lone Survivor (UNI), 2,869 theaters (-416) / $1.4M Fri. / $2.69M Sat. (+92%) / $1.5M Sun. (-41%) /3-day Cume: $5.7M (-19%) / Per screen: $1,845 / Total Est. Cume: $112.7M / Wk 7
6). That Awkward Moment (FOCUS), 2,809 theaters (0) / $1.7M Fri. / $2.3M Sat. (+92%) / $1.4M Sun. (-36%) / 3-day Cume: $5.5M (-38%) / Per screen: $1,972 / Total Est. Cume: $16.6M / Wk 2
7). Vampire Academy (TWC), 2,676 theaters / $1.4M Fri. / $1.6M Sat. (+14%) / $1M Sun. (-35%) / 3-day Cume: $3.8M to $4.1M / Per screen: $1,533 / Wk 1
8). The Nut Job (OPRD), 3,004 theaters (-468) / $720K Fri. / $1.8M Sat. (+159% / $1.2M Sun. (-34%) / 3-day Cume: $3.8M (-48%) / Per screen: $1,233 / Total Est. Cume: $55M / Wk 4
9). Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (PAR), 2,139 theaters (-768) / $925K Fri. / $1.7M Sat. (+87%) / $934K Sun. (-45%) / 3-day Cume: $3.6M (-34%) / Per screen: $1,655 / Total Est. Cume: $44.4M / Wk 4
10). Labor Day (PAR), 2,584 theaters (0)/ $908K Fri. / $1.4M Sat. (+64%) / $883K Sun. (-40%) / 3-day Cume: $3.2M (-38%) / Per screen: $1,259 / Total Est. Cume: $10.1M /Wk 2
2ND UPDATE, SATURDAY 11:20 PM: And upwards it soars. Warner Bros.’ The Lego Movie took in about $31.4M Saturday night. That’s not a typo. $31.4M — up an estimated 83% from Friday — and now looks to take in anywhere from $68M to $70M. Movie going was strong Saturday night across the board for most films. The Monuments Men (Sony) took in roughly $9.7M to $9.9M to push its total est. cume higher to $23M. Ride Along rolled in another $4.7M and is expected to have a 3-day total of about $9.8M to take the third spot. Frozen was up a whopping 143% on family Saturday to gross an estimated $3.4M and looks to take in about $7M this weekend for No. 4. And, finally, it looks like Lone Survivor is going to edge out That Awkward Moment for the fifth spot. More to come in the early AM.
UPDATE, SATURDAY 7:20 AM: Last night’s frenzy over The Lego Movie continues this morning, but estimates on most pictures’ 3-days have been revised slightly downward. Once again, today’s movie going is going to tell a clearer picture for the WB monster. Industry estimates for the picture now are anywhere from $58M to $61.3M. One studio thinks $63M (which is what I was thinking Friday). Columbia Pictures’ The Monuments Men has been revised lower to $20M+ (which is exactly how it was tracking going into the weekend). Vampire Academy from The Weinstein Co. also lower to $3.8M to $4M. And Disney’s Frozen is still in the top five after 12 weeks with an estimated cume at $6M. The ani family film just won’t quit. NOTEWORTHY: Ride Along and Lone Survivor (last month’s box office champs) are both now over $100M for Universal. Neither Olympics nor the weather seem to be hurting the box office so far. Here are the revised numbers:
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PREVIOUS, FRIDAY 10:50 PM: Neither sleet nor snow nor Sochi can stop audiences from flocking to The Lego Movie. It is, as expected, a monster hit — and we’re not even into the second day of the weekend.
The smartly-written pic from scribe-directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord grossed an estimated $17.5M to $18M on its first day (more than most pictures take in during their opening 3-day weekends) and it looks like it will take in $60M+ (maybe $63M?) — a far cry from the $25.3M the last biggest animated film in Feb. opening to (Gnomeo and Juliet). Saturday movie going will tell how humongous this movie will get but Warner Bros. was clearly way too conservative in its initial estimates. The studio distributed the 3D animated pic from Village Roadshow, Lin Pictures and Vertigo Entertainment. Congrats to all. Also gotta give kudos, too, to former WB executive Jeff Robinov as this is yet another mega-hit (think Gravity) that he greenlighted. The PG-pic, which received an A Cinemascore seems to be appealing to all demos as hoped. It’s also the first full-length film based on the Lego brand. Expect long legs as this film is likely to play and play. The filmmakers are the same ones behind Sony’s animated hit Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 1 and 2. Speaking of Sony, George Clooney’s The Monuments Men from its Columbia Pics moniker is solidly in second and is likely to bring in about $22M based on a Friday take of about $7M to $7.2M. It received a B+ Cinemascore. The other newcomer this weekend is The Weinstein Co.’s Vampire Academy, which was moved up from Valentine’s Day to give it room to breathe but it choked. The vampire romp, which got a B- Cinemascore, looks to suck in only about $4.5M to $4.8M for the three-day based on Friday night estimates. Numbers and positions will likely change early in the AM.
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