Box Office: 'War Room' Winning Labor Day; 'Walk in the Woods' Beating 'Transporter Refueled'
By David Whitlow
Superheroes — à la Avengers: Age of Ultron — rang in summer 2015 with one of the biggest openings in history, but the season ended on a decidedly quiet note as EuropaCorp’s The Transporter Refueled failed to ignite audiences.
Instead, the race for No. 1 was between holdovers War Room, a Christian drama from Sony’s TriStar/Affirm label, and Straight Outta Compton. On Saturday, the contest was too close to call, but it now looks like War Room will win the long holiday weekend with an estimated $12.3 million from 1,526 theaters, including a three-day bounty of $9.4 million. Final holiday numbers will be reported Monday.
Summer 2015 was a volatile ride at the box office overall despite being one of the best on record in terms of North American revenue. Universal soared, enjoying a record run that’s capped by Compton. Disney was the other big winner, and between them, the two studios accounted for more than 60 percent of all revenue. Other studios suffered big misses, however. Another low point was Labor Day weekend, one of the worst in recent memory in terms of revenue.
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Straight Outta Compton, which has ruled the box office for three consecutive weekends, grossed $8.8 million from 3,097 theaters for the three days, putting its four day gross at an estimated $11.2 million for the four days. Through Monday, the N.W.A film will have earned a massive $150.2 million domestically.
In a surprise upset, the weekend’s other new nationwide offering, A Walk in the Woods, starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte, is beating Transporter Refueled. The film, one of the first releases from Broad Green Pictures, took in $8.1 million from 1,960 locations for the three days for a projected four-day debut of $10.3 million or more, and a six-day launch north of $12.1 million (it opened Wednesday).
Walk in the Woods, placing No. 3, is overperforming thanks to keen interest from older adults.
Directed by Ken Kwapis, Walk in the Woods is based on travel writer Bill Bryson’s book about hiking the Appalachian Trail with a friend. Broad Green acquired the film out of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, and later pacted with AARP for a screening program, in addition to partnering with outdoor retailer REI. Emma Thompson also stars.
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Transporter Refueled — hoping to reboot the franchise sans Jason Statham — came in a disappointing No. 5 after earning $7.1 million for the three days, putting its four-day gross at $8.7 million despite getting the second-widest release ever for a Labor Day title. It is playing in 3,434 locations, including Imax and premium large format theaters.
The good news: Refueled should be a sizeable player overseas, where it has already earned $10 million in its first few days of release (it’s debuting in 27 foreign markets this weekend).
Ed Skrein replaces Statham as the lead character Frank Martin in the fourth installment. In North America, the actioner is going out through RED, the joint distribution venture between EuropaCorp and Relativity Media (RED is not part of the Relativity bankruptcy proceedings). Camille Delamarre directed the film based on a script by Bill Collage, Adam Cooper and EuropaCorp’s Luc Besson.
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The last film in the Transporter franchise opened to $12.1 million in November 2008, while the second installment took in $20.1 million over Labor Day weekend in 2005. Transporter Refueled, targeting younger males, is getting a wide berth in Imax theaters and premium format locations.
Among films making a more limited play, versus a nationwide rollout, Mexican animated film Un Gallo Con Muchos Huevos (A Rooster with Many Eggs) looks to place No. 8 with a four-day debut of $4.4 million from 395 locations, including a three-day take of $3.4 million.
The movie, earning a rare A+ CinemaScore, is being handled in the U.S. by Lionsgate and Televisa’s Pantelion label. In Mexico, it grossed $6 million in its first two weeks of play and is expected to pass up A la Mala to become the year’s top-grossing Mexican release to date.
Watch a clip of Robert Redford and Nick Nolte in ‘A Walk in the Woods’:
