Box Office: Mark Wahlberg’s ‘Patriots Day’ Takes $560,000 on Thursday Night
Mark Wahlberg’s “Patriots Day” grossed $560,000 at more than 2,000 sites in Thursday night preview showings as the Boston Marathon drama moved into wide release in North America.
The CBS Films-Lionsgate title has performed well in limited release with more than $900,000 at seven screens in three weeks. “Patriots Day,” which expands to 3,120 locations on Friday, is expected to take in about $18 million during the four-day Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.
Open Road’s Jamie Foxx thriller “Sleepless” took in $410,000 in Thursday night previews while STX’s horror film “The Bye Bye Man” grossed $400,000 in preview showings. Warner Bros. saw $325,000 in preview showings Thursday for Ben Aflleck’s action-thriller “Live by Night,” which is being expanded into wide release.
Fox’s “Hidden Figures” is expected to capture the top slot for the second consecutive weekend as it boosts its run by more than 800 screens. The historical drama, starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae, has been forecast to finish with about $20 million at 3,286 sites.
A trio of holdovers — Lionsgate’s “La La Land,” Disney’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars” Story” and Illumination-Universal’s “Sing” — will battle for third place in the $12 million to $14 million range. “La La Land” is coming off a sweep of the Jan. 8 Golden Globes while “Rogue One” has taken in about $485 million domestically in four weeks.
The weekend will also see launches of Open Road’s action-thriller “Sleepless” at 1,803 locations and Paramount’s family comedy “Monster Trucks”at 3,119 sites while Warner Bros. expands Affleck’s period crime saga “Live by Night” from four theaters to 2,822.
Prospects are moderate at best for that trio of titles with each expected to finish the holiday frame in the $8 million to $10 million range. “Sleepless,” starring Jamie Foxx as a compromised detective trying to save his son, carries a $30 million price tag while “Monster Trucks” costs more than $120 million — forcing parent Viacom to take a massive writedown.
“Live by Night,” which Affleck produces, directs and stars in, has a $65 million budget. The film, which also stars Zoe Saldana and Chris Messina, has earned a modest $182,000 in its limited run at the four sites since Christmas Day.
“Patriots Day,” which has a $40 million price tag, documents the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and subsequent manhunt for the perpetrators. It stars Boston native Wahlberg as a courageous police officer along with J. K. Simmons, John Goodman, Kevin Bacon and Michelle Monaghan.
“Patriots Day,” directed by Peter Berg, has generated mostly positive reviews with an 80% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The National Board of Review listed it as one of the top 10 films of 2016.
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