"Kingsman 2" Knocks "It" Out of #1 Spot

[JamesG]

Kingsman 2 Finishes #1 as September Grosses Near Record High
by Brad Brevet
September 24, 2017


The weekend's new releases fell shy of Mojo's weekend forecast, but Kingsman: The Golden Circle still managed to debut larger than the original, finishing in the #1 spot.

Unfortunately, The LEGO Ninjago Film fell well short of expectations as did Friend Request, which delivered a mere $2.4 million opening. There were, however, some bright spots among limited release titles as Battle of the Sexes and Victoria and Abdul delivered strong opening results as September's calendar grosses continue to pace toward record heights.







Topping the box office was Fox's Kingsman: The Golden Circle, delivering an estimated $39 million from 4,003 theaters. The opening improves on the $36.2 million opening for the first film, but the film's performance over the next couple of weeks will tell the true story.

The first Kingsman turned its $36 million debut into a $128 million domestic run, a 3.54x multiplier. Should Golden Circle follow suit we're talking about a $138+ million domestic run, which would surely satisfy the folks at Fox if it can also match the first film's $286 million performance overseas.

As for that international performance, the film brought in an estimated $61.2 million from 55 overseas territories, a 63% improvement compared to the first film.







In second place we find Warner Bros. and New Line's hit horror It, which added an estimated $30 million to its domestic total, making it the highest grossing R-rated horror of all-time (not adjusted for inflation).

Additionally, the film brought in another $38.3 million internationally from 59 markets bringing its international cume to $211.7 million for a global haul of $478 million.







WB's The LEGO Ninjago Movie entered the weekend with industry expectations targeting a $27-32 million opening. Mojo's forecast was even more bullish, anticipating a $35 million debut for the third film in the expanding franchise.

Unfortunately, the film only managed an estimated $21.2 million from 4,047 theaters, the lowest opening for the franchise by a wide margin. Internationally, Ninjago brought in an estimated $10.5 million from 37 markets.







Lionsgate and CBS Films's American Assassin delivered a $6.25 million second weekend performance, dropping a hefty 58% bringing its domestic cume to $26.2 million.

The film finished in fourth place followed by Reese Witherspoon's Home Again, which dipped just 36% in its third weekend with an estimated $3.3 million for a domestic cume now totaling $22.3 million.



Outside the top five, Darren Aronofsky's mother! dropped 57% after its disappointing debut last weekend, bringing in an estimated $3.26 million for a domestic cume now totaling $13.4 million.

In sixth is where we find the rough, $2.4 million opening for Entertainment Studios' Friend Request. The film received a "C+" CinemaScore.







Finishing in ninth is Roadside's Stronger, which banked heavily on the film's strong reviews coming out of the Toronto International Film Festival as it debuted in 574 locations with very little marketing. The result was a $1.75 million debut with the top performing theaters located in Boston, which is no surprise given the subject matter.

The film received an "A-" CinemaScore and played to an audience that was 65% female vs. 35% male. The film is expected to add 80 theaters or so next weekend, banking on word of mouth and the strong reviews which led to its 76 Metacritic score.







Elsewhere, finishing outside of the top ten for the first time since its debut twelve weeks ago, Spider-Man: Homecoming brought in an estimated $1.1 million as its domestic cume now stands at $331.9 million.

The film also brought in another $6 million internationally, pushing its international cume to $542.5 million for a global tally just shy of $875 million making it the highest grossing worldwide superhero release of 2017.







Just behind Spider-Man, in twelfth position, was Annapurna's expansion of Amazon Studios' Brad's Status, which expanded into 453 theaters (+449) this weekend and brought in an estimated $1 million for a $2,210 per theater average.

In limited release, Fox Searchlight's Battle of the Sexes delivered an estimated $525,000 from 21 theaters in NY and LA, Toronto, Phoenix, San Francisco, Chicago and DC for a strong $25,000 per theater average. The film will expand into 60 markets nationwide next weekend, targeting 1,100 - 1,200 theaters.







Focus Features' release of Victoria and Abdul was the per-theater champion of the weekend, bringing in a strong $152,000 from four theaters in New York and Los Angeles for a $38,000 per theater average. The film will be adding 75 new theaters next week as it expands into the top 25 markets.

Also in limited release, Good Deed's Loving Vincent brought in an estimated $24,304 from one theater in New York City and will open in Los Angeles next weekend followed by a national expansion throughout October and into November.

Additionally, Independent's Unrest opened wit $10,700 from one theater and Bobbi Jene from Oscilloscope opened with an estimated $7,500 after opening exclusively at New York's Quad Cinema, the film expands to Los Angeles on October 6.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4328&p=.htm









September 22-24, 2017 Weekend Studio Estimates:


1. Kingsman: The Golden Circle $39,000,000
2. It $30,000,000 / $266,338,881
3. The LEGO Ninjago Movie $21,245,000
4. American Assassin $6,250,000 / $26,180,459
5. Home Again $3,311,821 / $22,347,652
6. mother! $3,260,000 / $13,429,018
7. Friend Request $2,400,000
8. The Hitman's Bodyguard $1,850,000 / $73,597,979
9. Stronger $1,747,910
10. Wind River $1,265,285 / $31,653,034