"Blade Runner" Sequel Opens at #1

[JamesG]

Blade Runner 2049 Struggles to $31.5 Million Opening Weekend
by Brad Brevet
October 8, 2017


Warner Bros.'s release of Blade Runner 2049 isn't getting October off to the kind of start September saw one month ago. The dystopian sequel, arriving 35 years after the original, crash landed over its three-day opening, falling well below even the most modest of expectations.

At the same time, Fox's The Mountain Between Us didn't exactly light the world on fire in its attempt at counter-programming, though it did top Mojo's pre-weekend forecast, while Lionsgate's release of My Little Pony squeaked over Mojo's meager expectations.

Meanwhile, Focus's Victoria and Abdul expanded into moderate release and scored solid numbers, and A24's The Florida Project saw strong returns in its limited opening.







With an estimated $31.5 million, Blade Runner 2049 finished atop the weekend box office, but fell well below expectations. Entering the weekend the Warner Bros. release, in association with Alcon Entertainment and Sony, was expected to deliver anywhere from $45-55 million domestically and $4 million from Thursday previews signaled a solid start, but things quickly cooled for the $150 million production.

Blade Runner did receive a positive "A-" CinemaScore, and the audience skewed heavily male, playing to an audience that was 71% male vs. 29% female, of which 63% of the total audience was over the age of 35.

Internationally, Blade Runner met overseas expectations, debuting with an estimated $50.2 million from 63 markets, 61% of its international footprint, capturing the #1 spot in 45 of those markets.







In second place is Fox's The Mountain Between Us, finishing with an estimated $10.1 million. Starring Kate Winslet and Idris Elba, the film also received an "A-" CinemaScore.

Internationally, The Mountain Between Us brought in $3.6 million from 11 markets for a $13.7 million global debut.







Third place belongs to Warner Bros. and New Line's It, finishing with an estimated $9.65 million, pushing its domestic total to $304.9 million.

Additionally, the film added another $19.8 million internationally, taking its overseas total to $298.8 million making it the largest international horror release of all-time and taking its global cume to a massive $603.7 million.







While Friday estimates suggested Lionsgate and Hasbro's My Little Pony may top $10 million, things settled down a bit over Saturday and Sunday resulting in an estimated $8.8 million debut and a fourth place finish.

Like Blade Runner and The Mountain Between Us, the film received an "A-" CinemaScore.

Internationally, My Little Pony debuted in 49 markets and brought in a meager $3.8 million led by an estimated $676,000 in Germany.







Rounding out the top five is Fox's Kingsman: The Golden Circle began its third week in release with an estimated $8.1 million, taking its domestic cume just shy of $80 million.

Outside the top five, Focus Features's Victoria and Abdul expanded into 732 theaters (+655) and delivered strong results, finishing with an estimated $4.1 million.

The film is also playing in 32 international markets where it brought in an additional $3 million this weekend bringing its overseas total to $25 million for a global tally just shy of $31 million.







Outside the top ten, Purdie's release of The Stray, in conjunction with Quality Flix, brought in an estimated $550,000 from 640 locations for a disappointing $859 per theater average.

On that note, the theater average champ of the weekend is A24's release of The Florida Project, which debuted with a healthy $152,622 from just four theaters in New York and Los Angeles for a $38,336 per theater average. With an eye on contending at this year's Oscars, the film will roll out into top markets next weekend ahead of a nationwide expansion on October 27.







Additional limited releases this weekend include Cohen Media's Faces Places, which brought in an estimated $29,807 from five locations ($5,961 PTA); Chavela brought in an estimated $20,500 from four theaters ($5,125 PTA); Dina from The Orchard, which finished with an estimated $8,035 from one theater; and IFC's Walking Out opened in two theaters with an estimated $5,236.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4332&p=.htm









October 6-8, 2017 Weekend Studio Estimates:


1. Blade Runner 2049 $31,525,000
2. The Mountain Between Us $10,100,000
3. It $9,655,000 / $304,933,478
4. My Little Pony: The Movie $8,800,000
5. Kingsman: The Golden Circle $8,100,000 / $79,964,425
6. American Made $8,073,000 / $30,444,960
7. The LEGO Ninjago Movie $6,750,000 / $43,823,663
8. Victoria and Abdul $4,142,000 / $5,958,394
9. Flatliners $3,800,000 / $12,329,602
10. Battle of the Sexes $2,400,000 / $7,677,575

[Tubehead]

i heard it bombed at the box office!

[Torgo]

Whatever it does at the box office I've heard nothing but good things about it, not critics, but people whose opinions I actually trust.