Weekend Box Office Report: ‘The Great Wall,’ ‘Fist Fight,’ and ‘A Cure for Wellness’ Can’t Stop ‘LEGO Batman’
What do audiences want to see on President’s Day weekend? Apparently not The Great Wall, Fist Fight, and A Cure For Wellness, each of which opened to disappointing numbers. However, The LEGO Batman Movie, Fifty Shades Darker, John Wick: Chapter 2, Hidden Figures and even Split kept the box office above water, continuing to do strong business.
Film | Weekend | Per Screen | ||
1 | The LEGO Batman Movie | $34,225,000 (-35.4) | $8,372 | $98,791,000 |
2 | Fifty Shades Darker | $20,966,000 (-55.0) | $5,645 | $89,663,000 |
3 | The Great Wall | $18,079,000 | $5,436 | $18,079,000 |
4 | John Wick: Chapter 2 | $16,500,000 (-45.8) | $5,300 | $58,692,000 |
5 | Fist Fight | $12,015,000 | $3,772 | $12,015,000 |
6 | Hidden Figures | $7,100,000 (-11.3) | $3,203 | $142,591,000 |
7 | Split | $7,038,000 (-26.1) | $2,879 | $123,603,000 |
8 | A Dog’s Purpose | $5,560,000 (-23.5) | $2,317 | $50,676,000 |
9 | La La Land | $4,500,000 (-9.0) | $2,836 | $133,504,000 |
10 | A Cure For Wellness | $4,200,000 | $1,553 | $4,200,000 |
Let’s start with the newcomers. The Great Wall opened in third place with only $18 million, a dismal domestic start for a very expensive movie. However, this film was specifically designed to appeal to international audiences — specifically China — and it has already done strong business on other markets. While bombing in North America is not a good look for the film, it’s not a bomb overall. All said and done, The Great Wall should turn a tidy profit worldwide.
The same cannot be said for Fist Fight, which opened in fifth place with a mediocre $12 million. Unlike the competition, this one didn’t cost too much and it may turn a profit if it doesn’t plunge next weekend. Still, this is not a good start for a movie that was banking on Charlie Day being the next big comedy star. He’s very funny, but he’s not.
Of course, A Cure For Wellness makes both of the other newcomers look great. Gore Verbinski’s weird new thriller opened in tenth place with only $4 million. We can blame this result on three things: mixed reviews, odd marketing, and the simple fact that this movie is really, really weird. It will probably find a second life on home video, but it’s a box office bomb right now.
So let’s look at the movies that succeeded. The LEGO Batman Movie did exactly as we predicted, falling only 35% for a weekend haul of $34 million and a current total of $98 million. It won’t make as much money as The LEGO Movie, but it will do quite well in the long run. Fifty Shades Darker also did as expected, dropping a large 55% but holding in second place with $20 million, bringing its current total to $89 million. It also won’t make as much as its predecessor, but it’s undeniably a hit. In fourth place, John Wick: Chapter 2 dropped 45% and made $16 million, bringing it to $58 million. It’s already made $18 million more than its predecessor and will probably more than double its total haul when all is said and done.
Meanwhile, Hidden Figures continued to do steady and astonishing business, dropping only 11% and grossing $7 million for a $142 million total. La La Land also continued to do steady numbers, dropping only 9% for a $4 million weekend and $133 million total. With the Oscars airing next Sunday, they should continue to perform well for at least one more week.