A Quiet Place slipped just 33% as it earned an estimated $22 million, driving its domestic total to $132.4 million in just 17 days of release. Aside from demonstrating the continuing vitality of the horror film genre, A Quiet Place appears to have a chance to set a new box office standard for modestly-budgeted horror movies. It is already Paramount’s biggest hit since Star Trek: Beyond in 2016 ($158.1 million), and will likely top that most recent Trek film before its run is done. In fact, Get Out’s $176 million record score for a low budget horror film is in jeopardy, though A Quiet Place will have to match Get Out’s incredible “legs.”
The Dwayne Johnson-starring video game adaptation Rampage slipped just 41% in its second frame as it earned $21 million to bring its North American total to $66.6 million. This $120 million production is doing much better overseas where it has earned $216.4 million, almost half of which comes from China (where the studio gets to keep just 25%, half of their share in the U.S. and Canada). The big problem for Rampage is the release of Avengers: Infinity War next weekend.
Amy Schumer’s first “PG-13” comedy, I Feel Pretty, debuted in third place with an estimated $16.2 million, a bit more than most analysts had predicted, though well below the $30 million dollar bow of the R-rated Trainwreck. I Feel Pretty’s solid debut flies in the face of negative pre-release buzz, and audiences liked the film a lot more than critics, giving I Feel Pretty a B+ CinemaScore (with those 18-25 giving it an “A,” and those under 18 an “A+”) in contrast to the film’s lowly 34% positive rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
In just one weekend Super Troopers 2 has earned almost as much as its predecessor did during its entire run back in 2002. The broad cop farce earned $14.7 million, which is more than double what many analysts predicted for the film that has a mere 35% positive rating from the critics surveyed by Rotten Tomatoes. Opening weekend audiences for Super Troopers 2 skewed male (64%) and to the generation that saw the first Super Troopers film back in 2002 with 75% of the crowd between 25 and 49. The question is—how “front-loaded” was this film? Will it drop off quickly, or demonstrate great “legs” over the coming weekends?
At #5 was the micro-budgeted Blumhouse horror film Truth or Dare, which dropped 58% as it earned $7.9 million to bring its 10-day total to $30.4 million, which means that, though it may be fading fast, the $3.5 million production is already solidly in the black.
Speaking of breaking even, Steven Spielberg’s Ready, Player One earned $7.5 million to bring its domestic total to nearly $126 million. The film, which is based on a novel about an immersive video game, has done far better overseas, where it has earned almost $400 million for a $521 million global haul, which should just about pay for the pricy production ($175 million plus millions more for marketing).
The R-rated comedy Blockers dropped only 35.1% in its third weekend, but it fell to #7 as it earned nearly $7 million to bring its total to $48.3 million.
Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther earned $4.6 million in its tenth weekend in theaters bringing its year-to-date leading domestic total to $681 million. It is now certain that Black Panther will surpass the inflation-adjusted total of The Dark Knight, making it the most popular solo superhero film ever. One more stat to show how important this film has been to 2018 box office totals—Black Panther accounts for nearly 20% of the entire 2018 box office so far. The only remaining question is, will Black Panther remain in the top ten next week giving Marvel Studios its first simultaneous top ten duo since The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man accomplished the feat back in June of 2008?
Lionsgate opened the urban thriller Traffik in just over 1,000 theaters and the film, which stars Paula Patton and Omar Epps, debuted with $3.9 million. The film earned a “B” CinemaScore from audiences that skewed a bit female (52%) and a lot older (92% over 25).
Wes Anderson’s stop motion-animated Isle of Dogs rounded out the top ten as it earned $3.4 million to drive its domestic total to $24.4 million, while the Indian film Bharat Ane Nenu debuted just outside the top ten, earning $2.85 million from just 305 venues (for a solid $9,344 average).
There will be only one major release next weekend with Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War debuting in over 4,200 locations. Thanks to record presales, many analysts are predicting that the film will set new box office records—check back here next weekend and find out.
