Angel Has Fallen is the third film in the action franchise (described quite accurately as “Die Hard in the White House”) starring Gerard Butler. Angel Has Fallen’s $21.3 million debut is almost identical with that of its predecessor, London Has Fallen, which opened with $21.6 million in 2016. The critics didn’t like Angel at all, giving it just a 40% positive rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences, which skewed slightly male (51%) and much older (58% over 30), gave the threequel a good “A-“ CinemaScore, which bodes well for its box office future.
Second place went to last week’s winner, the R-rated comedy Good Boys, which slipped just 45% in its second weekend as it earned $11.75 million to bring its domestic total to $42 million. Is Good Boys’ success just a one-off, or will it signal a revival in the R-rated comedy subgenre?
The faith-themed film Overcomer, directed by the Kendrick brothers, also surpassed expectations in its debut as it brought in $8.2 million, which was good enough for third place (though final numbers due tomorrow may send it to 4th). Critics loathed the film giving it just a 38% positive rating, but audiences gave it a rare “A+” CinemaScore, which means it could match the $67 million earned by the Kendricks’ previous film, War Room.
Next comes Disney’s megahit The Lion King, which earned $8.1 million to bring its domestic total to $510 million. With overseas earnings of nearly a billion dollars, The Lion King is not Disney’s biggest hit (not adjusting for inflation) that wasn’t either a Star Wars or an Avengers film.
In a virtual tie with the above two films was Hobbs & Shaw, which also brought in $8.2 million to drive its domestic total to $147 million. The big news for Hobbs & Shaw was its $102 million debut in China, the second biggest of 2019 so far (behind only Avengers Endgame), and the biggest ever in August. With a global tally approaching $600 million (75% of which was earned overseas) the pricy ($180 million) Hobbs & Shaw is heading for the black.
The one new film that underperformed was the smart horror/thriller Ready or Not, which brought in just $7.55 million over the three-day weekend. The critics loved Ready or Not, giving it an 85% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and audiences, which skewed female (53%) and much younger (79% under 35), gave it a solid “B+” CinemaScore, so in spite of its slightly disappointing debut, Ready or Not could rebound.
Expanding to over 900 theaters, the “feel good” comedy drama The Peanut Butter Falcon earned $3 million.
Check back here next week to see if the supernatural thriller Don’t Let Go can make an impact on the last weekend of the summer box office season.
