Horror fans should be ecstatic to hear that The Conjuring 2 deftly conquered the weekend with a whopping $40 million take. That’s only a 4% drop from the original film‘s opening weekend. You can guarantee that the folks over at New Line are already thinking about sequels. Looks like we have a new horror franchise on our hands. For this horror nerd, I couldn’t be happier. The Conjuring films — along with the Insidious series which director James Wan helped kick off with the first two entries — have brought an elegance and prestige to the horror genre that we haven’t seen in a while. It’s great to see horror hit the mainstream with such class, and I hope New Line continues to stay devoted to wide release horror. They’ll be distributing the solid looking Lights Out later this year so things are looking great for those of us who like getting scared at the movies.
Elsewhere, Warcraft couldn’t quite crack $25 million in its domestic release, but this was always a film that was made to play overseas. The movie has already done gangbusters in China and that success could be enough to warrant a sequel. Also, Now You See Me 2 did better than expected and will end up as a win for Lionsgate in the long run.
A few tidbits from the numbers:
- Do not weep for Warcraft. It’s already made $277 million in foreign markets. It’s gonna be just fine.
- After six weeks in release, Captain America: Civil War still managed to crack the top ten this past weekend, beating more recent films like Neighbors 2, Popstar, and The Nice Guys. What a powerhouse of a performance from that film.
The Numbers Game
Each week, I will guess how much wide-release films will be making on their opening weekend. My estimates come from my heart and my gut. You’d think I’d use my brain but that makes far too much sense. Fandom editor Nick Nunziata will also be providing his guesses because two stabs in the dark are better than one.
Last Week:
The Conjuring 2
My Guess: $29,000,000
Nick’s Guess: $45,000,000
Actual: $40,350,000
Result: I’ve never been happier to be so wrong. Kudos to Nick for believing in this one.
[ooyala video=pxOXgyNDE6YkWBhbHlNoUE7cGzVE_KkD][/ooyala]
Warcraft
My Guess: $40,000,000
Nick’s Guess: $28,000,000
Actual: $24,356,000
Result: Nick’s doing well this weekend. He’s obviously in league with some box office predicting demon.
[ooyala video=9iZDAyNDE67jClPAlcRSO2Sj5tyTlh4i][/ooyala]
Now You See Me 2
My Guess: $19,000,000
Nick’s Guess: $13,000,000
Actual: $23,025,000
Result: Yay, I’m closer for once! That’s magical enough for me.
[ooyala video=wzeDMzNDE6XSWdihZO3ZJfntc-I7I90c][/ooyala]
This week:
Finding Dory
Pixar is an unstoppable juggernaut when it comes to their movies, but sequelitis is always a dangerous factor to consider. The film has been getting great buzz and marketing these films is second nature to Disney. There’s a lot of anticipation around Finding Dory since its predecessor is one of the most beloved entries in the Pixar canon, and family audiences are primed for another Disney tale after the enormous success of Zootopia.
My guess: $92,000,000
Nick’s guess: $105,000,000
Central Intelligence
Putting Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kevin Hart together is smart no matter how you look at it. They are two of the most consistent headliners working right now, and even though the movie itself looks a little grating for my tastes, it’s impossible to deny the broad appeal of these two. Hart’s Ride Along films did great business and this will probably perform along those lines. Maybe even a little better.
My guess: $50,000,000
Nick’s guess: $31,000,000
See you next week!
Source: Box Office Mojo
