As we get ready for really big box office numbers next weekend with the debut of Frozen II, this weekend saw the box office deal with three very different properties.
Ford v Ferrari had been gaining some noise and traction ahead of its debut and it paid off with a $31 million box office win amid a lot of other films in release. It pretty much did better than all the projections and nailed an “A+” CinemaScore even with its long running time. It skewed male and older but it brought out audiences in general. It also did another $21 million overseas for a $52 million global debut.
The next three films are likely to get adjusted as final numbers come in as they’re all very close. Of the new films, Charlie’s Angels landed at $8.6 million, which was far less than low expectations already were, and a “B” CinemaScore. With it skeweding female and slightly older, the “B” CinemaScore didn’t help and it’s going to take some positive word of mouth to help salvage anything. It did $19.3 million overseas in limited markets with openings through next February to try and offset some of the costs.
The other new film this weekend was The Good Liar, which did $5.65 million in its debut that brought Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen together, which sounds great on paper but just didn’t connect with audiences in the limited advertising. This one definitely skewed older with 85% of the crowd being over 35 and a “B” CinemaScore was not going to push word of mouth on it.
And, as a note, Joker crossed the $1 billion mark with ease as it added $5.6 million this weekend to bring it to just about $322.6 million domestic. With the film not getting a Chinese release, hitting that $1 billion mark is extra impressive.
Next weekend sees Frozen II, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and 21 Bridges arriving alongside Dark Waters.