Box Office: Justice League's Own Ragnarok
Sunday, November 19, 2017 at 2:45PM by Nathaniel R
| Weekend Box Office (Nov 17-19) UPDATED WITH ACTUALS |
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| W I D E 800+ screens |
L I M I T E D excluding prev. wide |
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| 1.🔺 Justice League $94 REVIEW |
1.🔺 Lady Bird $2.5 on 238 screens (cum. $4.6) REVIEW |
| 2.🔺 Wonder $27.5 | 2.🔺 Three Billboards... $1.1 on 53 screens (cum. $1.5) REVIEW |
| 3. Thor Ragnarok $21.6 (cum. $247.2) REVIEW, YOUR QUEEN |
3. Loving Vincent $403k on 212 screens (cum. $4.6) REVIEW |
| 4. Daddy's Home 2 $14.4 (cum. $50.2) | 4. Let There Be Light $362k on 554 screens (cum. $6.7) |
| 5. Murder on the Orient Express $13.8 (cum. $51.7) REVIEW |
5. The Florida Project $299k on 217 screens (cum. $4.3) REVIEW |
Surprise! The feel good facial-differences movie Wonder in which Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson parent little Jacob Tremblay, was a big hit at the box office. It's Julia's best opening in 7 years, or her best opening in 16 years if you don't count the pictures that were sold largely on their all-star ensembles (like the Oceans pictures or Valentine's Day). Did any of you see it?
About the actual chart topper...
'tis utter madness that we now live in a world where a nearly $100 million gross on opening weekend indicates a "flop" but that's what people are calling Justice League which didn't quite hit that 100 number domestically putting it behind all four previous "DC Extended Universe" in terms of its opening weekend. These things are technically supposed to build until the "team" is assembled and then it peaks (see Marvel leading up to Avengers) but that didn't happen with DC's "universe" where the second feature (Batman v Superman) was both the opening weekend peak (by a significant margin) and the largest overall grosser globally (just barely beating Wonder Woman in that regard). They need another film as well liked as Wonder Woman quickly if they're going to keep doing this or the audience will disintegrate even quicker.
Given the reviews (40% on Rotten Tomatoes which hid the score until opening) its unlikely to have Wonder Woman's repeat business.
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| 6.🔺 The Star $9.8 | 6. The Killing of a Sacred Deer $188k on 190 screens (cum. $1.9) REVIEW |
| 7. A Bad Mom's Christmas $7 (cum. $51) | 7. 🔺 My Friend Dahmer $162k on 75 screens (cum. $483k) REVIEW |
| 8. Jigsaw $1 (cum. $36.4) |
8. 🔺 Last Flag Flying $122k on 59 screens (cum. $411k) REVIEW |
| 9. Blade Runner 2049 $600k (cum. $89.2) REVIEW | SHORTS | "BESTS" | 9. Jane $119k on 84 screens (cum. $1.0) CRITICS CHOICE WINNER |
| 10. Boo 2! A Madea Halloween $471k (cum. $46.6) | 10.🔺 The Square $109k on 63 screens (cum. $632k) |
🔺 = new or significant expansion numbers (in millions unless otherwise noted) from box office mojo |
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Though Thor Ragnarok took a significant hit under direct competition from other superheroes this weekend, it's already the top grossing Thor movie (globally) by nearly $100 million.
Further down the chart Murder on the Orient Express has delivered for Fox. While not a huge hit, per se, by its third weekend it's already grossed $148 million globally on a $55 million budget suggesting that Branagh might get that Poirot franchise he so clearly wants and willfully teased at the end of his remake... provided he can keep costs down.
In happy news, Lady Bird and Three Billboards have been greeted with intense interest from moviegoers, and neither were ever sure things given their subject matter/genres, stars, and directors. They both made the actual top ten box office charts if you smoosh limited releases in with the wide ones which is quite a feat since they're they've got a couple thousand less screens then most of the big titles.
Finally, it seems awfully strange to open a Denzel Washington movie on just 4 screens but that's the way Roman J Israel Esq opted to go. Denzel is arguably the most consistent box office commodity in Hollywood, his films nearly always grossing in the $50-$100 million range domestically whether they're dramas or action/thrillers (his two modes). Unless people just weren't aware that this one was opening, it's in trouble. We're willing to guess that people just weren't aware this one was out since he's not a "limited release" kind of star. It's the danger of the "glut" months of November and December at the movies when 6-12 movies are opening every week.
WHAT DID YOU SEE THIS WEEKEND?
Reader Comments (46)
Get Out and Ladybird. Really enjoyed both.
"These things are technically supposed to build until the 'team' is assembled and then it peaks (see Marvel leading up to Avengers)".
But DC wanted to rush things. Instead of doing several stand alone movies (like Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and Hulk), they did one Superman movie, then a Superman/Batman movie with cameos from Wonder Woman and others, then a Wonder Woman movie. They didn't need to make a team movie; they already had.
And to advertise a team movie and leave Superman out of it was idiotic. I had co-workers who enjoy DC movies ask me why Superman wasn't in the Justice League movie. These are people who are more interested in superhero movies than the average movie fan, and they didn't realize that Superman WAS in the movie.
This was just not thought out very well at all. The DC fans will complain that there's a massive conspiracy (evidently the Illuminati is controlled by Stan Lee or something), but the buildup to this "event" wasn't handled very well, and the decision to leave Superman out of the advertising was just plain dumb.
Well when your budget is $300million+ opening just under $100million is not good. It'll make its money back obviously with global grosses factored in, but I think what's more worrying for them is that it's the LOWEST opening weekend of their shared universe.
This weekend I opted seeing *my* Justice League in the form of Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell, and Woody Harrelson in Three Billboard. I expected it to be funny and dark (which it was), but more unexpectedly it was full of heart and kindness.
"Denzel is arguably the most consistent box office comedy in Hollywood"
I'd be very interested in watching a Hollywood comedy called Denzel.
Beginning to think MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS could figure in Production Design and Costume Design award races.
Keep an eye on WONDER - if it becomes a word-of-mouth hit, it could become a dark horse Best Picture nominee, like THE BLIND SIDE.
We went away on the weekend. The nearest cinema was showing MURDER... but we didn't make it. And when we turned on the TV that night, the 1974 version was showing so we watched that (again) instead! Lots of fun.
WONDER gave me all the feels. Would love to see Julia Roberts emerge a Supporting Actress contender! :)
mda- uGH That damn auto-correct fixed.
I mean it kind of is a flop? This is supposedly the movie decades in the making and the build up of everything DC and WB have been creating for the past few years with their movies. The road to their Avengers was completely different but very much their Avengers. That it couldn't muster up a $100m weekend is a pooooooor showing. Wonder Woman alone did more.
The problem here too is once again reviews aren't good, and if that's any indication of how the film will hold up (it has Coco eating its kid audience soon enough and Thor is still out for those looking for a better reviewed super hero movie) it might well barely blip the $200 mark. Considering everything the movie was supposed to be (obvious by the sizeable amount of money they spent on it) it's bad news. And could mean financial loses to the studio.
I'm kind of relieved. They botched this universe over and over again. It was bound to catch up with them.
Mudbound and screener catch up on The Square and A Cure for Wellness (plus rewatches of Big Sick and Thelma). Mudbound's ensemble was fantastic all around, but especially loved Rob Morgan
Just now, Rocco & His Brothers. A must-see for anyone that loves cinema.
I saw Wonderstruck which was lovely and moving, but forgettable. Still, it's well worth seeing.
Then, Justice League which was obviously trash.
And then I saw Lady Bird twice and BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR. LOVED IT WITH EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING.
Chris Feil: I saw Mudbound too. Unfortunately, I'd also argue that absolutely won't help it's chances with Oscar. Having Rob "Turk Barrett" Morgan be the consensus best in show makes it feel like an, admittedly very good, extension of the Netflix brand. Which won't HELP with Oscar.
Saw Three Billboards. McDormand, Rockwell, and Harrelson were fantastic. Hedges was also reliably good and Dinkledge and Hawkes are always welcome. Caleb Landry Jones was an unexpected standout. He is such an odd/welcome screen presence.
Was glad to see that the misogynistic hints in the trailer and in some of McDonagh's other movies did not really play out here at all (although Cornish's character was questionable: sexy/younger mom and then crying). The movie tried but did not do as well with its handling of race. I appreciated the many characters of color and the nods to contemporary racism but the black characters were all devices in Mildred or Dixon's journeys. The unabashed use of several racially charged words never quite felt justified/added much.
It's a movie that I won't forget and felt very well-built. I believed the place and vibe of the town. It worked and felt believable. The movie's thesis/main idea seemed interesting and timely (although perhaps also highlights the not-so-great treatment of race). Its subject matter threatened to be icky with the tonal shifts but the highs and lows were quite good. Interesting movie-going experience.
I loved a lot about Mudbound, but can't quite make up my mind on the film as a whole. Its very good, but I'm anxious to watch it again to see if I LOVE it. All of the actors are great, but I have to say Rob Morgan was the standout to me. Nobody (that I've seen) has singled out his performance, but I thought his work was really effective.
I also caught up with Ingrid Goes West, Atomic Blonde, and Raw, and I watched Desert Hearts for the first time on the newly released Criterion blu-ray - all fantastic!
I saw Lady Bird, The Square and Battle of the Sexes. Lady Bird lives up to the hype and I hope it becomes a major player as award season progresses in more categories than just Actress and Supporting Actress. The cast is uniformly impressive and I'd especially like to single out Lucas Hedges and Lois Smith.
The Square was a mixed bag with brilliant satire mixed in with the obvious and the just plain puzzling. Claes Bang is a true star.
Battle of the Sexes pleased me very much. A good solid piece of craftsmanship. The acting, especially Carell and Stone was supsrb.A special shout out to Sarah Silverman's hairdo.
I watched Brigsby Bear. Very tricky tone it's juggling but I ultimately thought it was sweet.
Julia is fabulous in the movie strong not soppy,tearful not teary,a real supporting performance by a legendary star,do we have a new name to add to the growing s/actress list.
Julia really needs to put her comedy chops to good use again though,team up with Gerwig she has the chops for a female centric comedy.
I saw WONDER this weekend with zero expectations and was totally shocked and delighted, not to mention moved to a ridiculous degree. It turned out to be one of the great movie-going surprises I've had in a long while. It earns its place alongside MASK, in my opinion.
The child actors are quite wonderful, and while the parents are frankly the least interesting characters in the movie, both Wilson and especially Roberts are quite good and make for a surprisingly believable couple.
I appreciated the time taken to delve into the backstories of the supporting characters. It lent gravitas to the protagonist's main story line and provided explanation and clarification to many of the actions and attitudes displayed.
A couple speeches were a little too sentimental for my taste, and a scene between the school's principal and the parents of a bully a little obvious and predictable, but overall I was so impressed and would recommend this as required viewing for all school age children AND their parents.
I saw "Murder on the Orient Express" which I enjoyed for it's classic movie feel - Branagh is like the old style studio directors -the cast was good with Josh Gad and the luminous Pfeiffer as standouts. The script had to do cartwheels in order to bring the characters up to 21st century political correct mode- so we got unnecessary racial and pro feminist touches but no token gay angle even thought at one point I thought one of the women was going to turn out to be transgender. Oscar worthy production and costumes design- might get hair and make up for Poirot's stache. The glorious Michelle Pfeiffer should get a best supporting acting nomination.
I'm not surprise the masses stayed away from "Justice League" the last movie was endless and depressing.
I saw Mudbound and Lady Bird. I appreciated Mudbound's multi-faceted dissection of America's persistent flaws. It's justifiably dark and--as informed by our current climate--despairing. The cast is good and I can't really single any one out, but I guess I'd say Carey Mulligan is the heart of the film for me.
Lady Bird I loved so much. It took my breath away in its most emotional moments. This was a film made with love and a strong antidote to so much toxic masculinity. The entire cast is impeccable, and I hope Saoirse Ronan walks away with the Oscar. Ronan is simply amazing. What range she has to go from Brooklyn to this. Laurie Metcalf is deserving as well. The whole cast deserves an ensemble award. Lucas Hedges broke my heart with his big scene and Lois Smith, Tracey Letts and Stephen McKinley Henderson were such warm presences. This is a film I will probably see a few more times.
I saw that Frances McDormand movie about the billboards and hated it. There was a fire alarm at the theater so thankfully God excused us after one of it’s many ugly moments.
It’s nice Julia is supporting Jacob Tremblay. I think she could do moms in her 50’s. She is mom next to Lucas Hedges and Kathryn Newton, both of whom are very likable.
Alias Grace is very good.
I heard The Post did very well with SAG at a screening.
Lady Bird was a good little dramedy with nice character work and sharp sense of place...but good god is it overrated. It's a coming of age story, so naturally there are universal moments, but overall it's about a very particular experience in terms of mother-daughter relations and one girl's outlook on the world...so I couldn't exactly relate. And obviously being a man made it that much more difficult.
The problem is that it's a story we've seen many times before, and Gerwig doesn't bring anything new to the table.
It's a good movie but if it wins Best Picture it'll be the worst/least ambitious winner since The Artist.
You may not care for The Artist but “least ambitious” it is not. That film is ambition realized.
Yeah, seriously agree with Mareko. Oh sure The Artist... that black and white silent film in *2011*. How run of the mill! So many silent films have won... oh wait, no no they haven't.
It reminds me of last year when everyone was all "Oh sure OF COURSE La La Land how TYPICAL." And I'm all... oh yeah an original contemporary musical as an Oscar frontrunner? How very typical... not.
I watched Wonder Wheel at a local festival and loved it. Kate Winslet is great in it. I dont understand the hate that film received.
Also watched Mudbound. It was like reading a book. Very bad adaptation style for me.
Finally saw The Killing of a Sacred Deer and liked it. Not as strong as The Lobster IMO, but very atmospheric, dark, and that score is Oscar-worthy as hell. Kidman and Farrell are terrific but Barry Keoghan is best in show for me. What a great breakout year he's had.
I re-watched La La Land at home, which I liked well enough in the cinema, but didn't truly *love*.
Well, I don't know if that film is more suited to the intimacy of being curled up on the couch at home, or if I was just more in the mood for it, but whatever the reason, that second viewing really resonated with me - what a magical, brilliant movie.
I have nothing more to add that hasn't already been said, but from a personal point of view, I'll never not think that Isabelle Huppert deserved that oscar - but now that time has passed, I am on board with why Emma Stone won. that is a truly charismatic movie star performance.
It was a serious movie weekend for me ...
Killing of a Sacred Deer. It was good, but it was no The Lobster. Kidman and Farrell are great, as usual. But, unlike The Lobster, this one didn't have much to say other than ... maybe ... karma is a bitch? I don't know. I left the theater as a little cold on the whole thing.
God's Own Country. It breaks no new ground, but there is something to be said for a solid, well done gay romance. I enjoyed it.
Lady Bird. I liked it, but didn't love it. It reminded me a lot of the relationship between my own mother and sister. But it seemed like a move written by a girl in her 30s pretending to be in her teens (surprising that, no?). Thank goodness for Saoirse Ronan. She has a down-to-earth likability that makes her completely watchable. She's just amazing.
To keep it real, I re-watched Mommie Dearest. That Faye Dunaway is something else. We have nothing like her anymore.
CharlieG: We still have Faye Dunaway herself!
What I love about this blog and others re film, books, TV (when everyone is being civil) is the wide-range of opinions, and the way in which some comments make me think again about why I hated or loved something.
I thought Mudbound was very good, a solid ensemble cast, great cinematography, but the story seemed rushed at the end. Dee Rees is definitely a talent to watch, but TBH, I would have liked this story told through more time, maybe a four hour miniseries? Plus, I wanted more screen time with Garrett Hedlund and Jason Mitchell bonding over their war experiences.
Adam--hmm. Maybe the world can't and shouldn't separate the art from the artist? It's too bad, really, cuz from what I've read, Kate Winslet is perfect in this role.
It was a Netflix weekend. Saw 1922, which was a well made, solid King adaptation. No real surprises, but worth checking out if you like that kinda thing.
Mudbound was a really interesting film. I loved Dee Rees' specific style - felt aesthetic, literate and personal. Story is a mosaic of points of view, feels a bit like Malick, a bit like a Toni Morrison novel. Cast is uniformly excellent - when did Garret Hedlund become so cool? I remember thinking back in On the Road that he was trying too hard, but he's magnetic here. Mary J Blige also stands out, though it's prob too naturalistic a perfect for Oscar (no big crying/shouting/snot dripping scenes). Ultimately I thought the ending didn't quite commit to its own road, but this is a movie that really impressed me and that I'd recommend to anyone.
In fact, it encouraged me to watch Pariah right after (Dee Rees debut, also on Netflix) - which is a beautifully made little gem of a movie. Dee Rees has major film making chops, and I feel like I discovered an artist whose voice really resonates with me - so yeah, 'twas a good movie weekend!
@EdwardL - So true. I hope she makes a comeback and someone offers her really good work. I really meant that there don't seem to be many actresses coming up who are Dunaway-esque, who just throw every single thing at a performance. She really is one-of-a-kind.
Caught Lady Bird - enjoyed it very much! Cast was uniformly excellent - Lois Smith, Lucas Hedges and especially Beanie Feldstein provided great supporting work. Looking forward to seeing Ronan and Metcalf as Oscar nominees!! Go Gerwig!!!!
Lady Bird obsession week sounds good to me. Seeing it tomorrow night!
Saw MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. Enjoyed it, even if I didn't care for what felt like pretty ham-handed attempts to pump up the action and suspense and felt like a lot of the supporting characters got lost in the background - though that's as much a reflection of the book as it is of the movie's choices. Michelle Pfeiffer was easily the MVP,
thefilmjunkie - I think quite a few of us at TFE agree that Rob Morgan was best in show (or at least tied with Mary J. Blige) in MUDBOUND - Murtada, Chris, me.
JB - I really think LA LA LAND benefits from a second viewing. I had much the same reaction as you the first time, and then loved it the second time. And while I still think Annette Bening deserved the Best Actress Oscar last year (and am still mad she didn't even get a nomination), I also really liked Emma Stone's performance and think it's actually quite underrated in these parts.
Saw three films in the last few days because these films were the entries of their respective countries to the Academy's Best Foreign Language Film. I am endlessly fascinated how a country chooses a film that represents them even if it's only a few people who vote and not the entire nation, archipelago or peninsula.
Zama by Lucrecia Martel. It took me sometime to get the rhythm of the film: the strange conversations between characters that refuse to be immediately understandable and accessible to the filmgoer. But once I (thought I) got into it's groove, it is a strange, bizarre, Kaspar Hauser-like narrative that combines, colonialism, an assemblage of blood and that overpowering desire to be in an imaginary place. The ending is like a lullabye compared to the death metal that came before it. Martel has not lost her touch after a few years' absence from filmmaking. Might not get nominated for Argentina, but I find myself thinking more about the film a few days after I saw it.
Thelma by Joachim Trier. Ever since Reprise and his two succeeding films, each different from each other, but always focuses on intense feelings of loss, I was excited to see his 4th feature. Very atmospheric, beautifully deploying quiet most appropriate for the scenes, and a beguiling premise of ordinary people needing other people. And what an excellent ensemble cast. And with Eili Harboe as Thelma, a star is born. Love the pace, the nightmarish sequence, the truly disturbing first scene and an ending that was totally believable. I hope this film sneaks in for a nomination for Norway.
120 Beats Per Minute by Robin Campillo. The subject matter alone and the way Campillo sutured the audience in the first scene to bring us closer to the daily lives of AIDS activists in Paris, make this film a winner. The uniformly wonderful and naturalistic performances, the non-conventional shots of specific scenes, and the back-and-forth debates among the ACT UP members occasionally tricked me into thinking it is a documentary (which is a good thing) but yet I was not sold 100%. There are other parts of the film that didn't work for me: some oddly-paced melodramatic scenes, editing, and a few uneven moments that did not quite land well with me emotionally. This has a chance to get a well-deserved nomination for France after last year's snub of Elle.
Will watch A Fantastic Woman soon.
@CharlieG: Indeed; I figured that was what you meant really! And me too, I'd love to see Dunaway back on top where she belongs. Bonnie and Clyde, Chinatown, Network - for a nomination-to-quality ratio, I can't think of better than that! And Mommie Dearest is a rather unfairly maligned performance (that's started to get more respect in recent years).
Re: The Artist.
Risky is not the same thing as ambitious. The Artist was a risky proposition, but it wasn't ambitious. You know, cause it wasn't the first or the second or the third or the fourth or even the fifth silent film ever made. Also, plot-wise it was a trifle, the purest example of Hollywood patting itself on the back.
Call Me By Your Name. I'm still in the movie theatre thinking about the ending.
Mass producing Model T's wouldn't be considered ambitious anymore either, except that they haven't been made in a really long time and it would be fairly ambitious to try.
Back to the topic at hand... I saw "Wonderstruck". It surely had flaws (it backed itself into a corner near the end with a bit too much talking rather than showing), but what a charming and lovely film. What a shame that it and my other favorite recent film (the spectacular "Blade Runner 2049") came and went so quickly.
"Wonder" was very nice. Commercial and a little manipulative, but it has a good message, and the Audience full of All Families (I was with the nephews) really connected and responded to it.
Julia does have more to do than Owen, and she's very good. Tremblay is quite the find, and all of the kids are really really good.
This is what Hollywood needs to make more of. Let's hope they follow that box office.
I really liked " The Artist" until they started using music from "Vertigo" - I guess Bernard Herrman has now entered the pantheon of modern classic composers - but I felt it was wrong to use the score of one of cinema's true masterpieces to pump of the emotions
WONDER might be one of my favorite Julia performances ever? So relatable and moving as Auggie's mom, a really lovely performance. Somehow she and Owen Wilson really work as a couple and I wasn't expecting that at all.
I think perhaps people should start considering her in the Supporting Actress category and I would be thrilled. I was really touched by her performance in a really unexpected way.
All of the child actors are great. A lot has been said about Tremblay but what a great little actor Noah Jupe is too
Nothing recent, but did some Best Actressing:
The Snake Pit - deHavilland was great. The film felt longer than its running time and it was an interesting historical look at how mental illness used to be handled, but there's not much there besides the lead.
Two Women - unfortunately all I could find was a dubbed version (of course I watched it I found Amazon Prime finally added the original) but it as still pretty effective. Loren really commands the screen and gets to give a big performance with a wide range emotions that's both grounded and full of movie star charisma. The film itself meanders for a while but the ending is pretty effective.
The Heiress - de Havilland again, although she's slightly less effective here than in The Snake Pit. Plus you get to look at Montgomery Clift for a few hours, even if he's not that great in it (if I didn't know better I would've guesses this is his first film but it's not).
Please start considering Julia for Supporting Actress. her performance moved me in so many ways.