Box Office: Lady Bird and Three Billboards Strike
Sunday, December 3, 2017 at 8:00PM by Nathaniel R
| Weekend Box Office (Dec 1-3) 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. Coco $26.1 (cum. $108.6) REVIEW | FEELING SEEN |
1.🔺 The Disaster Artist $1.2 on 19 screens |
| 2. Justice League $16.5 (cum. $197.3) REVIEW | 2.🔺 Man Who Invented Christmas $863k on 674 screens (cum. $3.1) |
| 3. Wonder $12.5 (cum. $88) |
3.🔺 Titanic (20th Anniversary) $415k on 87 screens |
| 4. Thor Ragnarok $9.6 (cum. $291.4) REVIEW, YOUR QUEEN | 4. Call Me By Your Name $281k on 4 screens (cum. $908k) SCREENPLAY | SEX SCENES |
| 5. Daddy's Home 2 $7.5 (cum. $82.8) |
5. Loving Vincent $211k on 161 screens REVIEW |
As expected Coco had no trouble keeping people's interest for another weeek. More impressive, due to lower expectations, is Wonder's continued performance. It just hit $100 million globally and if you think about it it could just as easily have been a $15-20 million grosser that few people noticed since bestselling books are hit and miss when they attempt to become bigticket movies. Kudos to the marketing team who were able to focus interest on it immediately despite so many other ostensibly family friendly movies in the marketplace.
(Maybe families are getting bored of superhero movies? Nah, that's wishful thinking since Justice League, is about to hit $200 million and will likely outperform the infinitely more beloved Wonder Woman in foreign markets if not at home). More after the jump...
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| 6. Murder on the Orient Express $6.7 (cum. $84.7) REVIEW | 6. 🔺 The Shape of Water $166k on 2 screens CAPSULE |
| 7. 🔺 Lady Bird $4.5 (cum. $17) REVIEW | 7. 🔺 Wonder Wheel $140k on 5 screens PODCAST |
| 8. 🔺 Three Billboards... $4.5 (cum. $13.6) REVIEW |
8. 🔺 My Friend Dahmer $140k on 90 screens (cum. $939k) REVIEW |
| 9. The Star $4 (cum. $27.2) | 9. The Florida Project $129k on 120 screens (cum. $4.8) REVIEW |
| 10. A Bad Mom's Christmas $3.4 (cum. $64.8) | 10. Darkest Hour $109k on 4 screens (cum. $411k) CAPSULE | SECOND VISIT |
🔺 = new or significant expansion numbers (in millions unless otherwise noted) from box office mojo |
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In new limited release The Shape of Water and Disaster Artist had terrific starts while Wonder Wheel didn't make a stir. Woody movies tend to signal their ultimate fates in their first limited weekend and that's usually but not always review-driven. If the film opens well it performs fairly well whether its bad or good (recent examples: To Rome With Love, Cafe Society) if it opens poorly it doesn't recover (recent examples: Irrational Man, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger), if it opens spectacularly well it becomes a solid hit and ends up with an Oscar nomination or multiple nods (recent examples: Blue Jasmine, Match Point, Midnight in Paris)
Here's the super curious thing about the limited release world this weekend: neither Call Me By Your Name nor Darkest Hour used their amazing starts last weekend to add ANY theaters. Strange move. They were both down over 30% in their second frames despite strong per screen averages. Seems like a missed opportunity because it's not going to get less competitive as we head into Christmas. Next weekend Shape of Water adds 10 or so ore cities and The Disaster Artist joines senior comedy Just Getting Started (Tommy Lee Jones, Morgan Freeman, Rene Russo) in wide release. Plus I Tonya joins the limited release free-for-all. Then the weekend after that Star Wars: The Last Jedi sucks up all the oxygen in both a galaxy far far away and in this one. After Star Wars you've got six wide release wannabe blockbusters and six new last minute limited release Oscar hopefuls all opening for Christmas or thereabouts.
In other words, Lady Bird and Three Billboards were right to strike when they did, going wide before everyone's heads are spinning and nobody knows which movie to look at with dozens and dozens of titles hoping to be the Christmas pick simultaneously.
WHAT DID YOU SEE THIS WEEKEND?
Reader Comments (30)
"Disaster Artist" - funny but shallow, often relying on obvious themes and Wikipedia highlights. The Seth Rogen character constantly pointing out what we're supposed to laugh at was such a lazy decision; but Franco's performance is worth it.
"Easy" season 2 - still really impressive, though why Swanberg thought we needed yet another episode on the Brewery Brothers is beyond me. Also, for a show that makes a point of diversity and showcasing different relationships, it really has a blind spot re: gay men. Of course it's not obligated to speak to all experiences, but when the series casts such a wide net, the gaps become noticeable.
"Patti Cake$" - total stunner. Excited for more from Danielle Macdonald!
Disaster Artist & 3 Billboards - both amazing!
God’s Own Country. Beautifully acted and well directed. Some seniors walked out — I assume over gay sex or very realistic farming scenes (or both). The two leads are excellent, as well as the parents of one of them.
I saw "Kong: Skull Island" on cable exciting and very imaginative creature design. I wish I had seen this one on the big screen.
The Breadwinner - totally bleh. Not a patch on Loving Vincent or The Girl Without Hands. Haven't seen Coco yet.
BPM - expected to love it, but so far just like it. It seemed too much like an exposition-heavy lecture on the history of ACT UP Paris, but it got more powerful as it went along. I'll need some time to fully digest it. Maybe another viewing and I will love it.
Wonder- Quite a surprise. The trailer made it seem like it was "Sentimentality: The Movie" and it does get quite sentimental. But it still effectively tugged the heartstrings and features great performances. Especially from Julia Roberts.
Novitiate and Orient Express. Novitiate was really interesting. Melissa Leo was, surprisingly, my least favorite part. Orient Express got better toward the end but the early direction was distracting and exhausting. I also found it surprisingly slow. Makes me want to go back to the original.
I saw Lady Bird and Three Billboards. The former is a stunner, I really admired its deftness, humor, and empathy. I have a lot of issues with Three Billboards, though. The acting was strong, but I found it to be morally confused and the redemption of a certain character to be unearned. On top of all of that, I didn't like the way it looked either.
I really can't wait for CMBYN to finally come to my area.
Re-watches of Wreck-It Ralph and The Deer Hunter and earlier today, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Lady Bird.
Saw COCO and not ashamed to admit I ugly cried at the end.
Then saw CMBYN and it's fantastic. Chalamet is something else here. Hella tight.
How I dearly wish Call Me By Your Name was "striking" at the same time as Lady Bird. That much of the country isn't going to get it until well after the Golden Globes are broadcast is grating.
Your analysis of Justice League doesn't make sense, Nat. It's a flop. It may not be a sign that people are getting tired of them in general, but it does show that people have no patience for bad comic book movies.
I saw "Lady Bird" and "Three Billboards". Saoirse Ronan and Frances McDormand deserve all the praise they've been getting and more.
My favourite supporting character in "Lady Bird" was Beanie Feldstein. For me, their friendship was the heart of the movie.
My favourite supporting character in "Three Billboards" was Clarke Peters. I wished the story had included more of him, and less, far less, of the other police officers.
Really, I can't understand what Sony Classics is doing. Is the film even adding any more theaters this week?
Happy End - it's not up with Haneke's best, so many characters to juggle he loses his way a little and in some cases the motivations felt a little fuzzy, but as a miserablist soap opera with some on the nose commentary it worked.
And as well as being a really energetic karaoke dancer, Franz Rogowski also executes the best parallel parking I've seen on screen.
Nat, where did you get the info that ‘Shape of Water’ is expanding this next weekend? I hope this is the case!
Saw Wonder late last night. It's not a diss when I say that I love the emotional manipulations of this film -- it worked for me. The various POVs, the character arc, the spaces of exclusion that middle school brings to those who don't conform, the good performances all around. Totally was into it.
Julia Roberts is quite good but I thought Izabela Vidovic as the sometimes forgotten daughter Via was more moving than Roberts' Isabel. I thought the film captured so many instances where I relate to those as things really happening in that period of my life. Small wonders because Stephen Chbosky also helmed that YA story I liked a lot in 2012 -- The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Why is Julia not in more conversations for Best actress or BSA nom? Wonder has been well received, popular source material and Jules work is stellar as ever.
Saw Novitiate and mostly hated it.
Thankfully, my third helping of Lady Bird redeemed everything.
chasm301 - I mostly hated Novitiate too, but I think about it a lot a few weeks later. I think there's a couple of good movies inside it.
Beau -- oh you're right I overstated. It's expanding to the 12 more cities in the second week which is great. It's what CALL ME BY YOUR NAME shoulda done this weekend. so weird.
Every year I usually see one or two films that I know at first blush are going to become all-time favorites, films that I blabber on and on about to anyone who will listen and will always consider seeing more than once in the theater - especially if it means dragging a friend to the theater with me.
This year, that's The Shape of Water. It had me from the second that Alexandre Desplat's score came up over that gorgeous first image, and never let me go. I fell for it hook, line, and sinker, and was so thrilled when LAFCA went nuts for it in their awards on Sunday.
I also got to see a Q&A afterwards with Del Toro, Octavia Spencer, Doug Jones, and Michael Stuhlbarg, where I learned that Stuhlbarg did all the drawings of the creature that you see in the film. As if that man wasn't already talented enough! The next best part was hearing Octavia call out Doug Jones for his "perfect ass", which everyone in the audience agreed with.
Looks like CMBYN is going the slow roll-out route.
Adding 4 more theaters this coming weekend (NY/CA still). 12 more the weekend after. Then adding only 70+ more theaters heading into Christmas.
Saw Three Billboards and loved loved loved it. Great characters, great tone, great twists and turns of both narrative & emotion. I know some have criticized its `moral murkiness' but that complex grey area of violence/vengeance/consequence/compassion is there in all Mcdonough's movies, and for my money, what makes them so electrifying.
Also finally watched the last 2 episodes of Stranger Things 2. It was fun.
@thefilmjunkie I saw the same movies this weekend and basically have the same opinion. I thought Lady Bird was wonderful. Great all on accounts and I cannot wait to see it again. Three Billboards, however, I was quite disappointed. I thought the performances were all very good, as expected from those performers. The standout for me was John Hawke's girlfriend who is also "The Babysitter" on Netflix (dir by McG, again she's the best in that too). But I was like 'are we really supposed to feel like this character has redeemed himself?' and honestly other than that tragic circumstances, we don't get a sense of who these characters are beyond the creative swearing.
I think SPC was right to wait until this coming week to expand, adding a bunch of new accolades to promote it with (the year end 'best of' lists, the NYFCC and LAFCA and Gotham awards). I find it frustrating cuz I want to see it again so badly, but I think there is a method to their madness.
I'm just sitting here waiting for Call Me By Your Name to expand so I can actually see the adaptation of one of my favorite novels and what looks like one of the years best films. Though unless something changes it's not even scheduled to appear at any of the movie theaters I go to and I'll probably have to travel an hour out of town to see it.
There's a slow roll-out and then there's a stagnate one. No new theaters for CMBYN? And then only a few more next weekend? And yet the cast and director have already been promoting this thing full-time for weeks if not longer.
It's really okay to expand beyond NY and LA, distributors. It really is.
I'm obviously lucky to live in NYC so I can see CMBYN, but yeah I'm not sure their current strategy is good. Perhaps they didn't expect it to do SO well both with audiences and awards and was planning to do a bigger push after Christmas. But the appetite for the film is clearly voracious and accolades just keep piling on. They should strike when it's hot. Perhaps it's too late though. LOTS of films are vying for theaters this holiday season (that's a whole OTHER conversation).
Anyways... based on their current plans, they seem to be going the route Weinstein Co. did with CAROL. That one only made $12.7mil.
Saw LADY BIRD (which I really loved) and BPM (liked, but didn't completely love) in theaters, and PREMATURE (OK fun afternoon time-loop movie) on TV.