Sunday
Jul222018
Box Office: Here "Mamma Mia!" goes again, to #2 on the charts
Sunday, July 22, 2018 at 2:00PM by Nathaniel R
In a surprising turn of events Mamma Mia! 2 couldn't inch past Equalizer 2 despite a much higher-grossing preceding film. The absence of Meryl versus the presence of Denzel musta tipped it because it was super close with a 34/35 million battle! Much closer than last time around when Mamma Mia! faced off with The Dark Knight on its own opening weekend back in 2008 for a 27/158 million opening weekend.
In limited release theaters were packed for two new films, the fashion doc McQueen, and the new police brutality drama Blindspotting, while A24's deeply felt and delightfully awkward Eighth Grade had a great second weekend. What did you see this weekend?
| Weekend Box Office Estimates (July 20th-22nd) |
|
| W I D E 800+ screens |
L I M I T E D excluding prev. wide |
 Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again |
 Eighth Grade |
| 1.🔺 THE EQUALIZER 2 $35.8 *NEW* |
1. 🔺 THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS $1.4 on 332 screens (cum. $4.5) REVIEW |
| 2. 🔺MAMMA MIA: HERE WE GO AGAIN $34.3 *NEW* REVIEW | 2. 🔺 LEAVE NO TRACE $895k on 361 screens (cum. $3.6) TRAILER DISCUSSION |
| 3. HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 $23.1 (cum. $91) |
3. 🔺EIGHTH GRADE $794k on 33 screens (cum. $1.1) |
| 4. ANT-MAN AND THE WASP $16.1 (cum. $164.6) |
4. 🔺 BLINDSPOTTING $332k on 14 screens *NEW* |
| 5. THE INCREDIBLES 2 $11.5 (cum. $557.3) |
5. 🔺 DON'T WORRY HE WON'T GET FAR ON FOOT $265k on 62 screens (cum. $380k) |
 Sorry to Bother You |
 McQueen |
| 6. JURASSIC WORLD FALLEN KINGDOM $11 (cum. $383.9) REVIEW | 6. 🔺 SANJU $220k on 112 screens (cum. $7.6) |
| 7. SKYSCRAPER $10.9 (cum. $46.7) | 7. RBG $168k on 116 screens (cum. $13.1) |
| 8. THE FIRST PURGE $4.9 (cum. $60.1) |
8. WHITNEY $118k on 117 screens (cum. $2.7) |
| 9. 🔺 UNFRIENDED DARK WEB $3.4 *NEW* | 9. 🔺 MCQUEEN $96k on 4 screens *NEW* REVIEW |
| 10. SORRY TO BOTHER YOU $2.8 (cum. $10.2) REVIEW | 10. SOORMA $78k on 50 screens (cum. $328K) |
| 🔺 = new or expanding its theater count numbers (in millions unless otherwise noted) from box office mojo |
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Reader Comments (23)
Mamma Mia 2 will have longer legs and will make quite a few bucks in foreign markets as well.
In fact- it Is racing towards 77 million worldwide gross opening weekend for a film made for 78 mil. I would call that quite a success for a 10 year old sequel with a Streep cameo.
The Cakemaker, which is kind of beautiful but too long and ultimately, extremely implausible and unsatisfactory.
Debra Granik's Leave No Trace. I hope enough people see it to bring her and Thomasin McKenzie into the long Tier 3 conversation, as well as Granik/Anne Rosselini in Adapted Screenplay. If we have another weak Adapted year, this should be a shoo-in. Catch it if it's playing in your town!
I saw First Reformed. I was very disappointed, especially by the ending, which felt muddled and uncertain. I read an interview with the writer to get some clarity and it basically confirmed what I thought: He wavered about how to end it. He switched the ending based on a film critic friend’s suggestion that was based on templates set by other films. Sigh. A lot of wasted potential because the first half was very intruinging and there were good bits throughout (juxtaposition of personal/planetary health)—I just think the execution was off.
**spoilers** the movie is especially misguided for what it says—intentionally or not—about race and gender. The self-destructive white man is indifferent about the mostly black lives he plans to destroy—which is meant to be justified because Cedric’s character is a sellout?...I thought this was an intentional move and an attempt to say something interesting about race and perceived value of life but he later has doubts only when confronted with the possibility of harming a younger sexy white blonde woman, who is the only true believer (but don’t forget drop-dead gorgeous). Add in his caustic condemnation of the brown-haired, mousy age-appropriate woman whose desires and needs seem delibery produced for scorn. And then the message of “hope” is embodied in the idea that violent, self-destructive humanity (you know, except for that one guy...) only needs the love of a (mostly blank, desireless but desirable and pregnant no less) blonde woman! Plus all of the extremists are white men who are cast as noble and tragic but misguided and you have some very ugly coding for these times!****end spoilers.
So clearly I had some FEELINGS about this one (which, if I am to trust the McQueen doc, is all that matters....). Hawke gives an interesting performance for sure but I wish Seyfried had been given more to do. A rethink and rewrite of the second half would have helped.
I am sure I will anger (invite the bile) of some who will simply insist that I just didn’t “get it” but, um... yeah. It was an interesting idea with unreconciled ugliness and maybe naïveté at its core.
"First Reformed" spoilers continued in response to catbaskets:
I don't think anything that he was planning to do at the end was meant to be justified. Quite the opposite. That he didn't go through with it is a symbolic expiation/salvation of sorts.
I do however agree the Seyfried character is lousy, and it's very trite and groan-worthy that she is basically the "angel" who rescues Toller.
I had a movie bonanza this weekend, catching four films:
Sorry to Bother You-Strange, interesting at most points but that second half almost feels unearned or not quite in-line with the points of the first half. Stanfield & Hammer are great though.
Three Identical Strangers-Told with the aplomb of a good thriller, interesting til the end even though I wish we'd have checked back on some key interviews/relationships before the credits rolled.
The Big Sick (Second Viewing)-Lovely, terrific chemistry between Nanjiani, Romano, & Hunter even if I feel like Kazan is miscast and keeps this from being a classic.
Spy (Seen it a dozen times, but first time seeing Unrated Version)-Unrated version adds little that wasn't already there (other than some full frontal nudity)...still funny, the first half being McCarthy's best work since Bridesmaids, the second half she's great but we've been there too often and it feels like a crutch. Statham, Byrne, & Hart eminently watchable in supporting roles.
Saw EIGHT GRADE. Charming, cringe-worthy, hilarious, and painful all at once. Basically how most of us felt at that age.
Isle of Dogs
Another Anderson’s masterpiece
Saw "Whitney." Not quite as insightful as I hoped it'd be (many of the talking heads said what I already knew/heard), but as far as nostalgia trips go as a huge fan, I was satisfied enough with it. One revelation is pretty shocking (already spoiled from the press lead-up to the documentary, but I won't spoil it here). It makes Whitney's plight all the sadder thinking what could have been had things gone differently in her formative years. Despite the pitfalls from "fame" and her ridiculous overbearing mother, there still is the MUSIC, and for that, I'm grateful. Pencilling this in Documentary Film in a strong year of celebrity documentaries.
Didn't watch any movies but did see Radiohead in concert for the very first time; definitely lived up to the hype.
It was a pretty eventful weekend for me, as I saw four films: “Sorry to Bother You” on Friday (liked it but not sure it was a masterpiece), “Skyscraper” (fun forgettable summer film with a plus for bringing back Neve Campbell) and “Ant-Man and the Wasp” (loved it more than the first!) on Saturday, and “Leave No Trace” (really good) today.
I saw this before, and that was quite romantic at that time, but not much I wish I could share my favorite movies. On other ways this movie is fine too.
"Mamma Mia" the first part of this movie i like better then his sequel is not much good, here are OSCAR Winning Movies you may check now.
I hope the Globes are feeling wacky and give Cher a Best Supporting Actress nomination. They've gotten more buttoned up in those categories this decade, but 10 years ago it'd be a slam dunk for her.
What an unsurprising surprise. Once again Denzel has proven his status as one of the last of his contemporaries with the continued ability to open films at number one on virtually the strength of his name alone.
Finally saw Tab Hunter Confidential. A really wonderful movie, especially for Tab himself. He's charming, gracious and self-effacing. His reticence to talk about some things comes across more as modesty and protection of his privacy, rather than cowardice or prevarication. In fact, it comes across as integrity. What a class act. And still gorgeous as an octogenarian!
I bit the bullet and watched Truth or Dare. I wish I hadn't.
@Miz Miz - After seeing the movie I am hoping that Lily James gets a Globe nomination, and possibly Amanda Seyfried as well. There is no doubt that the Mamma Mia table at the Globes would be the best place to be.
And if the Globes and Oscars have any brains they will do a tribute that allows the cast to appear & do a musical number. Imagine Cher, Streep, Baranski, Walters doing a song together. It would be huge.
I gave a re watch to both Married To The Mob and to Cry Freedom. Married To The Mob was even better a second time around. Michelle was excellent as she always is and I love Dean Stockwell in pretty much everything he has done. I would love to see an Honorary Oscar given to him. such a great character actor. Cry Freedom was decent on a second viewing but I feel like once Denzel exits the film it drags slightly more than it should. I watched My Life To Live which I liked but Godard is very hit or miss with me. very good director and vital to cinema however divisive he may be. I also saw Mamma Mia at the movies which I liked alot honestly but I still have not seen the first :( I also watched Chappaquiddick which I thought was very good and I would love to see Jason Clarke and Ed Helms show up in some precursors. I know the movie is slightly controversial but it is a very well made film.
@John T - you can't tease us like that. The important question is, WHOSE full-frontal nudity?
I'm still getting through Handmaid's Tale and Great British Baking Show so no movies for me this weekend.
catbaskets & jonathan -- that is if you take the ending literally. I don't actually think the ending is happening myself (the rescue), but imagined.
Eli -- isn't married to the mob fantastic? God i love Jonathan Demme movies. They always feel so alive.
Nathaniel- I love Johnathan Demme films so much. I love how he casts his films such fun. I would say him along with Robert Altman really had an eye on making their casts so eclectic.