The Meg's Box Office Bite. Plus Ant-Man 2 Crosses $200 Million
Sunday, August 12, 2018 at 9:00PM by Nathaniel R
Until we hear further details, everything will be viewed through the lens of our apocalyptic fears about Oscar's new "popular achievement" category. Does The Meg's huge opening weekend mean it'll be up for an Oscar? I mean it has been since Jaws that a giant shark movie was Oscar nominated, so if Oscar wants to remain "relevant" they should totally start recognizing MUTANT SHARK movies! Elsewhere in box office news, Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman opened to great reviews, and much discussion, and is a total must-see "but since it didn't open big, I guess it's not as good as Slender Man and The Men so it doesn't deserve Oscar recognition, right?" he added sarcastically...
| Weekend Box Office Estimates (August 10-12) |
|
| W I D E 800+ screens |
PLATFORM / LIMITED excluding prev. wide |
 The Meg |
 Three Identical Strangers |
| 1. 🔺THE MEG $44.5 *NEW* REVIEW |
1. THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS $700K on 326 screens (cum. $9.6) REVIEW |
| 2. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT $20 (cum. $161.9) REVIEW, PODCAST | 2. 🔺THE ISLAND $282k on 40 screens *NEW* |
| 3. CHRISTOPHER ROBIN $12.4 (cum. $50) REVIEW |
3. BLINDSPOTTING $220k on 138 screens (cum. $3.7) |
| 4.🔺 SLENDER MAN $11.3 *NEW* REVIEW |
4. 🔺 PUZZLE $164k on 44 screens (cum. $447k) |
| 5.🔺BLACKKKLANSMAN $10.7 *NEW* REVIEW |
5. 🔺 MCQUEEN $154k on 53 screens (cum. $750k) REVIEW |
Though it did very well for a Spike Lee joint, Spike Lee joints don't tend to set the box office on fire. So should he return that Honorary Oscar? I'M JUST FOLLOWING OSCAR'S LOGIC THROUGH, Y'ALL. I seriously can't stop being pissed about this "popular achievement." notion. To quote Don Draper...
 Spy Who Dumped Me |
 The Miseducation of Cameron Post |
| 6. THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME $6.6 (cum. $24.5) | 6. LEAVE NO TRACE $141k on 123 screens (cum. $5.5) TRAILER DISCUSSION |
| 7. MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN $5.8 (cum. $103.8) REVIEW | 7.🔺 MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST $108k on 25 screens (cum. $182k) INTERVIEW, PODCAST |
| 8. THE EQUALIZER 2 $5.5 (cum. $89.6) |
8. 🔺 SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY... $53k on 18 screens (cum. $176k) REVIEW |
| 9. HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 $5.1 (cum. $146.8) | 9. 🔺MADELINE'S MADELINE... $20k on 1 screen *NEW* |
| 10. ANT-MAN AND THE WASP $4 (cum. $203.5) CAPSULE REVIEW | 10. DARK MONEY $19k on 16 screens (cum. $135K) REVIEW |
| 🔺 = new or expanding its theater count numbers (in millions unless otherwise noted) from box office mojo |
|
In other news of note, Ant-Man and the Wasp crossed $200 million domestically so the only MCU films that haven't are the first solo films for Captain America, Thor, Ant-Man, and Incredible Hulk. I bet even Hulk would cross $200 million domestic if you made a sequel today. Not that they will.
In far more special news: Eighth Grade crossed $10 million which is quite a sum for a tiny indie with no bankable names that could just have easily stopped at like $400,000 with a less confident distributor. A24 IS DOING THE LORD'S WORK Y'ALL.
them: your film will never be released in theaters, it's too small and low budget. it can't compete with larger studio movies.
— Bo Burnham (@boburnham) August 5, 2018
me: oh yeah? pic.twitter.com/rmxm7VRoyy
WHAT DID YOU SEE THIS WEEKEND? I tried to go to a screening of Your Name with my friend Vern but it was sold out. I guess I should have seen it a year ago when it was released after it had failed to gain an Oscar nod. Uff, I hate that kind of release pattern. This week I did see Three Identical Strangers (liked but found it a bit evasive in spots) and BlacKkKlansman (loved) so I guess it was a double feature of OUTRAGEOUS TRUE STORIES.
Sorry for so many ALL CAPS in this post. I'm in my feelings and they're BIG today.
Reader Comments (29)
Mamma Mia 2 crossed $100M domestic, and $280M worldwide, surpassing Ocean’s 8. Seems significant. I am watching Marcella which is yet another show with murder entertainment.
BlacKkKlansman... best film of 2018 so far.
I saw "Mission Impossible: Fallout" which is everything a modern action blockbuster should be- spectacular locations, amazing stunts, Mr Cruise works hard for his money and he is not afraid to share the screen with the gorgeous Mr Cavill. The fight scene in the men's room is an instant classic not too mention pure homoerotic subtext. Yes this will be nominated for the Oscar For Popular Picture.
I started in on the 1972 smackdown films, which are a way more interesting crop than last month's. Some real treats in the mix there.
Speaking of 1972, also got to see a 35mm print of "Cabaret". Still brilliant, though this time around it also felt a little incomplete to me. Something about the ending feels off, though I don't have a specific note or proposed change.
I saw a matinee of BlacKkKlansman on Saturday. Loved it.
I saw The Meg, because giant shark movies are an easy sell to me, and I have no shame.
I enjoyed it also. Dumb summer fun.
Nat, I think you're following "Oscar's logic" in the wrong direction there. From what I understand, the Best Picture category we all know will remain, it's just a new category for popular movies, so the logic would go "a Spike Lee joint doesn't set the box office on fire, so it can still qualify for the REAL Best Picture category, unlike those pesky popular The Meg and Slender Man, which we'll be shoving off to their own category".
I saw Blindspotting. It’s terrrifc and intensely suspenseful at the end, but it does suffer from a script that doesn’t know when there is too much of a good thing. The actor/writers should have killed some of their babies. Overall I thought it was strong addition to a rapidly growing genre of Oakland-set films. Oh, and when did Ethan Embry get so buff?
also loved "BlacKkKlansman". Powerful stuff. Will we ever learn?
I went to see the quiet and understated The Wife. Glenn Close (unsurprisingly) is incandescent, radiating a cinematic glow that has nothing to do with camera light unlike when she was deliberately lit in The Natural. The Wife was wonderfully paced, splendidly narrated, brilliantly acted by everyone. But equal to Close's effectively understated acting is Jocelyn Pook's beautiful score. There is a Nyman-esque vibe to it, other times it evokes the dark score of Ola Fløttum. Touching without being cloying.
Speaking of Glenn Close, I saw the half-hour Sea Oak produced by Amazon -- a story by George Saunders as directed by Hiro Murai. This was an original pilot episode from Amazon. A sort of teaser to see if it can be developed into a series. Close plays the meek Aunt Bernie living with her nieces and nephew in an urban wasteland. Things escalate into something unusual and bizarre, towards the end. Despite the superb talents involved, this was bypassed. Which is a pity because this equal parts postmodern horror story, absurdist comedy and surrealist family drama is one of the more original I have seen on TV in many many years. Although it was a headscratcher this didn't get picked up, I also wonder who might be the core audience for this type of stories, for this type off-kilter characters.
Owl -- i also really dug SEA OAK. sad to hear it didn't get picked up because that ending was a whammy. I was like what kind of series can this be? but i loved how unusual every beat was.
richter scale -- i'm mostly being sarcastic. But we actually know nothing about what oscar plans since everything is 'to be determined later' according to them.
Saw Eighth Grade. Brilliant!
I took advantage of the Quad's Bob Fosse retrospective to see Lenny - which now means that the only Fosse film I have yet to see is Star 80 (I was pissed I couldn't make that screening) - and was kind of blown away. Such unusual, declarative choices for a biopic! The cinematography is gorgeous and enough can't be said about the performances of Dustin Hoffman and Valerie Perrine.
Then I saw The Miseducation of Cameron Post on Saturday, which was very well-done but felt like it was missing something (it honestly should have been longer). Chloe Grace Moretz has never been more natural on screen and the ensemble is great as well. Sunday saw a double feature of The Spy Who Dumped Me (lots of fun; Kate McKinnon is a GODDESS) and Blackkklansman, which yes was a little too on-the-nose at times, but was also extremely well-done. The audience reacted loudly and often, which made the experience even better. Undoubtedly one of the best films of the year.
I saw BlacKkKlansman, which was great.
I also saw the Streisand version of A Star Is Born. The best thing about that is definitely that it produced one of the most entertaining episodes of You Must Remember This.
@Nat -- I wish Close gets nominated for her work in Sea Oak just to show that 'failed' pictures still merit nominations. But like this episode's fate from the Amazon top honchos, probably no one saw this episode. They say stories like these don't get told anymore, but when they do, no one sees them.
Nathan, I love your site and it's your site and if you're in your feelings and need to express them, GO AHEAD AND EXPRESS THEM. Nothing wrong with expressing feelings!
I finally caught up with Suburbicon. I had skipped it last year due to the bad reviews. And for the most part, it deserved them. But it does have its plus points. The spanking scene alone is worth the price of admission. Oscar Isaac, of course, steals every scene he's in. But the real reason this film is a must-see is Noah Jupe! I knew he was quite talented from Wonder and A Quiet Place, but he's phenomenal here. And to think he's English! His American accent is perfect, along with everything else about his perfomance. Look out world, he and Jacob Tremblay are taking over.
Looks like Mamma Mia 2 is not the failure at the box office hat many predicted. Combined with the the box office of Mary Poppins Returns- I say it is a good year for Streep!
Saw BlacKkKlansman and wow that was amazing. The last 10 minutes, everyone in my theater was just silent.
Owl and Nathaniel - Amazon really does have a problem finding an audience for its shows. Sea Oak was whackadoo and interesting. I also really enjoyed Tin Star and Patriot (but also weird and highly entertaining) but no one is talking about either program. Literally EVERYONE has an Amazon Prime account, so not sure what's going on. And shows like this with their offbeat weirdness is easier to deal with something that is so depressing and overly lauded, like Handmaid's Tale, which I gave up after S2 Ep2.
Saw Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Come on you haters; I loved it. Gawd, I'm still over the moon for Michiel Huisman.
Pam-I saw "Guernsey" as well. I enjoyed it especially the smoldering Michiel Huisman. I do think the central mystery adds up to very little, but it's nonetheless a charming two hours spent ogling Huisman in wool sweaters, Glen Powell looking dashing in a uniform, and Matthew Goode being Matthew Goode.
I watched movies on DVD this weekend. I watched a fairly serious (for the genre) dance movie called Polina. I thought it was all supposed to be in French, but quite a lot was in Russian. Juliette Binoche had a small supporting role. The dancing was terrific and the three main dancers were very attractive.
I watched Hello My Name Is Doris at a party because it was the only movie that none of us had seen that looked promising. Sally Field was excellent and the movie was good in a cringy sort of way. Maybe too serious and "real" for a comedy though?
We watched Peter Rabbit which was stupid and borderline pleasant. Domnhall Gleeson was a good sport getting hit in the groin by various animated critters.
The one that really stuck with me though is Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool. I expected Annette Bening to be terrific, but I did not expect the excellent deployment of Jamie Bell's talents. I feel he's been seriously underused lately. He's right there everyone!
@Pam - I also watched Patriot and am not sure why no one talks about it. It's so well done and some of the cinematography/direction is amazing.
I caught up on all the Smackdown contenders. I'll save my notes for that post but wow did seventies films love their yellow font opening credits.
Also saw Streetcar Named Desire since it had been so long since I last saw it and ugh, it's just so good on every level. The performances, the adaptation from stage to screen, the cinematography and lighting, etc. Just superlative.
And I saw Summer Stock and after watching a lot of black-and-white movies from the 30s, 40s and 50s it was nice to get a big, silly, colorful, fun musical to entertain me. It's especially nice to stare at Gene Kelly for 2 hours and watch Garland hoof it up in "Get Happy."
The Wife. Wow. Not surprised by Close’s powers but still was surprised by the movie. So much better than it is given credit for.
I was really sad that Tig Notaro's Amazon show, One Mississippi, was cancelled. It was offbeat and entertaining and felt like nothing else on tv. But I haven't watched any of these other Amazon shows mentioned here, so I'm part of the problem, I guess.
I saw “Blackkklansman”and I will join the chorus too and say it was very good. After his last couple of films which were extremely lackluster, it good to see he’s back in fine form. You could feel his passion with this film.
Yes, it takes readers to point out that Mama Mia crossed $100 million, and still going strong.
Oscar should have created an Action Movie Category- which would at least make son sense
It was HOT here in San Diego this weekend so I watched a lot of movies in theaters in a row which is something I rarely do. Friday night saw A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM since the trailer looked interesting PLUS there was going to be a Q&A with the director, Fran Kranz and RACHAEL LEIGH COOK. The movie was entertaining and it was pretty cool to hear the answers during the Q&A. Rachael was really sweet, even after her mic got cut off because the next showtime of the film was about to start. The BF got to reenact that “Was I a joke?!” line from SHE’S ALL THAT as well. Saturday morning watched BLINDSPOTTING which I really enjoyed. Was surprised by the humor of it as I thought it was gonna be a really serious film dealing with issues of racism and politics, but that central friendship has a lot of heart and history that carries into the film. Then Saturday evening, MoviePass was actually working for a second so I got to see BLACKKKLANSMEN which was very good. Not sure I’d see it again but I’d recommend it to people.