The Film Experience

The war drama 1917 moved into wide release in its third weekend, touting that big Globes victory, and scored with an amazing haul for a serious non-franchise film with no bankable stars. The civil rights drama Just Mercy also had a successful expansion to wide release in its third weekend but that one has three movie stars to help it (Michael B Jordan and Jamie Foxx in the main roles and Brie Larson in support)

Weekend Box Office January 10th-12th (ESTIMATES) 🔺 = new or expanding / ★ = recommended
WIDE RELEASE (800+ screens)	PLATFORM TITLES

1 🔺 1917 $36.5 (cum. $39.2) GLOBE VICTORIES, TEASER ★	1 🔺 PARASITE $966k on 345 screens (cum. $25.3) PODCAST, CLASS, BONG, SAG CAST ★


2 STAR WARS: RISE OF SKYWALKER $15 (cum. $478.1) VISUAL FX, REVIEW, OSCAR HISTORY	2 🔺 CHHAPAAK $302k on 100 screens new


3 JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL $14 (cum. $257.1)	3 JOJO RABBIT $209k on 125 screens (cum. $21.9) TIFF WIN, PODCAST , SAG CAST ★


4 🔺 LIKE A BOSS $10 new	4 🔺 THE SONG OF NAMES $100k on 70 screens (cum. $307k)


5 🔺 JUST MERCY $10 (cum. $10.4)	5 A HIDDEN LIFE $93k on 119 screens (cum. $1.5) REVIEW


6 LITTLE WOMEN $7.6 (cum. $74) REVIEW, PODCAST ★	6 🔺 PAIN AND GLORY $52k on 104 screens (cum. $4) REVIEW, PODCAST, TV SPOT, GOYA NODS ★


7 🔺 UNDERWATER $7 new	7 🔺 LES MISERABLES $24k on 4 screens NEW INTERVIEW, REVIEW ★


8 FROZEN II $5.7 (cum. $459.3) REVIEW , BEST SONG?	8 🔺 INVISIBLE LIFE $18k on 4 screens (cum. $83k) INTERVIEW ★


9 KNIVES OUT $5.7 (cum. $139.6) REVIEW, WHODUNNITS, ANA DE ARMAS ★	9 ASHFALL $17k on 2 screens (cum. $266k)


10 SPIES IN DISGUISE $5.1 (cum. $54.6)	10 CLEMENCY $13k on 10 screens (cum. $101k) INTERVIEW, REVIEW ★

In other theatrical news Parasite is clearly banking on a big nomination tally tomorrow morning and is already re-expanding adding back 123 more screens for weekend 14. (Pain and Glory in weekend 15 re-expanded a smidgeon too). Parasite, as I think we've mentioned before, is the biggest subtitled hit in US release since Pan's Labyrinth (2006). That Guillermo Del Toro picture finished its US run with $37.6. Can Parasite top it? We'll see how much Oscar month affects the general public's awareness of it. Here in the US the Bong Joon Ho hit is #1 in both theatrically released Foreign Language Films of 2019 and theatrical releases that never went into wide release as we've shared in previous year-in-review posts.

Clemency is struggling, already dropping 54% in only its 3rd week. Turns out the holiday season was not the right time for a slow burn somber death penalty drop. Who knew, he said, sarcastically, wondering what exactly NEON was thinking since they've had this since January at Sundance. Unless a miracle Oscar nomination happens tomorrow it's likely to vanish from theaters in a week, just as its finally gotten to them.

Les Miserables is off to a semi-slow start but it's fortunes will likely pick up next weekend since it's expected to nab one of the International Feature nominations.

The biggest screen drop this week is the disastrous Cats which lost over 2000 screens in weekend #4. It's domestic cume is $26.3 million (globally $59.4) which is rough going for a film budgeted at $95 million.