Universal’s Oscar front runner “1917” exploded into cinemas this weekend as it finally expanded both nationwide and worldwide.
Sam Mendes’ Golden Globe-winning drama opened to a very impressive $36.5M domestically and $20M internationally, not only sending it to number one on this week’s box office chart but also coming at a fantastic time for the film’s Oscar chances, as it is expected to claim around 9/10 nominations come Monday morning.
Slipping to second place for the first time since it debuted is Disney’s soon to be seventh billion-dollar film of 2019 “Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker”. JJ Abrams’ final chapter in the Skywalker saga managed around $15M domestic and just over $24M overseas, meaning it will reach the billion-dollar landmark next week, however, its target of the $1.3B mark set by “The Last Jedi” looks an unrealistic one now.
Sony’s “Jumanji: The Next Level” also slipped down a place to third, finishing with another steady haul of $14M domestic and $22.6M overseas. Overall the film’s grand total stand at $671M, another win for Sony’s franchise, as when the film passes the $700M mark, their two “Jumanji” films will have combined for over $1.6B.
Jostling for fourth place with around $10M is Warner Bros one time awards contender “Just Mercy”, and Paramount’s disappointing “Like a Boss”. Warner Bros will be slightly disappointed the former has failed to turn an 82% critical rating (rotten tomatoes) into box-office receipts, although the film was always going to struggle against the might of Universal, Disney, and Sony’s blockbusters. Whilst Paramount’s R-rated comedy starring Tiffany Hadith, Salma Hayek, and Rose Byrne has been maligned by critics and apparently not sought by audiences either. Paramount could be expecting heavy losses.
Also delivering below expectations is Fox’s “Underwater”. The Kristen Stewart starring thriller delivered around $7M both domestically and internationally, however, it still has to open in over nine larger markets including the UK.
Next weekend sees Sony’s “Bad Boys For Life” reuniting Will Smith and Martin Lawrence goes wide, whilst Robert Downey Jr will begin to shed the skin of the MCU as he stars in Universal’s “Dolittle”. A film that debuted in limited release this weekend, taking over $8M from Ukraine and Korea combined.
1. 1917 – $36.5M
2. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – $15M ($479M overall)
3. Jumanji: The Next Level – $14M ($257M)
4. Like a Boss – $10M
4. Just Mercy – $10M
6. Little Women – $7.65M
7. Underwater – $7M
8. Frozen II – $5.8M ($459M)
9. Knives Out – $5.7M ($140M)
10. Spies in Disguise – $5.1M
I can confirm that Joel Coen’s “Jack of Spades” is based on Frances Frederica Montrésor’s 1901 novel “The Alien: A Story of Middle Age.” It’s a ghost story. A gothic mystery.