In a weekend where four new releases hit theaters, and another critically-acclaimed movie expanded into a nationwide release, a movie in its fourth week in theaters returned to the top of thebox office, while two of the new arrivals couldn’t even crack the top 10. After relinquishing the top spot toGoosebumpslast weekend,The Martianregained the top spot in its fourth frame in theaters, earning $15.9 million, just barely beatingGoosebumps' second-place take of $15.5 million. The news isn’t terribly surprising, since bothThe Martian(3,504) andGoosebumps(3,501) still had the highest theaters counts of all movies this weekend, beating newcomerThe Last Witch Hunterby nearly 500 theaters, but it’s still rare to see four new releases struggle so much.
All of this weekend’s holdovers in the top 10 posted minimal decreases between 20% and 40%, except one,Crimson Peak, while the four newcomers struggled to find an audience.The Martianonly dropped 25.4% this weekend en route to its victory, with its domestic total now at $166.Goosebumpsdropped 34.4% in its second weekend, bringing its domestic total to $43.7 million. The adaptation ofR.L. Stine’s beloved children’s books still has some work to do, to earn back its $58 million production budget. The World War II thrillerBridge of Spiesremained in third place with $11.3 million, dropping just 26.1%, bringing its domestic total to $32.5 million after two weeks in theaters.
Debuting in fourth place isThe Last Witch Hunter, which earned $10.8 million in its opening frame, arriving in 3,082 theaters and posting a paltry $3,512 per-screen average. The action-thriller hasn’t fared well with just a 14% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, dropping from the 20% posted earlier in the week.The Last Witch HunterstarsVin Dieselas Kaulder, a valiant warrior who managed to slay the all-powerful Queen Witch, decimating her followers in the process. In the moments right before her death, the Queen curses Kaulder with her own immortality, forever separating him from his beloved wife and daughter in the afterlife. Today Kaulder is the only one of his kind remaining, and has spent centuries hunting down rogue witches, all the while yearning for his long-lost loved ones. However, unbeknownst to Kaulder, the Queen Witch is resurrected and seeks revenge on her killer causing an epic battle that will determine the survival of the human race. The supporting cast is rounded out byRose Leslie,Elijah Wood,Ólafur Darri Ólafssonand Rena Owen.Hotel Transylvania 2rounds out the top 5 with $9 million, bringing its domestic total to $148.2 million.
Rounding out the top 10 isParanormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension($8.2 million),Steve Jobs($7.2 million, $9.9 million domestic),Crimson Peak($5.5 million, $22.4 million domestic),The Intern($3.8 million, $67.4 million domestic) andSicario($2.9 million, $39.3 million domestic).Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimensionwill be the last movie in Paramount’s once-lucrativeParanormal Activityfranchise, with its worst wide-release opening in franchise history. The originalParanormal Activityonly opened in 12 theaters back in 2009, but it kept expanding, earning an impressive $19.6 million in its third weekend in theaters, from just 760 theaters.Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimensionopened in 1,656 theaters with a middling $4,952 per-screen average, proving the time is certainly right to bring this franchise to an end.
This weekend also markedSteve Jobs' first in its nationwide expansion, although it didn’t pull off the impressive per-screen average numbers it did in its first two frames in limited release. The biopic opened in 2,493 theaters, an expansion of 2,433 theaters, but it only pulled in a per-screen average of $2,916. The biopic starringMichael Fassbenderas the title character and Apple co-founder, has been setting the box office on fire in limited release, earning a phenomenal $521,522 from just four theaters two weeks ago, with an astounding $130,381 per-screen average. It’s mini-expansion proved fruitful as well, with a $25,833 per-screen average from 59 theaters. The film has been showered with praise from the nation’s critics, some calling it the best movie of the year, with an impressive 85% score on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s unlikely thatSteve Jobswill be the top movie at the box office throughout its theatrical run, but with such a strong, positive buzz swirling around it, it should fare quite well, especially considering that it was produced on a $30 million budget.
NewcomersRock the KasbahandJem and the Hologramsfailed to even crack the top 10, withRock the Kasbahopening in 13th place with $1.5 million andJem and the Hologramstaking 15th place with $1.3 million. In between those movies wasThe Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, which earned $1.4 million in its sixth week in theaters. Both of these new releases posted horrendous per-screen averages, withRock the Kasbahopening in 2,012 theaters for a dreadful $750 per-screen average, andJem and the Hologramsopening in 2,413 theaters, posting an abysmal $547 per-screen average. The only “good news” forJem and the Hologramsis that it only cost $5 million to produce, so, with a little luck, it still may be able to break even.
Opening in limited release this weekend wasSuffragette, which took in $77,000 from four theaters, for an impressive $19,250 per-screen average.I Smile Backearned $16,036 from just two theaters, Heart of a Dog earned $14,750 from one theater and Nasty Baby took in $8,023 from two theaters. The Weinstein Company’sBurntwas slated to debut in limited release this weekend, but shortly after our predictions were posted, the studio cancelled the limited release, with the movie slated to open nationwide on October 30. No box office data was released for other platform titles such as Attack on Titan: Part 2, Difret, Extraordinary Tales.
Looking ahead to next weekend, Warner Bros.‘Our Brand Is Crisisand Paramount’sScouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypseand The Weinstein Company’sBurntall open in wide release. Arriving in limited release are The Armor of Light, Carter High,Freaks of Nature, Heneral Luna,Love, Sex, Death and Bowling and The Wonders. Be sure to check back on Sunday for the official box office estimates, and again on Tuesday for next weekend’s predictions. Until then take a look at the box office estimates for the weekend of October 23.
