Weekend Wrap-Up

by Tim Briody

December 9, 2018

Motley crew.

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The Void continues as the studios don't even bother releasing anything at all this weekend. Entering theaters now would still be a week too far away to really take advantage of the holiday box office season, and so all the films in theaters since Thanksgiving weekend decline varying amounts as they attempt to hang onto screens to remain relevant during the holidays.

The Void gives Ralph Breaks the Internet a third weekend at the top, only the fourth 2018 release to do so and the first since Crazy Rich Asians back in August (Avengers: Infinity War also did it, and Black Panther had five weekends at #1). The Wreck-It Ralph sequel added $16.1 million this weekend (down 37%), giving it $140.8 million after three weekends in theaters. While Wreck-It Ralph had $121.7 million after three weekends, that's not as good a comparison as Disney's previous Thanksgiving releases. It's ahead of Coco ($135.6 million) and just behind Moana ($144.7 million) at this same point. Both were able to finish over the $200 million mark, buoyed by the holidays. I don't expect Ralph to have quite the same amount of staying power, as while it's staved off the challenge from The Grinch (there's room for both as one's holiday themed, more on that in a moment), next weekend another animated film enters theaters and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is about to swoop into theaters with a 99% Fresh (one person just hates everything, apparently) rating and likely stealing the Best Animated Film award from Disney. The holidays will probably get Ralph to about $200 million, but barely. I think Coco's final total ($209.7 million) will be higher in the end.

The Grinch holds well, as you'd expect a Christmas themed film to do in December, dropping just 13% to $15.6 million, making it a surprisingly close race at the top. It's got $223.9 million in five weekends. The Grinch is considerably less worried by the arrival of Spider-Man than Ralph Breaks the Internet. It'll hang in the mid-tier amongst the Christmas releases through the rest of the year and is probably looking at $265 million as a final total, which Universal should be ecstatic about.

Creed II adds $10.3 million (down 38%) in its third weekend and has $96.4 million to date. It's well ahead of Creed to this same point ($79.3 million) and will easily surpass the $109.7 million total of the original in two more weekends, on its way to $135 million or so. Michael B. Jordan had a pretty good year.

While the top three films of the weekend should hang on through the holiday season in the middle of the box office chart, the rest are prime candidates to lose screens to the deluge of new releases that's about to hit. That's right, it's time for the lightning round.




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Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald drops 40% to $6.8 million and has $145.2 million in four weekends. The problem here is that Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them had $198.9 million at this same point. Internationally it's fine, though.

Bohemian Rhapsody earns $6 million in its sixth weekend and has $173.5 million to date. I may have mentioned this before, but it will be interesting to see if the success here brings about other biopics of singers/bands from the 70's/80's.

Mark Wahlberg's Instant Family has recovered somewhat since its opening weekend stumble, adding $5.6 million and giving it $54.1 million in four weekends. I still think money was left on the table not putting it out over Christmas.

Green Book is the most interesting story in the top ten, because while it added only 116 theaters, it's flat from last weekend with $3.9 million and $19.9 million in four weekends (three in wide release). The awards hype has certainly helped it here, as it's a lock for a Best Picture nomination.

Wrapping up the chart this weekend, Robin Hood continues to flounder with $3.5 million (-25%) and $27.2 million in three weekends. I still don't have anything to add about The Possession of Hanna Grace; The Void is the only thing that kept it in the top ten with $3.1 million (down 50%) and $11.5 million in two weekends. Widows also hangs on with $3.1 million (down 30%) and $38.1 million in four weekends.

The top 12 films in theaters this weekend earned a miserable $78.2 million, which even threw under Labor Day weekend this year ($79.2 million). The Void struck last year on this weekend as well, as nothing important opened and the films managed just $76 million. But do not despair! We are finally about to leave The Void, and that brings the unofficial start of the holiday box office season. Next weekend is led by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, earning some of the best reviews of the year. We also get Peter Jackson's Mortal Engines and Clint Eastwood's The Mule, plus a PG-13 re-release of Deadpool 2, titled Once Upon a Deadpool.


Top Ten for Weekend of December 7-9, 2018
Rank
Film
Distributor
Estimated
Gross ($)
Weekly Change
Cumulative
Gross ($)
1 Ralph Breaks the Internet Walt Disney 16.1 -37% 140.8
2 The Grinch Universal 15.6 -13% 223.9
3 Creed II MGM 10.3 -38% 96.4
4 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Warner Bros. 6.8 -40% 145.2
5 Bohemian Rhapsody 20th Century Fox 6.0 -25% 173.5
6 Instant Family Paramount 5.6 -22% 54.1
7 Green Book Universal 3.9 0% 19.9
8 Robin Hood Lionsgate 3.5 -25% 27.2
9 The Possession of Hannah Grace Sony Pictures 3.1 -50% 11.5
10 Widows 20th Century Fox 3.1 -30% 38.1
Box office data supplied by Exhibitor Relations

     


 
 

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