Thebox officehas finally rebounded after a brief slump in October with the release ofSpectrelast weekend, which took in $73 million, higher than the entire top 10 in the last week of October, andThe Peanuts Movie($45 million). As expected, both of those hit movies retained the top two spots this weekend, withSpectretaking in $35.4 million andThe Peanuts Moviestaying put in second place with $24.2 million. As expected, new releases such as Warner Bros.‘The 33, CBS Films’Love the Coopersand Clarius Entertainment’s My All American, along withBrad PittandAngelina Jolie’sBy the Seaopening in limited release, didn’t provide any serious competition.
Both Spectre andThe Peanuts Moviehave been faring well with critics, withSpectreearning a 63% “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, andThe Peanuts Moviepulling in an 86% “Fresh” rating. WhileThe Peanuts Moviedid come in a distant second place last weekend, it does have the potential for a lengthier run overall at the box office, since family movies typically have a longer shelf life in theaters than your typical action-packed blockbuster. It still remains to be seen ifThe Peanuts Moviewill be able to out-grossSpectrein the long run, but it should post smaller decreases thanSpectrefrom week to week.
Love the Coopersopened in third place this weekend with $8.4, taking in a meager $3,227 per-screen average from 2,603 theaters. The comedy features an all-star ensemble cast includingOlivia Wilde,Amanda Seyfried,Marisa Tomei,Ed Helms,Diane Keaton,John Goodman,Anthony Mackie,Alan Arkin, Jake Lacy andAlex Borstein. The story centers on four generations of the Cooper clan, who come together for their annual Christmas Eve celebration. A series of unexpected visitors and unlikely events turn the night upside down, leading them all toward a surprising rediscovery of family bonds and the spirit of the holiday.
The Martiandropped to fourth place this weekend with $6.7 million, which brings its domestic total up to $207.4 million.The 33opened in fifth place with $5.8 million, earning a paltry $2,384 per-screen average from 2,452 theaters. This drama starringAntonio Banderasis based on the remarkable true story that captivated the world just five years ago. In 2010, the eyes of the world turned to Chile, where 33 miners had been buried alive by the catastrophic explosion and collapse of a 100-year-old gold and copper mine. Over the next 69 days, an international team worked night and day in a desperate attempt to rescue the trapped men as their families and friends, as well as millions of people globally, waited and watched anxiously for any sign of hope. But 200 stories beneath the surface, in the suffocating heat and with tensions rising, provisions-and time-were quickly running out.
A story of resilience, personal transformation and triumph of the human spirit, the film takes us to the Earth’s darkest depths, revealing the psyches of the men trapped in the mine, and depicting the courage of both the miners and their families who refused to give up. Based on the gripping true story of survival-and filmed with the cooperation of the miners, their families and their rescuers-The 33reveals the never-before-seen actual events that unfolded, above and below ground, which became nothing less than a worldwide phenomenon. Budget figures weren’t given forThe 33, but the film will probably be lucky to pull in more than $30 million domestic through is theatrical run.
Rounding out the top 10 areGoosebumps($4.6 million),Bridge of Spies($4.2 million), Prem Ratan Dhan Payo ($2.4 million),Hotel Transylvania 2($2.3 million) andThe Last Witch Hunter($1.5 million). Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’s inclusion in the top 10 is certainly a surprise, opening in just 286 theaters and pulling in an impressive $8,392 per-screen average. This weekend’s third new release, My All American, failed to crack the top 10 with $1.3 million, earning a horrendous $889 per-screen average from 1,565 theaters. None of these newcomers are opening super-wide, withLove the Coopersexpected to arrive in approximately 2,500 theaters, withThe 33expected to open in 2,400 theaters and My All American debuting in 1,500 theaters. None of these movies are expected to make a splash critically either, withThe 33currently sitting at a 43% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, although there aren’t enough reviews yet forLove the Coopersand My All American to determine a TomatoMeter score.Spotlightexpanded from five theaters to 61 theaters, and almost cracked the top 10, rising to 11th place with an impressive $1.39 million, and a $22,925 per-screen average.
Opening in limited release this weekend is Universal’sBy the Sea, starringBrad PittandAngelina Jolie, who also wrote and directed the film, which earned $95,440 from 10 theaters for a $9,544 per-screen average. The Film Arcade’s James White earned $12,120 from one theater, but box office data wasn’t released for Lionsgate Premiere’sHeiststarringRobert De Niro,Dave BautistaandGina Carano, Amplify’s documentary Hot Sugar’s Cold World. It isn’t known if Universal is planning a nationwide expansion forBy the Sea, but it wouldn’t be surprising, given its iconic stars.By the Seamarks the first timeBrad PittandAngelina Joliehave been seen on the big screen together in a decade, following the 2005 action-thrillerMr. and Mrs. Smith.
Looking ahead to next weekend,Spectre’s brief run atop the box office will surely come to an end with the release of Lionsgate’sThe Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, along with Sony’sThe Night BeforestarringSeth Rogen,Joseph Gordon-LevittandAnthony Mackie, and STX Entertainment’s thrillerSecret in Their Eyes, starringJulia Roberts. SinceThe Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2brings the lucrativeHunger Gamesfranchise to an end, it’s possible it could break some records at the box office, but we’ll have to wait and see. Also opening in limited release isCarol, starringCate BlanchettandRooney Mara,LegendstarringTom Hardy, which expands nationwide on December 11, and#HorrorstarringChloë SevignyandTimothy Hutton. Check back on Sunday for the box office estimates, and take a look at our projections for the top 10 below.
