Cinemas have best ever March haul
DESPITE SOME flops the March 2017 box office, which crossed US$1 billion last weekend, has become the biggest March of all time. Not all reboots are created equal.
It was a weekend of remakes, Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast continued enchanting audiences in its second weekend in cinemas, easily topping the charts with US$88.3 million, according to studio estimates on Sunday.
On the low end, Warner Bros.’ raunchy, R-rated CHIPS debuted in seventh place with US$7.6 million.
In the middle was Lionsgate’s Power Rangers, which earned a solid US$40.5 million to grab the number two spot. The PG-13 take on the campy 1990s television show tells the origin story of the Power Rangers with a diverse teenage cast of relative newcomers.
Also this weekend, the sci-fi thriller Life failed to connect with audiences, debuting in fourth place with US$12.6 million behind holdover Kong: Skull Island with US$14.4 million.
The R-rated space film stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds as astronauts who discover that the alien life form they have brought on board might be dangerous.
With a $58-million price tag, Sony and Skydance’s Life has a long journey to profitability.
Following are estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian cinemas, according to comScore.