It scares off Assassin, Mother!
LOS ANGELES — It does it again.
Despite dropping 51 percent in earnings in its second weekend in theaters, the Warner Bros.’ Stephen King movie adaptation kept the top spot in last week’s box office charts, bringing in $60 million for a to-date total of $219 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters.
Newcomer American Assassin, directed by Michael Cuesta and released by Lionsgate and CBS Films, debuted at No. 2 and brought in about $15 million. The R-rated action film, about a man (Dylan O’Brien) who becomes a special operative after his girlfriend is killed in a terrorist attack, earned mixed reviews on CinemaScore (B-plus) and Rotten Tomatoes (35 percent rotten). Michael Keaton and Sanaa Lathan also star.
Paramount’s psychological thriller Mother! starring Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem came in at No. 3 on the charts, earning just $7.5 million. Directed by Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan and The Wrestler), the film about a couple whose lives are thrown into chaos when unexpected visitors come into their secluded home, earned an unprecedented F-rating on CinemaScore and a 68 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Mother! took in an additional $6 million in limited release overseas.
The Reese Witherspoonled Home Again, distributed by Open Road Films, came in fourth, adding $5.2 million in its second weekend for a cumulative $17 million. The romantic comedy, which stars Witherspoon as a single mom in Los Angeles who lets three young guys move in with her, earned a B-rating on CinemaScore and a 31 percent rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film also stars Candice Bergen and Michael Sheen and is directed by Hallie Meyers-Shyer.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard from Lionsgate fell two spots since last week to No. 5 after previously enjoying three weeks in the top spot. The film, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds, added $3.6 million in its fifth weekend for a cumulative total of $70.4 million. The film has a B-plus rating on CinemaScore and a 37 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In limited release, Annapurna Pictures’ social mediatheme Brad’s Status opened in four theaters, earning an 83 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and $100,179 domestically for a solid per screen average of $25,045. Starring Ben Stiller as a neurotic father whose old friend makes him feel inferior about his life choices, the R-rated comedy debuted at No. 28 on the chart and will expand into 100 markets this weekend. The film also stars Michael Sheen and Luke Wilson and was directed by Mike White (School of Rock and Nacho Libre).
This week, Entertainment Studios debuts the horror film Friend Request, Fox premieres the action comedy sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle and Warner Bros. opens the animated family film The Lego Ninjago Movie.
Fox Searchlight also reveals the Emma Stone, Steve Carell-led Battle of the Sexes, in limited release.