Weekend wraps dismal summer box-office season
LOS ANGELES — As Labor Day weekend ushers in the unofficial end of summer, Hollywood wraps up a dismal summer box office season with movie ticketsalesintheu.s.and Canada the lowest they’ve been in a decade.
Fittingly, the box office ranks remain virtually unchanged from last week with the two films premiering this week, the re-release of Sony’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and the Weinstein Co.’s “Tulip Fever” debuting at No. 14 and No. 24, respectively.
Lionsgate’s R-rated action comedy “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” maintained the top spot for the third consecutive week, bringing in an estimated $13.4 million over the holiday weekend for a total of
$58 million cumulatively. Starring Samuel L. Jackson as an imprisoned assassin who enlists the help of bodyguard Ryan Reynolds, the $30-million film received mixed reviews from audiences, earning a B-plus rating on Cinemascore but a stale 40 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Warner Bros’ horror prequel “Annabelle: Creation” remained at No. 2 on the charts, earning $9.3 million through Monday, for a total of $91 million.
The origin story of a possessed doll that terrorizes families, Annabelle was first introduced in “The Conjuring” series before receiving her own standalone movie in 2014. “Annabelle: Creation” earned a modest 68 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a B rating on Cinemascore.
The Weinstein Co.’s drama “Wind River” leapfrogged over “Leap!” swapping with the animated family film for the No. 3 spot.
The crime thriller, set on a Native American reservation in Wyoming and starring Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen, earned $7.9 million through Monday. Written and directed by Taylor Sheridan (screenwriter of “Sicario” and “Hell or High Water”), the film earned a solid 86 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Leap!” also distributed by Weinstein, brought in $6.6 through Monday for a cumulative total of $13 million after just 10 days in theaters. The film, about an orphan girl who dreams of becoming a dancer in Paris, features the voices of Elle Fanning, Kate Mckinnon and pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen and was met with mixed reviews, earning an A-rating on Cinemascore but only a 35 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Rounding out the top five was Bleecker Street and Fingerprint Releasing’s action comedy “Logan Lucky,” directed by Steven Soderbergh, which made $5.6 million through Monday for a total of $22.7 million. Starring Channing Tatum and Adam Driver as brothers who try to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race, the $29 million film received a B rating on Cinemascore and a 92 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Sony’s re-release of Steven Spielberg’s classic sci-fi film “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” earned $2.3 million in 901 theaters through Monday. Back in theaters for an exclusive one-week engagement in celebration of its 40th anniversary, the director’s cut has been restored and remastered in 4K.