Newcomers give box office a lift
Final film in trilogy leads newcomers, followed by ‘Peter Rabbit,’ ‘15:17 to Paris.’
After a slow Super Bowl weekend, “Fifty Shades Freed,” “Peter Rabbit” and “The 15:17 to Paris” top chart.
Following a lackluster Super Bowl weekend for theaters where films opening around Christmas dominated the box office, this past weekend’s three new wide releases all debuted at the top of the chart, led by Universal Pictures’ “Fifty Shades Freed.”
The final installment in the “Fifty Shades” trilogy debuted in first place to the tune of $38.8 million, according to measurement firm ComScore.
Based on the third and final entry in the book series by British author E.L. James, “Fifty Shades Freed” was expected to gross about $33 million in North America, according to people who reviewed pre-release audience surveys. It earned mixed reviews from audiences and critics, receiving a B plus from CinemaScore but an 11% “rotten” rating from review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.
The two previous movies in the trilogy grossed a combined $950 million. The first, “Fifty Shades of Grey,” opened in 2015 with $85 million domestically before grossing $571 million globally. Last year’s follow-up, “Fifty Shades Darker,” debuted to $47.6 million and eventually collected $381 million worldwide.
“It’s very satisfying to see a trilogy designed primarily for an adult female audience be able to broaden out literally into a billion-dollar franchise,” said Jim Orr, the studio’s distribution chief. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the debut.”
The pictures, about a sexually inexperienced woman who falls for an billionaire with eccentric sexual appetites, star Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan.
In a pattern set by recent trilogies including “The Maze Runner” and “Pitch Perfect,” “Fifty Shades Freed” opened lower than its predecessor, though Universal anticipates that the film will continue to play strongly throughout the week, particularly on Valentine’s Day (Wednesday).
“We obviously expect to have a very big bump on Valentine’s Day,” said Orr. “‘Fifty Shades Darker’ last year on Valentine’s Day was up about 180% over one day. We expect similar, if not even more robust, results for Valentine’s Day on Wednesday. And of course having a holiday weekend is great as well.”
In second place, Sony’s family film “Peter Rabbit” earned $25 million in its first weekend in theaters, well above analysts’ predictions of $16 million.
A modern-day computeranimated/live-action take on the Beatrix Potter character, estimated to have cost $50 million, the film stars James Corden as the voice of a mischievous bunny at war with his neighbor. The movie also earned mixed reviews, receiving an A-minus on CinemaScore and a 58% “rotten” on Rotten Tomatoes.
The $25-million opening bests the $24-million summer debut of Sony’s critically panned but commercially successful “Emoji Movie” and the studio’s April disappointment, “Smurfs: The Lost Village,” which opened with $13.2 million.
In third place, Warner Bros.’ “The 15:17 to Paris” earned $12.6 million in its first weekend, at the high end of the expected $10-million to $12-million range analysts projected.
The latest directorial effort by Clint Eastwood tells the real-life story of three Americans who thwarted a terrorist attack on a train in 2015 by subduing a gunman. In an unusual twist, the American men, Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler and Alek Skarlatos, play themselves in the film. It earned a B minus on CinemaScore and a 20% “rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
“The 15:17 to Paris” follows a handful of Eastwooddirected hits about homegrown heroism, including “Sully” and “American Sniper.”
Coming in fourth, Sony’s “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” now in its eighth week, added $9.8 million in earnings, for a cumulative $365.7 million.
Rounding out the top five, Fox’s “The Greatest Showman,” also in its eighth week, added $6.4 million for a cumulative $146.5 million.
After debuting last week in third place, Lionsgate’s “Winchester” dropped to the seventh spot this past weekend, adding $5.1 million to its $17.2-million gross.
This week, Disney opens the highly anticipated “Black Panther,” Lionsgate debuts the animated “Early Man” and Pure Flix premieres the drama “Samson.”