Jennifer Lopez & Co. hustle way into superb debut
Although topped by ‘ It’ sequel, ‘ Hustlers’ is weekend’s big winner for STX and its star.
Although “It Chapter Two” topped the box office for a second straight weekend, STX Entertainment’s “Hustlers” was the big winner, posting a career- best start for stars Jennifer Lopez and “Crazy Rich Asians” actress Constance Wu.
Warner Bros.’ “It” sequel added $ 40.7 million in its second weekend for a cumulative $ 153.8 million, according to estimates from measurement firm Comscore.
At No. 2, “Hustlers” debuted with $ 33.2 million, the best start ever for the studio and the biggest live- action opening for both Lopez and Wu. Analysts initially projected the f ilm would earn about $ 25 million in domestic ticket sales.
In the movie, Lopez plays a stripper who, alongside Wu, Keke Palmer and Lili Reinhart, scams Wall Street bankers in wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Music artists Cardi B and Lizzo provide supporting roles.
The opening weekend hit key demographics, with an audience that was 67% female and 69% over age 25. The results rewarded STX’s outreach efforts. Directed by Lorene Scafaria, the f ilm was inspired by a 2015 New York Magazine article. It earned a B- minus CinemaScore but an 87% “fresh” rating on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.
In third place, Lionsgate’s “Angel Has Fallen” added $ 4.4 million in its fourth weekend. In fourth place, Universal’s “Good Boys” added $ 4.3 million in its fifth weekend.
Rounding out the top f ive, Disney’s “The Lion King” added $ 3.6 million in its ninth weekend.
At No. 6, Universal’s “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” added $ 2.8 million in its seventh weekend.
In seventh place, Sony’s “Overcomer” added $ 2.7 million in its fourth weekend.
At No. 8, the weekend’s second wide release, Warner Bros.’ “The Goldfinch,” bombed with $ 2.6 million, far below analyst projections of $ 7 million to $ 12 million. The result is one of the worst starts ever for a movie opening in more than 2,500 cinemas.
The $ 40- million movie, based on the 2013 Donna Tartt novel, stars Ansel Elgort as a young adult grappling with the death of his mother in a museum bombing. It earned a B CinemaScore and a 25% “rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. At No. 9, Roadside Attractions’ “The Peanut Butter Falcon” added $ 1.9 million in its sixth weekend. Rounding out the top 10, Paramount’s “Dora and the Lost City of Gold” added $ 1.9 million in its sixth weekend.
In limited release, Neon opened “Monos” in five locations to $ 43,285. Abramorama opened “Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements” in one location to $ 7,120. Variance Films released Shudder’s Japanese zombie comedy “One Cut of the Dead” on two screens to $ 6,200.
“Brittany Runs a Marathon,” Amazon Studios’ film starring Jillian Bell, added more than 500 locations, to 757, earning $ 1.6 million in its fourth weekend.
In advance of its domestic release this weekend, Universal’s “Downton Abbey” began its international roll- out, earning $ 11.7 million in 17 markets including the U. K., where it posted the No. 1 opening of the weekend with $ 6.3 million.
Also opening this week are Fox’s Brad Pitt sc- f i thriller “Ad Astra” and Lionsgate’s action movie “Rambo: Last Blood.”