‘Spider-Man’ sticks at top for 2nd week
“Spider-Man: Far From Home” is celebrating another weekend at No. 1, but nonfranchise fare continues to struggle at the box office.
Fresh studio-released counterprograming such as the horror movie “Crawl” and the actioncomedy “Stuber” barely made a dent in the webslinger’s earnings, though there’s a glimmer of hope in the independent world.
The “Spider-Man” sequel added $45.3 million in its second weekend, down only 51%, according to studio estimates Sunday, bringing its domestic total to $274.5 million. Globally, the Sony Pictures film has grossed $847 million.
Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” landed in second place with $20.7 million in its fourth weekend in theaters. It’s now earned $346.4 million.
But while the franchises are thriving, original newcomers are facing an uphill battle.
“Crawl,” a thriller from Paramount Pictures, debuted in third with an estimated $12 million against a reported $13.5 million budget. Directed by Alexandre Aja, “Crawl” stars Barry Pepper and Kaya Scodelario as a father and daughter trapped in their home with a bunch of angry alligators during a hurricane. The R-rated pic was not screened for critics, which usually signals a dud, but it has been surprisingly well received by critics since opening. It’s 88% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Uber comedy “Stuber” got off to a bumpier start with an estimated $8 million from more than 3,000 North American locations. The R-rated Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista film cost a reported $16 million to make and has not inspired the best reviews: It’s resting at a rotten 46. It’s the latest Fox film to be released by Disney.
Universal’s Beatlesthemed rom-com “Yesterday” rounded out the top five in weekend three with $6.8 million.
Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian said it’s never a good thing for the box office when week after week the top movies are holdovers.
“That means newcomers are not making inroads,” he said. “You want audiences every weekend to be excited about a new film.”