It holds at #1, but J-Lo, Wu threaten with Hustlers
LOS ANGELES — Although It Chapter Two topped the box office for a second consecutive weekend, STX Entertainment’s Hustlers was the big winner, posting a career-best opening for stars Jennifer Lopez and Crazy Rich Asians actress Constance Wu.
Warner Bros.’ It sequel added $40.7 million in its second weekend of release for a cumulative $153.8 million, according to estimates from measurement firm Comscore. It currently stands at $323.3 million in worldwide receipts.
In second place, Hustlers debuted with $33.2 million, the best start ever for the studio and the biggest live-action opening for Lopez (ahead of Monster-in-Law’s $23.1 million in 2005) and Wu (topping Crazy Rich Asians’ $26 million last year). Analysts initially projected the film would earn about $25 million in domestic ticket sales.
In the movie, Lopez plays a seasoned stripper who, alongside Wu, Keke Palmer and Lili Reinhart, runs a racket scamming Wall Street bankers in wake of the 2008 financial crisis. With Oscar-winner Mercedes Ruehl and Julia Stiles in supporting roles.
The picture’s opening weekend hit key demographics with an audience that was 67% female and 69% over age 25. The results rewarded STX’s outreach efforts attracting diverse moviegoers with 36% white, 26% black, 27% Hispanic, 9% Asian and 3% American Indian or other ethnicities. Directed by Lorene Scafaria, the film was inspired by a 2015 New York Magazine article. The movie earned a B-minus CinemaScore but an 87% fresh rating on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.
The $20 million film is a much-needed win for STX, which has struggled to produce breakout hits recently. Although the studio’s Kevin Hart comedy-drama The Upside (a remake of the French movie The Intouchables) was a surprise hit, STX has also had several high-profile flops this year, including UglyDolls and Poms.
At No. 3, Lionsgate’s Angel Has Fallen added $4.4 million in its fourth weekend for a cumulative $60.4 million.
In fourth place, Universal’s Good Boys added $4.3 million in its fifth weekend for a cumulative $73.3 million.
Rounding out the top five, Disney’s The Lion King added $3.5 million in its ninth weekend for a cumulative $534 million. It is now at $1.6 billion globally.
At No. 6, Universal’s Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw added $2.8 million in its seventh weekend for a cumulative $168.3 million.
In seventh place, Columbia/Affirm’s Overcomer added $2.7 million in its fourth weekend for a cumulative $29 million.
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 picture, based on the 2013 Donna Tartt novel of the same name, stars Ansel Elgort as a young adult grappling with the death of his mother in a bombing at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. It earned a B CinemaScore and a 25% rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Warner Bros. has also struggled at the box office this year with recent misses including Blinded by the Light and The Kitchen.
In ninth place, Roadside Attractions’ The Peanut Butter Falcon added $1.92 million in its sixth weekend for a cumulative $15 million.
Rounding out the top 10, Paramount’s Dora and the Lost City of Gold added $1.85 million in its sixth weekend for a cumulative $56.7 million.
In limited release, Neon opened Monos in five locations to $43,285 for a perscreen average of $8,657.
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 for a per-screen average of $3,100.
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 for a per-screen average of $2,048 and a cumulative $3.8 million.
Official Secrets, IFC Films’ true-life spy thriller starring Keira Knightley, expanded into 330 locations in its third week, earning $571,560 for a per-screen average of $1,732 and a cumulative $957,071.
Greenwich Entertainment and 1091 expanded the documentary Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice into 220 locations from seven, earning $734,636 for a per-screen average of $3,339 and a cumulative $889,879.
Oscilloscope Labs expanded Ms. Purple into four locations from one last weekend, earning $13,650 for a perscreen average of $3,413 and a cumulative $31,878.
Music Box Films expanded Edie into nine locations from seven last weekend, earning $10,797 for a per-screen average of $1,200 and a cumulative $26,446.