'Rogue One' Tops New Years Weekend, Capping Off Disney's Monster 2016
by Brad Brevet ---- January 2, 2017
by Brad Brevet ---- January 2, 2017
With the coming of the new year we can now say 2016 was officially the largest year at the domestic box office of all-time as 725 films delivered over $11.3 billion, led by Finding Dory, one of several films that contributed to Disney's record year wherein the studio saw 16 films deliver over $3 billion in domestic revenue. As such, it's only fitting a Disney title ended the year as the #1 film at the weekend box office with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story taking the weekend crown for a third weekend in a row as its domestic total climbs to nearly $440 million after 18 days in release. We will have a complete look at both December as well as all of 2016 over the coming weeks, but for now let's take a quick look at this weekend's performances.
Rogue One brought in an estimated $49.5 million over the three-day weekend and $64.3 million over the four-day holiday weekend as its domestic cume now stands at an estimated $439.7 million. Additionally, the Star Wars spin-off brought in another $45.8 million internationally for a $350 million international cume for a nearly $790 million global gross. As of right now, Rogue One ranks as the thirteenth largest domestic release of all-time.
Universal's latest animated feature with Illumination Entertainment, Sing, finished second over the weekend with an estimated $42.8 million for the three-day and $56.4 million for the extended four-day weekend bringing its domestic total to $180 million. Internationally it added an additional $24.3 million over the three-day weekend bringing its international cume to $97.8 million for a worldwide total nearing $280 million.
Finishing third is Sony's Passengers, which brought in an estimated $16.1 million for the three-day and $20.7 million over the four-day bringing the film's domestic cume to $66 million. Given the $110 million production budget, eyes are quickly turning to the film's international performance and this weekend it brought in an estimated $21.7 million from 52 markets bringing its international gross to $60 million for a $126 million global haul. The film has yet to open in South Korea (Jan 4), Germany (Jan 5), Brazil (Jan 5), China (Jan 13) and Japan (Mar 24).
Along with a #1 finish, Disney also delivered the #4 film at the weekend box office with Moana bringing in an estimated $10.9 million over the three-day and $14.3 million over the four-day as its domestic cume now stands at an estimated $213.3 million. Internationally it added an estimated $21.3 million over the three-day as its global cume has now topped $400 million.
Rounding out the top five was Fox's comedy Why Him? with an estimated $10.6 million for the three-day and $13 million over the four-day for a domestic total just shy of $38 million. The $38 million production has opened in 41 international markets so far where it brought in an estimated $10.1 million over the three-day weekend as it has now reached $51.9 million globally.
Sixth place is where we find Denzel Washington's Fences, delivering a $10 million three-day weekend and $12.7 million for the four-day after going wide on Christmas Day last weekend. The three-day gross is a 50.2% improvement over last weekend's haul as the film's domestic cume now stands at $32.4 million after 18 days in release, nine of which were nationwide after it played in just four theaters over its first nine days in release.
Even more impressive is the performance of Lionsgate's La La Land, which, like Fences, expanded nationwide on Christmas Day last week and expanded further this weekend into 750 theaters (+16) and brought in an estimated $9.5 million for the three-day, a 65.7% improvement. With an estimated $12.3 million the film's domestic cume now stands at $37 million to go along with $27.8 million internationally as it brought in $6 million from 31 overseas markets this weekend for a global cume nearing $65 million. Next weekend, in advance of the Golden Globes on Sunday, the film will more than double its theater count, expanding into over 1,500 theaters nationwide as it has its sights set on awards season glory.
Fellow Oscar contender, Roadside and Amazon's Manchester by the Sea, landed in ninth place for the three-day weekend, improving 53% compared to last weekend bringing in an estimated $4.2 million from 1,206 theaters for the three-day and $5.4 million for the four-day as its domestic cume is now just shy of $30 million.
In limited release, A24's 20th Century Women brought in an estimated $112,705 from four theaters after opening on Wednesday and Bleecker Street's release of Paterson brought in an estimated $69,334, also from four theaters, after it too opened on Wednesday.
Along with the aforementioned continued expansion of La La Land next weekend we will also see Fox's Hidden Figures expand into ~2,300 theaters after delivering an estimated $858,230 over the three-day from 25 theaters this past weekend with a cume that stands over $2.6 million after nine days in limited release.
Also expanding will be Martin Scorsese's Silence, though into only 50 theaters after playing in four theaters over the past two weekends with a domestic cume that currently totals $337,374. Focus's release of J.A. Bayona's A Monster Calls will also expand nationwide next weekend after playing in four theaters ever since its December 23 release.
Finally, the lone new wide release next weekend is Screen Gems' release of Underworld: Blood Wars into 2,300+ theaters. The film is the fifth release in the Underworld franchise, the last of which was 2012's Underworld Awakening, which narrowly edged out 2006's Underworld: Evolution as the highest grossing domestic release of the franchise. Awakening, however, is the largest worldwide release of the franchise with just over $160 million, besting Evolution by nearly $50 million.
