Overall business won't catch Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend last year, which was a record-smasher.
Ride Along 2, as expected, topped the box office. However, with more competition and bad reviews (15% on Rotten Tomatoes), it fell short of its predecessor, pulling in $12 million on Friday (in comparison, the first film earned $14.4 million). The film earned a solid "B+" CinemaScore, however. If Ride Along 2 plays out similarly to its predecessor, it would earn $35 million for the 3-day weekend and $41 million for the extended weekend (though many are aiming for slightly lower).
The Revenant will be a very close second, and could wind up pulling the upset if Ride Along 2 winds up being more front-loaded than anticipated. Nominated for 12 Oscars, the critically-acclaimed thriller was off 35% from last Friday to $9.3 million. With Sunday holding better than normal on an extended weekend, I'd look for a 3-day weekend of $30 million and a four-day holiday stretch of $37 million.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens was finally knocked off after four-straight weeks on top. But the juggernaut continued to chug down more cash. The most successful film of all-time in the United States was down 41% from last Friday to $6.3 million, and will pull in stronger business over the weekend due to being family-accessible. Look for a $25 million 3-day weekend and a $33.5 million four-day stretch as kids get off Monday from school.
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi opened in fourth place with decent results, $5.9 million. That's nowhere near American Sniper, Lone Survivor or even Act of Valor ($9 million opening day), but considering the competition, it's not a bad start either. The Michael Bay film may end up around $16.5 million for the 3-day stretch and $20 million for the 4-day, slightly behind pre-release expectations.
Rounding out the Top 5 is Daddy's Home, which added another $2.5 million (off 40% from last week), in what should be a $12 million 4-day stretch. Meanwhile, the first animated effort of the year, Norm of the North, opened in seventh place with a dismal $1.6 million. With just a 3% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this family effort isn't pulling in much of an audience. It will get perked up over the weekend, so look for 3-day and 5-day grosses of $6.5 million and $8.5 million.
Being an extended weekend, the final weekend report will be posted on Tuesday instead of Sunday.
