As what many were expecting, Disney and Pixar kept firm control at #1 with their blockbuster sequel Finding Dory. Disney's latest smash held better than anticipated, off 46% to $73.2 million, for a 10-day total of a spectacular $286.6 million. If estimates hold, that will beat Shrek 2 ($72.7 million) for the record of the biggest second weekend ever for an animated film. As far as holds are concerned, that's in line with Toy Story 3 (46%) and only slightly steeper than Monsters University. Dory has actually passed the final gross of Monsters already and is pacing $60 million ahead of Toy Story 3 through the same point. Competition in the coming weeks will be intense from the likes of fellow Disney movie The BFG as well as The Secret Life of Pets, but the Pixar flick should prove to play through summer. Overseas, its gradually rolling out, and it passed $400 million today. At Dory's current pace, Shrek 2's record (for animation) $447 million domestic gross is in danger.
Opening in the second spot was a sequel no one really thought would be a hit, Independence Day: Resurgence. Arriving 20 years after director Ronald Emmerich's last destruction, Resurgence only could muster $41.6 million, for a $10,226 per-venue average from 4,068 locations. Most analysts were projecting a debut in the $50 million vicinity. While Resurgence ultimately fared better than some of the films this summer (TMNT 2 and Alice 2, for instance) and some other costly flops from recent memory (Battleship, Pixels, Warcraft, Tomorrowland. Terminator: Genysis), against a price tag of $165 million, this is overall bad news for distributor 20th Century Fox. Overseas got off to a $103 million start from majority of international territories (including $37 million in China), but its going to need $350-$400 million worldwide to break even, and that will be difficult to do. Reviews weren't good (33% on Rotten Tomatoes), while the CinemaScore was only a "B".The other holdover from last week, Central Intelligence, followed with an OK-ish hold. Kevin Hart and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson fell 48% to $18.4 million, for a very solid $69.3 million gross in 10 days. That's a better hold than most of Kevin Hart's films, which typically drop around or over 50%. 4th of July weekend should prove to have a better hold, and the film is in good shape to pass $100 million stateside.
Meanwhile, opening in fourth place was the shark thriller The Shallows. Despite a last-minute release date change, the Blake Lively flick opened with more than expected, earning $16.7 million, for a fairly solid $5,638 per-venue average. Projections for the film were between high single-digits and low-teens millions. For Lively, this is a step up from her headlining debut, The Age of Adaline ($13 million). Reviews were surprisingly very solid (72% on Rotten Tomatoes), while the CinemaScore was a "B+". This could prove to be a sleeper through the 4th of July holiday and beyond. The budget was just $17 million.
Prospects didn't turn out to be nearly as rosy for the other new release, historical drama Free State of Jones, which opened with way less than expected, $7.7 million ($2,761 per-venue average). The STX Entertainment production was hoping to be an early Oscar contender and bank on Matthew McCaugnahey, but it was an odd choice for this time of year (despite being different from typical franchise fare). As a result, it was the Oscar-winning actor's worst debut in a decade (since 2006's We Are Marshall). It was hurt by negative reviews (40% on Rotten Tomatoes), while audiences liked it better, as the CinemaScore was an "A-". Unless the 4th of July proves to be very kind to it, this one probably won't hold well enough to come anywhere close to its $50 million budget. Perhaps a Fall release would have suited this one better.The Conjuring 2 held a bit better than last weekend, but still fell further behind its predecessor, off 48% to $7.7 million. The horror sequel is at a very good $86.9 million and remains on pace for a finish above $100 million. Overseas is where it is truly shining, however, where it is at over $150 million so far with a shot at finishing above the first movie's $318 million finish.
Now You See Me 2 also had a better hold, off 40% to $5.7 million, for a still somewhat disappointing $52.1 million gross in 17 days, on its way to a finish around $65 million. The magician sequel did get off to a spectacular start in China ($43 million and ahead of Resurgence), and is at over $150 million worldwide so far (the first movie finished with $350 million worldwide).
X-Men: Apocalypse continues to fade fast, off 53% to $2.5 million, for a one-month total of $151.1 million, and $525 million worldwide. The latest in the X-Men trilogy will edge out First Class and the first film domestically, but will finish as the least-attended in the franchise so far. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows followed with a 54% dip to $2.4 million, for a very disappointing $77.1 million gross in 24 days. Shadows is only at $150 million worldwide, and while China (which opens next week) will help things a bit, its' probably not going to get past $300 million worldwide.
Alice Through the Looking Glass rounded out the Top 10 in its fifth week, and fell 50% to $2.15 million. The misfire did manage to earn that much in just under 500 theaters ($4,000 per-venue average), giving the sequel the fifth-best per-venue average of the weekend. However, that doesn't really matter. It's at just $74.6 million in one month of release, and $250 million worldwide against a $170 million budget (with Japan still to open). The first Alice wound up at $1 billion.
And that's about it. Next weekend, the 4th of July weekend is packed with all-ages choices (that are tracking poorly?). Disney and Steven Spielberg team for Ronald Dahl adaptation The BFG, Warner Bros. tries the live-action fairy tale again with The Legend of Tarzan, and Universal releases horror threequel The Purge: Election Day. Could it be another disappointing weekend? We shall see.
