It was close, but the strong word-of-mouth propelled A Quiet Place to a narrow #1 finish. John Krasinski's critcally-adored flick was off just 33% in its third frame to $22 million, for a strong $132.4 million pick-up in 17 days. For a horror flick to return to the top spot in its third weekend or otherwise is unheard of. But it goes to show that audiences are getting the word out. The film is also faring solidly overseas, with $75 million earned so far. Ultimately, distributor Paramount could be looking at a final gross that is 10 times its' budget. That's remarkable to say the least.Just a hair behind in second (and it could keep #1 if actuals report differently tomorrow), Rampage had a strong hold in its sophomore frame. The Dwayne Johnson action flick was off just 41% to $21 million, for a decent $66.6 million pick-up in 10 days. This number was helped out by family weekend matinees, as the movie increased 82% Friday-to-Saturday (this surprises me, as the movie is not very family-friendly). But distributor Warner Bros. will take whichever good news it can get, as Marvel will unleash Avengers: Infinity War to the same audience Thursday night. Overseas numbers for Rampage continue to be strong, with it becoming WB's second movie of 2018 to pass $100 million in China. Worldwide, it will pass $300 million by the end of the week.
Meanwhile, matching my forecast in third place was Amy Schumer's latest comedy, I Feel Pretty. The PG-13 flick opened a little bit ahead of studio expectations, earning $16.2 million (mild $4,715 per-venue average). For Schumer, this is behind her last two films Trainwreck ($30 million) and Snatched ($19.5 million). However, since those two were R-rated and the latter benefited from Mother's Day Sunday, its' not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison. On a budget of $32 million, this is definitely a rock-solid start. Distributor STX Films originally had this opening in the summer before moving it up due to strong reception for the trailer. Pretty had generally negative reception from critics (35% on Rotten Tomatoes), and earned a "B+" CinemaScore from audiences. This will look to have one of the strongest holds in the face of the male-driven Infinity War next weekend.Meanwhile, the surprise of the weekend wasn't horror flicks or Schumer. Instead, it was a sequel to a 17-year old cult hit? Really?! Yes, Super Troopers 2 earned a truly surprising $14.7 million in fourth place (its $7,213 per-venue average is the best of the Top 10). In comparison, the first Troopers earned $6 million in its opening back in 2001. Apparently, the first film had a much bigger fanbase than I thought originally. For distributor Fox Searchlight, this ranks as one of their biggest debuts (if not their biggest debut) ever. The film was front-loaded, dropping from $7.9 million on Friday. But on a budget of just $13.5 million, this is still a fantastic start one way or another. Fox and analysts were tracking a $5-6 million debut. Audiences gave the film a "B+" CinemaScore, while critics gave it generally negative reviews (34% on Rotten Tomatoes).
Following its somewhat impressive debut last weekend, Truth or Dare played like a normal horror flick and fell 58% to $7.9 million. However, a $30.4 million gross in 10 days is definitely worth being excited about (especially when it cost 1/10th of that to make it). Meanwhile, Ready Player One had a nice hold as audiences looked to catch up with older films in preparation for Infinity War. The nostalgia trip was off just 35% in its fourth weekend to $7.5 million, for a decent $126.2 million gross in 25 days. That's not blockbuster numbers by any means, but the Steven Spielberg flick is doing blockbuster numbers overseas ($520 million worldwide including $200 million in China).
Blockers followed with a 35% drop to $7 million, for a solid $48.3 million gross in 17 days. The R-rated comedy looks to close a little over $60 million, a solid, if unspectacular result. Just a few days away from reappearing on the big screen, Black Panther spent a tenth-straight weekend in the Top 10. The superhero blockbuster was down just 20% to $4.6 million, for a huge $681.1 million gross in 70 days. Overseas, it is about to pass the $1.33 billion final gross of Star Wars: The Last Jedi for ninth place on the all-time list.
Opening a little better than I anticipated in ninth place was adult thriller Traffik, which pulled in $3.9 million from just over 1,000 locations (OK $3,705 per-venue average). I had projected a $2.5 million start, while overall analysts projected $3-4 million. This is not a great start by any means, but the budget was only $4 million. In the end, distributor Lionsgate should make out just fine. Reviews were bad (24% on Rotten Tomatoes), while audiences gave it a "B" CinemaScore.
Rounding out the Top 10 in its fifth week (second week of nationwide release) was Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs. The animated hit was off 38% to $3.4 million, for a meh $24.4 million gross in one month of release (along with $15 million more oversesas). If it can stabilize like other independent flicks from here, it could reach $35 million. I saw Isle of Dogs yesterday, and I'll have a review up by tomorrow.
