It was always expected to top the box office, yet Hobbs and Shaw didn't escape franchise fatigue altogether this weekend. The spin-off to the Fast and Furious franchise opened in line with analyst and studio expectations with $60.8 million (strong $14,296 per-venue average). That's off from The Fate of the Furious' $98 million opening weekend from two years ago, and even further off from Furious 7's $147 million start from 2015. Of course, being a spin-off, expecting this to reach the heights of its' predecessors would seem insane (though considering the roll that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has been on the past few years for the most part, that might would mitigate that argument somewhat). However, distributor Universal bet heavily on this installment, investing into a $200 million budget, which means it's going to need the overseas might of its' predecessors (which the previous 2 passed $1 billion worldwide) in order to break even or turn a profit.Overseas numbers were solid, but off from both predecessors. A $120 million overseas launch puts its' worldwide start at $180 million. One thing I should note is that this does not include China, as that country won't open until later. The previous Furious movies earned over $300 million apiece in China, which could alleviate things. However, at this pace, I don't think this one will reach the $1 billion heights of its predecessors. That might be considered a slight disappointment, but even a $700-800 million final gross would still be nothing to spit at by all means.
After two weeks on top, The Lion King retreated 50% to second place and $38.2 million. In 17 days, the remake has earned a huge $430.9 million, as it looks very likely to finish above $500 million stateside. Overseas continues to be massive, with over $750 million earned in that quadrant alone and a worldwide gross already approaching $1.2 billion. It's already in 19th place on the all-time list worldwide, and stands a great chance of finishing in the Top 10.
Following its solid start last week, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood didn't hold well, but didn't hold horribly either. Quentin Tarantino's latest was down 51% to $20 million, for a good $78.8 million pick-up in 10 days. While not a breakout performance, Tarantino's latest is still pulling in a solid adult audience and should play well through August.
Sony also had fourth place with Spider-Man: Far From Home. The final film in MCU's Phase 3 continues to play well, off 38% to $7.8 million in its fifth weekend. At $360.3 million in over a month of release, the superhero sequel has earned $1.075 billion worldwide also. Meanwhile, Toy Story 4 was off a light 32% to $7.2 million. The leggy hit is at $410.1 million in seven weeks of release, and will pass Toy Story 3's final gross later this week. Its' also at $960 million worldwide with its sights set on $1 billion over the next couple of weeks.
Holding steady in a distant sixth place was Yesterday, which was off a light 21% to $2.4 million. The musical dramedy continues to play solidly, with a $67.9 million pick-up in six weeks of release. A $75 million final gross would be considered very successful for a low-key production. Expanding to over 400 locations, The Farewell added $2.4 million to its coffers. The critically-adored family dramedy has earned $6.8 million since its limited release 24 days ago. Meanwhile, Crawl has continued to play decently for a film of its' kind. Off 47% to $2.2 million, the Paramount production has pulled in a good $36.1 million pick-up in 24 days (along with another $20 million overseas).
Spending 11 consecutive weeks in the Top 10 (the most for any release this year), the Aladdin remake continued to play very well. Off just 34% to $2 million, the Disney smash has pulled in a huge $350.4 million in 77 days, along with $1.025 billion worldwide, passing the final gross of 2010's Alice in Wonderland over the weekend.
Rounding out the list was Annabelle Comes Home, which was off 44% in its sixth frame to $875,000. At $71.6 million in 40 days, the horror sequel has played decently (it's also earned over $200 million worldwide). A third Conjuring film is on the way for September 2020.
Well, that's about it. Next weekend, a group of five new releases will enter the box office race, with none of them really expected to top Hobbs and Shaw. I will have a weekend forecast up on Thursday. :)
