Weekend Wrap-Up: Guardians Fail to Protect Box Office
September 9, 2014
The weekend box office was an unmitigated disaster. Guardians of the Galaxy was the only film to crack $10 million over the weekend and there were no other releases that came close. The only new "wide" release was The Identical, and it missed the top ten. Overall, the box office fell 40% from last weekend to just $66 million. It goes without saying that this is the worst box office of the year so far. In fact, it is the fifth worst box office weekend since 2000 running 23% lower than the worst weekend from last year. The worst weekend from last year was this weekend last year, so that makes the comparison so much easier. Year-to-date, 2014 has pulled in $7.15 billion, which is 5.1% lower than the last year's pace. Things better turn around soon, or we can say goodbye to any chance to catch up to last year.
Guardians of the Galaxy came within a rounding error of predictions with $10.36 million over the weekend for a total of $294.77 after the sixth week of release. It will become the first film released in 2014 to reach $300 million and it will do so this coming weekend.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was just a tiny bit stronger than expected with $6.51 million over the weekend for a total of $174.65 million after a month of release. There will be a sequel given this result.
Let's Be Cops rose to third place with $5.57 million over the weekend for a total of $66.77 million. It is on pace to reach $75 million, which is more than enough to break even.
If I Stay was in a very, very close fourth place with $5.56 million over the weekend for a total of $39.47 million after three weeks of release. This is likely more than it cost to make and advertise, so if it can merely match this figure internationally, it will break even before the home market. Even if it can't, it will break even sooner rather than later.
The November Man climbed into the top five with $4.31 million over the weekend for a total of $17.98 million after twelve days of release. This is a near perfect match for Friday's predictions, so there's not much more that needs to be said.
As Above, So Below landed in sixth place with $3.85 million over the weekend for a ten-day total of $15.71 million. Given its per theater average, its theater count will take a serious hit this weekend and this might keep it from reaching $20 million in total.
The only wide release of the weekend was The Identical, which performed so badly that I feel bad talking about it. It earned $1.59 million over the weekend, which was less than a lot of people thought it would earn opening day. It had the second worse per theater average in the top 20 at just $811 and was beat out by How to Train Your Dragon 2, which has been in theaters for nearly three months. The reviews are terrible at just 4% positive, but it will disappear before its word-of-mouth has an effect.
Filed under: Weekend Estimates, How to Train Your Dragon 2, If I Stay, Guardians of the Galaxy, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Let’s Be Cops, As Above, So Below, The November Man, The Identical