LOS ANGELES 鈥� The sci-fi fantasy 鈥淎lita: Battle Angel鈥� topped the charts and beat out a number of newcomers including the meta romantic comedy 鈥淚sn鈥檛 It Romantic鈥� and the horror sequel 鈥淗appy Death Day 2U鈥� in its first weekend in theatres, but it is a victory with a few caveats. It鈥檚 leading the slowest Presidents Day weekend at the box office in almost 20 years and has a ways to go to make up its costly budget.
20th Century Fox said Sunday that the James Cameron-produced film earned an estimated $27.8 million over the weekend against a reported $170 million budget, which includes cost-saving tax incentives and rebates. It鈥檚 made $36.5 million total since its debut Thursday.
Robert Rodriguez directed the future-set film starring Rosa Salazar as a cyborg with no memory of her past. Critics were mixed on the results, and it鈥檚 become just the latest pricey and ambitious non-Star Wars, non-Marvel or DC sci-fi film to do less-than-stellar business at the box office, the last being the Peter Jackson-produced 鈥淢ortal Engines.鈥�
It is quite a tumble (56.4 per cent) from last year鈥檚 record Presidents Day box office when 鈥淏lack Panther鈥� grossed $202 million over the three-day weekend and propelled the industry total to $286.6 million. The weekend has in recent years been host to the openings of high earners from 鈥淒eadpool鈥� to 鈥淔ifty Shades of Grey.鈥� This year, total weekend earnings amount to only $125 million.
The rest of the charts remained fairly lacklustre as well. Last week鈥檚 champ, 鈥淭he LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part,鈥� fell 38 per cent in its second weekend earning $21.2 million, bringing its total to $62.7 million 鈥� which is less than the first film earned in its opening weekend.
Warner Bros. also had the No. 3 movie this weekend with its meta-romantic-comedy 鈥淚sn鈥檛 It Romantic,鈥� starring Rebel Wilson as a woman who bonks her head and wakes up in a rom-com. It debuted to $14.2 million and has earned $20.5 million since its opening earlier in the week.
The other romantic comedy offering in theatres, 鈥淲hat Men Want,鈥� with Taraji P. Henson, landed in fourth place in its second weekend with $10.9 million. And 鈥淗appy Death Day 2 U,鈥� the horror sequel from Blumhouse and Universal, rounded out the top five with $9.8 million. The first film opened over twice as high, with over $26 million, but with a production budget under $10 million, it鈥檚 still bound for success.
The Dwayne Johnson wrestling film 鈥淔ighting With My Family鈥� also opened in four theatres on Wednesday, earning $131,625 over the weekend.
Seven weeks into the new year and the box office is still struggling, down nearly 20 per cent from where industry totals were last year.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been down every week this year,鈥� said comScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian. 鈥淭his weekend is emblematic of what is going on at the box office.鈥�
Dergarabedian said that slow weekends beget more slow weekends 鈥� with less foot traffic at the theatres, no one is seeing previews for what鈥檚 to come and the cycle just continues. But 鈥淐aptain Marvel鈥� may be coming to save the day on March 8.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Tuesday.
1.鈥淎lita: Battle Angel,鈥� $27.8 million.
2.鈥淭he LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part,鈥� $21.2 million.
3.鈥淚sn鈥檛 It Romantic,鈥� $14.2 million.
4.鈥淲hat Men Want,鈥� $10.9 million.
5.鈥淗appy Death Day 2U,鈥� $9.8 million.
6.鈥淐old Pursuit,鈥� $6 million.
7.鈥淭he Upside,鈥� $5.6 million.
8.鈥淕lass,鈥� $3.9 million.
9.鈥淭he Prodigy,鈥� $3.2 million.
10.鈥淕reen Book,鈥� $2.8 million.
