LOS ANGELES 鈥� After a wobbly start, Dwayne Johnson muscled his way to a No. 1 opening for 鈥淩ampage鈥� 鈥� but just barely. Close on its heels was the word-of-mouth sensation 鈥淎 Quiet Place鈥� in its second week in theatres, and not too far behind that was the Blumhouse horror 鈥淭ruth or Dare鈥� in a competitive weekend at the box office.
Warner Bros. said Sunday that 鈥淩ampage鈥� earned an estimated $34.5 million in its first weekend in North American theatres, and dominated internationally too with $114.1 million from 61 territories.
Based on the classic arcade game, 鈥淩ampage鈥� carried a sizable budget of at least $115 million. Although 鈥淩ampage鈥� pulled in mixed reviews (it鈥檚 at 50 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences were more enthusiastic, giving it an A- CinemaScore.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 sure how I was going to feel on Friday. But when I look at our global number of $148.6 million, there鈥檚 a lot to be proud of for Dwayne Johnson,鈥� said Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution Jeff Goldstein. 鈥淭alk about a real closer, he knows how to bring it home.鈥�
That Friday, of course, was Friday the 13th and audiences had the choice between two wide-release nail-biters to spend their entertainment dollars on 鈥� the buzzy thriller 鈥淎 Quiet Place鈥� that dominated the charts last weekend, and the new horror from the shop behind 鈥淕et Out鈥� and 鈥淪plit,鈥� 鈥漈ruth or Dare.鈥�
After its stunning debut, John Krasinski鈥檚 modestly-budgeted 鈥淎 Quiet Place鈥� fell only 35 per cent in weekend two, adding $32.6 million to its domestic total, which is now just shy of $100 million for Paramount Pictures.
鈥淭ruth or Dare鈥� also found a sizable audience that was mostly young (60 per cent under the age of 25) and female (60 per cent). The PG-13 rated pic stars 鈥淧retty Little Liars鈥� alum Lucy Hale.
With a budget of just $3.5 million, the film took in a terrific $19.1 million over the weekend 鈥� just the latest in a string of successes for the Blumhouse and Universal Pictures partnership.
鈥淭hey take high quality filmmaking at micro-budgets and just consistently over-deliver,鈥� said Jim Orr, Universal鈥檚 president of domestic distribution. 鈥淓veryone at Universal is just thrilled to be in business with these guys.鈥�
Orr said despite the competitive marketplace, the studio鈥檚 marketing found a lane with the younger female audience and played into the Friday the 13th release.
Sliding into fourth place was Steven Spielberg鈥檚 鈥淩eady Player One,鈥� with $11.2 million in its third weekend, and in fifth was the R-rated comedy 鈥淏lockers,鈥� with $10.3 million.
Also, after a limited release, Wes Anderson鈥檚 stop-motion animated 鈥淚sle of Dogs鈥� added 1,385 locations and took the No. 7 spot with $5 million. Chloe Zhao鈥檚 well-reviewed indie 鈥淭he Rider鈥� also debuted this weekend in three theatres with $45,268.
While the success of a horror, especially a micro-budget one, isn鈥檛 a surprise for the industry, big budget films like 鈥淩ampage鈥� continue to face a complex marketplace. For box office analysts like comScore鈥檚 Paul Dergarabedian, 鈥淩ampage鈥檚鈥� performance fits into the post-鈥淏lack Panther鈥� narrative for most would-be blockbusters that have followed the Marvel and Disney phenomenon.
鈥溾�橰ampage鈥� joins a long list of popcorn movies that have opened in the wake of 鈥橞lack Panther鈥� to rely heavily on their international box office revenues,鈥� Dergarabedian said, citing 鈥淎 Wrinkle in Time,鈥� 鈥漈omb Raider,鈥� 鈥漃acific Rim: Uprising鈥� and 鈥漅eady Player One鈥� as recent examples.
Disney and Marvel鈥檚 鈥淏lack Panther鈥� added $5.3 million in its ninth weekend in theatres, bringing its domestic total to $673.8 million.
It鈥檚 another down weekend for the industry, too. The same weekend last year saw the massive $98.8 million opening for 鈥淭he Fate of the Furious.鈥� ComScore reports that the year to date box office is down just over 2 per cent. But the tide could be turning soon.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just in this lull waiting for 鈥橝vengers: Infinity War鈥� that is going to blow the doors off of the box office in a little less than two weeks,鈥� Dergarabedian said.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to comScore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1.鈥淩ampage,鈥� $34.5 million.
2.鈥淎 Quiet Place,鈥� $32.6 million.
3.鈥淭ruth or Dare,鈥� $19.1 million.
4.鈥淩eady Player One,鈥� $11.2 million.
5.鈥淏lockers,鈥� $10.3 million.
6.鈥淏lack Panther,鈥� $5.3 million.
7.鈥淚sle of Dogs,鈥� $5 million.
8.鈥淚 Can Only Imagine,鈥� $3.8 million.
9.鈥淭yler Perry鈥檚 Acrimony,鈥� $3.7 million.
10.鈥淐happaquiddick,鈥� $3 million.
听
