NEW YORK 鈥� Tom Cruise sped past Winnie-the-Pooh at the box office to lead all films for the second straight week with an estimated $35 million in ticket sales for 鈥淢ission Impossible -- Fallout.鈥�
The success of Paramount Pictures鈥� sixth, stunt-filled 鈥淢ission: Impossible鈥� installment, along with muted enthusiasm for the Walt Disney Co.鈥檚 鈥淐hristopher Robin,鈥� made for a seldom-seen result: A Disney movie debuting in second place.
In a year where the studio has already notched three $1 billion films worldwide (鈥淏lack Panther,鈥� 鈥滱vengers: Infinity War鈥� and, as of this week, 鈥滻ncredibles 2鈥�), the more modest Winnie-the-Pooh live-action revival opened with a relatively ho-hum $25 million. As a reminder that 鈥滳hristopher Robin鈥� was a minor release for Disney, 鈥滲lack Panther鈥� on Sunday became the third film to ever cross $700 million domestically, a feat only previously accomplished by 鈥滱vatar鈥� and 鈥漇tar Wars: The Force Awakens.鈥�
Made for an estimated $75 million, Marc Forster鈥檚 鈥淐hristopher Robin鈥� stars Ewan McGregor as a grown-up Christopher Robin reunited with the beloved characters of the Hundred Acre Wood: Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and the rest (who are rendered digitally but convincingly felt-like). While reviews were mixed, audiences gave it an 鈥淎鈥� CinemaScore.
Cathleen Taff, head of distribution for Disney, said there鈥檚 room for non-tentpole releases in the Disney slate.
鈥淚t鈥檚 one of our smaller films and it鈥檚 really focused on character and emotion,鈥� said Taff. 鈥淲e鈥檙e happy with where it鈥檚 at and we think it鈥檚 got some runway being one of the only family options going forward.鈥�
Taff confirmed that 鈥淐hristopher Robin鈥� has been denied a release in China, locking the release out from the world鈥檚 second largest film market. While China provides no reason for the films it doesn鈥檛 select for its theatres, government sensors have recently been blocking images of Winnie-the-Pooh after bloggers began using him to parody Chinese president Xi Jinping.
The late-summer success of 鈥淢ission: Impossible鈥� 鈥� which has made $124.5 million thus far along with $205 million internationally 鈥� is helping solidify a comeback summer for Hollywood. The summer box office is up 10.6 per cent from last year鈥檚 record-low season, according to comScore, and year-to-date ticket sales are up 8 per cent.
鈥淎s we head into what is almost always the slowest month at the summer box office, we have some nice momentum going,鈥� said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore. 鈥淲ith a 10.6 per cent increase over the summer last year, we鈥檙e going to maintain a solid advantage when we get to the end of the month.鈥�
Not all the news was great. Comedy continues to struggle at the box office. The R-rated action-comedy 鈥淭he Spy Who Dumped Me,鈥� starring Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon, debuted in third with $12.4 million for Lionsgate.
And a pair of poorly reviewed releases sputtered in nationwide release. Fox鈥檚 young-adult dystopian thriller 鈥淭he Darkest Minds鈥� (19 per cent 鈥渇resh鈥� on Rotten Tomatoes) opened with $5.7 million on 3,127 screens. And right-wing filmmaker Dinesh D鈥橲ouza鈥檚 鈥淒eath of a Nation鈥� (0 per cent 鈥渇resh鈥� on Rotten Tomatoes) debuted with $2.3 million on 1,032 screens.
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 also are included. Final domestic figures will be released
Monday.
1. 鈥淢ission: Impossible -- Fallout,鈥� $35 million ($76 million international).
2. 鈥淐hristopher Robin,鈥� $25 million ($4.8 million international).
3. 鈥淭he Spy Who Dumped Me,鈥� $12.4 million.
4. 鈥淢amma Mia! Here We Go Again,鈥� $9.1 million ($19.3 million international).
5. 鈥淭he Equalizer 2,鈥� $8.8 million.
6. 鈥淗otel Transylvania 3,鈥� $8.8 million ($18 million international).
7. 鈥淎nt-Man and the Wasp,鈥� $6.2 million ($11.2 million international).
8. 鈥淭he Darkest Minds,鈥� $5.8 million ($4.1 million international).
9. 鈥淚ncredibles 2,鈥� $5 million ($19 million international).
10. 鈥淭een Titans Go! To the Movies,鈥� $4.9 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theatres (excluding the U.S. and sa国际传媒), according to comScore:
1. 鈥淢ission: Impossible -- Fallout,鈥� $76 million.
2. 鈥淗ello Mr. Billionaire,鈥� $64.5 million.
3. 鈥淎long With the Gods: The Last 49 Days,鈥� $37.3 million.
4. 鈥淢amma Mia! Here We Go Again,鈥� $19.3 million.
5. 鈥淚ncredibles 2,鈥� $19 million.
6. 鈥淗otel Transylvania 3,鈥� $18 million.
7. 鈥淒etective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings,鈥� $12.5 million.
8. 鈥淎nt-Man and the Wasp,鈥� $11.2 million.
9. 鈥淭he Wind Guardians,鈥� $8.8 million.
10. 鈥淪kyscraper,鈥� $8.2 million.
