Every week we dissect the good, the bad, and the bombs of the Aussie box office world. No talk of box office would be complete without mention of the US, so we’ll also take a look at what’s hitting big, what’s not, and where our refined Aussie movie palates differ from our blockbuster loving American brethren. Let’s dig in…
This weekend, Hotel Transylvania 2, Creed, Love The Coopers and By The Sea headed into theatres looking to hit it big. So, how’d they do?
AUSTRALIAN BOX OFFICE – NOV 26-29
Source: Urban Cinefile
Still Soaring: Katniss remained Queen of the box office this weekend, although declining by 47% to $5.2 million. The Mockingjay Part 2 total stands at $17.8 million, pulling ahead of the Part 1 gross at the same point by just $95K. Part 1 ended it’s run with $28 million in Australia, so expect Part 2 to follow a similar trajectory.
Checking In: Following behind a still firing Spectre, the animated ghouls of Hotel Transylvania 2 captured the family audience that wasn’t preoccupied with enjoying the outdoors. Ringing up $2.1 million in guests, it beats the launch for Hotel Transylvania ($1.3 million) and should play well into the Christmas period as more and more young kids are out of school.
Eye Of The Tiger: Riding a wave of pre-match hype, the Rocky redux/reboot Creed came out swinging for the male audiences this weekend, and although not a complete knockout, it managed to connect a few and punched up $1.7 million in fight fans. This is slightly less than the last proper Rocky sequel, Rocky Balboa ($2.2 million opening, $3.8 million total), but with solid reviews and talk of Oscar prospects for Sylvester Stallone (yeah, you read that right) it should have no problem pushing past it’s predecessor’s total.
Little To Love: Not much love for the Christmas flick Love The Coopers this weekend, making a measly $392K, it seems that Aussie audiences aren’t feeling the Christmas cheer just yet. Sony will be hoping that changes before they début Seth Rogen’s The Night Before this weekend.
All Washed Up: Even the dual stardom of Brangelina couldn’t get people excited about the marital drama By The Sea, which launched with $139K from 56 locations for a miserable $2677 average. Coming soon to a VOD service near you.
Over in the U.S, Katniss tried to fend off challenges from a Good Dinosaur and a Rocky redux during the extended Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Did she remain the champ?
U.S BOX OFFICE – NOV 27-29
*NB: We’re going by the three day totals, not the 5-day holiday totals
Source: Box Office Mojo
Tributes Flowing In: Dropping a reasonable 49% from it’s opening last weekend, Mockingjay Part 2 continues it’s stranglehold on the top of the box office, pulling in $52 million to fend off strong competition from The Good Dinosaur and Creed. It’s about to push past the $200 million mark, but is still running about $27 million behind the last Mockingjay instalment.
Good, Not Great: Pixar’s latest movie with all the feels, following on from the massive success of Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur didn’t managed to capture that same magic but Disney has to be pretty happy anyway. Comparing movies is difficult because of the holiday weekend, but the $39 million weekend haul is one of the lowest Pixar openings to date. This should have great legs though (as all Pixar flicks do), surging through the Christmas period and it probably stands the best chance of weathering the Star Wars phenomenon.
Came Out Swinging: The hope for a return to form for the Rocky franchise rested squarely on the shoulders of young Adonis Creed this weekend, and damn it if he didn’t deliver. Hitting up a victorious $29 million weekend, it seemed to find a gap in the market that wasn’t being filled by Katniss, Bond or dinos. With awards talk buzzing, and a recent Supporting Actor win from the National Board Of Review for Stallone (!!), I see this one extending it’s reach well into the Christmas period.
Showing this week: Deck the halls with the bro-tastic yuletide comedy The Night Before, Chris Hemsworth battles the white whale in In The Heart Of The Sea, Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford search for the Truth, and Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg discuss The End Of The Tour.
So there you go folks, any surprises? Everything pan out just as you suspected? Hit us up in the comments and let us know what you’re enjoying at the multiplex. Also, if there’s anything you’d like to see us cover in the world of box office, speak up and let your opinion be known!