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 (Hot tip – probably not all that much). Let’s dig in…
The Challengers:
The Hold-overs:
This weekend welcomed two big action flicks into the fold, as Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials and Pixels took on the might of the N.W.A. boys. Who was top dog, and who got capped?
AUSTRALIAN BOX OFFICE – SEPT 10-13
| # | Film Title | Distributor | Weekend Gross | Total Gross |
| 1 | MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS | FOX | $3,564,203 | $3,701,510 |
| 2 | STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON | UNIVERSAL | $2,246,620 | $8,322,101 |
| 3 | PIXELS | SONY | $1,995,486 | $2,199,656 |
| 4 | A WALK IN THE WOODS | ENT. ONE | $333,692 | $1,109,854 |
| 5 | THE GIFT | ROADSHOW | $312,911 | $2,023,748 |
| 6 | SOUTHPAW | ROADSHOW | $296,434 | $4,973,564 |
| 7 | RICKI AND THE FLASH | SONY | $295,490 | $2,621,695 |
| 8 | MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION | PARAMOUNT | $236,159 | $15,739,139 |
| 9 | LAST CAB TO DARWIN | ICON | $223,066 | $6,633,376 |
| 10 | VACATION | WARNER BROS | $204,958 | $4,418,110 |
Source: Urban Cinefile
Scorching Performance: Running into the top spot, and with a slight uptick over the opening of the previous installment, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials blasted into theatres with $3.5 million, blocking Pixels and Straight Outta Compton in the process. The youth audience was obviously starved for action after a bare couple of weeks, and this one should continue to play well through the school holiday period.
Outta The Top Spot: Down but not out, Straight Outta Compton dips a respectable 50% in it’s second frame to $2.2 million. It’s total gross is nearing the magic $10 million mark, which is should vault over by next weekend.
Game Over: Oh Adam Sandler, how audiences used to be amused by your antics. A couple of years ago, a Sandler picture with an 80’s arcade bent would have been a massive slam dunk at the Box Office. Flashforward to today though, and after making us sit through dreck like Jack & Jill and The Cobbler, his star has dimmed significantly and the audience is staying away in droves. At least he has that cushy Netflix deal to fall back on, and hey, there’s always Grownups 3 right?
Over in the U.S of A, thriller The Perfect Guy took on the possessed grandparents of The Visit. The battle was heated, but who won out in the end?
U.S BOX OFFICE – SEPT 11-13
| # | Film Title | Distributor | Weekend Gross | Total Gross |
| 1 | THE PERFECT GUY | SCREEN GEMS | $25,888,154 | $25,888,154 |
| 2 | THE VISIT | UNIVERSAL | $25,427,560 | $25,427,560 |
| 3 | WAR ROOM | TRI STAR | $7,772,485 | $39,560,812 |
| 4 | A WALK IN THE WOODS | BGP | $4,743,520 | $20,000,445 |
| 5 | MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION | PARAMOUNT | $4,100,405 | $188,122,923 |
| 6 | STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON | UNIVERSAL | $3,923,895 | $155,546,495 |
| 7 | NO ESCAPE | WEINSTEIN CO | $2,881,786 | $24,158,721 |
| 8 | THE TRANSPORTER REFUELED | EUROPA | $2,824,147 | $13,467,643 |
| 9 | 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN | GOLD. | $2,035,273 | $2,035,273 |
| 10 | UN GALLO CON MUCHOS HUEVOS | LGF | $2,024,134 | $6,791,486 |
Source: Box Office Mojo
Perfect Score: In a photo finish, The Perfect Guy makes the move past The Visit for a sexy haul of $25.8 million. The releases of August and September (Straight Outta Compton, War Room, and now The Perfect Guy) have really focussed on the core African-American audience, and they’re responding with strong grosses and good word of mouth. In it’s third weekend, War Room is still holding strong with $7.7 million, but Compton falters a bit this week in the face of new competition and heads south to the 6th spot on $3.9 million.
Visiting Second: It was close, but The Visit only managed to scare up a 2nd place finish with a still more-than-decent $25.4 million. After a string of disappointments like The Last Airbender and After Earth, M. Night Shyamalan seems to have found favour with audiences again, back in his wheelhouse of creepy tales.
Heaven Is A Place In The Top Ten: 2015 has been a big year for faith-driven films, with 90 Minutes In Heaven the latest in a line of religious themed movies striking a chord with viewers. Although not as big a success as War Room, it nonetheless builds on the already solid case that there’s a hungry audience for these types of stories.
Up next week, we scale the heights of Everest and family audiences get a treat as local films Oddball and Blinky Bill: The Movie arrive in time for school holidays.
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!