By Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --"Zootopia" continues to run wild over its rivals in its third weekend in theaters, stomping all over the launch of "Allegiant," the third film in the "Divergent" series.
The animated Disney film featuring the voices of Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin earned $38 million this weekend to take first place once again, according to comScore estimates Sunday. It's now earned $201.8 million domestically.
It stole the thunder from "The Divergent Series: Allegiant," starring Shailene Woodley and Theo James, which opened in second place with an estimated $29.1 million from 3,740 locations.
It's a new low for the YA series based on Veronica Roth's novels, which both opened north of $50 million, but not unexpected. Lionsgate broke up Roth's final book into two movies, the second of which, "Ascendant," launches next year. And, like "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games," it's not unusual for Part 1 of a 2-film finale to fall short of some of its predecessors.
"It's had mixed results in general, but it's also had great results so I can't really fault a studio for going with that strategy," said Paul Dergarabedian, comScore's senior media analyst. "It's like skipping ahead in a book. I think it's a strategy that may want to be reconsidered. But there are other factors – is the movie good? What are the conditions of the marketplace?"
Dergarabedian also noted that fickleness of the teen audience might be playing into the big drop from the previous films.
"They're chasing an audience that is very difficult to pin down," he said. "What might be cool to them one day isn't cool the next."
But while the future of drawn out YA franchises might be looking as bleak as the dystopias they portray, one genre that does seem to produce near-consistent hits is that of the faith-based film.
The latest entry, Sony's "Miracles From Heaven," took third place this weekend with an impressive $15 million. The film, starring Jennifer Garner and Queen Latifah, opened Wednesday. It's earned $18.6 million to date, and cost only $13 million to produce.
Audiences, who were 65 percent female and 75 percent over the age of 25, gave the film an A+ CinemaScore, which bodes well for its longevity going into the Easter holiday weekend.
It's no secret that there have been a slew of faith-based breakout hits, but not many of them have mainstream Hollywood stars on the level of Garner and Latifah.
"These films are a home run in terms of having modest budgets and an audience, but star power does make a difference," Dergarabedian said.
Rory Bruer, Sony's President of Worldwide Distribution, agreed.
"It has a faith-based core, but this movie is for everyone," Bruer said.
Rounding out the top five were holdovers "10 Cloverfield Lane" and "Deadpool" with $12.5 million and $8 million, respectively.
The weekend overall was about on par with last year, but the 2016 box office is thriving, up 10.5 percent from 2015 – a number that is likely to rise when "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" opens next weekend.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Zootopia," $38 million ($64.8 million international).
2. "The Divergent Series: Allegiant," $29.1 million ($22 million international).
3. "Miracles From Heaven," $15 million.
4. "10 Cloverfield Lane," $12.5 million ($5 million international).
5. "Deadpool," $8 million ($6.1 million international).
6. "London Has Fallen," $6.9 million ($10 million international).
7. "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot," $2.8 million.
8. "The Perfect Match," $1.9 million.
9. "The Brothers Grimsby," $1.4 million ($2.6 million international).
10. "The Revenant," $1.2 million ($36.4 million international).
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to comScore:
1. "Zootopia," $64.8 million.
2. "The Revenant," $36.4 million.
3. "Kung Fu Panda 3," $31.8 million.
4. "The Divergent Series: Allegiant," $22 million.
5. London Has Fallen," $10 million.
6. "Gods of Egypt," $6.2 million.
7. "Deadpool," $6.1 million.
8. "Kapoor & Sons – Sine 1921," $5.9 million.
9. "10 Cloverfield Lane," $5 million.
10. "The Brothers Grimsby," $2.6 million.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More