By Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --"Spider-Man: Far From Home" is celebrating another weekend at No. 1, but non-franchise fare continues to struggle at the box office. Fresh studio-released counterprograming such as the horror movie "Crawl" and the action-comedy "Stuber" barely made a dent in the web-slinger's earnings, although there is a glimmer of hope in the independent world.
The "Spider-Man" sequel added $45.3 million in its second weekend, down only 51% according to studio estimates Sunday, bringing its domestic total to $274.5 million. Globally, Sony Pictures' "Far From Home" has already grossed $847 million.
Disney and Pixar's "Toy Story 4" landed in second place with $20.7 million in its fourth weekend in theaters. It's now earned $346.4 million from North American theaters.
But while the well-reviewed franchises are thriving, original newcomers are facing an uphill battle in wide-release.
"Crawl," a thriller from Paramount Pictures, debuted in third with an estimated $12 million against a reported $13.5 million budget. Directed by Alexandre Aja, "Crawl" stars Barry Pepper and Kaya Scodelario as a father and daughter trapped in their home with a bunch of angry alligators during a hurricane. The R-rated pic has been was not screened for critics in advance, which usually signals a dud, but it has been surprisingly well-received by critics since opening. It's currently 88% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Uber comedy "Stuber" got off to a bumpier start with an estimated $8 million from over 3,000 North American locations. The R-rated Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista film cost a reported $16 million to produce and has not inspired the best reviews (it's resting at a rotten 46. It's the latest Fox film to be released by Disney.
"People always complain about the lack of original offerings from the studios especially during the summer but this summer in particular it seems like audiences are turning their backs on these films," observed Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian. "It's a real head-scratcher in a way as to why some of these films aren't doing well."
Universal's Beatles-themed rom-com "Yesterday" rounded out the top five in weekend three with $6.8 million.
Dergarabedian said that it's never a good thing for the box office when week after week the top movies are holdovers.
"That means newcomers are not making inroads," he said. "You want audiences every weekend to be excited about a new film."
That lack of enthusiasm is showing in the overall industry numbers. The weekend is down nearly 26% and the year is still around 9%, although Disney's blockbuster-in-the-making "The Lion King" is on the horizon. The photorealistic remake of Disney's animated classic opened this weekend in China ahead of its North American debut and made an estimated $54.7 million.
Although the big new releases failed to light the box office on fire, the independent film scene was thriving with myriad of options.
Among the most notable is Lulu Wang's family drama "The Farewell," which currently has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. The Awkwafina-led film opened in four locations to $351,330 for a massive $87,833 per theater average. It's expanding to more cities in the coming weeks.
The dark Jesse Eisenberg comedy "The Art of Self Defense" opened in seven locations to $121,080, and the Marc Maron-led "Sword of Trust" debuted in two locations with $22,512. Documentaries, such as "Maiden," ''Pavarotti" and "Echo in the Canyon" also continue to find audiences in limited release.
"If you're an independent movie fan, this is your weekend," Dergarabedian said. "The diversity of films is just staggering."
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."Spider-Man: Far From Home," $45.3 million ($100 million international).
2."Toy Story 4," $20.7 million ($48.1 million international).
3."Crawl," $12 million ($4.8 million international).
4."Stuber," $8 million ($3 million international).
5."Yesterday," $6.8 million ($7.8 million international).
6."Aladdin," $5.9 million ($14.6 million international).
7."Annabelle Comes Home," $5.6 million ($18.1 million international).
8."Midsommar," $3.6 million ($766,000 international).
9."The Secret Life of Pets 2," $3.1 million ($14.6 million).
10."Men in Black: International," $2.2 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to Comscore:
1. "Spider-Man: Far From Home," $100 million.
2. "The Lion King," $54.7 million.
3. "Toy Story 4," $48.1 million.
4. "White Storm 2: The Drug Lords," $33.6 million.
5. "Annabelle Comes Home," $18.1 million.
6. "Aladdin" and "The Secret Life of Pets 2," $14.6 million.
7. "Yesterday," $7.8 million.
8. "Crawl," $4.8 million.
9. "Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel – II. Lost Butterfly," $3.5 million.
10. "Stuber," $3 million.
Carrie Coon Relishes Being Part Of An Ensemble–From “The Gilded Age” To “His Three Daughters”
It can be hard to catch Carrie Coon on her own.
She is far more likely to be found in the thick of an ensemble. That could be on TV, in "The Gilded Age," for which she was just Emmy nominated, or in the upcoming season of "The White Lotus," which she recently shot in Thailand. Or it could be in films, most relevantly, Azazel Jacobs' new drama, "His Three Daughters," in which Coon stars alongside Natasha Lyonne and Elizabeth Olsen as sisters caring for their dying father.
But on a recent, bright late-summer morning, Coon is sitting on a bench in the bucolic northeast Westchester town of Pound Ridge. A few years back, she and her husband, the playwright Tracy Letts, moved near here with their two young children, drawn by the long rows of stone walls and a particularly good BLT from a nearby cafe that Letts, after biting into, declared must be within 15 miles of where they lived.
In a few days, they would both fly to Los Angeles for the Emmys (Letts was nominated for his performance in "Winning Time" ). But Coon, 43, was then largely enmeshed in the day-to-day life of raising a family, along with their nightly movie viewings, which Letts pulls from his extensive DVD collection. The previous night's choice: "Once Around," with Holly Hunter and Richard Dreyfus.
Coon met Letts during her breakthrough performance in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?" on Broadway in 2012. She played the heavy-drinking housewife Honey. It was the first role that Coon read and knew, viscerally, she had to play. Immediately after saying this, Coon sighs.
"It sounds like something some diva would say in a movie from the '50s," Coon says. "I just walked around in my apartment in my slip and I had pearls and a little brandy. I made a grocery list and I just did... Read More