"The predator" leads the weekend, maybe not even at the counter

With a $ 24 million opening, "The Predator" easily took first place this weekend after "The Nun" turned out to be an opponent with a 66% drop. An unusual total of four new broad versions made the Top 10, with the "A Simple Favor" focused on women making a good $ 16 million, while "White Boy Rick" (Sony) managed a little more half. The faith-based "Unbroken: Path to Redemption" suite cost about $ 2.3 million.

Last year, the global box office rose 10%, led by the second weekend of "It", which amounted to $ 60 million.

All that said, "The Predator" – which cost $ 88 million before marketing and received a very low C + Cinemascore – is not impressive. The sixth in the series is not a sequel, but a remake of the original 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger (which lacked "The" in his title.) Among the series in adjusted figures, it is fourth class, about $ 5.5 million less "Predators" in 2010.

The lack of distinctiveness of these titles could help give an impression of consistency in the project, whose director Shane Black was a little more humorous than his predecessors. He also saw an unusual marketing ploy with his premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Midnight Madness section. September's studio releases are not uncommon, but they are usually high-level gala presentations like "Magnificent Seven" or "The Town".

"The Nun" was also the sixth entry in a series, but cost a quarter of "The Predator" and opened to double the initial result. This suggests how important it is to attract an almost equal female audience these days ("Predator" tipped 64 to 36% men).

Better news for "The Predator" is its initial $ 30 million takeover abroad. However, most territories have opened their doors (France and Italy are still in the lead, China is not yet defined). This is the kind of film that has to strongly support overseas, with a global business figure of more than $ 200 million to have a chance of profitability. Early results suggest that this could be a close call.

Peter Iovino

"A simple favor" at $ 16 million seems fine when the initial cost was $ 20 million, and even better when Saturday rose six percent from its combined opening Thursday / Friday ("The Predator" dropped 19%). A mystery with a suburban blogger (Anna Kendrick) using her social media platform to find her missing friend (Blake Lively) is the kind of middle-level title that Lionsgate often maximizes ("Wonder" being a high-end example). Another possible comparison is "Book Club," which has sparked a wave of interest among adult women in a number of times five times greater than the opening weekend of more than $ 13 million.

His Cinemascore was B +, not great. But Saturday's hike is a better indication of the initial response. Do not be surprised if it exceeds the "Predator" this weekend.

"White Boy Rick", Toronto's second premiere, is more of a typical studio title premiered at the festival. The first American film by French director Yann Demange, best known for his "71" set from Northern Ireland, tells the story of a young clandestine informant who was later jailed for his own drug . activity.

These festival debut, in a year become very strong, might not have been very successful. His consensus exams resulted at best at the top of the mix. The biggest name is Matthew McConaughey, who continues to favor more ambitious projects.

But none of this, with Sony's strong support for its Studio 8 partner, has translated into commercial success. The result of less than $ 9 million for a release of 2,504 plays is not encouraging, nor is its 9% drop for the second day. It cost $ 30 million before marketing.

The final opening, "Unbroken: Path to Redemption" is not related to the creative elements of Angelina Jolie's film. He continues the story of his prisoner of war hero on his return to civilian life, with a strong emphasis on his strong religious faith. His director achieved the hit "God's Not Dead," but his answer this time was marginal with a low $ 2.35 million. Jolie's movie grossed over 115 million dollars.

Warner Bros.

Both openings last week had unimpressive catches. "The Nun" has dropped 66%. It's very high, even for a genre that sees its aftermath being short-lived. "Peppermint" dropped by 55%, a bit surprising with the initial feeling that Jennifer Garner's revenge thriller had a positive reaction.

The "crazy rich Asians" maintained their fifth weekend at 34%. It now stands at just under $ 150 million, and should soon be between $ 185 million and $ 190 million.

The Top Ten

1. The predator (20th Century Fox) NEW – Cinemascore: C +; Metacritic: 49; East. budget: $ 88 million

$ 24,000,000 in 4,037 movie theaters; PTA (theater average): $ 4,037; Cumulative: $ 24,000,000

2. The nun (Warner Bros.) Week 2 – Last Weekend # 1

$ 18,200,000 (-66%) in 3,876 theaters (unchanged); PTA: $ 4,696; Cumulative: $ 85,076,000

3. A simple favor (Lionsgate) NEW – Cinemascore: B +; Metacritic: 68; East. budget: $ 20 million

$ 16,050,000 in 3,102 theaters; PTA: $ 5,174; Cumulative: $ 16,050,000

4. White Boy Rick (Sony) NEW – Cinemascore: B; Metacritic: 60; East. budget: $ 30 million

$ 8,800,000 out of 2,504 theaters; PTA: $ 3,514; Cumulative: $ 8,800,000

5. Asian Rich and Crazy (Warner Bros.) Week 5 – Last Weekend # 3

$ 8,700,000 (-34%) in 3,385 cinemas (-480); PTA: $ 2,570; Cumulative: $ 149,552,000

6. peppermint (STX) Week 2 – Last Weekend # 2

$ 6,070,000 (-55%) in 2,980 theaters (unchanged); PTA: $ 2,037; Cumulative: $ 24,246,000

7. The Meg (Warner Bros.) Week 6 – Last Weekend # 4

$ 3,805,000 (-38%) in 2,851 movie theaters (-660); PTA: $ 1,335; Cumulative: $ 137,087,000

8. Research (Sony) Week 4 – Last Weekend # 5

$ 3,200,000 (-30%) in 2,009 theaters (unchanged); PTA: $ 1,593; Cumulative: $ 19,621,000

9. Uninterrupted: the path of redemption (PureFlix) NEW – Metacritic: 38; East. budget: $ 6

$ 2,350,000 in 1,620 theaters; PTA: $ 1,431; Cumulative: $ 2,350,000

10. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (Paramount) Week 8 – Last Weekend # 6

$ 2,315,000 (-40%) in 1,761 cinemas (-573); PTA: $ 1,761; Cumulative: $ 216,125,000

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