Why ‘Transformers’ Is Screaming For Reboot After $68M Start; ‘Wonder Woman’ Steps On ‘Cars 3’ In 2nd-Place Fight – Monday AM
UPDATED, Monday 9:15 AM: Paramount’s Transformers: The Last Knight is coming in at $68 million over five days, $1M less than where the studio and industry were seeing it yesterday. But the more exciting news was being generated by the second-place blinking contest between Warner Bros’ Wonder Woman and Disney/Pixar’s Cars 3.
Both studios reported a three-decimal weekend of $25.175M, but others clearly saw the DC superhero ahead. That’s how it shook out this morning, with Wonder Woman taking second place with $24.9M (-40%) in its fourth weekend, close to $1M more than Cars 3, which industry calculations have at $23.94M in its second weekend (-55%).
Wonder Woman‘s weekend is the second-best fourth-weekend take for Warner Bros after The Dark Knight‘s $26.1M. Box office analysts believe that Wonder Woman‘s domestic endgame lies around $360M, blitzing past last year’s DC hits Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice ($330M) and Suicide Squad ($325M). The Patty Jenkins-directed movie, the highest-grossing live-action title worldwide to be directed by a woman, currently stands at $318.1M in U.S./Canada, and $652.6M globally. Cars 3 counts a running cume through 10 days of $98.6M stateside, per industry estimates.
Wonder Woman took in $7.48M on Sunday, -26% from Saturday. WB originally projected a $7.75M Sunday.
Cars 3 made $6.9M, -27% from Saturday. Disney forecasted a $8.3M Sunday yesterday.
Over three days, Last Knight made $44.3M.
UPDATED, Sunday 7:45 AM: Transformers: The Last Knight looks to be nearing close to its original tracking projection of $70M with an estimated $69.1M per industry sources. Paramount is also seeing the opening at the same figure. This is after a good Saturday of $17.5M, which turned out to be the pic’s highest day in its five-day opening, that was also +28% over Friday. Three day is now at $45.3M. Despite the rebound, Last Knight remains the lowest grossing opening for the Transformers series through five films. It’s not a game-changer in any way, nor some renaissance overhaul; the only difference is more young males came out to push up the fifthquel’s weekend.
With domestic an afterthought, the only gas justifying the livelihood of these antiquated live-action franchises’ existence this summer –and we’re talking Alien, The Mummy, Pirates of the Caribbean– is overseas and China. Last Knight made $123.4M in the Middle Kingdom which reps 63% of the pic’s $196.2M overseas weekend B.O. Note only an estimated 25% of that China take is coming back to Paramount due to U.S. distribution terms with the country.
With domestic at an all-time low, it’s obvious that Transformers is in need of a major reboot. However, Paramount needed to get to this low point in order to realize that the franchise truly needs to be shaken up, and with Michael Bay’s departure from this CGI overindulgence, there’s hope for a new direction in the franchise. After Age of Extinction made $1.1B global and $245M stateside, and an estimated $250M profit, there was still little reason for the Melrose Lot to change up their game. But now with this opening, it’s an eye-opener for an overhaul. Paramount employed a writers’ room with Last Knight led by Akiva Goldsman, but that did little to sway the masses from noticing that the movie was different from its predecessors.
With Last Knight being indistinguishable from other Tranformer movies, marketing’s job was just harder all around. While they tried to differentiate Last Knight from its predecessors with a King Arthur subplot, it’s still a CGI mess of a movie with Optimus Prime blending into the Deceptacons. Standing in front of the Carlton Hotel on the Cannes Croisette and looking at the Transformers trailer this spring, one wouldn’t know if it was 2017 or 2014, the materials looked so similar to Age of Extinction. A cynicism pervades among U.S. audiences with sequels, and in order to make them work, a studio really needs to make them pop (which of course Lucasfilm and Marvel know how to do).
Audience study-wise per our sources, it’s the robots that moviegoers come for in Transformers movies, not the humans, so the challenge remains making these bucket of bolts more dramatically enticing. Bumblebee on June 8 next year starring Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld looks to take Transformers in a new direction with an Amblin-like tone. He’s the more popular of the car-battle bots.
As opposed to opening day, the under 25ers started showing up to Last Knight over the weekend. They now rep 52% of all moviegoers per ComScore/Screen Engine’s PostTrak versus the 45% originally spotted, and men under 25 have grown from 29% of all moviegoers to being the predominant crowd (38%). Previously, older males were leading the charge at 33%, but they have now dropped to 23%. Last Knight drew 46% Caucasians, 26% Hispanic, 17% African American and 8% Asian. Men under 25 are giving Last Knight its best reviews at 80% on PostTrak and the under 18 set gave it an A CinemaScore (but that latter grade was on Wednesday night; PostTrak updates their audience polls throughout the weekend). Last Knight earned $7.6M at 390 Imax auditoriums since Wednesday. Sixteen of the top 20 U.S./Canada runs were IMAX locations. 3D represented 67% of Last Knight‘s $265M worldwide weekend.
Both Disney and Warner Bros. are reporting exactly $25.175M for Cars 3 and Wonder Woman. But industry averages see it different with Wonder Woman leading $25.05M in second and Cars 3 at $24.6M. Disney with its higher estimates is projecting that matinee business will lift them higher than Wonder Woman. We’ll see tomorrow morning. Wonder Woman crossed $300M this weekend and will soon beat Suicide Squad ($325M) and Batman v. Superman ($330M) to become the third highest DC movie at the domestic B.O. after Dark Knight and Dark Knight Rises.
Meanwhile Amazon’s romantic comedy The Big Sick co-released with Lionsgate earned the best per theater average of 2017 with $87K, and the highest since December when La La Land opened. The Judd Apatow-produced comedy cleared $435K at five New York and Los Angeles sites. Amazon acquired The Big Sick out of Sundance for $12M.
“Kumail and Emily’s true story provided audiences of all ages a much-needed alternative to the summer blockbusters”, said Bob Berney, Head of Marketing & Distribution at Amazon Studios in a statement. “Michael Showalter’s film delivers the laughs and heartfelt moments that will propel it through the summer.”
Focus Features’ release of Sofia Coppola’s The Beguiled grossed $240k at four theaters in New York and Los Angeles for a per theater average of $60K. Said Focus Features distribution chief Lisa Bunnell, “We’re thrilled by this opening, which is particularly satisfying as it represents the highest opening per-screen average for any of Sofia Coppola’s films and is well-positioned for next weekend’s expansion. This is Focus’ third collaboration with Sofia and she’s created an entertaining, atmospheric thriller featuring strong female representation in front of and behind the camera.” Next weekend, The Beguiled expands to 500 locations.
Studio estimates for the weekend of June 23-25 as of Sunday AM:
1). Transformers: The Last Knight (PAR), 4,069 theaters / $15.65M Wed. (includes Tuesday preview of $5.5M) / $8.1M Thurs. / $13.8M Fri. / $17.5M Sat/Sun/ 3-day cume: $45.3M / Total cume: $69.1M / Wk 1 Industry estimate: $69.1M
2). Wonder Woman (WB), 3,933 theaters (-85) / $7.3M Fri. / $10M Sat/ $7.75M Sun/3-day cume: $25.175M (-39%)/ Total: $318.4M / Wk 4, Industry Estimate: $25.05M
2.). Cars 3 (DIS), 4.256 theaters (o) / $7.6m Fri. /$9.3M Sat/$8.3M Sun /3-day cume: $25.175M (-53%) / Total: $99.9M / Wk 2, Industry estimate: $24.6M
4.). 47 Meters Down (ENT), 2,471 theaters (+201) / $2.3M Fri. /$2.8M Sat/$2.35M Sun/ 3-day cume: $7.4M (-34%) / Total: $24.2M / Wk 2
5.). All Eyez On Me (LGF), 2,471 theaters (0) / $1.9M Fri. /$2.3M Sat/$1.6M Sun 3-day cume: $5.85M (-78%) / Total: $38.6M / Wk 2
6.). The Mummy (Uni), 2,980 theaters (-827) / $1.75M Fri. /$2.4M Sat/$1.65M Sun/ 3-day cume: $5.8M (-60%)/ Total: $68.5M / Wk 3
7.). Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (DIS), 2,453 theaters (-68) / $1.59M Fri. /$2M Sat/$1.58M Sun/ 3-day cume: $5.2M (-42%)/ Total: $160M / Wk 5
8.) Rough Night (SONY), 3,162 theaters (0) / $1.58M Fri. / $1.8M Sat/$1.3M Sun/3-day cume: $4.7M (-40%) / Total: $16.6M / Wk 2
9.) Captain Underpants (DWA/20TH), 2,328 theaters (-44) / $1.48M Fri. /$1.64M Sat/$1.17M Sun 3-day cume: $4.28M (-40%)/ Total: $65.7M / Wk 4
10). Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (DIS), 1,468 theaters (-72) / $882KFri. /$1.2M Sat/$889K Sun/ 3-day cume: $3M (-41%)/ Total: $380.2M / Wk 8
11.) Beatriz At Dinner (RSA), 491 theaters (+414) / $562K Fri. / $726K Sat/$530K/Sun/3-day cume: $1.8M (+159%) / Per screen average: $3,7K / Total: $3M / Wk 3
NOTABLES:
DJ Duvvada Jagannadh (BSKY), 190 theaters / $590K Fri. /$252k Sat/$176K Sun/ 3-day cume: $1M /Wk 1
Book of Henry (FOC), 646 theaters (+67) / $311K Fri. /$368K Sat/$258K Sun/ 3-day cume: $937K (-34%) / Per screen: $1,4K/ Total: $3.1M / Wk 2
The Big Sick (AMAZ/LGF), 5 theaters / $134K Fri. /$169K Sat/$132K Sun/3-day cume: $435K / Per screen: $87K / Wk 1
The Beguiled (FOC), 4 theaters / $89K Fri. / $82K Sat/ $69K Sun/3-day cume: $240K / Per screen: $60K / Wk 1
Saturday AM writethru after Friday 3rd UPDATE: Paramount is seeing slightly better numbers on a film that opened this past Tuesday in previews and has been stuck in second gear. The latest pic in its franchise —Transformers: The Last Knight — is on track to take in about $40M+ for the three-day and is looking at a $63.9M five-day, which would be the lowest opening in the series of five films. The last time out, Transformers: Age of Extinction grabbed $100M in its opening weekend in 2014 also in June. It seems the studio and Hasbro has squeezed every drop out of this film franchise; audiences are clearly growing tired of it.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros./DC’s Wonder Woman cleared the $300M mark yesterday with $7.3M and is expected to hit $319.4M by Sunday. Currently, the Patty Jenkins-directed movie is expected to pull in $26.17M for the weekend, which would inch out Dark Knight ($26.11M) to become the best fourth weekend for a Warner Bros. release ever at the domestic box office. Soon, Wonder Woman will overtake Suicide Squad ($325.1M) and Batman v. Superman ($330.3M) to become the third highest grossing DC title ever after The Dark Knight ($534.9M) and The Dark Knight Rises ($448.1M).
In its second weekend out, Cars 3 should drive past the $100M mark for Disney/Pixar, depending on how strong the family audience attendance is today and Sunday. That would mean a 52% drop for $25.6M. The picture that is just tanking in its second weekend is the Tupac Shakur biopic All Eyez on Me, which kept its theaters but it sinking like a stone in its sophomore frame, down possibly 78% with $5.88M.
More interesting are the performances of films in the Specialty box office. The Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan comedy The Big Sick from Amazon and Lionsgate could pull off $80K per screen in its five theaters its first weekend out. To date in 2017, that’s the best opening theater average beating Beauty and the Beast‘s $42K. The husband/wife duo promoted this film at CinemaCon earlier this year and it was one of the highlights of the convention, primarily because Nanjiani had everyone in stitches. As reported exclusively by Deadline, Amazon scooped up The Big Sick at Sundance for $12M. Can they make their money back? Given the notable per theater here, an expansion is obviously in store. The movie is certified fresh by Rotten Tomatoes at 97% and that equals more foot traffic.
Sofia Coppola’s drama The Beguiled, which premiered this year at Cannes and stars Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning, is also in a handful of theaters and may pull in a per screen average of around $65,6K from its four theaters. The Beguiled is also in its first weekend. While Beguiled is 74% fresh, it has the distinction of having Cannes kudos best director for Coppola as well as Nicole Kidman’s special 70th anniversary prize.
Other indies, like the Mike White/Miguel Arteta satirical comedy Beatriz for Dinner expanded to 491 theaters after a great performance for distributor Roadside Attractions’ last weekend. The film, which has been getting critical kudos since it premiered at Sundance, stars Salma Hayek and Jonathan Lithgow. And you gotta give kudos to the marketing team on this one for the fun trailer and visuals.
Here’s the chart as of Saturday AM:
1). Transformers: The Last Knight (PAR), 4,069 theaters / $15.65M Wed. (includes Tuesday preview of $5.5M) / $8.1M Thurs. / $13.7M Fri. / 3-day cume: $40.1M / Total cume: $63.9M / Wk 1
2). Wonder Woman (WB), 3,933 theaters (-85) / $7.3M Fri. / 3-day cume: $26.1M / Total: $319.4M / Wk 4
3). Cars 3 (DIS), 4.256 theaters (o) / $7.65m Fri. / 3-day cume: $25.6M (-52%) / Total: $100.3M+ / Wk 2
4.). 47 Meters Down (ENT), 2,471 theaters (+201) / $2.2M Fri. / 3-day cume: $6.9M (-38%) / Total: $23.7M / Wk 2
5.). All Eyez On Me (LGF), 2,471 theaters (0) / $1.89M Fri. / 3-day cume: $5.88M (-78%) / Total: $38.7M / Wk 2
6.). The Mummy (Uni), 2,980 theaters (-827) / $1.7M Fri. / 3-day cume: $5.8M / Total: $68.5M / Wk 3
7.). Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (DIS), 2,453 theaters (-68) / $1.6M Fri. / 3-day cume: $5.4M / Total: $160.1M / Wk 5
8./9). Captain Underpants (DWA/20TH), 2,328 theaters (-44) / $1.46M Fri. / 3-day cume: $4.8M / Total: $66.3M / Wk 4
Rough Night (SONY), 3,162 theaters (0) / $1.58M Fri. / 3-day cume: $4.8M (-40%) / Total: $16.7M / Wk 2
10). Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (DIS), 1,468 theaters (-72) / $876KFri. / 3-day cume: $3M / Total: $380.2M / Wk 8
11./12) DJ Duvvada Jagannadh (BSKY), 190 theaters / $608K Fri. / 3-day cume: $1.8M /Wk 1
Beatriz At Dinner (RSA), 491 theaters (+414) / $558K Fri. / 3-day cume: $1.8M (+140%) / Per screen average: $3,6K / Total: $3M / Wk 3
NOTABLES:
Book of Henry (FOC), 646 theaters (+67) / $311K Fri. / 3-day cume: $972K (-32%) / Per screen: $1,5K/ Total: $3.1M / Wk 2
The Big Sick (AMAZ/LGF), 5 theaters / $134K Fri. / 3-day cume: $401K / Per screen: $80K / Wk 1
The Beguiled (FOC), 4 theaters / $89K Fri. / 3-day cume: $262K / Per screen: $65,6K / Wk 1
Figures as of Friday night:
1). Transformers: The Last Knight (PAR), 4,069 theaters / $15.65M Wed. (includes Tuesday preview of $5.5M) / $8.1M Thurs. / $13.6M to $14M+ Fri. / 3-day cume: $40M to $42M / Total cume: $65M+ / Wk 1
2). Wonder Woman (WB), 3,933 theaters (-85) / $7.5M Fri. / 3-day cume: $27.5M to $27.8M / Total: $319M / Wk 4
3). Cars 3 (DIS), 4.256 theaters (o) / $7.7M to $8M Fri. / 3-day cume: $26M to $27M (-52%) / Total: $100M+ / Wk 2
4.). 47 Meters Down (ENT), 2,471 theaters (+201) / $2.2M Fri. / 3-day cume: $6.57M (-38%) / Total: $23.5M / Wk 2
5.). The Mummy (Uni), 2,980 theaters (-827) / $1.7M Fri. / 3-day cume: $6.1M / Total: $68.9M / Wk 3
6.). Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (DIS), 2,453 theaters (-68) / $1.8M Fri. / 3-day cume: $6.4M / Total: $161M / Wk 5
7.). All Eyez On Me (LGF), 2,471 theaters (0) / $1.8M Fri. / 3-day cume: $5.4M (-79%) / Total: $38.2M / Wk 2
8.). Captain Underpants (DWA/20TH), 2,328 theaters (-44) / $1.87M Fri. / 3-day cume: $5.5M to $6.4M / Total: $67M / Wk 4
9.). Rough Night (SONY), 3,162 theaters (0) / $1.6M Fri. / 3-day cume: $4.5M to $5M (-44%) / Total: $16.5M to $17M / Wk 2
10). Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (DIS), 1,468 theaters (-72) / $1M+ Fri. / 3-day cume: $3.4M to $3.7M / Total: $380.8M / Wk 8
NOTABLES:
11). Beatriz At Dinner (RSA), 491 theaters (+414) / $526K Fri. / 3-day cume: $1.7M (+140%) / Per screen average: $3,450 / Total: $2.9M / Wk 3
Book of Henry (FOC), 646 theaters (+67) / $325K Fri. / 3-day cume: $1.1M (-21%) / Per screen: $1,741 / Total: $3.2M / Wk 2
The Big Sick (AMAZ/LGF), 5 theaters / $105K Fri. / 3-day cume: $322K to $400K / Per screen: $64K to $80K / Wk 1
The Beguiled (FOC), 4 theaters / $68K Fri. / 3-day cume: $210K / Per screen: $52,190 / Wk 1
— Anita Busch reported Friday night numbers. Anthony D’Alessandro handled Saturday AM writethru
2nd UPDATE, Friday, 12:24 PM: Paramount’s Transformers: The Last Knight is looking at an estimated $12.5 million today based off of midday matinees, with a current outlook that’s just under $60M over five days. That number could fall if these estimates don’t maintain themselves into the night. Three-day already is estimated at $36.5M.
Again, this is a waning property stateside, which many in town believe Paramount strictly made for China, which is bound to clear a $100M opening per Deadline’s Nancy Tartaglione. That territory repped close to a third of Age Of Extinction‘s $1.1 billion take. And even though China for Last Knight is pacing ahead of Extinction by 69%, some analysts believe it may not even finish in the $300M-plus range when all is said and done.
After drawing a profit of $250M on the last movie (merchandise alone generated $30M), it only made sense financially for Paramount to make another Transformers film, and a prolific writers roundtable led by Akiva Goldsman cannot put these robots back together again when there’s the dominant, repetitive, hyper-CGI vision of director Michael Bay (who apparently says its his last Transformers). As we’ve pointed out, critics have zero patience for Last Knight and moviegoers’ interest is on the decline.
Warner Bros/DC’s Wonder Woman, which is clicking past Universal’s Mamma Mia! on a worldwide basis to become the highest-grossing live-action movie directed by a female with $610M, will stay planted in second place with an estimated $26M take (down a marvelous 37%). By Sunday, the Patty Jenkins-directed movie will hurl itself past $319.2M, just $5.8M shy of taking out Suicide Squad and another $11.1M before Wonder Woman shows Batman V. Superman ($330.3M) who exactly is the boss at the box office. Wonder Woman is looking at an estimated $7M today.
Disney/Pixar’s Cars 3 is also driving toward $7M today, but as of this minute is expected to come in under Wonder Woman in third with $23M, down 57% from last week, for a running 10-day take of $97.7M by Sunday.
Lionsgate’s Codeblack Entertainment’s All Eyez On Me is expected to gross $2.7M today for a second weekend of $8M, down 70%, for a 10-day total of $40.8M.
We’ll have more updates tonight.
PREVIOUS, Friday 7:32 AM: Thursday wasn’t expected to be high for Paramount’s Transformers: The Last Knight at the domestic box office, but the downer $8.1 million day, off 48% from its $15.65M opening, doesn’t help the Hasbro pic’s five-day opening.
Through two days, Last Knight counts an estimated $23.7M at 4,069 venues, and some analysts even think there’s a chance the Michael Bay title may even fall below $60M in its five-day opening. Last Knight cost a reported $217M before P&A and will rely on overseas ticket sales to get it to any profit point. The last movie, which grossed a then-domestic final low of $245.4M, minted $1.1 billion worldwide good for a $250M profit after all post-theatrical streams were counted. We’ll have a better idea by noon where domestic lies for Last Knight, and overseas results will be coming in soon. What’s interesting is that no other studio dared to counter-program Last Knight, which is funny because it’s not like the movie is vacuuming up the weekend’s business.
While the fifthquel declined to a B+ CinemaScore from the A- earned by its previous chapter Age Of Extinction, ComScore/Screen Engine’s PostTrak even shows a tiring among audiences between installments. Moviegoers gave Last Knight a mundane 75% positive score versus 84% on Age Of Extinction. Word of mouth has even declined from a 69% definite recommend on AOE to 55% on Last Knight. PostTrak shows mostly men occupying seats at Last Knight, at 61%. How that breaks down: men 25+ (33%), men under 25 (29%), women 25+ (23%), and women under 25 (16%). Most people are watching Last Knight in 3D at 53%. A bulk of Last Knight‘s sales are from walk-up business, with 80% purchasing tickets at the theater. Forty-four percent of moviegoers attended Last Knight because it’s part of a franchise they like, while 16% came for star Mark Wahlberg.
Disney/Pixar’s Cars 3 made $4.4M yesterday in second place, raising its week’s cume to $74.7M, off 10% from the first week of 2006’s Cars, which made $83.3M in seven days and ended its stateside run at $244M.
Warner Bros/DC’s Wonder Woman grossed $4M in third at 4,018 for a running three-week cume of $293.2M. Entertainment Studios’ 47 Meters Down rose up in the daily rankings to fourth with $1.2M at 2,270 and a week’s cume of $16.7M. All Eyez on Me, the Tupac Shakur biopic from Lionsgate’s Codeblack Entertainment, made $1.09M at 2,471 for a week’s tally of $32.8M.
Where’s Sony’s Rough Night? All the way down in eighth place with $878K and a seven-day take of $11.9M.
Meanwhile, hope resides for the Culver City studio with its romantic action title Baby Driver opening Wednesday and currently maintaining a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score.
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