Movie theaters turned into ghost towns across North America this weekend as Halloween falling on a Saturday had people heading anywhere but the multiplexes to have some fun. Three new arrivals, Our Brand Is Crisis, Burnt and Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, all bombed and did so big time. The box office dipped to its lowest point of 2015 this weekend, but the doom and gloom will be short-lived as Spectre and The Peanuts Movie both open this upcoming Thursday night.
With another round of new arrivals falling flat on their face, Fox’s The Martian had no trouble staying in the number one position for one last time before abdicating the throne to 007. A one-week run in IMAX 3D theaters helped the blockbuster dip only 28% in business. The blockbuster earned $11.4 million from 3,218 theaters to bring its domestic total to a huge $182.8 million. The Martian should shortly pass Gladiator’s $187 million grand total to become director Ridley Scott’s biggest career hit. Overseas, the film has brought in $245 million so far.
Sony’s Goosebumps held on to the second spot this weekend. The Jack Black comedy scared up $10.2 million from 3,618 theaters. Off 34%, its total now stands at $57 million with a final domestic haul of approximately $70 million possible.
Holding firm in third place was Disney’s Bridge of Spies with an estimated $8 million from 2,873 theaters. Off 29%, the Tom Hanks feature has earned $45.2 million so far. Unlike fellow adult-targeted features such as Steve Jobs, Sicario and Black Mass, Bridge of Spies has held firm at the box office thanks to strong word-of-mouth.
Sony’s Hotel Transylvania 2 moved up one spot to fourth place to scare up an estimated $5.8 million from 2,962 screens. To date, the feature has earned $156 million and should wind down with approximately $165 million.
Of the three new films that entered the market Friday, only the Bradley Cooper cooking drama Burnt managed to crack the top five. However, it did so with an undercooked $5 million from 3,003 theaters. Critics dismissed the Weinstein Company release, and ticket buyers followed suit. The poor opening for Burnt marks the second box office bomb for the American Sniper star following last May’s Aloha, which only earned $21 million for Sony.
Warner Brothers’ dismal year at the box office continued with the $3.4 million, eighth place opening in 2,002 theaters for its Sandra Bullock political comedy, Our Brand Is Crisis. Based on a 2005 documentary about an American political consultant working in Bolivia on a presidential campaign, the opening for Crisis represents a career low for Bullock. Reviews for the David Gordon Green-directed feature were largely negative. The small group of ticket buyers who did venture out to see Crisis gave the movie a “C+” CinemaScore rating.
Then there’s the Paramount horror comedy Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, which imploded in twelfth place with $1.7 million from 1,509 theaters. The studio had a hard time booking theaters thanks to a continued boycott by many theater chains protesting the studio’s controversial deal allowing them to shuffle a film off to Video On Demand once its screen count dips below 300 screens.
The top ten:
- The Martian (Fox) $11.4 million (-28%); $182.8 million
- Goosebumps (Sony) $10.2 million (-34%); $57.1 million
- Bridge of Spies (Disney) $8 million (-29%); $45.2 million
- Hotel Transylvania 2 (Sony) $5.8 million (-34%); $156 million
- Burnt (Weinstein Company) $5 million (New)
- The Last Witch Hunter (Lionsgate) $4.7 million (-56%); $18.6 million
- Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (Paramount) $3.4 million; $18.6 million
- Our Brand Is Crisis (Warner) $3.4 million (New)
- Crimson Peak (Universal) $3.1 million (-45%); $27.7 million
- Steve Jobs (Universal) $2.58 million (-64%); $14.5 million
Next weekend belongs to Bond, James Bond, as Spectre begins its assault on the global box office following a massive $80 million opening weekend in a dozen foreign markets, which includes a record-setting $63 million from the United Kingdom alone. While everyone agrees the movie will be a monster, the question remains whether it will be able to reach the stratospheric heights of 2012’s Skyfall. Fox’s The Peanuts Movie arrives next Friday as well and should have a solid second place debut, fueled by families opting for something a little less adult than Spectre.
