Nick Nolte, Gerard Butler – LIONSGATE
Gerard Butler Returns to Box Office Summit with ‘Angel Has Fallen’
As the summer box office winds down, Angel Has Fallen found its way to the top of the charts. The action sequel, starring Gerard Butler and Morgan Freeman, opened with an estimated $21.2 million.
Gerard Butler hasn’t topped the box office in a leading role since 300 ($70.9 million) in 2007. Ironically enough, Angel Has Fallen opened lower than both Olympus Has Fallen ($30.4 million) and London Has Fallen ($21.6 million). Late August is much different than the franchise’s typical March release date. A $21.2 million opening isn’t too bad. Angel Has Fallen is running neck-and-neck with other August openers. Both Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark ($20.9 million) and Good Boys ($21.4 million) found similar debuts. Audiences are still invested in the franchise. Angel Has Fallen landed an “A-” CinemaScore. Both Olympus Has Fallen and London Has Fallen scored equal CinemaScore grades. Despite a low 40% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s still an improvement over the 26% for London Has Fallen. $50-55 million seems possible in the long run.
After opening in first place, Good Boys dropped one spot in its second weekend. Down 45.1%, the raunchy Universal comedy starring Jacob Tremblay brought in another $11.8 million. Are we looking at the next leggy August comedy? Perhaps not. We’re not seeing that The 40-Year-Old Virgin (-24%) We’re the Millers (-32%) or Tropic Thunder (-37%) type of drop. Instead, Good Boys is playing more like a Superbad (-45.4%). Fortunately, the drop wasn’t as terrible as 2008’s Pineapple Express (-57.8%). Right now, Good Boys stands at $42.1 million. A $60-65 million finish appears to be the current target.
Faith-based drama, Overcomer claimed the third place spot this weekend with $8.2 million. Director Alex Kendrick certainly has a formula down with these August and September releases. Fireproof ($6.8 million), Courageous ($9.1 million) and War Room ($11.4 million) all did well over similar frames. While Overcomer failed to win over Rotten Tomatoes critics, audiences were overwhelmingly positive. CinemaScore audiences offered the rare “A+” for the Kendrick drama. With Labor Day weekend ahead, legs are almost a guarantee.
The Lion King pulled in one of the weekend’s best holdovers. Down 33.9%, the Disney remake grossed another $8.2 million. Earlier in the week, The Lion King passed the $500 million milestone as well as 2017’s Beauty and the Beast ($504 million). Now at $510.6 million, The Lion King could still finish around $535-540 million. That would edge it past Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ($532.2 million) and The Dark Knight ($535.2 million). Worldwide, the remake has surpassed $1.5 billion. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker may be only film left in 2019 to challenge The Lion King on both fronts.
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw dropped three spots in its fourth weekend. The Universal spin-off, starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, made another $8.1 million, down 42.6% from last weekend. That brings its total up to $147.7 million, topping 2001’s The Fast and the Furious ($144.5 million). Labor Day weekend should help push Hobbs & Shaw over Fast and Furious ($155.1 million). A $160 million finish would make Hobbs & Shaw the franchise’s leggiest installment in 13 years.
Note: These #’s are based on Sunday’s projections and can change with Monday’s actual #’s
#1 – Angel Has Fallen (NR)
$21.3 million / $21.3 million total
#2 – Good Boys (1)
$11.8 million / $42.1 million total
#3 – Overcomer (NR)
$8.2 million / $8.2 million total
#4 – The Lion King (3)
$8.2 million / $510.6 million total
#5 – Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2)
$8.1 million / $147.7 million total
Opening Next Week: Don’t Let Go
Source: Box Office Mojo
