Box office: ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ beats ‘Scary Stories'
Despite plenty of new nationwide offerings, Universal’s blockbuster “Hobbs & Shaw” pulled ahead of the competition to maintain its reign at the domestic box office.
The “Fast & Furious” spinoff — starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham — collected $25.4 million during its second weekend of release. That figure marks a 58% decline from its inaugural outing, on par with past franchise entries. After nine days in theaters, “Hobbs & Shaw” has earned $108 million in North America and $224 million overseas.
Even though “Hobbs & Shaw” retained the box office crown, CBS Films, eOne and Lionsgate’s “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” had a strong start, debuting with $20.8 million from 3,135 theaters. The PG-13 thriller tied “The Woman in Black” for CBS Film’s biggest opening to date.
“The filmmakers and the team at CBS Films are thrilled that moviegoers are embracing the world of Scary Stories,” Guillermo del Toro, who served as a producer, said in a statement. “It’s particularly satisfying to see families experiencing the fun of the movie together.”
Paramount’s “Dora and the Lost City of Gold,” a live-action adaptation of the animated kids show, launched in fourth place with $17 million from 3,735 screens. The PG comedy brought out families and females, with parents and kids accounting for 43% of opening weekend crowds, while women and girls totaled 57% of audiences. Hispanics turned out in force, representing 46% of moviegoers. Caucasians made up the next biggest demographic (32%), followed by African Americans (11%) and Asians (11%).
Not all new releases were as fortunate. Star power wasn’t enough to save Warner Bros.’ “The Kitchen,” a heist thriller starring Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish and Elisabeth Moss. The movie flamed out with $5.5 million, a dismal debut given the high-wattage cast and a production budget nearing $38 million. Andrea Berloff wrote and directed the film, which also features Domhnall Gleeson, James Badge Dale and Brian d’Arcy James.
Disney-Fox’s “The Art of Racing in the Rain” came in on the lower end of expectations with $8 million, nabbing sixth place on box office charts. The family friendly film, based on the popular novel by Garth Stein, follows a smarter-than-your-average dog (voiced by Kevin Costner) reflecting back on his relationship with his human owners, played by Milo Ventimiglia and Amanda Seyfried.
The weekend’s final newcomer, Bleecker Street’s “Brian Banks,” opened at No. 12 with $2 million from 1,240 locations.
More to come…
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