This year has gotten off to a boomingbox office start, with the dramaHidden Figuressurprisingly snappingRogue One’s four weekend winning streak early in the month. AfterHidden Figurestook two in a row, it dropped in its third, with Universal’s R-rated thrillerSplittaking the top spot with an unexpected $40.1 million, going up againstXXX 3,The Resurrection of Gavin StoneandThe Founder, which expanded nationwide after an awards-qualifying run in December. It was always going to be a close race betweenSplitand Paramount’sXXX: Return of Xander Cage, but Split shockingly doubledXXX 3’s estimated opening weekend tally of $20 million.
Box Office Mojoreports thatSplitpulled in an impressive $13,229 per-screen average from 3,038 screens. It also earned an impressive 75% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and its $40 million debut means it has already earned eight times more than its reported $5 million budget.Splitis directorM. Night Shyamalan’s second movie teaming up with producerJason Blum, following the 2015 thrillerThe Visit. Paramount’sXXX 3debuted in roughly 600 more theaters (3,651) but it only took in about half of whatSplitopened with, earning $20 million, which falls just between the debuts of the first two movies.
The firstXXXmovie debuted in 2002, just after the success ofVin Diesel’s firstFast & Furiousmovie in 2001, earning an impressive $44.5 million opening weekend en route to $142.1 million domestic and $277.4 million worldwide, from a $70 million budget. The sequel, which featuredIce CubereplacingVin Diesel’sXander Cageas a new secret agent named Darius Stone, didn’t fare so well, opening in 2005 with $12.7 million, en route to $26.8 million domestic and $71 million worldwide, from an unspecified budget. No budget figures have been released forXXX: The Return of Xander Cage, but it was not a critical hit, with just 42% on Rotten Tomatoes. The top 5 will be rounded out byHidden Figures($16.2 million),Sing($9 million) andLa La Land($8.3 million).The Founderopened in ninth place with $3.75 million, opening in 1,115 for a paltry $3,370 per-screen average. As expected,The Resurrection of Gavin Stoneopened outside of the top 10, debuting in 18th place with $1.3 million, earning a horrid $1,530 per-screen average from 887 theaters.
The third explosive chapter of the blockbusterxXxfranchise that redefined the spy thriller finds extreme athlete turned government operativeXander Cage(Vin Diesel) coming out of self-imposed exile and on a collision course with deadly alpha warrior Xiang and his team in a race to recover a sinister and seemingly unstoppable weapon known as Pandora’s Box. Recruiting an all-new group of thrill-seeking cohorts, Xander finds himself enmeshed in a deadly conspiracy that points to collusion at the highest levels of world governments. Packed with the series' signature deadpan wit and bad-ass attitude,XXX: The Return of Xander Cageraises the bar on extreme action with some of the most mind-blowing stunts to ever be caught on film.
In Split, though Kevin has evidenced 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher, there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the willful, observant Casey, Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him-as well as everyone around him-as the walls between his compartments shatter apart.James McAvoystars as the 23 separate personalities of Kevin, withAnya Taylor Joy,Hayley Lu RichardsonandJessica Sulastarring as the three abducted girls andBetty Buckleyas Dr. Fletcher.M. Night Shyamalandirects from his own script, withJason Blumproducing. The movie is already an early hit with critics with an impressive 80% RT score.
The Founder, directed byJohn Lee Hancock(The Blind Side,Saving Mr. Banks), features the true story of how Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton), a struggling salesman from Illinois, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who were running a burger operation in 1950s Southern California. Kroc was impressed by the brothers' speedy system of making the food and saw franchise potential. WriterRobert Siegel(The Wrestler) details how Kroc maneuvered himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a billion-dollar empire. The film also starsLaura Dernas Ray Kroc’s first wife Ethel;Linda Cardellinias his second wife Joan Smith;John Carroll Lynchas Mac McDonald andNick Offermanas Dick McDonald.
The Resurrection of Gavin Stonefollows the title character (Brett Dalton), a washed-up former child star, is forced to do community service at a local megachurch and pretends to be Christian so he can land the part of Jesus in their annual Passion Play, only to discover that the most important role of his life is far from Hollywood. The supporting cast includesEmily Eruraviel,Neil Flynn,Anjelah Johnson-Reyes,Christopher Maleki,Matthew Talford,Shawn MichaelsandD.B. Sweeney.
The top 10 will be rounded out byRogue One: A Star Wars Story($7.03 million),Monster Trucks($7 million),Patriots Day($6 million),The Founder($3.75 million) andSleepless($3.7 million). Also opening in limited release is Sony Pictures Classics’The Red Turtle, which earned $21,811 from three theaters for $7,270 per-screen average. No box office data was released for Magnolia’sDetour, Rialto’sPanique, Strand’sStaying Verticaland FilmRise’sThe Sunshine Makers. It isn’t clear if any of these movies in limited release will be expanding in the weeks to come.
Looking ahead to the final weekend of January, three new movies will debut in wide release. Sony Pictures will close out theirResident Evilfranchise withResident Evil: The Final Chapter, starringMilla Jovovich, alongside Universal’s dramatic comedyA Dog’s PurposestarringDennis Quaidand The Weinstein Company’s dramaGoldstarringMatthew McConaughey. Also opening in limited release is Orion Pictures’Get the Girl, China Lion’sBuddies in India, Indican’sMassacre on Aisle 12, Cohen Media Group’sThe Salesmanand Pantelion’sUn Padre No Tan Padre. Take a look at the top 10 box office estimates for the weekend of January 20.
