Well, The Fault in Our Stars absolutely dominated, bringing in an estimated $48.2 million in its opening weekend to go along with solid reviews and an “A” CinemaScore. One thing to note, however, is more than half the film’s gross came on Friday, which included Thursday night screenings in 650 theaters where tickets cost $25 each. Why? The screening included a simulcast Q&A with stars Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort and Nat Wolff, author John Green, director Joshua Boone and producer Wyck Godfrey.
Budgeted at only $12 million this thing is already highly profitable, but it’s hard to entirely determine how well it will do overall considering the skewed Thursday night numbers, though I wouldn’t be surprised to see it finish somewhere around $120 million, which I don’t think anyone will have a problem with. I am, however, unsure how they’re going to make a sequel out of it, but I’m sure Fox execs have had meetings asking if it’s at all possible.
The weekend’s other new wide release was the Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt sci-fi actioner Edge of Tomorrow, which was very well received by critics, but audiences weren’t so impressed. The film came in third this weekend with an estimated $29.1 million to go along with a “B+” CinemaScore, which is hardly impressive. Budgeted at $175 million this one is going to need big numbers overseas as a $29 million opening domestically means this one is going to struggle to hit $100 million here in the States.
Maleficent topped the box office last weekend and fell to second this weekend, dropping 52%, but still coming in with $36 million, raising its ten day domestic cume to $127.6 million. That $180 million budget still looms, however, as this one is going to need plenty of help from overseas where it’s just about to inch over $300 million.
Last week’s other new release was the poorly received “comedy” western A Million Ways to Die in the West, which is finding it easy to die at the box office. After a meager $16.7 million opening, the film fell 57% this weekend for only $7.1 million, raising its cume to $30 million. Dead on arrival.
Next weekend sees the already well-reviewed 22 Jump Street and How to Train Your Dragon 2 come to theaters. I’m sure they’ll both do well, they’re sequels, but how well? Any early predictions?
