“The Secret Life of Pets”, $8.8 million 7. With a likely final U.S. total of about $60-70 million Pete’s Dragon is about as middle of the road as they come, neither a hit (Disney likely won’t make their money back in theater) nor a bomb.
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Finally, it may be last on the list, but not in terms of total earnings…the horror hit Lights Out brought in an estimated $3.2 million, adding to a whopping $61.1 million over its $4.9 million budget.
It is a less-than-stellar launch for a film well-received by critics, though not as poor as Disney’s “The BFG”, another live-action/CG hybrid from earlier this summer that earned only $53.3 million in the US against a $140 million budget.
And “Bad Moms”, the bawdy comedy starring Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn as overworked and under-appreciated mothers who toss responsibility out the window, placed fifth, at $11.4 million.
Domestically, the film slid a painful 67per cent in its second weekend, earning US$43.8 million. The film broke a number of records for an August release, in particular shattering Guardians of the Galaxy’s previous opening-weekend record.
It’s a signal that the deplorable reviews are catching up with the film and is unwelcome news for Warner Bros., which is trying to launch an inter-connected series of cinematic adventures based on DC Comics characters, but is still struggling to make movies that people like, as well as attend. The for-grown-ups-only picture pulled in a surprising estimated $33.6 million in the US and Canada, well above analyst projections of $20 million.
“Line Walker“, a Hong Kong-Chinese crime film, took third place, earning US$26 million. The studio was expecting a first weekend tally of about $25 million, while Doug Stone of Box Office Analyst was projecting $29 million to $33 million and a total domestic box-office haul of as much as $120 million through its full run. “Pete’s Dragon” snagged third place on the charts.
Reviews are mainly positive for the picture, from audiences, 66 percent of which were families, and critics.
The story of an orphan boy who is cared for by a reclusive dragon brings Hollywood lion Robert Redford back to the screen.
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The only other new entry in the top 10 was Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant’s Florence Foster Jenkins, which debuted in eighth place with $6.6m (£5.1m).
