his October, the box office has been spoiled by the overwhelming success of Ridley Scott’s The Martian, starring Matt Damon, but this weekend continued the more realistic expectations for October releases with only two movies making more than $20 million.
While The Martian was one of them, the outer space epic wasn’t able to sustain its first place hold for a third weekend as Sony Pictures‘ big screen version of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps, starring Jack Black, Dylan Minette, Odeya Rush, Ryan Lee, Amy Ryan and Jillian Bell, opened this weekend with an estimated take of $23.5 million in 3,501 theaters, averaging $6,712 per theater. It scored well with CinemaScore pollers who gave it an “A,” which always bodes well for a movie’s stay in theaters.
20th Century Fox‘s science fiction hit The Martian took second place with a 42% drop in its third weekend to add another $21.5 million to its domestic earnings of $143.8 million so far.
Steven Spielberg returned with his fourth film collaboration with Tom Hanks for the spy thriller Bridge of Spies (DreamWorks), based on a true story from the Cold War. It opened in 2,811 theaters on Friday (with previews Thursday night) where it grossed an estimated $15.4 million, which is the lowest opening for the duo, even below the $19 million opening for 2004’s The Terminal. On the other hand, Bridge of Spies also received an “A” CinemaScore, which bodes well for its legs in theaters as more audiences should discover it via word-of-mouth.
Guillermo del Toro’s gothic horror film Crimson Peak (Universal), starring Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain and Charlie Hunnam, opened in fourth place with an estimated $12.8 million in 2,984 theaters ($4,290 per theater) after grossing $5.3 million on Friday (including Thursday previews). Its “B-” CinemaScore doesn’t bode well for strong word-of-mouth businesswith more horror offerings on the way. It grossed slightly more internationally with $13.4 million in 55 territories overseas.
Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania 2 dropped to fifth place with $12.3 million in its fourth weekend, having grossed $137 million so far in North America.
Warner Bros.’ fantasy epic Pan, starring Hugh Jackman, Garrett Hedlund, Rooney Mara and Levi Miller, took a massive 62% tumble in its second weekend to sixth place with $5.9 million and $25.7 million total so far.
Warner Bros. also took seventh place with the Nancy Meyers comedy The Intern, starring Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro, which added another $5.4 million to its domestic take of $58.7 million.
The Lionsgate crime thriller Sicario took eighth place with $4.5 million, having grossed $34.7 million so far.
Also opening this weekend in roughly 1,500 theaters was the spiritual sports film Woodlawn (Pure Flix Entertainment), starring Sean Astin and Jon Voight, which earned $4.1 million to take ninth place.
20th Century Fox’s Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials rounded out the Top 10 with $2.8 million, but its $75 million domestic gross is well below the gross of its predecessor.
The Top 10 grossed around $108 million, which is slightly down from this weekend last year when Brad Pitt’s Fury (also from Sony) won the weekend with $23.7 million.
Universal Pictures’ Steve Jobs, starring Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet, expanded into 60 theaters in advance of its nationwide expansion on Friday, October 23, where it grossed $1.6 million, or $25,831 per theater.
This was a great weekend for limited releases that earned buzz on the festival circuit with the Toronto Film Festival audience award-winning Room (A24), starring Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay, opening in four theaters with an impressive $120,000, or $50,000 per theater, which is a good start for a movie that will probably be in the awards conversation come January.
Netflix debuted Cary Fukunaga’s African war drama Beasts of No Nation, starring Idris Elba, into 31 theaters (as well as premiering it on the streaming service), and it brought in a less impressive $50,699, or $1,635 per theater.
Retelling the story of the controversy that got Dan Rather fired from CBS, James Vanderbilt’s drama Truth (Sony Pictures Classics), starring Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford, opened in six theaters in select cities where it grossed just under $77,000 or $12,774 per theater.
