Warner Bros. brought theirHarry Potter universeback to theaters this weekend with their first spin-offFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which was expected to dominate at the box office. This big screen adventure, which is set decades beforeHarry Potterstepped foot in Hogwarts, had no trouble taking the top spot, bringing in an impressive $75 million in its opening weekend. This magical adventure also scored big in international markets with $143.3 million, for a worldwide total of $218.3 million, from a whopping $180 million budget.
Box Office Mojoreports thatFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themearned an impressive $18,098 from 4,144 theaters in its opening weekend. That massive roll out is more than twice as much as the other newcomers that hit theaters this weekend, Open Road Films’Bleed For This(1,549 theaters) and STX Entertainment’sThe Edge of Seventeen(1,945 theaters), neither of which managed to crack the top 5. WhileFantastic Beastshad no trouble taking the top spot this weekend, it marks the worst opening weekend in franchise history.
BeforeFantastic Beastshit theaters, the lowest opening weekend inHarry Potterfranchise history was $77.1 million earned byHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixin 2007. With the recent news that this new franchise will now span fiveFantastic Beasts movies, it’s certainly possible that future sequels will open even bigger. After two weeks at the top,Doctor Strangedropped into second place this weekend with $17.6 million. The top 5 is rounded out by holdoversTrolls($17.5 million),Arrival($11.8 million) andAlmost Christmas($7 million).
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themopens in 1926 asNewt Scamanderhas just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident…were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt’s fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.
Bleed For Thisis the incredible true story of one of the most inspiring and unlikely comebacks in sports history.Miles Teller(Whiplash,Divergent) stars as Vinny “The Pazmanian Devil” Pazienza, a local Providence boxer who shot to stardom after winning two world title fights. After a near-fatal car accident leaves Vinny with a severed spine, he is told he may never walk again. Against all odds and doctor’s orders, renowned trainer Kevin Rooney (Aaron Eckhart) agrees to help Vinny return to the ring just a year after the accident for what could be the last fight of his life.
Everyone knows that growing up is hard, and life is no easier for high school junior Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld), who is already at peak awkwardness when her all-star older brother Darian (Blake Jenner) starts dating her best friend Krista (Haley Lu Richardson) inThe Edge of Seventeen. All at once, Nadine feels more alone than ever, until the unexpected friendship of a thoughtful boy (Hayden Szeto) gives her a glimmer of hope that things just might not be so terrible after all. The supporting cast includesWoody Harrelson,Kyra Sedgwick,Nesta CooperandChristian Michael Cooper.
The top 10 will be rounded out byHacksaw Ridge($6.7 million),The Edge of Seventeen($4.8 million),Bleed for This($2.3 million),The Accountant($2.1 million),Shut In($1.6 million). Also opening in limited release was Focus Features' thrillerNocturnal Animals, earning $494,000 from 37 theaters for a solid $13,351 per-screen average. Roadside Attractions' dramaManchester by the Seapulled in a whopping $241,230 from four theaters for an impressive $60,308 per-screen average. Well Go USA’s dramatic comedyI Am Not Madame Bovaryearned $202,500 from 38 theaters for $5,329 per-screen average. Cleopatra Films' dramatic comedyA Street Cat Named Bobtook in $35,070 from 25 theaters for a $1,403 per-screen average, while High Top Releasing’s action movieThe Takeearned $39,000 from 100 theaters for a dismal $390 per-screen average. No box office data was given for Magnolia’s horror-thrillerThe Eyes of My Motheror Magnolia’s action movieOfficer Downe. Another interesting development in theaters was the failure ofBilly Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, after an amazing limited-release opening last week.
Sony’sBilly Lynn’s Long Halftime Walkopened in an impressive fashion last weekend, earning $114,129 from two theaters for an amazing $57,065 per-screen average. DirectorAng Lee’s drama expanded to 1,176 theaters this weekend, but it failed to put up the same impressive numbers, earning $930,000, for a paltry per-screen average of $791. It remains unclear if Sony will expandBilly Lynn’s Long Halftime Walkeven further after this disappointing nationwide expansion.
Looking ahead to next weekend, four new films arrive in wide release, ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Opening on Wednesday, November 23 is Disney’sMoana, Paramount’sAllied, Broad Green Pictures’Bad Santa 2and 20th Century Fox’sRules Don’t Apply. On Friday, November 25, a number of films arrive in limited release, such as Oscilloscope Pictures’Always Shine, IFC’sEvolution, Independent’sKill Command, The Weinstein Company’sLion, EuropaCorp’sMiss Sloaneand Strand’s documentaryMifune: The Last Samurai. Take a look at the projected top 10 for the weekend of November 18, and check back on Sunday for the box office estimates.
