It was another solid weekend for both Sony’s Bad Boys For Life and Universal’s 1917 as both films crossed the $100 million mark at the box office. The news wasn’t quite as optimistic for STX’s The Gentlemen and Universal’s The Turning, both which were met with a collective shrug.
Thanks to the strong ticket sales for Bad Boys and 1917, business for the weekend was up 43% over one year ago this weekend. The dynamic duo also helped lift the month of January up 13% over 2019 numbers.
Following its big holiday opening one week ago, Bad Boys For Life stayed strong in second session, earning an estimated $34 million from 3,775 theaters. Down only 46%, the domestic total for Bad Boys For Life stands tall at $120.6 million. The film will pass the $138 million lifetime gross of 2003’s Bad Boys II by Friday. Should the word of mouth continue to be strong for Bad Boys 3, the $90 million production could finish with $200 million in the bank.
Overseas, Bad Boys For Life has earned $95 million.
In addition to winning the Producers, Directors and Cinematographer Guild awards over the past week, Universal’s Oscar favorite 1917 scored another $15.8 million from 3,937 theaters in its fifth weekend. The new domestic total for the Sam Mendes war epic stands at $103.8 million.
Should the film clean up at the Oscars on February 9th, 1917 could fly as high as $150 million at the box office by the end of its domestic run. International totals -which currently stands at $96.6 million- should soar even higher.
Universal’s costly family flick Dolittle stayed put in third place with an estimated $12.5 million from 4,155 theaters. Down 43%, the Robert Downey Jr. dud pushed its overall total up to $44.6 million after two weeks. A $70 million final domestic haul is possible for the film, a whopping $105 million below its production costs. Overseas, Dolittle has earned $91 million so far.
Landing in fourth place with a mild $11 million from 2,165 screens was the latest crime comedy from Aladdin director Guy Ritchie, The Gentlemen. Reviews were so-so for the R-rated STX release featuring Matthew McConaughey, Hugh Grant and Colin Farrell. Gentlemen scored a 72% on Rotten Tomatoes, a 51/100 on Metacritic and a “B+” from ticket buyers on CinemaScore. The film has brought in $22.5 million so far from overseas markets.
Rounding out the top five was Sony’s holiday blockbuster Jumanji: The Next Level with an estimated $8 million from 3,121 theaters. The hit film eased a slight 19% in its seventh weekend, which powered up its domestic gross to a mighty $283.4 million. The film should wind down its run just past the $300 million mark. Overseas, Jumanji 3 has brought in $454 million so far.
Finally, opening with a big ol’ thud in sixth place was the Universal’s The Turning, which brought in an estimated $7.3 million from 2,571 theaters. Reviews were awful for the latest variation on The Turn of the Screw, starring Mackenzie Davis and Finn Wolfhard. The Turning scored a horrid 12% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 35/100 on Metacritic. Meanwhile, viewers screwed this Turning by branding the horror film with a deadly “F” on CinemaScore.
- Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Disney) $5.1 million (-38%); $501.5 million
- Little Women (Sony) $4.7 million (-26%); $93.7 million
- Just Mercy (Warner) $4 million (-30%); $27 million
- Knives Out (Lionsgate) $3.65 million (-15%); $151.8 million
Next weekend is the Super Bowl (Go, 49ers!), which means that the movie studios are going to dump a few choice cinematic dust collectors on the market in the hopes of making a quick buck. This year, those gems are Gretel & Hansel and The Rhythm Section. Neither will challenge Bad Boys For Life for the top spot.
