Friday Estimates: New Releases are Feeling Low as Guardians Dominates with $16.43 million
May 13, 2017
The Friday box office had a couple of surprises, but not at the top. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 easily won the race for number one with $16.43 million. This is 70% lower than its opening Friday, which is distressing. Granted, Sunday is Mother’s Day, so it could bounce back more than it would during the average weekend, and our prediction of just over $60 million is still a solid bet.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword earned second place on Friday, but it won’t stay there for long. The film pulled in $5.3 million during its first day of release, which is well below expectations. Furthermore, its reviews are only 27% positive and it only managed a B plus from CinemaScore. A B plus is right on the razor’s edge between helping and hurting a film’s legs. Look for a $14 million opening and a quick exit from theaters.
Snatched was right behind with $5.0 million on Friday. It earned better reviews than King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, but only managed a B from CinemaScore. However, its target audience and the fact that it is Mother’s Day is Sunday should help it hold on better and climb into second place with just over $16 million during the weekend.
The biggest surprise of the weekend could be Lowriders, which earned $908,000 in just 295 theaters on Friday. Its reviews were just below the overall positive level, while it was too small for CinemaScore to track it. I don’t think it will hit the $10,000 mark on the theater average chart, but it will likely come close. It’s past time for studios to pay attention to Hispanic audiences.
- King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Comparisons
- Snatched Comparisons
Filed under: Friday Estimates, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, Snatched, Lowriders