A Dark Fate Indeed

Paramount’s sci-fi action sequel Terminator: Dark Fate launched with $29.0M, atop the box office but on the lower end of pre-release projections.

The film ostensibly opened +7.4% above the franchise’s previous installment, summer 2015’s Terminator: Genisys. But adjusting for ticket price inflation, it actually started -0.5% behind Genisys — a film widely seen as a box office disappointment, at least domestically. (It performed much stronger overseas.)

With a large estimated $185M production budget, Dark Fate will similarly need to rely heavily on its overseas earnings to earn a profit. So far, it’s earned $94.6M overseas and $123.6M globally.

Read our interview with Terminator: Dark Fate director Tim Miller here.

Free At Last

Focus Features’ historical drama Harriet debuted in fourth place with $11.6M, higher than almost any pre-release projection.

The inspirational biopic of escaped slave Harriet Tubman performed particularly well in cities with higher African-American population percentages. According to Focus Features, the film’s top five cities were New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Chicago.

The film’s opening was +3.2% ahead of Selma, the biopic of Martin Luther King Jr., but -4.4% below when adjusting for ticket price inflation.

Coming right after Focus Features’ previous film Downton Abbey opened with $31.0M, this marks the first time since 2003 that a smaller “speciality studio” has opened two consecutive films above $10M. That year, Miramax debuted Kill Bill: Volume 1 with $22.0M and Cold Mountain with $14.5M.

Read our interview with Harriet director Kasi Lemmons here.

Other New Releases

Warner Bros.’ drama Motherless Brooklyn opened in ninth place with $3.5M, about in line with pre-release projections.

Entertainment Studios’ animated Arctic Dogs was frigid with $2.9M in 10th place, lower than almost any pre-release projection. The title’s poor word of mouth, including a 14% score on Rotten Tomatoes, was a major factor.

Limited Releases

Neon’s thriller Parasite took a bite with $2.5M in 11th place, knocking on the top 10’s door. (Perhaps breaking into that top tier next weekend?) Its fourth weekend was its highest yet, up +39%, with an expansion to 461 theaters.

Fox Searchlight’s historical comedy Jojo Rabbit also posted its best weekend yet, with $2.3M in 12th place. The film was up +123%, as it expanded to 256 theaters.

How’d This Weekend Compare?

Total box office this weekend was $114.6M. That’s +6.6% above last weekend but -22.7% below this same weekend last year, when Bohemian Rhapsody led with $51.0M.

The Year So Far

Year-to-date box office stands at $9.28B. That’s -5.5% behind this same date last year, up from -6.0% after last weekend.

2019’s YTD box office, which has fallen below 2018 the entire year so far, has come closest to eclipsing last year with -5.0% after the first weekend of January, followed by -5.4% in mid-October.

Monday’s Weekend Actuals (Domestic)

FRI, NOV. 1 – SUN, NOV. 3

WIDE (1000+) # TITLE WEEKEND LOCATIONS AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST. 1 Terminator: Dark Fate $29,033,832 — 4,086 — $7,106 $29,033,832 1 Paramount 2 Joker $13,500,116 -30% 3,519 -417 $3,836 $299,187,108 5 Warner Bros. 3 Maleficent: Mistress of Evil $13,090,680 -32% 3,820 30 $3,427 $85,240,391 3 Disney 4 Harriet $11,676,720 — 2,059 — $5,671 $11,676,720 1 Focus Features 5 The Addams Family $8,296,007 -31% 3,607 -600 $2,300 $85,092,007 4 United Artists Releasing 6 Zombieland: Double Tap $7,424,626 -37% 3,337 -131 $2,225 $59,381,788 3 Sony Pictures 7 Countdown $5,768,282 -35% 2,675 0 $2,156 $17,684,318 2 STX Entertainment 8 Black and Blue $4,137,341 -51% 2,062 0 $2,006 $15,529,819 2 Sony / Screen Gems 9 Motherless Brooklyn $3,500,454 — 1,342 — $2,608 $3,500,454 1 Warner Bros. 10 Arctic Dogs $2,901,335 — 2,844 — $1,020 $2,901,335 1 Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures 11 Gemini Man $1,846,383 -55% 1,872 -1136 $986 $46,880,452 4 Paramount Pictures 12 The Current War $1,203,702 -54% 1,082 60 $1,112 $4,948,935 2 101 Studios 13 Abominable $1,067,390 -49% 1,137 -1059 $939 $58,478,245 6 Universal Pictures

LIMITED (100 — 999) # TITLE WEEKEND LOCATIONS AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST. 1 Parasite $2,539,484 39% 461 332 $5,509 $7,440,035 4 NEON 2 Jojo Rabbit $2,332,365 123% 256 201 $9,111 $4,217,601 3 Fox Searchlight 3 The Lighthouse $1,979,533 -35% 978 392 $2,024 $6,958,668 3 A24 4 Downton Abbey $1,159,335 -41% 912 -746 $1,271 $94,479,875 7 Focus Features 5 Judy $574,988 -53% 604 -527 $952 $22,920,917 6 Roadside Attractions / LD Entertainment 6 Housefull 4 $430,732 -52% 315 0 $1,367 $1,728,912 2 FIP 7 Hustlers $380,016 -56% 408 -506 $931 $104,300,244 8 STX Entertainment 8 Pain and Glory $330,441 -17% 111 -6 $2,977 $2,153,463 5 Sony Pictures Classics 9 It Chapter Two $227,287 -67% 376 -725 $604 $211,278,349 9 Warner Bros 10 Ad Astra $204,121 -26% 137 -188 $1,490 $49,658,397 7 20th Century Fox 11 Western Stars $167,365 -70% 553 16 $303 $1,417,710 3 Warner Bros. 12 The Lion King $111,333 -24% 158 -41 $705 $543,349,656 16 Walt Disney Pictures 13 The Peanut Butter Falcon $87,439 -26% 122 -44 $717 $20,232,205 13 Roadside Attractions 14 Rambo: Last Blood $72,410 -65% 205 -231 $353 $44,691,391 7 Lionsgate 15 Toy Story 4 $55,602 -11% 105 -16 $530 $433,878,363 20 Disney