Three new and very different sequels (more spinoff than sequel, in one particular case) are debuting in theaters in a wide release in the U.S. this weekend. Warner Bros. Pictures is premiering its spinoff/followup to its highly-successful animated 2014 feature The LEGO Movie, The LEGO Batman Movie. Meanwhile, Lionsgate/Summit is unveiling John Wick: Chapter Two, the followup to the studio’s own cult hit 2014 Keanu Reeves action movie, and Universal Pictures has Fifty Shades Darker: the next installment in the best-selling erotic novel series-turned blockbuster Fifty Shades franchise. Box office predictions ahead of this weekend had pegged LEGO Batman Movie as the likely winner for the frame, with the Fifty Shades followup landing (not too far behind) in second place. While that is still the expected outcome for this weekend, the continuing popularity of the Fifty Shades property proved to be enough to land the sequel a victory at the Friday box office over LEGO Batman‘s solo vehicle.
Variety is reporting that Fifty Shades Darker topped the Friday U.S. box office with a take of $21.5 million, versus $15 million for The LEGO Batman Movie. However, LEGO Batman Movie should see a much higher uptick in its Saturday vs. Friday box office gross, thanks to matinee screenings of the family-friendly superhero action/comedy on Saturday. Moreover, LEGO Batman Movie is being enthusiastically received by critics and the general moviegoing public alike, whereas Fifty Shades Darker is only appealing to hardcore Fifty Shades fans and should prove to be front-loaded at the box office. Current predictions have LEGO Batman Movie taking in $54 million for the weekend, versus $46 million total for Fifty Shades Darker. Whereas Fifty Shades Darker is looking at a hefty drop-off in its opening weekend versus that for Fifty Shades of Grey (which opened with $85.2 million stateside, two years ago), John Wick: Chapter Two is poised to significantly improve on the opening take for its predecessor.
The John Wick sequel opened with $10.9 million on Friday and is on course to accumulate $28 million by the end of the weekend, nearly doubling the $14.4 million that John Wick opened with back in the fall of 2014. In terms of critical reception, John Wick: Chapter Two has been even more warmly-received than the first John Wick (itself, a hit with critics). In other words: the odds of John Wick 3 getting the green light are looking good right now. Rounding out the top five at the U.S. box office on Friday were M. Night Shymalan’s surprise early year hit Split and the Oscar-nominated historical drama Hidden Figures with $2.7 and $2.2 million, per BOM. Shyamalan’s drama/thriller continues to play well with audiences and suggests that his decision to get the ball rolling on a Split sequel ahead of time, will not be in vain. Meanwhile, Hidden Figures remains the top grossing movie amongst this year’s Best Picture Oscar nominees, having edged out the musical La La Land (which is still the favorite to be dubbed Best Picture by the Academy this month) in the U.S. box office derby.
Check back on Screen Rant this Sunday for the full weekend box office estimates! The LEGO Batman Movie release date: Feb 10, 2017Fifty Shades Darker release date: Feb 10, 2017John Wick: Chapter 2 release date: Feb 10, 2017After audiences flocked to see three new, high-profile releases last week, an additional trio of wide challengers are crowding theaters this Friday. Might Fifty Shades Darker take a box office lashing over its sophomore weekend? Will John Wick: Chapter 2 hold steady at No. 3? Can The LEGO Batman Movie charge through Matt Damon’s Great Wall? Check out the Feb.17-20 four-day box office projections below. 1. The LEGO Batman Movie – $45 million Using The LEGO Movie as a barometer, things are looking good for Warner Bros. Animation’s third major big-screen outing. While not a direct sequel to the original (a box office juggernaut that grossed $257.8 million in North America), LEGO Batman tapped the same audience at the same time of year its forerunner did, and grossed $53 million last weekend.
While Valentine’s Day undoubtedly helped the film’s mid-week numbers (it jumped from $2.7 million to over $5 million from Monday to Tuesday), the film doesn’t need a holiday tie-in to fuel its grosses in the long run, unlike Fifty Shades Darker. With broad cross-demographic appeal and a sturdy superhero franchise at its core, The LEGO Batman Movie should tumble a slight 10-30 percent over its ssecond-weekend outing. 2. Fifty Shades Darker – $20 million While Fifty Shades of Grey notched one of history’s biggest second-weekend drops for a wide release in history, there’s a reasonable explanation: the film opened 24 hours before Valentine’s Day in 2015, meaning a surge in ticket sales to coincide with the romantic holiday. Fifty Shades Darker entered theaters across the same frame, though its initial three-day gross clocked in at roughly half of its predecessor’s. Still, the film could benefit from the four-day President’s Day weekend to balloon its total even further, as it remains the most prominent romance-themed picture on the market.
Look for Fifty Shades Darker to whip up between $17 million and $23 million over the four-day frame. 3. John Wick: Chapter 2 – $19 million John Wick: Chapter 2 more than doubled the $14.4 million opening gross posted by the first film in the John Wick series, which quickly became a modern cult classic upon its 2014 theatrical bow; its successor premiered to an astonishing $30.4 million, falling just short of becoming star Keanu Reeves’ biggest opener since The Day the Earth Stood Still opened with $30.5 million in 2008. Strong word-of-mouth (Chapter 2 currently has an A- grade on CinemaScore — a full letter higher than the first film) and borderline-rabid fan affinity for the brand should be enough to keep it from dipping more than 40 percent this weekend. 4. Fist Fight – $17.5 million Audiences are yearning for a good laugh, as a major mainstream comedy hasn’t opened wide since December’s Why Him? That changes with the release of New Line’s Charlie Day/Ice Cube laugher Fist Fight, which launches at approximately 3,200 sites on Friday (with Thursday previews).
The Warner Bros. family has found success in the genre in the recent past, including with 2016’s runaway hit Central Intelligence ($127.4 million domestically), How to Be Single ($112.3 million worldwide), and Vacation ($104.9 million worldwide). Though Fist Fight‘s talent roster isn’t as robust as those titles’, Charlie Day, Ice Cube, and Tracy Morgan seemingly make an ace comedic grouping in the film’s marketing materials. Expect Fist Fight to pull in around $16 million to $19 million over the holiday period. 5. The Great Wall – $17 million Controversy aside, there seems to be little reason for domestic audiences to book a trip back in time with Damon aboard Legendary and Universal Pictures’ The Great Wall, a historical monster movie set during the Song dynasty. While the film is directed by Zhang Yimou, one of the most well-respected Chinese filmmakers working today, most North American ticket-buyers have likely never heard of the filmmaker, and poor critical reception for his latest offering will do little to capture their interest.