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 The space opera sequel is moving up the all-time domestic box
office charts at a record clip and now is poised to overtake
those pointy eared blue aliens as the top grossing film in
history."Avatar" earned $760.5 million during its stateside run
and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" has generated $740.4 million
domestically after picking up $88.3 million over New Year's
weekend. It should take the crown from "Avatar" early next week.
Globally, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" ranks as the sixth
highest-grossing film in history, having earned $1.5 billion
worldwide. It should pass "Furious 7" and "Marvel's The
Avengers" to become the fourth biggest film in history in the
coming days.
The film will get a big shot in the arm next week when it
premieres in China, the world's second biggest market for film.
Depending on how enthusiastically it is received in the People's
Republic, "The Force Awakens" could shoot past "Avatar's" record
$2.8 billion global haul.
Even as "The Force Awakens" commanded the bulk of box office
revenues a few films managed to profit from the holiday season.
Paramount's "Daddy's Home," a comedy about a nerdy stepfather
(Will Ferrell) who finds himself outshone by his wife's first
husband (Mark Wahlberg), picked up $29 million in its second
weekend, driving the film's domestic total to $93.7 million.
The Weinstein Company did relatively well after moving up the
wide release of "The Hateful Eight" by a week. The revisionist
western from Quentin Tarantino racked up $16.2 million to finish
in third place. That's a solid start, though on the lower-end
for wide-release debuts from the director. For instance, "The
Hateful Eight" trails the $30.1 million launch for "Django
Unchained" or the $38 million kickoff for "Inglourious Basterds."
It has made $29.6 million since debuting in a limited number of
70mm theaters over Christmas.
Universal's "Sisters," a Tina Fey and Amy Poehler pairing,
continued to show impressive endurance, snagging fourth place
with $12.6 million. The film has made $61.7 million in three
weeks of release, putting it ahead of Fey and Poehler's previous
teaming on "Baby Mama," which made $60.5 million during its run
in 2008.
Fox's "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip" added $11.8
million to its $67.4 million in receipts to round out the top
five. The studio also fielded "Joy," an off-beat biopic about
the creator of the Miracle Mop, which earned $10.4 million in
its second weekend to bring its total to a robust $38.7 million.
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Despite its wonky premise, "The Big Short" appears to be an awards
season breakout. The comedy about the financial crisis of 2008
earned $9 million last weekend, bringing its total to just under $33
million. Paramount is releasing the film, which stars Steve Carell,
Ryan Gosling, and Christian Bale as savvy investors who bet against
the housing market and won.
Sony's "Concussion" took in an estimated $8 million for, bringing
its domestic haul to $25.4 million. Will Smith stars as a crusading
doctor who takes on professional football for its indifference to
the health and safety of its players. At a cost of $35 million,
"Concussion" ranks as a modest bet for Sony, but it has yet to get
the traction that "Joy" or the "Big Short" has enjoyed and may need
some Oscar love to become a hit for the studio.
"Point Break," a remake of the 1991 cult favorite about extreme
sports enthusiasts who double as bank robbers, is shaping up to be a
costly dud. Financed by Alcon Entertainment and distributed by
Warner Bros., the action adventure made $6.8 million over the
weekend, bringing its domestic total to $22.4 million. That's a
calamitous result for a film that carries an $105 million price tag.
Among Oscar hopefuls, "The Revenant" picked up $450,000 from four
theaters, for a hearty per-location average of $112,500. The bloody
revenge epic stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy and is directed
by "Birdman's" Alejandro G. I??rritu. Cast and crew drove themselves
to the breaking point filming in remote locations -- a gamble that
cost the film's backers, New Regency and RatPac-Dune, $135 million
to make. So far, "The Revenant" has made $1.3 million. It opens
nationwide next weekend.
Paramount's "Anomalisa" earned $140,000 from four locations for a
per-screen average of $35,000. The stop-motion film about a customer
service expert in the throes of an emotional crisis was directed by
Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson. It has earned $215,000 since
opening last Wednesday and received critical acclaim.
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