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 The Star Wars spinoff topped the box office for the third
consecutive weekend, earning just under $50 million for the
three-day period and a projected $64 million for the four-day
holiday. The movie business is tacking Monday on to New Year's
weekend, because many companies and schools are observing it as
a national holiday. The weekend gross pushes the space opera
over the $400 million mark domestically. It currently ranks as
the year's second highest-grossing domestic release, with $425
million, behind only "Finding Dory."
"Rogue One" concludes a record-annihilating year for Disney. The
studio became the first to top $7 billion in a single year, has
fielded four of the five top grossing domestic releases, and
should see four of its movies top $1 billion at the global box
office.
"Sing," the latest collaboration between Illumination and
Universal, racked up $41.4 million during its second weekend in
theaters. It is projected to earn $53.7 million for the four-day
holiday weekend and has made $177.3 million stateside. It's the
second smash of 2016 for Illumination, the maker of "Despicable
Me." The company also scored with last summer's "The Secret Life
of Pets."
In third place "Passengers," a critically derided science
fiction romance with Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence, earned
$16.1 million over the three-day weekend and $20.7 million over
the four day. As of Sunday, its domestic haul stands at $61.4
million. With a $110 million budget and millions more spent in
promotion, "Passengers" will need a lift from foreign audiences
if it hopes to make money.
The same is true for Fox's "Assassin's Creed," which took in $8
million for the weekend and a projected $10 million for the
holiday. The video game adaptation has earned $41 million since
opening over Christmas -- a dispiriting result given its hefty
$125 million budget. Movies made from games are a mixed bag. For
every hit like "Mortal Combat" or "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,"
there are a slew of duds such as "Warcraft" and "Prince of
Persia."
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Fox is having more luck with "Why Him?" The R-rated comedy earned
$10 million over the three day period and an estimated $13 million
for the four day holiday. The film about the rivalry between a
father (Bryan Cranston) and his daughter's fiancee (James Franco)
has earned $37.6 million and cost an economical $38 million to
produce.
Paramount's "Fences," expanded nicely. Denzel Washington directs and
stars in the August Wilson adaptation, with Viola Davis playing a
key supporting role. The drama earned $10.2 million over the
three-day weekend and an estimated $13 million for the holiday. It
has made $32.7 million since debuting three weeks ago in limited
release.
Lionsgate's "La La Land," continued to capitalize on awards buzz.
The musical earned $9.5 million over the weekend and is projected to
make $12.3 million over the four-day holiday, which would bring its
gross to an estimated $37 million. On Friday, "La La Land" passed
"Hell or High Water" to become the highest-grossing movie in limited
release for the year.
Fox's "Hidden Figures" looks strong. The drama about the
African-American scientists and mathematicians who played a pivotal
role in the early days of America's space program, earned $815,000
for the three days and $1.1 million for the four days from just 25
theaters. It goes into wide release next weekend.
"20th Century Women" and "Paterson" were released just under the
wire in order to qualify for Oscars. "20th Century Women," a
comedy-drama that's earned some of the best reviews of Annette
Bening's career, earned $112,705 for the weekend. A24 is handling
the rollout. "Patterson," a drama about a poetic bus driver, made
$70,760. It is being released by Amazon Studios and Bleecker Street.
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