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 Illumination and Universal's "Despicable Me 3"
is cruising to an easy box office win during a busy holiday
weekend. The latest in the franchise is opening to $75.4 million
from 4,529 locations -- the widest domestic release ever. That
total is lower than earlier estimates, which pegged the film
above $80 million (earlier tracking suggested it could land even
higher), but nevertheless it remains the weekend's big winner.
Steve Carell plays double duty in "Despicable Me 3" as the
series' protagonist Gru, and now also his twin brother, Dru. The
plot centers on the brothers, as they team up for a criminal
heist. "South Park" co-creator Trey Parker joins the franchise
to voice the villain. Critics are generally on the movie's side,
earning it a 62% on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie earned an A-
CinemaScore from audiences, which is lower than the A earned by
the first two installments and "Minions."
"With these characters that have reached a level of ubiquity in
our culture, these movies continue to create this want to see,"
said Nick Carpou, Universal's domestic distribution chief, who
added, "I think we have the best marketing group in the
business."
Despite "Despicable's" rule, perhaps the more interesting
stories for the industry reside further down the box office
chart.
Starting with "Baby Driver," from Sony's TriStar Pictures, MRC,
and Working Title. Edgar Wright's latest also appears to be his
biggest box office hit, as it's cruising to $30 million from
3,226 locations -- that's including the $5.7 million head start
the movie got by opening early in previews on Tuesday.
The movie centers around a character named Baby (Ansel Elgort),
who becomes the getaway driver for a kingpin named Doc (Kevin
Spacey). Music plays an integral role in the film since Baby
suffered a traumatic experience as a child that left him with
tinnitus, which he blocks out with music. The rest of the cast
includes Lily James, Jon Bernthal, Eiza Gonzalez, Jon Hamm, and
Jamie Foxx.
"Edgar and our partners at MRC and Working Title have made one
of the most original and entertaining films in recent memory,
and we're so thrilled to see it received as a bonafide hit in a
crowded summer season," said Sony's distribution chief Adrian
Smith.
"Baby Driver," like "Get Out" earlier this year and "The Big
Sick," currently showing strong in limited release, is the kind
of project that gets Hollywood excited about the chance for
original ideas to also be financially viable. Wright's film
picked up buzz when it won the Audience Award and positive early
reviews at the SXSW Film Festival. The movie's marketing
capitalized on its colorful aesthetic and emphasis on music.
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Amy Poehler and Will Ferrell's "The House," meanwhile, is having
trouble attracting visitors. The R-rated comedy from New Line,
Warner Bros., and Village Roadshow is opening to $9 million from
3,134 locations.
"The House" is the story of a husband (Ferrell) and wife (Poehler)
who start an underground casino to help raise money for their
daughter's college fund. Andrew Jay Cohen directed from a script
that he wrote with Brendan O'Brien -- the two previously
collaborated on the "Neighbors" movies.
For the weekend's top five, Paramount's "Transformers: The Last
Knight" should land in third with $17 million during its second
weekend. "Wonder Woman" continues to be a force for Warner Bros.,
and is on its way to $15.6 million domestically during its fifth
weekend. The movie has crossed $700 million worldwide and passed
"Suicide Squad" and "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" at the
domestic box office. And Disney and Pixar's "Cars 3" should take the
five slot during its third week with $9.5 million domestically.
After a strong start to 2017, a rather slow summer box office
overall has brought the year-to-date box office numbers down to
about even with last year.
"A weak May followed by a June that failed to become the savior of
the summer now puts July in the hot seat to deliver the goods and
get us out of the summer season doldrums," said Paul Dergarabedian,
senior media analyst at ComScore.
Outside of the major release circuit, the arthouse appears to have
some juice for the first time this summer with strong numbers from
"The Little Hours," "The Beguiled," and "The Big Sick."
Gunpowder and Sky's first theatrical release, "Little Hours" posted
the highest per screen average from two locations this weekend. The
nun-centric religious satire starring Alison Brie and Aubrey Plaza
should open to $61,560. Meanwhile, Sofia Coppola's "Beguiled"
expects to crack the top ten in limited release, after expanding to
674 locations. The Focus Features release should make an estimated
$3.3 million over the three-day weekend. And Kumail Nanjiani's
semi-autobiographical romantic comedy "Big Sick" expanded to 71
locations, posting a three-day total of $1.67 million. Lionsgate and
Amazon Studios are planning to push the film to wide release on July
14.
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