*There’s good news for “Uncle” Denzel (Washington) and director Antoine Fuqua. Their film “The Magnificent Seven” from Sony is riding high today with a box office take of $35M as of this morning (09-25-16) according to Sony. It’s Fuqua’s best domestic opening yet. It did better than “The Equalizer” ($34M.1M).
“Seven” is Washington’s third best and the second best debut for a western after “Cowboys & Aliens” ($36.4M). Deadline says that with its A- CinemaScore, “The Magnificent Seven” is looking forward to a domestic sunset in the 3x mutliple horizon. In other words, it’s gonna make money.
Here’s what Sony’s worldwide marketing and distribution chief, Josh Greenstein is saying:
“Sony is on a very hot run of profitable movies between The Angry Birds Movie, The Shallows, Sausage Party, Don’t Breathe and now Magnificent Seven is another great win for us. Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt are an incredible-winning combination, and we’re in business with them moving forward in the future with Chris on Passengers and Denzel on Inner City. Antoine did a great job, putting his signature stamp on this film and making it the biggest opening of his career.”
Deadline also notes that “‘Magnificent Seven’ also reps a win for westerns at the B.O. For years, back in the 1980s, they were a bastard genre to get made. ‘Dances With Wolves’ and ‘Unforgiven’ broke the flood gates with best picture wins and big grosses, but in an age where superhero films rule, cowboys movies can still thrive with ‘True Grit, ‘Django Unchained’ and now ‘The Magnificent Seven.’ The trick is keeping their budgets reasonable unlike ‘The Lone Ranger’ ($215M) and ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ ($163M).”
As far as Warner Bros.’ animated feature “Storks” is concerned, it opened at $21.8M. And by opening under its $30M-tracking, it means audiences ultimately turned their backs on the film. Plus, with an opening like this for a $70M movie. Don’t look for any future “Storks.”
Studio reported estimates for the weekend of Sept. 23-25, 2016:
1). Magnificent Seven (SONY), 3,121 theaters / $12.7M Fri. / $13.8M Sat. / $8.5M Sun. / 3-day cume: $35M / Wk 1
2). Storks (WB), 3,922 theaters / $5.7M Fri. / $9.4M Sat. / $6.6M Sun. / 3-day cume: $21.8M / Wk 1
3). Sully (WB), 3,955 theaters (+430)/ $4.2M Fri. / $6M Sat./ $3.6M Sun. / 3-day cume: $13.8M (-36%)/Total: $92.4M / Wk 3
4). Bridget Jones’s Baby (UNI), 2,930 theaters (+3) / $1.47M Fri. / $1.97M Sat. / $1.1M Sun. / 3-day cume: $4.5M (-47%)/Total Cume:$16.5M/ Wk 2
5). Snowden (OR), 2,443 theaters / $1.2M Fri. / $1.8M Sat. / $1.1M Sun. / 3-day cume: $4.1M (-49%)/Total Cume: $15.1M/ Wk 2
6). Blair Witch (LG), 3,121 theaters / $1.27M Fri. / $1.75M Sat. / $930K Sun. / 3-day cume: $3.95M (-59%)/Total cume: $16.1M/ Wk 2
7). Don’t Breathe (SONY), 2,438 theaters (-770) / $1.1M Fri. / $1.7M Sat. / $955K Sun. / 3-day cume: $3.8M (-33%)/ Total cume: $81.1M / Wk 5
8). Suicide Squad (WB), 2,172 theaters (-568) / $800K Fri. / $1.5M Sat./ $820K Sun. / 3-day cume: $3.1M (-34%) / Total cume: $318.1M / Wk 8
9). When the Bough Breaks (SONY), 1,444 theaters (-802) /$715K Fri. / $1.2M Sat. / $565K Sun. / 3-day cume: $2.5M (-54%)/Total: $26.6M/ Wk 3
10/11). Kubo and the Two Strings (FOC), 1,209 theaters (-548) / $261K Fri. / $510K Sat. / $332K Sun. / 3-day cume: $1.1M (-57%) / Total cume: $45.9M / Wk 6
Hell or High Water (CBS/Lionsgate), 1,128 theaters (-377) / $327K Fri. / $492K Sat. / $281K Sun. / 3-day cume: $1.1M (-47%)/ Total cume: $24.8M / Wk 7
Get MORE at Deadline.
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