Sony Animation
2nd Update, Friday: Sony Animations Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation as expected will lead the box office this weekend with an opening now estimated between $40M-$42M off a $14M-$16M Friday. Meanwhile, Dwayne Johnson vehicle Skyscraper might be a movie thats about a high rise thats up in flames, but its opening weekend is looking pretty chilly right now with a $7.5M Friday and a 3-day between $19M-$21M in third. These are industry estimates and do not come from Sony or Universal.
Critics have slammed the Die Hard-like vehicle at 55% Rotten while HT3 is also suffering 56% Rotten reviews. The difference is that family films can withstand bad RT scores where as live-action pics cant, read The Emoji Movie was panned at 8% but cranked out a 3.5 multiple off its $24.5M opening for a final domestic of $86M.
One reason we hear why Skyscrapers construction is being slowed is because its one of the rare original IPs in a sea of franchise films which is partially plausible: Disney/Marvels Ant-Man and the Wasp is looking at a second place win between $30M-$32M right now. Like Johnsons Rampage which earned over 76% of its $425.6M global ticket sales overseas, Skyscraper will also need to lean on overseas. Fifty percent of the $125M production cost for Skyscraper is being covered by Legendary Entertainment, and the other half by Universal.
Friday 7:36AM: Sony Animations Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation grossed $2.6 million in previews that began at 5 PM last night, towering over Universal/Legendary Entertainments Skyscraper which minted $1.95M at 2,950 theaters from showtimes that kicked off at 7 PM.
Industry estimates expect Skyscraper to arrive between $33M-$40M behind HT3, which is eyeing between $38M to the low $40Ms for a No. 1 win.
Skyscrapers amount of cash is just above Dwayne Johnsons previous collaboration with director Rawson Marshall Thurber, the action comedy Central Intelligence, which made $1.84M in Thursday previews before a $12.99M Friday and $35.5M opening.
More comps to Skyscraper: Outside of Johnsons Fast & Furious credits and Disneys animated Moana ($56.6M 3-day), San Andreas reps his biggest opening among his live-action pics with a $3.1M preview night, $18.1M Friday and $54.5M opening. Back in April, New Line/Warner Bros Rampage grossed $2.4M from Thursday previews before earning a $11.5M Friday and a $35.7M opening.
Hotel Transylvania 2 didnt hold any previews since it opened when school was in session back in September 2015. Already, Hotel Transylvania 3 made $1.3M from a June 30 Amazon Prime/Atom Tickets sneak preview. That amount of money will be included in HT3s domestic cume and isnt a part of last nights till. HT3s Thursday is far ahead of Sony Animations release from last summer, The Emoji Movie, which made $900K at 2,205 venues for a $24.5M opening.
Fandango reported yesterday that Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation is outpacing Hotel Transylvania 2 in advance ticket sales, while Skyscraper is outpacing Rampage at the same point in their Fandango sales cycles.
Disney/Marvels Ant-Man and the Wasp led all films in regular release yesterday with an estimated $5.3M, off 9% from Wednesday, for a weeks take of $104M. Industry expectations figure the deeper universe MCU superhero movie to post a $30M second weekend, -60%.
Disneys Incredibles 2 earned $3.3M in second place yesterday, -7% from Wednesday, for a running domestic total of $519.6M through the end of its fourth week.
Universal/Amblins Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is up to $347.7M through three weeks after a $2.86M Thursday in third place, -12%.
Uni/Blumhouses The First Purge ended its first nine days stateside with $40.3M after a $1.8M Thursday, -8% in fourth place.
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