Lizards thunder into theaters

A bit of historical action played out this weekend — though it was entirely expected. For only the second time in cinema history theaters encountered a different title delivering a $100 million+ total on consecutive weekends.

The top two films together are showing on just under 9,000 screens, and combined have gobbled up well over 80% of the total box office this week, marking us as deep into the summer blockbuster frame. Demand for popcorn may have skewed some pricing on the commodities markets this weekend.

1.  JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM – $150.2 Million
Stampeding into theaters as expected, the dino-sequel managed to exceed some of the projections. Estimates coming into the weekend were near the $135 million mark, but audiences were arriving for this action set piece and swelled the expected total. If this total holds up when the actuals are reported Monday then this will become the second-highest opening for Universal, behind the original “Lost World”. (“Furious 7” drew $147m). Globally this title has been out for weeks, and has already drawn over $550 million in foreign sales. The release into 4,475 theaters is the second widest of all time.

2. THE INCREDIBLES 2 – $80.928m
Last week’s monster hit is holding up rather well, all dinos considered. The title took a strong -56% hit but coming off of a humongous open, and with a behemoth in the marketplace drawing the same kind of audience, this becomes a remarkably strong hold. It has earned over $350 million after only two weekends, while it already becomes the third highest Pixar gross of all time. This family will be around for some time.

3. OCEANS 8 – $11.65m
A very mild dip of -38% is a sign of some staying power for the ladies, as their film is nudging up to the $100 plateau.

4. TAG – $8.2m
A respectable hold in its second week, dropping -45%, but that is against a rather tepid opening. There will be little demand for the adult comedy in this flooded summer frame.

5. DEADPOOL 2 – $5.25m
The wiseacre mercenary has now crossed over the $300 million level domestic, and has just about reached the $700m total worldwide.

6. SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY – $4.045m
This has become a massive disappointment for the Disney-Star Wars universe. While in theaters one fewer week than Deadpool it now sits on fewer screens, and has earned $100 million less. By comparison after just four days “Incredibles 2” had a total gross beating this title after 4 weeks in release. This has underperformed so much so that news has come out the studio is rethinking its announced slate of Star Wars standalone titles.

7. HEREDITARY – $3.8m
The adult drama/horror has been holding up decently enough, in this tough crowd. It has quietly found its way to $35 total, which few anticipated.

8. SUPERFLY – $3.35m
Sony’s attempt to contemporize a 1970s blacksploitation title has been swatted away by audiences, as it were.

9. AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR – $2.48m
It has earned $2 billion worldwide, and remains to be seen if it can draw another $38 million to pass “The Force Awakens” for the third highest gross of all time.

10. WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? – $1.875m
On just 350 screens this documentary about Mr. Rodgers lodged the third highest per-screen average in the entire top-ten.