Box office: Star Trek, Ice Age come down with sequel fatigue

Box office: Star Trek, Ice Age come down with sequel fatigue July 24, 2016

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Sequel fatigue hit two venerable franchises at the box office this weekend.

Star Trek Beyond got off to a decent start with an estimated $59.6 million between Thursday and Sunday nights, but it had the smallest opening of any Star Trek film since the series was rebooted seven years ago. (The last two films, which turned the series into a big-budget action franchise, both opened to $70 million-plus.)

A dip in domestic grosses doesn’t necessarily spell trouble for the film as a whole, though. The last film in the series, Star Trek into Darkness, made less money in North America than the film that came before it, but it made more money worldwide because it nearly doubled that film’s box-office performance overseas. So if the new film can keep the foreign audience growing, it could still come out ahead worldwide.

Meanwhile, Ice Age: Collision Course — the fifth film in the animated prehistoric series — opened to a shockingly low $21 million, which is not only barely half of what any other Ice Age movie has opened to but marks the lowest opening of any film produced by Fox/Blue Sky (previous lowest: Epic, 2013, $33.5 million).

Here, again, the studio is presumably looking to the foreign market to make up for any shortfall in North America. The last two Ice Age films made around $700 million each overseas — a feat that, among animated films, has been matched only by Frozen and Minions — and presumably the studio hopes the new film will do similarly well.

In fact, Collision Course started playing overseas a month ago and has already earned $179 million on other continents, for a worldwide total of $200 million.

The other major new wide release this week was Lights Out, a low-budget horror film that opened to $21.6 million and was tied for third place with the rebooted Ghostbusters. The latter film dropped 53.1% from its so-so opening last week, which was easily the biggest drop percentage-wise in this week’s top ten.

Dinesh D’Souza’s political documentary Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party also went wide this week after opening in three theatres last week. It grossed $3.7 million and ranked ninth for the weekend.

Also worth noting: Finding Dory has cracked the all-time top ten in North America.

In fact, the film — which raised its domestic gross to $460.2 million this week — currently ranks ninth on the all-time chart, behind three Star Wars films, two James Cameron films, The Avengers, Jurassic World and The Dark Knight.

Finding Dory has been rolling out more slowly overseas, where it has currently earned only $321.5 million. Its worldwide total currently stands at $781.7 million.

Meanwhile, in other box-office news…

The Secret Life of Pets earned $29.3 million and ranked second in its third week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $260.7 million. The film has earned another $63 million overseas for a global total of $323.7 million.

The Legend of Tarzan earned $6.4 million and ranked seventh in its fourth week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $115.8 million. The film has earned another $145.7 million overseas for a global total of $261.5 million.

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates earned $4.4 million and ranked eighth in its third week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $40.4 million. The film has earned another $9.1 million overseas for a global total of $49.5.

The Infiltrator earned $3.3 million and ranked tenth in its second week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $12.2 million. The film has earned another $18,324 in Iceland, which nudges the film’s global total up to $12.3 million.

Now for a bit of extra data on the year’s top-grossing animated films:

In North America, The Secret Life of Pets now ranks 17th among animated films:

  • 2016 — Finding Dory (Pixar) — $460.2 million
  • 2004 — Shrek 2 (DreamWorks) — $441.2 million
  • 1994 — The Lion King (Disney) — $422.8 million
  • 2010 — Toy Story 3 (Pixar) — $415.0 million
  • 2013 — Frozen (Disney) — $400.7 million
  • 2003 — Finding Nemo (Pixar) — $380.8 million
  • 2013 — Despicable Me 2 (Universal) — $368.1 million
  • 2015 — Inside Out (Pixar) — $356.5 million
  • 2016 — Zootopia (Disney) — $341.2 million
  • 2015 — Minions (Universal) — $336 million
  • 2007 — Shrek the Third (DreamWorks) — $322.7 million
  • 2009 — Up (Pixar) — $293.0 million
  • 2001 — Monsters, Inc. (Pixar) — $289.9 million
  • 2013 — Monsters University (Pixar) — $268.5 million
  • 2001 — Shrek (DreamWorks) — $267.7 million
  • 2004 — The Incredibles (Pixar) — $261.4 million
  • 2016 — The Secret Life of Pets (Universal) — $260.7 million
  • 2014 — The Lego Movie (Warner Brothers) — $257.8 million
  • 2010 — Despicable Me (Universal) — $251.5 million
  • 1999 — Toy Story 2 (Pixar) — $245.9 million

Overseas, Zootopia still ranks fifth:

  • 2013 — Frozen (Disney) — $875.7 million
  • 2015 — Minions (Universal) — $823.4 million
  • 2012 — Ice Age: Continental Drift (Fox) — $715.9 million
  • 2009 — Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (Fox) — $690.1 million
  • 2016 — Zootopia (Disney) — $681.4 million
  • 2010 — Toy Story 3 (Pixar) — $648.2 million
  • 2013 — Despicable Me 2 (Universal) — $602.7 million
  • 1994 — The Lion King (Disney) — $564.7 million
  • 2003 — Finding Nemo (Pixar) — $555.9 million
  • 2012 — Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (DreamWorks) — $530.5 million

And worldwide, Finding Dory now ranks 13th (but it’s still only 34th overseas):

  • 2013 — Frozen (Disney) — $400.7 + 875.7 = 1276.5 million
  • 2015 — Minions (Universal) — $336.0 + 823.4 = 1159.4 million
  • 2010 — Toy Story 3 (Pixar) — $415.0 + 648.2 = 1063.2 million
  • 2016 — Zootopia (Disney) — $341.2 + 681.4 = 1022.7 million
  • 1994 — The Lion King (Disney) — $422.8 + 564.7 = 987.5 million
  • 2013 — Despicable Me 2 (Universal) — $368.1 + 602.7 = 970.8 million
  • 2003 — Finding Nemo (Pixar) — $380.8 + 555.9 = 936.7 million
  • 2004 — Shrek 2 (DreamWorks) — $441.2 + 478.6 = 919.8 million
  • 2009 — Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (Fox) — $196.6 + 690.1 = 886.7 million
  • 2012 — Ice Age: Continental Drift (Fox) — $161.3 + 715.9 = 877.2 million
  • 2015 — Inside Out (Pixar) — $356.5 + 501.0 = 857.4 million
  • 2007 — Shrek the Third (DreamWorks) — $322.7 + 476.2 = 799.0 million
  • 2016 — Finding Dory (Pixar) — $460.2 + 321.5 = 781.7 million
  • 2010 — Shrek Forever After (DreamWorks) — $238.7 + 513.9 = 752.6 million

Next week brings us Jason Bourne, Bad Moms and Nerve.


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