Let’s Get Ready to Dumble
Warner Bros.’ Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore underwhelmed at the box office with an estimated $43 million opening. That’s by far a new low for the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts franchises, although it’s about in line with pre-release projections.
The film starts -42% behind 2016’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ($74.4M) and -30% behind 2018’s sequel Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald ($62.1M).
It also begins -21% behind 2014’s The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies ($54.7M), similarly the third installment of a fantasy spinoff series, in that case The Lord of the Rings—and which also posted the lowest opening of any film in either its original or spinoff franchises.
Taking place in the Harry Potter universe in the 1920s and 1930s, this third installment in the supposed five-part Fantastic Beasts series is directed by David Yates, who directed the two prior installments as well as the final four Potter films. Starring Eddie Redmayne and Jude Law as the titular Albus Dumbledore, the script was co-written by original Potter novelist J.K. Rowling.
‘Dumbledore’ Specifics
The top 10 highest-grossing domestic locations included some perhaps-surprising ones in places like Montreal, Salt Lake City, and Oklahoma City:
- AMC Lincoln Square NY
- AMC Burbank
- AMC Disney Springs Orlando
- AMC Empire NY
- AMC Citywalk Stadium LA
- Cineplex Odeon Brossard Montreal
- AMC Century City LA
- Santikos Palladium San Antonio
- Larry Miller Jordan Commons Megaplex Salt Lake City
- Regal Warren Oklahoma City
IMAX locations brought in $4.2M, or about 10% of earnings, while premium formats in general constituted 32% of earnings.
After opening in a number of overseas markets last weekend, the film has now taken in $193.0M globally from 67 markets, with a $71.7M overseas total this weekend specifically. Top overseas markets to date are led by Germany ($17.1M), Japan ($16.9M), the U.K. ($16.7M), and China ($14.7M).
[Read Boxoffice PRO‘s recap of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts box office history here.]
You’re Everywhere to Me
In its first two frames, A24’s Everything Everywhere All at Once opened in limited release, earning the biggest per-screen average of 2022 so far in its opening frame.
In its third frame, last weekend, it expanded from 38 to 1,250 theaters—still less than one-third the reach of the top films in the marketplace, but large enough to count as a “wide” release—where it earned $6 million and fourth place.
This weekend, it expanded further from 1,250 to 2,220 theaters, just barely increasing by +2% in box office to an estimated $6.1M and fourth place. Rising into the top five for the first time is a particularly impressive achievement for an offbeat title like this, for which a top-five ranking seemed unlikely pre-release.
The genre-defying title is directed by Daniels—the joint nickname of directors Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, who previously helmed Swiss Army Man—and stars Michelle Yeoh (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Crazy Rich Asians).
Spiritual ‘Father’
The Sony Pictures / Columbia faith-based biopic drama Father Stu, starring Mark Wahlberg as convict-turned-priest Stuart Long, earned an estimated $5.7M weekend and fifth place.
With its midweek opening on Wednesday, the film has earned $8 million over its first five days, about in line with pre-release projections. The faith-based drama wisely opened on Good Friday and Easter Sunday weekend.
For context, the two highest-grossing Easter weekends for faith-based films are 2014’s Heaven is for Real ($22.5M) and 2004’s The Passion of the Christ ($15.2M in its seventh frame).
Compared to other faith-based films in the past few years, Father Stu opened above or around the openings of:
- 2019’s Overcomer ($8.1M)
- 2021’s American Underdog ($5.8M)
- 2020’s I Still Believe ($9.1M)
- 2019’s Unplanned ($6.3M)
- 2017’s The Star ($9.8M)
- 2016’s Miracles from Heaven ($9.6M)
- 2018’s Paul, Apostle of Christ ($5.1M)
However, it did start notably below 2018’s I Can Only Imagine ($17.1M) and 2019’s Breakthrough ($11.2M).
Over the Hedge
After Paramount’s family action-comedy Sonic the Hedgehog 2 opened on top last weekend with $72.1M, it fell -58% this frame to an estimated $30.0M and second place.
That’s both a bit lower than projected and a steeper sophomore weekend drop than many other comparable titles, such as:
- 2014’s The LEGO Movie (-28%)
- 2017’s The LEGO Batman Movie (-38%)
- 2019’s The Angry Birds Movie 2 (-38%)
- 2019’s The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part (-39%)
- 2015’s The Peanuts Movie (-46%)
- 2016’s The Angry Birds Movie (-51%)
- 2019’s Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (-54%)
- 2020’s original Sonic the Hedgehog (-55%)
- 2019’s Jumanji: The Next Level (-55%)
Overseas, Sonic 2 declined -31% to $25M in 54 markets. It now stands at $112.2M overseas and $231.8M globally, led by the U.K. ($21.6M), Mexico ($12.7M), and France ($11.4M).
[Read Boxoffice PRO’s interview with Sonic the Hedgehog 2 director Jeff Fowler here.]
Code Red
Last weekend, Universal’s thriller Ambulance opened in fourth place with $8.6M. That was below most expectations, with some pre-release projections placing it in second place with around $12M.
But with an A- CinemaScore and an 87% Rotten Tomatoes audience score, word of mouth has been fairly positive, and it declined -53% this weekend to an estimated $4 million.
Compared to director Michael Bay’s two prior theatrical releases (excluding Transformers sequels), that’s steeper than the sophomore weekend drop for 2016’s 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (-44%) but milder than for 2013’s Pain & Gain (-63%).
Compared to other action or thriller movies starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Ambulance fell steeper than 2013’s Prisoners (-48%), but milder than 2015’s Southpaw (-54%), 2017’s Life (-56%), and 2015’s Everest (-57%).
Ambulance has now earned $24.8M overseas and $15.6M domestically, for a $40.4M global total to date. Top markets include Germany with $1.5M. It will debut in China next weekend.
Rich as Bruce Wayne
While Warner Bros.’ The Batman dropped by -41% to an estimated $3.8M in eighth place at the box office, the real story was the bigger picture, as the film crossed $750M globally.
The title has now earned $365.0M domestically and $386.1M overseas, for $751M total. Top markets include the U.K. ($53.2M), Mexico ($30.7M), Australia ($27.0M), France ($25.9M), Brazil ($22.6M), and China ($22.5M).
K.G.F. Does A.O.K.
Coming on the heels of March’s surprisingly large $9.5M opening and third place rank for the Indian film RRR: Rise Roar Revolt, Sarigama Cinemas posted another success this weekend.
Telugu-language K.G.F: Chapter 2, which starts in ninth place with an estimated $2.8M. The action sequel follows a professional assassin.
Not Bad
Ahead of its domestic debut next weekend, Universal’s animated comedy The Bad Guys has now earned $52.5M overseas in 49 markets. That includes five new markets this weekend: Czech Republic, Finland, New Zealand, Portugal, and Romania.
Top territories to date include the U.K. and Ireland ($9.9M), Australia ($6.0M), Spain ($5.9M), Mexico ($4.8M), and Germany ($4.3M). The title opens in China two weekends from now, on April 29.
Viking Quest
Also ahead of its domestic debut, Focus Features’ historical action epic The Northman opened with $3.4M in 15 overseas markets. Top territories included the U.K. and Ireland ($1.1M) and Mexico ($0.9M).
The title will continue to roll out in April, May, and June, with Japan not seeing a release until January 2023.
Weekend comparisons
Total box office this weekend came in around $109.5M, which is:
- -7% below last weekend’s total of $117.5M, when Sonic the Hedgehog 2 led with $72.1M.
- 4.1x the equivalent weekend in 2021 with $26.3M, as the box office was taking its first pandemic-era steps back to normalcy as Godzilla vs. Kong led for a second frame with $13.8M.
- -2% behind the equivalent weekend in 2019 with $111.1M, when Shazam! led for a second frame with $24.4M.
YTD comparisons
Year-to-date box office stands around $1.74B. That’s:
- 5.1x this same point in the pandemic recovery year of 2021 ($340.3M)
- -3% behind this same point in 2020, with $1.78B. (The box office was essentially shut down at this point in 2020, so the 2022 YTD comparison will exceed 2020’s not long from now.)
- -37% behind this same point in 2019 ($2.77B)
Top distributors
As has been the case all year so far, the leading distributor in the domestic market remains Sony Pictures with $461.3M. Warner Bros. ranks #2 with $419.1M.
Paramount currently claims third with $340 million and Universal claims fourth with $147.7M.
Disney seems poised to take the crown at some point this summer or possibly fall, particularly when including their subsidiary 20th Century Studios releases.
Sunday’s Studio Weekend Estimates: April 15-17, 2022
| Title | Estimated weekend | % change | Locations | Location change | Average | Total | Weekend | Distributor |
| Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore | $ 43,000,000 | 4208 | 10,219 | $ 43,000,000 | 1 | A24 | ||
| Sonic The Hedgehog 2 | $ 30,000,000 | -58% | 4258 | 24 | 7,046 | $ 119,612,388 | 2 | Sony |
| The Lost City | $ 6,500,000 | -28% | 3430 | -367 | 1,895 | $ 78,575,759 | 4 | Sony |
| Everything Everywhere All at Once | $ 6,187,118 | 2% | 2220 | 970 | 2,787 | $ 17,696,059 | 4 | Universal |
| Father Stu | $ 5,700,000 | 2705 | 2,107 | $ 8,027,000 | 1 | Warner Bros. | ||
| Morbius | $ 4,700,000 | -54% | 3462 | -806 | 1,358 | $ 65,118,131 | 3 | Sarigama Cinemas |
| Ambulance | $ 4,040,000 | -54% | 3412 | 0 | 1,184 | $ 15,649,040 | 2 | Sony |
| The Batman | $ 3,800,000 | -41% | 2535 | -719 | 1,499 | $ 365,035,121 | 7 | Hamsini Entertainment Ltd |
| K.G.F: Chapter 2 | $ 2,875,000 | 510 | 5,637 | $ 4,602,000 | 1 | FUNimation Films | ||
| Uncharted | $ 1,170,000 | -56% | 1311 | -1007 | 892 | $ 144,985,555 | 9 | Sony |
| Beast | $ 430,000 | 368 | 1,168 | $ 430,000 | 1 | United Artists Releasing | ||
| Jujutsu Kaisen 0 | $ 350,000 | 310 | 1,129 | $ 33,919,605 | 5 | RLJ Entertainment | ||
| Spider-Man: No Way Home | $ 200,000 | -68% | 387 | -622 | 517 | $ 804,220,052 | 18 | A24 |
| Dog | $ 137,008 | 270 | 507 | $ 61,531,527 | 9 | Universal | ||
| Dual | $ 125,000 | 157 | 796 | $ 125,000 | 1 | Purdie Distribution | ||
| X | $ 122,065 | -66% | 178 | -524 | 686 | $ 11,610,415 | 5 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| Sing 2 | $ 65,000 | -71% | 567 | -369 | 115 | $ 162,462,675 | 17 | IFC Films |
| Waterman | $ 40,691 | -30% | 44 | -4 | 925 | $ 230,433 | 3 | 20th Century Studios |
| Mothering Sunday | $ 37,098 | 139 | 267 | $ 213,504 | 4 | Utopia Media | ||
| Paris, 13th District | $ 28,000 | 67 | 418 | $ 28,000 | 1 | Roadside Attractions | ||
| Death on the Nile | $ 15,000 | -68% | 55 | -75 | 273 | $ 45,610,165 | 10 | Independent |
| We’re All Going to the World’s Fair | $ 13,665 | 3 | 4,555 | $ 13,665 | 1 | Oscilloscope Pictures | ||
| Aline | $ 9,255 | 70 | 132 | $ 648,892 | 2 | Searchlight | ||
| The Automat | $ 8,581 | -37% | 17 | 0 | 505 | $ 165,468 | 9 | A Slice of Pie Productions |
| The Tale of King Crab | $ 5,120 | 1 | 5,120 | $ 5,120 | 1 |
The post Weekend Box Office: <em>Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore</em> Casts $43M Domestic Debut appeared first on Boxoffice.
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