Movies

Box Office Recap: ‘Spectre’ And ‘The Peanuts Movie’ Rule Once Again

November 16, 2015

Going into their second weekend at the box office, Spectre and The Peanuts Movie topped the charts once again.

Sam Mendes’ Spectre, starring Daniel Craig as 007, added another $35.4 million to its $130.7 million domestic total. After a massive debut in China, where the film earned $48 million over the weekend, Spectre has accumulated $543.8 million globally.

EXCLUSIVE: Daniel Craig on Playing James Bond in SPECTRE

“I think we’ve got our next $1 billion movie,” said Phil Contrino, vice president and chief analyst with BoxOffice.com.

Following in second place is The Peanuts Movie, which gathered $24.2 million in its second weekend, falling just 45 percent. Back by Fox, the adaptation of Charles Schulz’s iconic comic strip about Snoopy and Charlie Brown has earned $82.5 million domestically.

As for the weekend’s new releases, Love The Coopers landed in third place with $8.4 million in 2,603 locations. The film tells the story of Christmas Eve celebrations that turn upside down as four generations of the Coopers gather together. The cast includes Diane Keaton, John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Olivia Wilde and Ed Helms.

The Christmas-themed comedy earned a B minus CinemaScore from moviegoers, who were primarily older females (70 percent female and 82 percent over the age of 25). Critics, on the other hand, gave the film a meager 17 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Our partners at CBS Films did a phenomenal job setting up the only family-friendly comedy for an opening that perfectly positions it to stand out from the dark dramas, R-rated pictures and action films coming ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday,” said Lionsgate distribution executive David Spitz.

Ridley Scott’s The Martian is still reigning in its seventh weekend, as it secured the fourth spot on the charts. The space epic grossed $6.7 million for a domestic total of $207.4 million and a worldwide haul of $477.4 million.

Patricia Riggen’s newcomer The 33, backed by Alcon Entertainment, rounds out the top five with $5.85 million across 2,452 theaters. Starring Antonio Banderas, the film is about the true story of the Chilean mining incident that trapped 33 miners for two months back in 2010.

With older females (51 percent female and 73 percent over 25) making up the audience, the film has earned an A minus CinemaScore and a 40 percent “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics.

“Alcon always looked at this as a special story with themes of hope and faith,” said Jeff Goldstein, executive vice president for domestic distribution for Warner Bros. “Whether it comes in a million higher or lower than estimates, their investment was minor and this was more about having an emotional attachment to the material.”

The final new wide release for the weekend was My All American, a true story about college football player Freddie Steinmark whose career was disrupted due to medical setbacks. Starring Finn Whitrock and Aaron Eckhart, the film appeal to moviegoers as it earned a lowly $1.4 million in its debut for Aviron Pictures, with a 33 percent “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes and an A CinemaScore. Though it fell outside of the top 10, My All American played best in Texas and the South.

In limited release, Angelina Jolie Pitt’s By The Sea opened in 10 locations with an estimated $95,444. The marital drama, which stars Jolie Pitt and Brad Pitt in their first on-screen appearance together since Mr. & Mrs. Smith, earned a measly location average of $9,544.

“We’re in the middle of releasing this film,” said Nick Carpou, Universal’s domestic distribution chief. “We are very proud of this movie and our collaboration with the filmmakers. We look forward to seeing this expand into new markets next week.”

Spotlight, starring Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, and Rachel McAdams, expanded at the specialty box office to 60 locations, earning a solid $1.4 million ($1.8 million domestically). The film tells the story of the Boston Globe investigation into the Catholic Church.

“We’re taking it slow,” said Jason Cassidy, chief marketing officer at Open Road. “We don’t want to go too wide, too quickly. It’s all about building a base and spreading word of mouth.”

Top 10 Films at Weekend Box Office: November 13-15