Box Office Recap: ‘The Martian’ Reigns Again, Newcomers Flop

Four weeks since its debut, Matt Damon’s astronaut feature The Martian dominated the box office once again with an additional $15.9 million from 3,504 locations to its $166.4 million grand total.

“The cream rises to the top, and The Martian has bridged that gap between being a very intelligent film that’s also very entertaining,” says Rentrak senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

Meanwhile, Jack Black’s family horror comedy Goosebumps slid from first place down to second with $15.5 million from 3,501 locations, bringing its total to $43.7 million. Steven Spielberg’s Cold War drama Bridge of Spies followed in third place with $11.4 million, totaling to $32.6 million.

Failing to defeat the holdovers, the newcomers for the weekend included The Last Witch Hunter, Rock the Kasbah, Jem and the Holograms, Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension and an expanded Steve Jobs.

Of them, the only one making the top five was Vin Diesel’s The Last Witch Hunter, which generated $10.8 million across 3,082 theaters for a fourth place finish. The film received a B minus CinemaScore from moviegoers and a 14 percent “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics.

Backstage with Vin Diesel and ‘The Last Witch Hunter’

The top five is rounded out by Adam Sandler’s animated vampire comedy Hotel Transylvania 2 with $9.0 million. The film has accumulated $148.3 million domestically thus far.

The latest in the Paranormal Activity franchise is The Ghost Dimension, which scared up only $8.2 million at the box office, landing in sixth place on the charts. Following in seventh place is Steve Jobs with $7.3 million for a seventh place finish, after expanding nationwide to 2,493 theaters. Directed by Danny Boyle, the Aaron Sorkin-penned biopic stars Michael Fassbender, Seth Rogen and Kate Winslet.

Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension and Steve Jobs earned a C CinemaScore and an A minus CinemaScore, respectively. The horror blockbuster failed to appeal to critics, as it earned a meager 13 percent “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes, while the latter earned an 85 percent “fresh” score.

The last newcomer this weekend was the musical, Jem and the Holograms, based on the old 1980s cartoon, which took in $1.3 million across 2,400-plus theaters. The film earned a B plus CinemaScore from moviegoers and a 20 percent “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics.

‘Jem and the Holograms’ Interview: Aubrey Peeples & Stephanie Scott

“If you’re trying to court the teen audience, you do so at your peril,” Dergarabedian says. “They are the most fickle. You’re trying to figure out the mind of a teenager when you release a movie like Jem and the Holograms.”

Top 10 Films at Weekend Box Office: October 23-25

1. The Martian — $15.9 million
2. Goosebumps — $15.5 million
3. Bridge of Spies — $11.4 million
4. The Last Witch Hunter — $10.8 million
5. Hotel Transylvania 2 — $9.0 million
6. Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension — $8.2 million
7. Steve Jobs — $7.3 million
8. Crimson Peak — $5.6 million
9. The Intern — $3.9 million
10. Woodlawn — $3.1 million