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Sunday June 18, 2017
Box Office: 'Wonder Woman' Has Legs
See if you can spot the pattern.
- In its first weekend, “Wonder Woman” grossed $103 million, which is the 40th-best opening weekend of all time.
- In its second weekend, “Wonder Woman” grossed $58.5 million, which is the 24th-best second weekend of all time.
- This weekend, its third, “Wonder Woman” has grossed $40 million, which is the 11th-best third weekend of all time.
It's called word-of-mouth. It's called legs. “Wonder Woman” has them.
It also means the “DC Extended Universe” finally has a winner.
True, “Man of Steel” was the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2013, with $290 million, which some might consider a winner; but it left a slightly sour taste in mouths with Superman killing folks and all, so ... no. And true, “Batman v. Superman” and “Suicide Squad” finished eighth and ninth respectively for 2016, but those films left a positively shitty taste in mouths because they were just beyond dumb. They opened big and died quickly. Everyone said, “Nah.”
For comparison's sake:
Movie | Opening | 2nd | 3rd | Total | RT% |
Man of Steel | $116 | $41 | $20 | $291 | 55% |
Batman v. Superman | $166 | $51 | $23 | $330 | 27% |
Suicide Squad | $133 | $42 | $21 | $325 | 25% |
Wonder Woman | $103 | $58 | $40 | $274* | 92% |
*and counting
Of the four, “Wonder Woman” had the weakest opener, the best second weekend, and the best third weekend by almost 2-to-1. It also had good reviews and positive word-of-mouth. That's how you do it. Sad that it's taken DC this long to realize it. Hell, maybe they still haven't. Wouldn't be surprised.
Where will “Wonder Woman” stop? Certainly atop “BvS” for the best of this extended universe. But with the way it's holding, I'm wondering if it can top $400 mil. The superhero movies that have done that? Three Avengers (“Avengers,” “Ultron” and “Civil War”), two Batmans (“Dark Knight” and “Rises”), an Iron Man (“3”) and a “Spider-Man” (1, back in 2002). That's it. Rarefied company.
“WW”'s $40 mil actually finished second for the weekend. The top spot went to “Cars 3” at $53 mil, a box-office total that's actually a comedown for both the “Cars” franchise (1 and 2 opened in the 60s, unadjusted), and for Pixar, which hasn't opened a widely distributed sequel this poorly since ... ever.
The Tupac biopic, “All Eyez On Me,” finished third with $27 mil. That's the second-best opening for a music biopic, after “Straight Outta Compton,” which opened to $60 mil back in August 2015.
“Rough Night,” the ladies' version of “The Hangover,” starring Scarlett Johansson and Kate McKinnon, had a rough time, grossing $8 mil in more than 3,000 theaters.