James Mangold’s Ford v Ferrari from 20th Century Fox/Chernin Entertainment put $2.1 million in the tank from Thursday box office previews that began at 6 PM. Projections expect the pic being released by Disney to exceed $20M this weekend, maybe even as high as $30M.
Great exits for the Christian Bale-Matt Damon movie last night: 4 1/2 stars on Screen Engine/Comscore’s PostTrak and a 60% definite recommend and an 87% positive score. Leading demos were males over 25 (56%, 88% grade), females over 25 (26%, 84% positive), males under 25 (11%, 86% positive) and females under 25 (8%, 93% grade).
Ford v. Ferrari is booked at 3,528 locations including 350 Imax screens, 650 branded Premium Large Format screens, and 330 D-Box/4D/ScreenX enhanced locations. Ford v Ferrari has a 91% certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which will encourage non-frequent moviegoers to flock.
Sony’s Charlie’s Angels started showtimes early at 4:30 PM at 2,968 sites, earning only $900,000. The reboot from filmmaker-actress Elizabeth Banks is expected to come in between $10M-$12M this weekend. Over in China, the third pic in the Sony series was second at the Friday box office behind local pic Somewhere Winter, making $2.9M (that includes previews) to the latter’s $4.1M. Pic received low exits last night from the few who turned out, with 3 stars, 46% definite recommend and a 69% positive. Females over 25 led (33%, 63% grade), males over 25 (30%, 70% grade), females under 25 (29%, 78% grade) and males under 25 (8%, 60% grade) followed. The first two Charlie’s Angels movies, directed by McG and starring Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu, respectively earned an A- and B+ CinemaScore. Banks’ Charlie’s Angels is 58% Rotten.
Charlie’s Angels, starring Kristen Stewart in her first popcorn movie since arguably 2012’s Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (she starred in a ton of prestigious indies and the low-grossing American Ultra in between), opens in 27 markets this weekend with the majors being China, Russia, Brazil, Australia/NZ (also opening in Eastern Europe, Middle East and Southeast Asia). Pic is expected to open to around $20M offshore.
New Line has the Bill Condon-directed Helen Mirren-Ian McKellen thriller The Good Liar, which did not hold previews last night. Pic is booked at 2,439 locations. Opening is looking like the low-single digits. The pic has a 61% fresh Rotten Tomatoes score.
Among regular pics in release at the domestic box office this frame, Lionsgate/AGC Studios’ Midway led the week with $26.3M after a $1.3M Thursday, off 11% from Wednesday. Universal’s Last Christmas was second yesterday with $800K, -1%, but third for the week with an estimated $15.8M. Warner Bros’ Doctor Sleep is still dreary with a $775K Thursday, -12% for a first week of $18.8M. Paramount/Skydance Media/Fox’s Terminator: Dark Fate ranked fourth with $620K, -15%, a second week of $14.9M and and awful $52.5M two-week cume. Focus Features’ Harriet saw $605K, even with Wednesday, a $10.9M second week and 14-day running tally of $27.1M.