The matinee adventure
Bit of a restive week at the global box office, with recent blockbusters hogging the top of the list and, below them, a pair of outsiders trying to make the most of the pre-Star Wars lull. Making the biggest splash internationally was Ron Howard’s sea-faring epic In the Heart of the Sea, taking $17.1m from 38 territories – not a tremendous start on a reported $100m budget. An account of the disastrous 1820 whaling voyage that inspired Moby Dick, it’s been deemed to be short on dramatic yo-ho-ho by critics and over-reliant on CGI. Discounting the Pirates of the Caribbean films – more in the summer-blockbuster idiom than this vellum-bound piece of matinee escapism – the most useful yardstick is Peter Weir’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, from back in 2003. In the Heart of the Sea matches up decently enough in two of the three markets where we can compare openings (Russia, MAC: $1.4m inflation-corrected; ITHOTS: $2m / Mexico, MAC: $1.1m; ITHOTS: $1.8m / Australia, MAC: $3.1m; ITHOTS: $607K). And it kicked off decently enough in South Korea ($2.5m), where the highest grossing film ever, 2014’s Admiral: Roaring Currents, was also nautically inclined.
But Howard’s film needs to catch more wind than Master and Commander; though increasingly beloved down the years, it only did $212m worldwide ($274m corrected). Lead actor Chris Hemsworth would certainly appreciate the push. He has plenty of multiplex cachet via his role as Thor in the Marvel mega-franchise and shows promising signs of versatility as well, with both weightier drama (Rush; Blackhat) and comedy (Vacation; Ghostbusters) on his slate. But he still finds himself sharing the waiting room with the new generation of young male hopefuls in the bid to succeed Tom Cruise, Will Smith et al in terms of true, movie-opening stardom.
The Christmas counter-programming
Another film lacking many salient comparison points is Universal’s Christmas horror-comedy Krampus – which has exceeded expectations with a $16m US debut. That’s ahead of Seth Rogen’s druggie Yule comedy The Night Before ($9.9m) from a fortnight ago. Very respectable for a quirky, $15m, Gremlins-influenced affair based on Germanic folklore. Its horror “more assaultive than scary”, as the LA Times put it, Krampus has ridden out its PG-13 rating to a much wider first week than the likes of 2006’s R-rated slasher Black Christmas ($3.7m). Takings from 24 overseas territories, $3.3m, are subdued – though that’s not so surprising given the lack of stars (character actors Adam Scott and Toni Collette headline) and not much to market beyond impish Yule subversiveness. Given its folkloric provenance, stronger results in Germany ($683K) and Austria ($423K) might have been nice.
But Krampus, one of Universal’s speculative punts in a commanding year (nearly one-quarter of total US box-office takings), has been relatively well-reviewed; an original premise and solid execution could see it dig in productively over December, with around 20 other international openings to come. Which is exactly what is happening with The Night Before – it has picked up from a slack opening to take just over $30m to date. At any rate, Christmas movies look like they’re most readily served up with a sprig of irony these days – the more traditionalist ensemble drama Christmas Eve, produced by Larry King, disappeared without a trace this weekend.
Mid-term reports
Just 10 days before The Force Awakens begins chugging up all the box-office nutrients. So current blockbusters in play Mockingjay – Part 2 and Spectre have little time in which to fatten up. The final Hunger Games just plummeted (-64.9%) on its third weekend in the States, and is at $523.9m worldwide – so still with work to do to match even the first film’s $694m. Nor has the US/overseas split (43.3%/56.7%) shown the level of increase from Mockingjay – Part 1 (44.6%/55.4%) now expected of burgeoning franchises, reinforcing the sense of a series fizzling out. Bond has just opened weaker than last time in Japan ($3.7m against Skyfall’s $5.7m), and is now up to nearly $800m, making it the series’ second most successful by some margin; $1bn might still be attainable, but Skyfall’s $1.1bn is probably best forgotten. Autumn’s unquestionable success, it’s a shame The Martian hasn’t held better in China – it dropped nearly 60% to $13.7m to take its total there to $73.6m. Though it did hold off the Point Break remake ($11.9m), a rare eastern hemisphere-first debut, to keep hold of the No 1 spot in a last gasp for Hollywood movies before another blackout period is enforced over the holidays.
There have been a few dissenting voices cheering on Victor Frankenstein, notably our own Peter Bradshaw. But unfortunately for presiding studio Fox, they’re having precisely zero effect at the box office, where the James McAvoy film has managed just $24.3m so far. Openings in the developing markets these kinds of second-tier blockbusters are expected to light up look well below the likes of last year’s Dracula Untold, which hustled up just over $200m. The Peanuts Movie has cleaned up nicely in the US to the tune of $120m+, but is currently running at under 10% overseas split. Fortunately, the Charles Schulz adaptation, lining up against a fourth Alvin and the Chipmunks, is looking to lay claim to the global kid contingent over the Christmas holidays; it’ll be hoping to make up the shortfall in major markets France (16 Dec), Brazil and Mexico (17 Dec), the UK (21 Dec) and Russia (24 Dec). On a $100m budget, distributors Fox – given Snoopy and co’s slightly fallow cultural credentials – will be looking for $400-500m.
Beyond Hollywood
One Chinese film cracked the top 10 this week – Tony Chan’s romance Fall in Love Like a Star, at No 9 with $11.1m. Following up last year’s Hollywood remake Bride Wars, Chan self-referentially directs Li Yifeng, a relative newcomer to cinemas, as an up-and-coming actor in love with his assistant. Chinese workplace romcom sequel Go Lala Go 2 also took $3.4m for 19th place globally. With Fox International stepping in for state body China Film Group this time, the film could be a sign of changing times as publicly driven development increasingly cedes to the private sector.
There’s more Hollywood involvement – Universal, this time – for bawdy French comedy Babysitting 2, 15th globally with $4.6m. Following up last year’s found-footage original, it’s maybe also benefited from the resumption of normal cinema-going patterns following the Paris attacks. And one more sequel for the final new entry, Düğün Dernek 2 gets that widely ignored local powerhouse, the Turkish film industry, on the global charts for the first time this year, at no 16 with $4.6m from six territories. Following up Turkey’s 2013 box-office victor – which made a stunning $32m – this film stars comedy mainstay Rasim Oztekin as a grandfather who causes chaos organising his grandson’s circumcision ceremony. Film-going catnip, in other words.
The future
Sundry expansions, including the US opening for In the Heart of the Sea and more dates for The Peanuts Movie. But otherwise ominously quiet, with not a Tie Fighter wail to be heard. Cribbage, anyone?
Top 10 global box office, 4-6 December
1. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, $51m from 93 territories. $523.9m cumulative – 56.7% international; 43.3% US
2. The Good Dinosaur, $34.9m from 46 territories. $131.4m cum – 42.2% int; 57.8% US
3. Spectre, $28.4m from 95 territories. $792m cum – 76.7% int; 23.3% US
4. (New) Krampus, $19.3m from 25 territories – 17.1% int; 82.9% US
5. In the Heart of the Sea, $17.1m from 38 territories – 100% int
6. Creed, $16.9m from 10 territories. $70m – 7% int; 93% US
7. The Martian, $15.1m from 18 territories. $570.8m cum – 61.3% int; 38.7% US
8. (New) Point Break, $12m from 4 territories – 100% int
9. (New) Fall in Love Like a Star, $11.1m from 2 territories. $15.1m cum – 99.1% int; 0.9% US
10. Bridge of Spies, $10.7m from 51 territories. $110.4m cum – 37.9% int; 62.1% US
• Thanks to Rentrak. This week’s figures are based on estimates; all historical figures unadjusted, unless otherwise stated.
