For a movie that may not have been made if not for leaked test footage,Deadpoolis proved to be abox officegamble that has already paid off in spades. The superhero adventure has taken in $236.8 million domestically and $256.2 million internationally for a global total of $493 million, and it will likely cross the $500 million milestone sometime this week. Heading into its third frame in theaters,Deadpoolwill face three new releases at the box office this weekend, Lionsgate’sGods of Egypt, 20th Century Fox’sEddie the Eagleand Open Road Films’Triple 9. If the projections atPro.BoxOffice.comare accurate,Deadpoolshould have no trouble winning for a third weekend in a row.
WhileDeadpoolhas had success beyond most analysts' expectations, its second weekend drop of 57.4% could mean that it may not have as much staying power in theaters. For example, throughoutStar Wars: The Force Awakens' 10-week run in theaters, they have only posted a decrease of more than 50% once, and they have consistently managed to drop somewhere in the 30% range almost every weekend, which is surely a factor in its record-breaking success of $921.7 million domestic and $2.04 billion worldwide. Then again,Deadpoolonly cost $58 million to produce, so it is already wildly successful, even if it does continue to drop 50% or more each weekend. We’re projecting that it will take in $22.5 this weekend, which should be more than enough to fend off these three newcomers.
After receiving a slew ofpositive reviews,Deadpoolshattered the record for highest grossing R-rated opening weekend of $91.7 million, held for 13 years byThe Matrix Reloaded. It also brokeFifty Shades of Grey’s February record of $85.1 million, along with its four-day President’s Day weekend record ($93 million), the record for highest-grossing R-rated comic book adaptation (300, $70.8 million), largest winter opening weekend (American Sniper, $89.2 million) and it became the biggest opening ever for 20th Century Fox, surpassing 2005’sStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sithrecord of $108.4 million.
Triple 9is projected to open in second place with $12.5 million, followed byGods of Egyptin third place with $11.5 million andEddie the Eaglein fourth place with $7.5 million.Kung Fu Panda 3will round out the top 5 with $6.4 million. The projections are certainly interesting, since theR-ratedthrillerTriple 9is only expected to open in 2,000 theaters and it currently stands just below “Fresh” at Rotten Tomatoes, with a 59% score.Gods of Egyptis expected to open in 3,000 theaters, whileEddie the Eagleis also opening in approximately 2,000 theaters. While there is no RT score forGods of Egyptyet,Eddie the Eagleis a critical hit with a 76% Fresh rating. It’s possible thatTriple 9potentially out-grossing two PG-13 movies could be a by-product ofDeadpool’s unconventional success, as fans may be hungry for more R-rated content.
Triple 9follows a group of thieves who plan to kill a young LAPD officer to divert the police away from a daring heist they’re perpetrating across town. The titleTriple 9refers to police code indicating that an officer needs immediate assistance. The all-star cast includesChiwetel Ejiofor,Casey Affleck,Kate Winslet,Aaron Paul,Teresa Palmer,Gal Gadot,Woody Harrelson,Norman ReedusandClifton Collins Jr..John Hillcoatdirects from a script by newcomer Matt Cook.
Gods of Egyptis an action-adventure inspired by the classic mythology of Egypt, where magic, monsters, gods and madness reign throughout the palaces and pyramids of the Nile River Valley. With the survival of mankind hanging in the balance, an unexpected hero takes a thrilling journey to save the world and rescue his true love. Set (Gerard Butler), the merciless god of darkness, has usurped Egypt’s throne, plunging the once peaceful and prosperous empire into chaos and conflict. With only a handful of heroic rebels opposing Set’s savage rule, Bek (Brenton Thwaites), a bold and defiant mortal, enlists the aid of powerful god Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) in an unlikely alliance against the evil overlord. As their breathtaking battle against Set and his henchmen take them into the afterlife and across the heavens, both god and mortal must pass tests of courage and sacrifice if they hope to prevail in the spectacular final confrontation.
Inspired by true events,Eddie the Eagleis a feel-good story about Michael “Eddie” Edwards (Taron Egerton), an unlikely but courageous British ski-jumper who never stopped believing in himself - even as an entire nation was counting him out. With the help of a rebellious and charismatic coach (Hugh Jackman), Eddie takes on the establishment and wins the hearts of sports fans around the world by making an improbable and historic showing at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. The supporting cast includesChristopher Walken, Rune Temte and Tim McInnerny in directorDexter Fletcher’s drama.
Rounding out the top 10 this weekend will be Risen ($6.2 million),The Witch($5.9 million),How to Be Single($4.1 million),Race($3.9 million) andZoolander 2($2.2 million). Also opening in limited release isCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny, which will also debut simultaneously on Netflix, a re-issue of Akira Kurosawa’s Ran andTere Bin Laden - Dead Or Aliveand a pair of documentaries, IFC’s King Georges and Gravitas Ventures’The Last Man On the Moon. It will be interesting to see howCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destinyfares in theaters while simultaneously streaming at the same time. This strategy didn’t exactly pay off for Netflix’s first narrative feature,Beasts of No Nation, which only earned $90,777 in a two-week theatrical run.
Looking ahead to next weekend, there will be four new movies hitting theaters, to kick off the month of March. Take a look at the box office estimates for this weekend, and check back on Tuesday for next week’s predictions. Disney’sZootopia, Focus Features' action sequelLondon Has Fallen, Paramount’sWhiskey Tango FoxtrotandThe Other Side of the Doorwill all open in wide release. Arriving in limited release is Broad Green Pictures’Knight of Cups, the latest fromTerrence Malick, Magnolia’sThe Waveand Strand’sMekong Hotel. Be sure to check back on Sunday for the box office estimates, but, until then, take a look at the projections for the weekend of February 26.
