Weekend box office: Jack Reacher and Madea battle for the top spot
Most of us that keep track of the weekend box office news were surprised when Paramount announced a sequel to JACK REACHER because we remembered that when the film opened in December of 2012, it only managed a $15 million opening. That’s a far cry from what Tom Cruise usually commands at the box office and so the consensus was that Cruise and Paramount swung and missed on a franchise. But we didn’t factor in the international box office total of more than $140 million or the fact the film still managed $80 million domestically. So with a modest $60 million budget, the studio had nothing to lose and so JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK was born. And maybe they were on to something because the sequel had a better opening than the original by about $8 million and one can assume it will have a better foreign haul as well. But even with $23 million, the film isn’t on pace to be the number one film of the weekend. That honor goes to TYLER PERRY’S BOO! A MADEA HALLOWEEN, which looks like it will finish slightly above JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK. I don’t understand how the Madea films still make so much money, but good on Tyler Perry for stumbling across something so successful.
Next week sees the release of INFERNO. Director Ron Howard and star Tom Hanks reteam to tell another Robert Langdon adventure. I don’t know if I know anyone that’s a huge fan of the first two films, but Hanks and Howard seem to enjoy making them. But if the third film disappoints, I can’t imagine they’ll greenlight a fourth. But I’m guessing it will open in first place, beating out Madea and Jack Reacher. Note: the numbers below will be updated as they become final.
1. Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween $24.6m
2. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back $23.1m
3. The Accountant $14.6m
4. Ouija: Origin of Evil $13m
5. The Girl on the Train $7.4m
6. Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children $6.1m
7. Keeping Up With the Joneses $5.4m
8. Storks $4.1m
9. Kevin Hart: What Now $4m
10. Deepwater Horizon $3.8m
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