Just because it is normal does not mean there are not some losers and the three newcomers are that, it appears. No film could take down the R-rated film about N.W.A. It stays on top with ease and for that film, it solidified it non niche factor. It is a hit and for that film, this window of release payed off.
For “Sinister 2,” it was another bad release for horror films this summer. They often have a good opening weekend, then fade. But not this summer. “Sinister 2′ opened in third behind the staying power of “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.”
With children heading back to school in many parts of the country and college campuses filling back up, this feels like the end of summer for movies. However, that ends with the Labor Day holiday in the states. It does seem, at this point that the summer totals will not surpass the 2013 summer record, noted The Wrap. It ill be close, and the year is still on track for the best year at the domestic box office.
Weekend
1. “Straight Outta Compton” – $26.7 million
2. “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” – $12 million
3. “Sinister 2” – $10.6 million
4. “Hit Man: Agent 47” – $8 million
5. “American Ultra” – $5.6 million
Kristen Stewart stars in “American Ultra” and that did not help pull in the “Twilight” crowd. Meanwhile, “Hit Man: Agent 47” failed to get the young male crowd. Why? Perhaps they were more focused on getting back to school. Since “Agent 47” targets the video game crowd, the release timing might seem odd, but it did get the males, but they are over the age of 25. The male audience was 61 percent.
Even the crowd for “American Ultra” skewed older so the reliable younger audience stayed away this weekend. As noted earlier, the pace for a record year, and with another “Star Wars” coming out in December, how could it miss? A record year by no means great movies all around, so expect more of the same as the big tentpoles make the money and smaller films struggle.
This summer, Disney and Universal sucked up all the oxygen and smaller studios struggled.
Now comes award season and the smaller films are the ones to see. For example, “Grandmother” starring Lily Tomlin opened to a solid $30,467 per screen and the buzz is out for her to score an Oscar nomination.
