The Force Awakens Breaks More Records
Walt Disney Studios’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens continued its historic run last weekend (Dec. 25-27) with a record breaking second weekend take of $149.20 million. The blockbuster seventh installment of the Star Wars franchise zoomed past the previous second weekend record of $106.59 million set by Jurassic World earlier in the year by $42.61 million and 40 percent. Thanks in part to Christmas falling on Friday as well as very strong word of mouth, The Force Awakens fell 40 percent. In comparison, Jurassic World fell 49 percent in its second weekend. In addition, The Force Awakens topped the previous Christmas weekend record of $75.62 million, set by Avatar in its second weekend back in 2009, by 97 percent.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens has grossed $540.06 million in just 10 days. That already places the movie in fifth place on the all-time unadjusted domestic box office chart and in 41st place on the all-time adjusted domestic chart. The Force Awakens is currently running 34 percent ahead of the $402.80 million 10-day start of Jurassic World and 154 percent ahead of the $212.71 million 10-day gross of Avatar. In passing the $500 million domestic mark on its tenth day of release on Sunday, The Force Awakens is the fastest film to reach the $500 million milestone. Previous record holder Jurassic World took 17 days to reach it.
The next question for Star Wars: The Force Awakens is whether the film will be able become the first film to ever gross at least $100 million in its third weekend of release. Avatar currently holds the all-time third weekend record with $68.49 million.
In other box office news, Paramount Pictures’ Daddy’s Home was off to a terrific second place start with $38.74 million. The PG-13 rated comedy starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg passed expectations. Pre-release online activity had been soft, but the film ultimately became the main Christmas alternative to The Force Awakens last weekend. Comedies aimed at family audiences have a history of surprising over Christmas weekend, as Daddy’s Home joins a list that also includes 2012’s Parental Guidance, 2008’s Marley and Me, 2006’s Night at the Museum and 2003’s Cheaper By the Dozen.
Twentieth Century Fox’s Joy debuted in third place with $17.02 million. The David O. Russell directed film starring Jennifer Lawrence opened in line with expectations. Joy is likely to be significantly front-loaded due in part to mixed reviews and in part to being viewed as an outsider for a Best Picture nomination.
Holdovers occupied fourth and fifth place last weekend, as Universal Pictures’ Sisters took in $14.19 million, while 20th Century Fox’s Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip grossed $13.14 million. Sisters was up a healthy 2 percent over its previous weekend’s debut, while The Road Chip was down 8 percent. Respective 10-day grosses stand at $37.46 million for Sisters and at $39.85 million for The Road Chip, which places it 19.5 percent behind the $49.53 million 10-day take of 2011’s Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked. Both Sisters and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip should continue to hold up well going forward.
Paramount’s The Big Short took in $10.53 million in its first weekend of wide release. The critically acclaimed Adam McKay directed film opened towards the lower end of expectations and had a promising performance with its award season potential, Wednesday expansion and modest location count of 1,585 in mind. It earned an additional $4.02 million on Wednesday and Thursday. The movie has grossed $16.02 million in 17 days and is scheduled to receive another expansion on Jan. 8 when the film will be playing in an estimated 2,500 locations.
Sony Pictures’ Concussion followed closely behind with an estimated $10.50 million. The Will Smith led sports drama opened towards the lower end of expectations. Despite concussions in the NFL being a very current topic among sports fans, Concussion ultimately couldn’t compete with the competition from The Force Awakens and Daddy’s Home last weekend.
Point Break landed in eighth place with an estimated $9.81 million. The pricey action remake from Warner Bros. Studios debuted on the lower end of already modest expectations and performed poorly with its price tag in mind. Point Break represents another poor recent performer for Warner Bros., as it joins the likes of Pan, Our Brand is Crisis, The 33 and In the Heart of the Sea over the past few months.
Meanwhile, The Weinstein Co.’s The Hateful Eight was off to an impressive start with$4.61 million from its 100 location 70mm roadshow launch. That gave the extended version of the Quentin Tarantino directed western a terrific per-location average of $46,107 for the weekend and placed the film in tenth place among all films last weekend. Given the strength of the weekend’s performance, The Hateful Eight looks to be in very good shape for its expansion into wide release this coming Thursday when the film will be playing in an estimated 1,800 locations.
This Week | Last Week | Movie | Weekend Gross | Cumulative Gross | Weeks |
1 | 1 | Star Wars: The Force Awakens | $149.20M | $540.06M | 2 |
2 | N/A | Daddy’s Home | $38.74M | $38.74M | 1 |
3 | N/A | Joy | $17.02M | $17.02M | 1 |
4 | 3 | Sisters | $14.19M | $37.46M | 2 |
5 | 2 | Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip | $13.14M | $39.85M | 2 |
6 | N/A | The Big Short | $10.53M | $16.02M | 3 |
7 | N/A | Concussion | $10.50M | $10.50M | 1 |
8 | N/A | Point Break | $9.81M | $9.81M | 1 |
9 | 4 | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 | $5.28M | $264.54M | 6 |
10 | N/A | The Hateful Eight | $4.61M | $4.61M | 1 |
Editor-in-Chief Mark Heckathorn is a journalist, movie buff and foodie. He oversees DC on Heels editorial operations as well as strategic planning and staff development. Reach him with story ideas or suggestions at dcoheditor (at) gmail (dot) com.