The Force Awakens Breaks Another Record
Walt Disney Studios’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens continued to lead the box office with ease last weekend (Jan. 1-3) with a third weekend take of $90.24 million. That represented the largest third weekend gross of all-time, as The Force Awakens topped the previous $68.49 million record of Avatar by $21.75 million and 32 percent. Thanks in part to continued strong word of mouth and to the New Year’s holiday, The Force Awakens was down just 39.5 percent from Christmas weekend.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens has grossed $742.21 million in 17 days. That already makes the film the second highest grossing film of all-time unadjusted domestically, as the film zoomed past the respective $658.67 million and $652.27 million lifetime grosses of Titanic and Jurassic World, respecitvely. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is now just $18.30 million away from surpassing the $760.51 million lifetime gross of Avatar to become the highest grossing film of all-time domestically. When adjusting for ticket price inflation, The Force Awakens is currently in 18th place on the all-time adjusted list. It is currently running 48 percent ahead of the $500.37 million 17-day take of Jurassic World and 111 percent ahead of the $352.11 million 17-day take of Avatar.
Paramount Pictures’ Daddy’s Home continued to exceed expectations with a second place take of $29.21 million. The PG-13 rated comedy starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg was down only 25 percent from the previous weekend’s stronger than expected debut. Daddy’s Home has been the clear alternative to The Force Awakens for moviegoers over the holidays and has grossed $93.89 million in 10 days.
The Weinstein Co.’s The Hateful Eight took third place with $15.71 million. On the heels of the previous weekend’s strong roadshow start, the Quentin Tarantino directed western had a more modest performance upon expanding into wide release. The Hateful Eight debuted below expectations. It is possible that last weekend’s performance was deflated a bit from the film’s fairly last minute release, but at the same time, the film will soon face new direct competition from 20th Century Fox’s The Revenant when that film expands into wide release this Friday. The Hateful Eight has grossed $29.05 million through 10 days of release, five of which have been in wide release.
Universal Pictures’ Sisters and 20th Century Fox’s Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip were in fourth and fifth place with respective takes of $12.76 million and $12.07 million. Both films held up very nicely from the previous weekend, as Sisters was down 10 percent and The Road Chip dropped 8 percent. Respective 17-day grosses stand at $67.65 million for The Road Chip and $61.88 million for Sisters.
Twentieth Century Fox’s Joy and Paramount’s The Big Short claimed sixth and seventh place with respective grosses of $10.21 million and $9.06 million. Joy fell 40 percent from the previous weekend, while The Big Short was down 14 percent. Joy has grossed $38.52 million in 10 days, while The Big Short has grossed $33.06 million in 24 days. However, given its far better hold last weekend and its upcoming expansion on Friday; The Big Short should have no problem passing Joy before much longer.
Sony Pictures’ Concussion and Warner Bros. Pictures’ Point Break landed in eighth and ninth place with respective takes of $7.85 million and $6.82 million. Both films held up nicely, as Concussion fell just 25 percent from the previous, while Point Break dropped 30 percent. Concussion and Point Break both likely benefited from their Christmas weekend debuts having been deflated by direct competition from the massive second weekend performance of The Force Awakens. Respective 10 day grosses stand at $25.27 million for Concussion and at $22.40 million for Point Break.
This Week | Last Week | Movie | Weekend Gross | Cumulative Gross | Weeks |
1 | 1 | Star Wars: The Force Awakens | $90.24M | $742.21M | 3 |
2 | 2 | Daddy’s Home | $29.21M | $93.89M | 2 |
3 | N/A | The Hateful Eight | $15.71M | $29.05M | 2 |
4 | 4 | Sisters | $12.76M | $61.88M | 3 |
5 | 5 | Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip | $12.07M | $67.65M | 3 |
6 | 3 | Joy | $10.21M | $38.52M | 2 |
7 | 6 | The Big Short | $9.06M | $33.06M | 4 |
8 | 7 | Concussion | $7.85M | $25.27M | 2 |
9 | 8 | Point Break | $6.82M | $22.40M | 2 |
10 | 9 | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 | $4.62M | $275.19M | 7 |
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.