Lego Batman Movie Leads Over Holiday

Over the extended Presidents’ Day weekend, Warner Bros. Pictures’ animated The Lego Batman Movie led the box office again with $42.74 million. Universal Pictures’ romance sequel Fifty Shades Darker dropped by a lower second-weekend percentage than its predecessor, taking the runner-up spot with $22.68 million. Universal’s historical action epic The Great Wall was the top debut with $21.51 million and third place. Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema’s R-rated action comedy Fist Fight started in fifth place with $14.12 million. And 20th Century Fox’s horror debut A Cure for Wellness didn’t even make the top 10, with an 11th place opening of $5.00 million.

The Lego Batman Movie led the weekend box office for the second consecutive weekend with $42.74 million. (Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures)

The Lego Batman Movie’s 35.4 percent three-day decline was a steeper drop than the 27.8 percent second-weekend decline for 2014’s The Lego Movie. Batman‘s $107.31 million total through two weekends is 17.5 percent behind the original Lego film’s $130.1 million through the same point.

Fifty Shades Darker’s 54.9 percent three-day decline was lower than the near-record 73.9 percent second-weekend decline for 2015’s Fifty Shades of Grey. Still, Fifth Shades Darker‘s $91.38 million total through two weekends is running 29.2 percent below the $129.1 million earned by Fifty Shades of Grey through the same period.

Despite poor domestic performance, The Great Wall, the historical action fantasy starring Matt Damon, had a reported $150 million budget, the film appears likely to be considered a financial success overall when including its great overseas sales. It has earned $244.6 million overseas to date, including $171 million in China where the story takes place. Domestically, The Great Wall started 52.3 percent above the $14.1 million opening of last year’s Gods of Egypt, another historical action film released in February.

Lionsgate’s John Wick: Chapter 2 took fourth place with $18.98 million. The 37.6 percent decline was in line with the 44.5 percent second-weekend decline that 2014’s John Wick experienced. On Friday, John Wick: Chapter 2 already exceeded the lifetime gross of the original installment, and the sequel’s $61.17 million so far is currently running 42.3 percent ahead of the original’s $43.0 million final haul.

The R-rated action comedy Fist Fight starring Ice Cube and Charlie Day debuted 58.2 percent behind the $33.8 million opening of Ice Cube’s Get Hard and 59.9 percent below the $35.2 million opening of Ride Along 2, although to be fair expectations and budget were both lower for Fist Fight.

The horror A Cure for Wellness’ low start can hardly be attributed to lack of awareness, as the film advertised during the Super Bowl to more than 100 million people. Part of it may have been the film’s poor reviews.

The top 10 films last weekend made a cumulative $155.78 million. That is 8.9 percent behind the $171.09 million earned by the top 10 films the previous weekend. It is also 27.8 percent behind the $215.8 million earned by the top 10 films on the same weekend last year, when Deadpool broke records with a $132.4 million debut.

Mark Heckathorn

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.