LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - Though new entries “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” and “Uncle Drew” scored higher debuts than expected, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” still reigns supreme at the domestic box office.
“Fallen Kingdom” picked up $60 million from 4,485 locations in its second outing, bringing its domestic tally to $264.8 million. Even with a 59 percent drop, the dinosaur tentpole has nothing to fear. To date, the Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard-led sequel has pocketed $932 million globally and is well on its way to crossing $1 billion. Overseas, the Universal and Amblin Entertainment blockbuster pulled in $56.1 million this weekend.
“Sicario: Day of the Soldado” bowed with $19 million in 3,055 locations, while fellow newcomer “Uncle Drew” racked up $15.5 million from 2,742 theaters. Meanwhile, the third outing of “Incredibles 2” stayed at No. 2 with $44.6 million from 4,410 locations. That takes the Disney-Pixar sequel’s domestic total up to $438.8 million in three weeks.
“Ocean’s 8” continues to stay in the top five, stealing another $8 million from 2,345 theaters this weekend. In four weeks, the Warner Bros. heist film has amassed $114 million at the domestic box office.
Earlier in the week, “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” and “Uncle Drew” were targeting openings between $10 million and $13 million. The follow-up to Denis Villeneuve’s “Sicario” scored a better debut than its predecessor, which opened with $12 million in 2015. The critically acclaimed original film ― which scored three Oscar nods ― picked up $84 million globally during its theatrical run. The sequel hasn’t gathered the same praise, earning a B CinemaScore and an average 64 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. To compare, “Sicario” received a 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, critics praised Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro for their performances. Stefano Sollima took over directing duties for “Soldado,” while Taylor Sheridan returned to pen the script.
Like “Sicario 2,” Lionsgate’s sports comedy “Uncle Drew” ― based on the Pepsi commercial starring NBA icon Kyrie Irving ― also served as counterprogramming against a series of superhero tentpoles. The film received an A CinemaScore, though its Rotten Tomato average was slightly less enthusiastic at 67 percent. As expected, the audience was 59 percent male, while 58 percent of moviegoers were over the age of 25.
At the specialty box office, Neon’s “Three Identical Strangers” made $163,000 when it opened in just five theaters. That’s a per screen average of $32,000 ― a solid start during a summer where documentaries have fared exceptionally well.
Another documentary, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” ranked in the top 10 at the domestic box office again. Morgan Neville’s film, focusing on beloved children’s show host Mister Rogers, made another $2.3 million from 654 theaters in its fourth frame. In total, it has grossed $7.5 million.
The 2018 box office, which just hit $6 billion in record time, is up 9.3 percent, according to ComScore. Meanwhile, the summer box office remains a force, up 15.3 percent compared to last summer, which was the lowest popcorn season in over a decade.
Next weekend sees the release of Marvel’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp” starring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly. The superhero sequel is currently tracking between $68 million and $80 million.
“The much-anticipated debut of Disney’s ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp’ will get the momentum train rolling again with what will be the latest in an impressively long line of box office and critical hits for the Marvel brand,” said Paul Dergarabedian, box office analyst at ComScore.