Box Office Report: Record-Breaking Bombs, ‘Martian’ Flies High

To keep box office momentum going throughout October, this weekend needed to be big, as next weekend is already doomed with Halloween landing on Saturday. After two very strong limited-release weekends, the biopic failed to impress in wide release with $7.3 million. Goosebumps, which previously usurped The Martian in its debut last weekend, earned $15.5 million, bringing its domestic total to $43.7 million.

What’s particularly alarming is that pre-release tracking had many of these films doing substantially better (“The Last Witch Hunter” was expected to do as much as $17 million, while a few estimates had “Steve Jobs” expanding to the tune of $19 million). Both films opened in more locations than The Ghost Dimension on Friday but neither managed to hit $550,000. That’s the worst opening ever for a film playing in more than 2,400 theaters.

New release “Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension” ($8.2 million) and newly wide “Steve Jobs” ($7.3 million) trail at #6 and #7, respectively. Vin Diesel hasn’t headlined such a weak opener since Babylon A.D. which bowed in at $9 million in 2008.

Let’s first look at our top three as Ridley Scott’s The Martian took the #1 spot with an estimated $15.9 million in its fourth weekend in release. Overseas, The Martian’s total has surpassed $180 million, and it has been granted a release date in China on November 25th. Tom Hanks’ “Bridge of Spies” still performed well, grossing around $11.4 million from 2,811 theaters. Usually they have to wait 90 days. AMC and Cineplex agreed to take part within the mannequin, however others refused to play the film.

“It feels to us really clear that any issues that we had were not related to consumer behavior”, said Megan Colligan, Paramount’s president of worldwide distribution and marketing. “Audiences, and notably older audiences for whom these movies have nice attraction, they’re staying away”. It’s like they’re opting out.

As audiences decide and select the place to spend their leisure dollars, Dergarabedian additionally notes that there’s a handful of possible blockbusters on the best way with “Spectre”, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. From the box office result, it would appear everyone is having the same dream.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at USA and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Final home figures might be launched Monday. Lionsgate’s supernatural adventure film The Last Witch Hunter followed with $525,000.