Friday Estimates: Scary Tops Friday, Hobbs and Shaw Set to Win Weekend

August 10, 2019

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark led the way on Friday with $7.86 million. The film’s reviews are Certified Fresh at 80% positive, but it only managed a C from CinemaScore. To be fair, this isn’t a bad result for a horror film, but it does mean it likely won’t have great legs and will sink into second place over the full weekend. It will still beat our prediction and could even become CBS Films’ best opening of all time. Right now, it is on pace to come close to The Woman in Black’s current record with about $20 million during the opening weekend. It would be ironic is CBS Films set the company record now, as it is ceasing theatrical releases and instead shifting towards streaming content.

Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw managed $7.09 million on Friday, which was 70% lower than its opening Friday. It will bounce back over the rest of the weekend and it will reclaim top spot on the chart. However, it is on the low end of expectations and should finish the weekend with $24 million. The film will really need to be an international hit if it wants to recoup its $200 million price-tag.

Dora and the Lost City of Gold appears to have bounced back a little after its disappointing previews with $6.5 million on Friday putting it on pace for $17 million over the full weekend. This is not a great start for a family film that cost $49 million to make, but if its 81% positive reviews and its A from CinemaScore can turn into long legs, then it could still have a decent run domestically. Meanwhile, it has a real shot at becoming a hit in Latin America and that could save its financial future.

The Lion King managed $5.72 million on Friday and that might be enough for second place over the full weekend. It depends on how much it bounces back and on Scary Stories’s internal multiplier. Frankly, whether or not the film manages to hold onto second place isn’t really an issue, as it remains on pace to reach $500 million domestically before end of summer, so Disney won’t even notice what its ranking will be this weekend.

Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood matched expectations nearly perfectly with $3.25 million on Friday, putting it on pace for just over $11 million over the full weekend. It will get to $100 million either very late on Sunday or very early on Monday.

The Art of Racing in the Rain opened with $3.0 million on Friday and should match our $8 million prediction. At worst, it should come within a rounding error of that number. Unfortunately, matching expectations still means it is struggling at the box office. On the other hand, while its reviews are weak, it did earn an A minus from CinemaScore, so that’s a nice bonus.

The Kitchen bombed with $1.8 million on Friday. Its reviews were the worst of the weekend and audiences agree, as it only managed a B minus from CinemaScore. Unlike horror movies, films aimed at more mature women need a better rating than this to survive. The film will miss the Mendoza Line with about $5 million.

It looks like Brian Banks will earn 10th place with about $2 million. It started its run with $760,000 on Friday, which did put it ahead of The Farewell on the daily chart. However, it might not stay there over the full weekend.

Filed under: Friday Estimates, The Lion King, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, Dora and the Lost City of Gold, The Kitchen, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Brian Banks, The Farewell