Based on late Thursday and all-day Friday’s numbers, “X-Men: Days of Future Past” will be on the list of all-time best Memorial Day Weekend hits. But not at the top of the list. $97 million seems to be its Thursday-Sunday take, and yes, they’re cheating to get that by opening in to an $8 million pre-weekend bounce.
It may hit $112-15 by midnight Monday. Those numbers are right in line with projections.
And that will be better than “The Hangover: Part II,” which is now the fifth best Memorial Day opener of all time. Eight years ago, “X-Men: The Last Stand” did $123 million, which gives us a faint hit of comic book blockbuster fatigue (4,000 screens, in 3D, and adjusted for inflation, that’s a pretty steep fall off from the best “X.”)
“Blended” is opening to the weakest numbers of any Adam Sandler comedy in memory. Well under $20 million by Sunday night, very low $20s by Monday midnight. Bad reviews, an audience aging out of Adam Sandler movies and his inability to truly make a “kid friendly” film are working against him. He’s Jerry Lewis. The kids know he isn’t cool.
“Chef” cracks the top ten as it gains theaters in an expanding release. Not sure if this strategy will pay off, in the long run. They might have gotten their biggest bounce with a wide opening, and steady fade. There are other chef movies on the way, and hanging onto theaters will be an issue. A “Grand Budapest” or “Exotic Marigold” run? Not the same audience.
“Neighbors” has cleared $100 million, “Godzilla” took a STEEP dive, “Million Dollar Arm” is holding most of its opening weekend audience and “The Other Woman” looks as if it will top out just under $90 million, all in. It will be under $80 by Monday night.
“Heaven is for Real” lost a lot of screens, but it is still holding on to top ten audience.
