

Marvel’s “Thunderbolts*” will own the box office until “Mission: Impossible” and “Lilo & Stitch” return. So this patchwork comic book action had better make hay while the sun shines.
“Thunderbolts*” opened at an underwhelming (for a Marvel movie) $74 million last weekend, and didn’t clear the $100 million mark in its first week.
With no significant competition other than the enduring “Sinners” and “Minecraft” phenomena, it should lose only 50% this weekend,. Friday’s and Saturday’s numbers point to a $33 million weekend, The Numbers confirms. That’s a 55% fall-off, which considering it didn’t have an epic (for May) opening weekend, is nothing to swoon over.
“Sinners” is maintaining its audience share better than any spring movie in recent memory, adding another $21 million, hurdling past the $200 million mark with lots of room to spare.
“A Minecraft Movie” is falling off to an $8 million weekend, with more than $400 million in the box office bank already, just in North America.
“The Accountant 2” is hanging in the top five for another week, clearing over $6.
IFC’s well-received title-says-it-all horror outing “Clown in the Cornfield” is underwhelming its way to a $3.8 million opening in fairly wide release. It had looked to open even worse ($3), so that’s a “win.”
Lionsgate paired up Kerry Washington, whose real stardom is on TV these days, with Omar Sy (“The Intouchables,” “Jurassic World”) for the actioner “Shadow Force,” and roll it out way to the sound of crickets. Maybe a $2 million opening, if Sunday holds true to form.
And tiny distributor Vertical took a chance with a wide release of a Josh Hartnett villainous turn actioner “Fight or Flight.” “Flight” is a pun title for an aviation thriller. And it’s an accurate description of the audience, which isn’t showing up. A $2 million take just behind with “Shadow Force” is the way things played out.
Briarcliff’s Rebel Wilson rom-com “Juliet & Romeo” isn’t making a ripple in wide release. It’s in 1350 theaters and may clear $350K, based on Thursday night/Friday’s take. That’s a bomb.
Not a lot “new” to get most of us up and out to movies, I have to confess.
But all in all, it’s a bad-not-terrible-weekend for cinema chains and the studios that under-supply them. They’re still praying for Tom Cruise and Disney to save the summer May 23.
Because a new “Final Destination” movie and a Jenna Ortega star vehicle “Hurry Up Tomorrow” next weekend won’t do enough make May a “merry month.”

