‘Hunter Killer’ Surfaces From Thursday Box Office With $420,000

Gerard Butler submarine thriller faces off against “Halloween” in its second week

| October 26, 2018 @ 9:41 AM Last Updated: October 26, 2018 @ 10:20 AM
Hunter Killer

Jack English/Lionsgate

Lionsgate’s submarine movie “Hunter Killer,” which is being released through its Summit Entertainment label, earned $420,000 in Thursday previews from 2,200 screens. It will open on 2,728 screens this weekend.

The Gerard Butler and Gary Oldman-led thriller face off against “Halloween” as it moves into its second weekend, which should dominate through Oct. 31. “Hunter Killer” is projected for a $6-8 million opening behind a 38 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Comparisons aren’t easy for “Hunter Killer” considering that it’s going up against “Halloween.” But Gerard Butler’s “Geostorm,” which opened this time last year and skipped Thursday previews, ended up earning only $13.7 million in its opening weekend against a $120 million budget. Butler’s “Den of Thieves” opened in January of this year and took in $950,000 in previews leading up to a $15 million open.

Also Read: 'Halloween' Is a Hit, But How Big Will It Be Outside America?

The last major release set aboard a submarine, 2015’s “Black Sea” which starred Jude Law, made only $1.1 million in its entire run. The film also compares similarly to another acquisition by Millennium from 2016, “Mechanic: Resurrection,” which earned $390,000 in previews.

Also expanding wider this weekend is A24’s “Mid90s.” The directorial debut for Jonah Hill is expanding to 1,206 screens and earned $249,500 for an average of $62,375 on just four screens in its opening weekend, marking a big indie box office debut.

In a targeted release this weekend are the British import “Johnny English Strikes Again” and the faith-based war film “Indivisible.” “Johnny English Strikes Again” is the third installment in the spy comedy series starring Rowan Atkinson. Universal is distributing the film, which has already made $97.6 million overseas including $14.9 million in the U.K. As the film holds most of its interest internationally, it’s only expected to make around $2 million from 500 screens.

Also Read: 'Hunter Killer' Film Review: Gerard Butler Stalks Around a Submarine in Passable Thriller

“Indivisible” is released by Pure Flix and tells the true story of Army Chaplain Darren Turner and his struggle to save his marriage and help his fellow soldiers after his deployment to Iraq. Directed by David G. Evans, the film is projected for a $2-4 million opening on 830 screens.

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