Could ‘Kingsman’ or ‘Lego Ninjago’ Dethrone ‘It’ as Box Office Champ?
Box office grosses since Labor Day are up 40 percent compared to last year
Jeremy Fuster | September 19, 2017 @ 4:33 PM
Last Updated: September 19, 2017 @ 4:47 PM
After dominating the box office for the past two weeks with no serious opposition, “It” is about to get some company in the form of Fox’s “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” and Warner Bros.’ “The Lego Ninjago Movie,” both of which should add to what has already been a very lucrative September.
According to data from comScore, grosses since Labor Day are up nearly 40 percent compared to the same time frame last year, and the year-to-date deficit has dropped below five percent compared to 2016 after growing to as much as six percent in the wake of a dismal August.
It seems that box office booms seem to have just switched months.
While 2016 saw “Suicide Squad” carry the box office through August and was followed with a quiet September, 2017 is seeing the exact opposite with the record-breaking “It” pushing returns out of the doldrums. And while “Kingsman” and “Ninjago” won’t break records the way “It” did, they should, combined with a robust third-weekend performance from the Stephen King horror, put this weekend’s total results on the same level as the previous two weekends.
“It shows you the see-saw nature of the industry,” says comScore’s Paul Dergarabedian. “We’ve heard studios talk about how they can release a big film any time, but now they’re really putting their money where their mouth is. The ‘It’/’Kingsman’/’Ninjago’ combo should make September almost seem like summer, and that really doesn’t happen,” he added.
“Kingsman: The Golden Circle” is expected to take the No. 1 slot this weekend, with both studio and independent projections expecting an opening in the low $40 million range from 4,000 screens against a $104 million budget. The sequel’s 2015 predecessor, “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” grossed a $36.2 million opening from its mid-February release, going on to gross $128.2 million domestic and $414 million worldwide against an $81 million budget. Reviews for the film have been mixed so far, with Rotten Tomatoes currently giving it 56 percent.
“The Lego Ninjago Movie” is projected by trackers to make a solid $35 million this weekend, with WB putting its target a little lower at around $30 million. That’s a drop from the $69 million made by “The Lego Movie” and the $53 million made by “The Lego Batman Movie” earlier this year, but that is to be expected as “Ninjago” sports a lesser-known franchise and doesn’t dabble in the pop culture references the previous films used to gain crossover appeal.
“Kingsman: The Golden Circle” sees dapper super-spy Eggsy (Taron Egerton) return to stop the evil terror ring known as The Golden Circle with the help of the Kingsmen’s American counterparts, the Statesmen. Colin Firth, Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, Channing Tatum and Halle Berry also star. Matthew Vaughn directed the film, penned the script with Jane Goldman, and produced with David Reid and Adam Bohling.
“The Lego Ninjago Movie” follows six young aspiring ninjas as they train under Master Wu (Jackie Chan) to protect the land of Ninjago from an invasion by the evil Lord Garmadon (Justin Theroux), father of the ninjas’ leader, Lloyd (Dave Franco). Fred Armisen, Olivia Munn and Kumail Nanjiani also star. Charlie Bean, Paul Fisher, and Bob Logan are directors.
7 Biggest Fall Box Office Showdowns, Including 'Ninjago' vs 'Kingsman' (Photos)
"Thor: Ragnarok," "Justice League" and "Star Wars" will surely dominate the box office in the remaining months of 2017. But along with those would-be blockbusters are several smaller films competing for moviegoers' attention. Here are the seven head-to-head box office showdowns to look out for this fall.
Sept. 15: “mother!” vs. “American Assassin”: If its trailer and NSFW poster are any indication, Darren Aronofsky’s horror show looks like its going to be as terrifying and unforgiving a movie as one can expect. While critical acclaim could give it a boost, “American Assassin” has more crowd pleasing elements with “Teen Wolf” star Dylan O’Brien in the lead, and a story based on Vince Flynn’s best-selling Mitch Rapp novels.
Sept. 22: "The Lego Ninjago Movie" vs. "Kingsman the Golden Circle": Like its "Lego Movie" predecessors, "Ninjago" should be a big draw for family audiences who haven't had a major film for them since "Despicable Me 3" and "The Emoji Movie." Facing it is the R-rated "Kingsman" sequel, which will aim to turn the cult following its predecessor earned into a strong opening.
Sept. 29:"Flatliners" vs. "American Made": After starring in the critically maligned "Mummy" remake this summer, Tom Cruise will star in "American Made," which tells the true story of an an airline pilot who becomes a drug smuggler and later a DEA informant. Facing it will be Columbia's "Flatliners," a sequel to the 1990 cult hit about experiments that induce near-death experiences.
Oct. 20: "Only the Brave" vs. "Geostorm" vs. "The Snowman" vs. "Boo! 2": A quartet of wild card releases hit theaters in the third weekend of October. The one that has the best shot of a strong opening is "Boo! 2," the latest film in Tyler Perry's popular "Madea" series. The first "Boo!" made $28.5 million in its opening weekend.
Oct. 27: "Jigsaw" vs. "Suburbicon": It was only a matter of time before the "Saw" franchise came back to play another game, but after "It," "mother!" and "Happy Death Day" hit theaters, will audiences come back for a fourth helping from an old franchise on Halloween weekend? Against it is Oscar contender "Suburbicon," which features -- get ready -- George Clooney directing Matt Damon, Julianne Moore and Oscar Isaac from a script co-written by the Coen Brothers.
Nov. 10: "Daddy's Home 2" vs. "Murder on Orient Express" vs. "Thor: Ragnarok": After posting the worst box office performance of his career with "The House," Will Ferrell will try to do better with a sequel to his 2015 collab with Mark Wahlberg. Kenneth Branagh's star-studded adaptation of Agatha Christie's famous murder mystery novel will also release this weekend, but both could fall to "Thor: Ragnarok," which will be in its second weekend.
Dec. 22: Christmas Releases: Let's be real. All of these holiday weekend releases will be fighting for whatever scraps of moviegoers "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" leaves behind. But "Pitch Perfect 3," the final installment in Kay Cannon's hit musical comedy, has a real shot at a solid opening. Other movies in this group include an adaptation of the TV series "The Six Billion Dollar Man" and Oscar contender "Downsizing," which stars Matt Damon as a man who joins a growing group of people who shrink themselves and join miniature communities.
We know “Thor: Ragnarok” will dominate when it opens in November, but here are the most competitive weekends to watch
"Thor: Ragnarok," "Justice League" and "Star Wars" will surely dominate the box office in the remaining months of 2017. But along with those would-be blockbusters are several smaller films competing for moviegoers' attention. Here are the seven head-to-head box office showdowns to look out for this fall.
