Early November has yielded major box office hits like “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” in recent years, but no such juggernaut was in sight this weekend as Lionsgate’s “Midway” only needed a $17.5 million opening from 3,242 screens to take the No. 1 spot.
The chart-topping victory for Lionsgate and Roland Emmerich was a surprise for many analysts as Warner Bros.’ “Doctor Sleep” was expected to open to a $25-30 million opening. Instead, the $50 million sequel to Stephen King and Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” has collapsed with an opening of just $14.1 million from 3,855 screens.
With no film grossing over $20 million this weekend, overall grosses are estimated to drop almost 30% from the $163 million grossed in this weekend last year, when Universal/Illumination’s “The Grinch” opened to $67 million while “Bohemian Rhapsody” grossed $31 million in its second weekend.