The Dark Tower shoots into first!
Roland the gunslinger made the long journey to theaters this weekend and put THE DARK TOWER on top at the box office with an estimated opening of $19.5 million!
Fans of author Stephen King have anxiously waited for the epic series of fantasy novels to come alive on screen, but instead received an "expansion"/pseudo-sequel to the books. The loose adaptation introducing hero Roland (Idris Elba) and his nemesis, the Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey), cost a reported $60 million.
The movie did open on the higher end for a feature version of King's work — THE GREEN MILE and SECRET WINDOW started with $18 million, while the John Cusack hotel horror 1408 remains the strongest with a $20.6 million opening back in 2007. But it's mild compared to other recent genre releases that kicked off August — GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY began the month with $94 million in 2014, and SUICIDE SQUAD opened to $133 million on this weekend last summer.
The PG-13 interdimensional adventure was intended to launch both film and TV series based on the novels, but the first chapter's relatively quiet response may call that plan into question (it made an additional $8 million overseas). Critics weren't satisfied with the theatrical deviation, giving it an 18% average on Rotten Tomatoes (the JoBlo review is HERE).
Filmmaker Christopher Nolan's war movie DUNKIRK was in second place with $17.6 million after two weekends on top. The WWII drama now has a domestic total of $133.5 million and a worldwide total of $314 million (on a reported cost of $100 million).
THE EMOJI MOVIE was in third with $12.3 million, a drop of almost 50% from last week's opening. The animated comedy has a ten-day domestic total of $49.4 million (on a reported $50 million cost).
The R-rated comedy GIRLS TRIP continued partying in fourth place with $11.4 million, bringing it to a domestic total of $85.4 million after three weekends (it cost a reported $19 million).
Opening in fifth place was the new Halle Berry thriller KIDNAP with $10.2 million.
Berry's previous time dealing with a kidnapping in 2013's THE CALL had an opening of $17 million. Her latest abduction drama, originally scheduled for release almost two years ago before shuffling distributors, cost a reported $20 million.
Critics gave Berry's child-snatching turmoil a 40% average on Rotten Tomatoes. You can check out the JoBlo review HERE.
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING was in sixth place with $8.8 million as it keeps crawling the wall toward $300 million domestic after five weeks in theaters. Charlize Theron's bone-crunching espionage thriller ATOMIC BLONDE followed in seventh with $8.2 million, down 55% from its opening for a ten-day domestic total of $34.1 million.
The fact-based drama DETROIT expanded into wide release and landed in eighth place with $7.2 million.
Director Kathryn Bigelow's R-rated account of the Motor City's racial tension and police violence during the summer of '67 cost a reported $35 million. Critics gave the harrowing experience an 88% average on Rotten Tomatoes (you can check out the JoBlo review HERE).
WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES was in ninth with $6 million and a fairly muted outcome for the relaunched trilogy with $130 million domestic (compared to $176 million for RISE and $208.5 million for DAWN). DESPICABLE ME 3 finished up the list with $5.2 million as the animated sequel becomes the summer's highest-grossing worldwide release with $879 million.
Outside the chart, Edgar Wright's BABY DRIVER steered out of the Top 10 (still cruising toward $100 million domestic) along with Luc Besson's expensive sci-fi spectacle VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS and WONDER WOMAN, which is now just a magic lasso's reach away from $400 million domestic. In limited release, the Jeremy Renner/Elizabeth Olsen crime thriller WIND RIVER started with a strong per-screen average of $41k.
Next weekend offers the horror prequel ANNABELLE: CREATION, the animated sequel THE NUT JOB 2: NUTTY BY NATURE and the Brie Larson drama THE GLASS CASTLE, while limited releases include the Aubrey Plaza comedy INGRID GOES WEST and the drama THE ONLY LIVING BOY IN NEW YORK.
What is your favorite movie based on the work of Stephen King? VOTE HERE!
| # | MOVIE TITLE | WKND $ | TOTAL $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Dark Tower | $19.5 M | NEW |
| 2 | Dunkirk | $17.6 M | $133.5 M |
| 3 | The Emoji Movie | $12.3 M | $49.4 M |
| 4 | Girls Trip | $11.4 M | $85.4 M |
| 5 | Kidnap | $10.2 M | NEW |
| 6 | Atomic Blonde | $8.2 M | $34.1 M |
| 7 | Spider-Man: Homecoming | $8.8 M | $294.9 M |
| 8 | Detroit | $7.2 M | $7.7 M |
| 9 | War for the Planet of the Apes | $6 M | $130.2 M |
| 10 | Despicable Me 3 | $5.2 M | $240.7 M |