Weekend Box Office Report: December 25-27, 2015

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Star Wars crushes more box office records!

After blasting through box office records at lightspeed last week, STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS continued to dominate with a record-demolishing second weekend of $153.5 million!

Dropping just 38% from its opening, the long-awaited next chapter in the beloved space saga easily set the record for biggest second weekend, Force-chocking previous champ JURASSIC WORLD's $106 million.

With a 10-day domestic total of $544.5 million, STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS has again defeated record-holder JURASSIC WORLD (which was at $402 million at the same point) while also setting a record for quickest release to cross $500 million domestic.

In addition to destroying several weekday records, the J.J. Abrams-directed entry in the franchise also had the biggest Christmas day in history, more than doubling the $24.6 million of SHERLOCK HOLMES in 2009.

With another $546 million from international audiences, STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS has also already passed $1 billion worldwide in record time (and it doesn't open in China until January 9th). It is now the highest-grossing movie in the STAR WARS series, at least when not adjusted for inflation — the first STAR WARS made $307 million domestic back in 1977, which would be over a billion dollars in today's money.

But there was more to see at theaters over the holiday besides the clash between the First Order and the Resistance. The new Mark Wahlberg/Will Ferrell comedy DADDY'S HOME drew the largest non-STAR WARS crowd for a second place debut with $38.8 million (the movie cost a reported $50 million).

Critics didn't really appreciate the reunion (28% on Rotten Tomatoes) but it opened stronger than the actors' last pairing in THE OTHER GUYS ($35.5 million). It's also Ferrell's own second best behind the $47 million opening of TALLADEGA NIGHTS back in 2006.

Opening in third place was the PG-13 comedy JOY with $17.5 million. Filmmaker David O. Russell's latest collaboration with  Jennifer Lawrence (along with Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro) wasn't far behind the $19.1 million of AMERICAN HUSTLE's first wide weekend in 2013, although a reported $60 million budget makes JOY the director's most expensive effort since THREE KINGS in 1999.

JOY had the best opening for star Jennifer Lawrence in a leading role outside of THE HUNGER GAMES series, but critics weren't entirely charmed by the actress or the Miracle Mop inventor's story (57% on Rotten Tomatoes).

Last weekend's other releases got bumped down the list, with the R-rated Tina Fey/Amy Poehler comedy SISTERS moving to fourth with $13.4 million, not even a 1% drop from its opening. ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP skidded past it into fifth with $12.5 million, down 11% from last week.

The new medical drama CONCUSSION opened in sixth place with $11 million. That makes the lowest wide release debut for actor Will Smith — although a movie about professional football impacts causing brain damage in players was probably never going to bring in huge crowds on Christmas weekend. The PG-13 fact-based story also got knocked around a bit by critics (60% on Rotten Tomatoes).

The financial meltdown drama THE BIG SHORT expanded to wide release to leap up into seventh place with $10.5 million, bringing its domestic total to $16 million after its limited release run.

In eighth place was the questionable new remake of POINT BREAK with $10.2 million. With a 4% average on Rotten Tomatoes, the extreme thieves have the honor of joining the year's other single-digit critical clobberings such as HOT PURSUIT and HITMAN: AGENT 47. The update of the Keanu Reeves/Patrick Swayze surfer-bro classic has made over $50 million overseas, but it also reportedly cost more than $100 million to make.

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 2 was in ninth after a month and a half in theaters, while the ROCKY spinoff CREED was hanging tough in tenth as it comes within striking distance of $100 million.

Outside the chart, IN THE HEART OF THE SEA, KRAMPUS and Pixar's THE GOOD DINOSAUR were displaced along with Hindi films DILWALE and BAJIRAO MASTANI. In limited release, the 70mm roadshow release of Quentin Tarantino's new R-rated Western THE HATEFUL EIGHT made $4.5 million on just 100 screens to land just outside the Top 10. Another limited release with an impressive opening was director Alejandro González Iñárritu's THE REVENANT with a per-screen average of $117k.

Next weekend keeps things status quo except for THE HATEFUL EIGHT expanding into wide release a week earlier than originally planned.

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