Weekend Box Office Report: September 22-24, 2017

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Kingsman: The Golden Circle maketh money!

Eggsy (and his mentor) returned for more exaggerated spy action this weekend, putting KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE in first place with an estimated opening of  $39 million!

Director Matthew Vaughn's second espionage satire got a better start than KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE, which opened in February 2015 with $36.2 million before ultimately collecting $128 million domestic and $414 million worldwide (on a reported $81 million budget).

The R-rated sequel, which cost a reported $104 million, also collected an extra $61 million from international audiences for a worldwide opening weekend of $100 million.

Despite the addition of high-profile actors like Channing Tatum, Julianne Moore and Jeff Bridges, critics weren't quite as amused as the first time around with Kingsman agents Taron Egerton and Colin Firth (a 51% Rotten Tomatoes average for THE GOLDEN CIRCLE versus 74% for THE SECRET SERVICE). You can check out the JoBlo review HERE.

Stephen King's sewer-clown had to settle for second place after two weekends on top. But don't cry for Pennywise, who snatched another $30 million on IT's third weekend in theaters.

In addition to beating THE GREEN MILE to become the highest-grossing adaptation of the author's work, IT has now become the biggest horror movie in history with $266 million domestic and $478 million worldwide, stealing the crown from the 1973 classic THE EXORCIST (in unadjusted dollars, of course).

Opening in third place was the animated THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE with $21.2 million.

Based on the company's fantasy/martial arts line of brick toys, the NINJAGO movie didn't reach the heights of THE LEGO MOVIE, which opened with $69 million in 2014, or even the $53 million start of this past February's THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE.

The latest interlocking adaptation (which cost a reported $70 million) didn't quite click with critics, who gave it a 53% average on Rotten Tomatoes. The JoBlo review is HERE.

The Top 10 figures drop by significant digits after that, with AMERICAN ASSASSIN in fourth place with $6.2 million. The R-rated action-thriller with Dylan O'Brien and Michael Keaton lost 58% from last weekend's opening for a ten-day domestic total of $26.1 million (on a reported cost of $33 million).

The Reese Witherspoon romantic comedy HOME AGAIN was in fifth place with $3.3 million, bringing it to $22.3 million on its third weekend in theaters (on a $12 million reported cost).

Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky's R-rated curiosity MOTHER! was in sixth place with $3.2 million. The $30 million Jennifer Lawrence/Javier Bardem psychological horror story dipped by 56% from its opening last week for a ten-day domestic total of $13.4 million.

In seventh place was the new horror movie FRIEND REQUEST with an opening of $2.4 million.

Although it received a wide release on 2500 screens, moviegoers rejected the R-rated story of a vengeful social media spirit.

The tale of online supernatural terror (with "Fear the Walking Dead" star Alycia Debnam-Carey as the most familiar face in the cast) cost a reported $10 million. Critics logged off with a 20% average on Rotten Tomatoes (you can scroll the JoBlo review HERE).

THE HITMAN'S BODYGUARD still had ammo in eighth with $1.8 million for a domestic total of $73.5 million after six weeks. The R-rated Samuel L. Jackson/Ryan Reynolds action-comedy has also loaded another $71.4 million from overseas crowds for a worldwide total of $145 million (on a reported cost of $30 million).

In ninth place was the new drama STRONGER with an opening of $1.7 million.

Based on the true story of Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman, the Jake Gyllenhaal/Tatiana Maslany feature was released on 574 screens (compared to 4000 locations for each of the chart's top three).

The emotional story from director David Gordon Green (PINEAPPLE EXPRESS) cost a reported $30 million. Critics were inspired with a 95% average on Rotten Tomatoes (the JoBlo review is HERE).

The Jeremy Renner/Elizabeth Olsen crime thriller WIND RIVER closed out the list with $1.2 million, taking it to a domestic total of $31.6 million (on a reported cost of $11 million).

Outside the chart, ANNABELLE: CREATION disappeared (as it crossed $100 million domestic), along with the animated LEAP!, Christopher Nolan's DUNKIRK and Marvel's SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING, which has now passed the worldwide totals of every previous Spidey movie except Sam Raimi's SPIDER-MAN 3 (it has also defeated the global finish of BATMAN V. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE).

In limited release, the Steve Carell/Emma Stone tennis biopic BATTLE OF THE SEXES hit a $25k per-screen average at 21 locations, and the Ben Stiller drama BRAD'S STATUS expanded to 453 screens for a $1 million weekend.

Next weekend has Tom Cruise flying for the cartel and the DEA in AMERICAN MADE and Ellen Page jumpstarts her heart in the FLATLINERS remake (or really late sequel), while BATTLE OF THE SEXES expands to 1000 screens.

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