Night School is top of the class!
The education of comic Kevin Hart was the center of attention this weekend as NIGHT SCHOOL opened in first place at the box office with an estimated $28 million!
Hart's pairing with Tiffany Haddish didn't start quite as strong as his original team-ups with Ice Cube (RIDE ALONG opened to $41.5 million) or The Rock ($35.5 million for CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE), but it's still a solid opening for the actor and a decent number for a September release.
The PG-13 comedy from director Malcolm D. Lee (GIRLS TRIP, UNDERCOVER BROTHER) had a reported cost of $29 million. It made an extra $5.5 million from overseas for a worldwide weekend of $33.5 million.
Critics gave a failing grade to Hart's class clown and Haddish's perturbed teacher, giving the movie a 30% average on Rotten Tomatoes. The JoBlo review is right HERE.
Opening in second place was the new animated comedy SMALLFOOT with $23 million.
The PG-rated tale, following a Yeti clan who discover the "legend" of humankind is real, cost a reported $80 million. The family movie from Warner Animation (THE LEGO MOVIE), featuring voice work from Channing Tatum, Common and Zendaya, has also grabbed $15.6 million from international crowds for a $38.6 million worldwide total.
Critics were moderately entertained by the hairy mountain antics, giving the movie a 69% average on Rotten Tomatoes. Make your way to the JoBlo review HERE.
The Jack Black/Cate Blanchett horror-comedy THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS wound down to third place with $12.5 million, losing 53% from its #1 opening last weekend.
Based on the mystery novel from John Bellairs, the PG-rated Gothic fantasy from director Eli Roth (HOSTEL) has a ten-day domestic total of $44.7 million (on a reported cost of $42 million).
In fourth place was R-rated thriller A SIMPLE FAVOR with $6.6 million. The $20 million Anna Kendrick/Blake Lively mystery has a domestic total of $43 million on its third weekend in theaters.
Supernatural horror movie THE NUN was in fifth place with $5.4 million for a domestic total of $109 million after four weekends. With a worldwide total of $330 million, the $22 million spinoff is now the highest-grossing release in R-rated THE CONJURING series, lurching ahead of the $320 million finish of THE CONJURING 2 and boosting the global total for the entire franchise over $1.5 billion.
In sixth place was the new R-rated slasher movie HELL FEST with an opening of $5 million.
Directed by Gregory Plotkin (PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION), the story of a serial killer stalking a Halloween theme park only cost a reported $5.5 million.
Critics weren't exactly in the spirit for the bloody festivities, giving the movie a 37% average on Rotten Tomatoes. Creep on over to the JoBlo review right HERE.
In seventh place was the PG-13 romantic comedy CRAZY RICH ASIANS with $4.1 million. After seven weekends, the tireless $30 million adaptation of of the popular book has a domestic total of $165.6 million and a worldwide total of $218.8 million.
The R-rated sci-fi sequel THE PREDATOR was in eighth place with $3.7 million. Director Shane Black's $88 million alien action movie has a domestic total of $47.6 million and a worldwide total of $115.8 (both figures still trailing the finish of 2010's PREDATORS).
Toward the bottom, the Matthew McConaughey crime-drama WHITE BOY RICK was in ninth with $2.3 million, while the Jennifer Garner revenge thriller PEPPERMINT closed out the list $1.7 million.
Outside the chart, Jason Statham and THE MEG finally swam out of sight along with the John Cho mystery SEARCHING and Michael Moore's FAHRENHEIT 11/9.
In limited release, the modern update of literary classic LITTLE WOMEN opened with $747k at 643 locations for a per-screen average lower than almost every movie in the Top 10 (critics also didn't care for the retelling with a 35% Rotten Tomatoes average). Meanwhile, Robert Redford's (possibly) final role in THE OLD MAN AND THE GUN had a decent $30k per-screen average.
Next weekend has Bradley Cooper crooning with Lady Gaga in a new version of A STAR IS BORN, while Tom Hardy hooks up with a hungry symbiote in the comic adaptation VENOM.
Which October release are you most interested in seeing? VOTE HERE!
| # | MOVIE TITLE | WKND $ | TOTAL $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Night School | $28 M | NEW |
| 2 | Smallfoot | $23 M | NEW |
| 3 | The House with a Clock in Its Walls | $12.5 M | $44.7 M |
| 4 | A Simple Favor | $6.6 M | $43 M |
| 5 | The Nun | $5.4 M | $109 M |
| 6 | Crazy Rich Asians | $4.1 M | $165.6 M |
| 7 | Hell Fest | $5 M | NEW |
| 8 | The Predator | $3.7 M | $47.6 M |
| 9 | White Boy Rick | $2.3 M | $21.7 M |
| 10 | Peppermint | $1.7 M | $33.5 M |