‘Hitman’s Bodyguard’ Leads Worst Summer Weekend in Two Years; ‘Logan Lucky’ Opens Soft

Marking the worst summer weekend over the last two years, action comedy “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” (Lionsgate) led the pack. The Top Ten grossed $81 million, $10 million less than the second worst weekend (late August 2016). The year-to-date comparison is widening, with grosses now down five per cent compared to the same date last year. That will increase until after Labor Day, with summer already down substantially more.

A post-“Deadpool” Ryan Reynolds enhanced the appeal of “The Hitman’s Bodyguard,” which co-starred Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman and Salma Hayek; they lucked out with little competition.

The other wide release, Steven Soderbergh’s “Logan Lucky” (Bleecker Street) managed less than 40 per cent as much business – around $8 million – despite getting far more media attention pre-release  as well as strong reviews for a mass audience film. Its strong ensemble cast (Daniel Craig, Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Riley Keough) failed to click, with its surface genre similarities to Soderbergh’s “Oceans 11,” not to mention “The Hitmen’s Bodyguard,” not doing it any favors. The hands-on release oversight by the director and his distribution team did not reinvent the wheel.

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It didn’t even rank second, which instead went to “Annabelle: Creation” (Warner Bros.) last week’s #1. The James Wan produced horror film fell a typical horror film 56 per cent. It no longer looks headed to a $100-million domestic take (a long shot even with its strong initial gross), but is still a strong performer for the studio.

“Dunkirk” is doing even better for Warners, still fourth in week five with a 38 per cent drop. The studio pushed for a commercial success at height of summer before chasing later awards recognition.

Several other holdovers kept their drops – aided by not much competition – to 40 per cent or less (“Spider-Man: Homecoming” was under 30 per cent).

Of note is the tenth place showing of “Wind River” (Weinstein) with $3 million in only 694 theaters. It’s a promising expansion (third week) for this contemporary Western-set drama that looks to follow the pace set a year ago by “Hell or High Water.”

The Top Ten

1. The Hitman’s Bodyguard (Lionsgate) NEW – Cinemascore: B+; Metacritic: 50; Est. budget: $29 million

$21,600,000 in 3,377 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $6,396; Cumulative: $21,600,000

2. Annabelle: Creation (Warner Bros.) Week 2; Last weekend #1

$15,500,000 (-56%) in 3,542 theaters (+40); PTA: $4,376; Cumulative: $64,044,000

3. Logan Lucky (Bleecker Street) – Cinemascore: B; Metacritic: 78; Est. budget: $29 million

$8,050,000 in 3,031 theaters; PTA: $2,656; Cumulative: $8,050,000

4. Dunkirk (Warner Bros.) – Week 5; Last weekend #2

$6,700,000 (-38%) in 3,271 theaters (-491); PTA: $2,048; Cumulative: $165,508,000

5. The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature (Open Road) Week 2; Last weekend #3

$5,113,000 (-39%) in 4,003 theaters (no change); PTA: $1,277; Cumulative: $17,696,000

6. The Emoji Movie (Sony) Week 4; Last weekend #6

$4,350,000 (-33%) in 2,791 theaters (-428); PTA: $1,559; Cumulative: $71,767,000

7. Spider-Man: Homecoming (Sony) Week 7; Last weekend #7

$4,250,000 (-29%) in 2,341 theaters (-266); PTA: $1,815; Cumulative: $314,051,000

8. Girls Trip (Universal) Week 5; Last weekend #5

$3,844,000 (-41%) in 2,010 theaters (-293); PTA: $1,912; Cumulative: $103,986,000

9. The Dark Tower (Sony) Week 3; Last weekend #4

$3,720,000 (-52%) in 3,143 3 theaters (-308); PTA: $; Cumulative: $41,604,000

10. Wind River (Weinstein) Week 3; Last weekend #20

$3,025,000 (+386%) in 694 theaters (+649); PTA: $4,359; Cumulative: $4,139,000