After easily taking thebox office crownlast weekend, Marvel’sDoctor Strangewent up against three newcomers, Paramount’sArrival, Universal’sAlmost Christmasand EuropaCorp’sShut In. While our original projections had the race much closer,Doctor Strangehad no trouble repeating at the top, taking in an estimated $43 million.Trollsalso remained in second place with $35 million, dropping just 24.8% in its second weekend, whileDoctor Strangedropped just 49.8%, both of which are impressive in their own right.
Doctor Strangeremained in 3,882 theaters this weekend, the same as its opening frame, earning a respectable $11,085 per-screen average, down from its $21,911 per-screen average on opening weekend. Thissuperhero adventurewill likely be playing in roughly more than 1,600 theaters than its new competitors this weekend.Box Office Mojoreports thatArrivaldebuted in 2,317 theaters, whileAlmost Christmasarrived in 2,376 theaters andShut Inarrived in 2,058 theaters.
As of now,Arrivalwas the only movie of the new releases to earn favor with the critics, posting an impressive 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, whileAlmost Christmasearned a 44% rating andShut Inlaid a goose egg, with a 0% rating on RT. Despite this critical acclaim,Arrivalcouldn’t come out with the win onopening weekend, debuting in third place with $24 million, behindDoctor Strange’s $43 million andTrolls' $35 million.Arrivalput up some impressive numbers with a $10,358 per-screen average, earning just over half of its $47 million budget back in its opening weekend.
When mysterious spacecraft touch down across the globe, an elite team - lead by expert linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) - are brought together to investigate. As mankind teeters on the verge of global war, Banks and the team race against time for answers - and to find them, she will take a chance that could threaten her life, and quite possibly humanity.Jeremy Rennerleads a supporting cast which also includesMichael Stuhlbarg,Forest WhitakerandTzi Ma, withDenis Villeneuve(Prisoners,Sicario) directing from a script byEric Heisserer(Lights Out).
The ensemble cast ofAlmost ChristmasincludesGabrielle Union,Danny Glover,Nicole Ari Parker,Jessie Usher,Omar Epps,Kimberly Elise,Romany MalcoandMo’nique.A new comedy from writer/directorDavid E. Talbert(Baggage Claim) and producerWill Packer(Ride Along,Think Like a Manseries,This Christmas),Almost Christmastells the festive story of a beloved patriarch who asks his family for one gift this holiday season: to get along. If they can honor that wish and spend five days under the same roof without killing one another, it will be a Christmas miracle.
Shut Inis a heart-pounding thriller starringNaomi Wattsas a widowed child psychologist who lives an isolated existence in rural New England. When a young boy Mary (Watts) is treating goes missing, and is presumed dead, she becomes convinced that his ghost is haunting her and her bedridden son. The cast also includesRoomstarJacob Tremblay,Oliver PlattandCharlie Heaton. Rounding out the top 5 isAlmost Christmas($15.5 million) andHacksaw Ridge($10.7 million).
Rounding out the top 10 will beThe Accountant($4.5 million),Shut In($3.7 million),Boo! A Madea Halloween($3.5 million),Jack Reacher: Never Go Back($3.3 million) andInferno($3.2 million). Also opening in limited release this weekend is Sony’sBilly Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, which got off to an impressive start with $120,000 from two theaters for a $60,000 per-screen average.Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walkis set to expand nationwide on November 18. Sony Pictures Classics’Ellealso fared well with $56,012 from two theaters for a $28,006, while Oscilloscope Pictures’The Love Witchearned $23,000 from six theaters for a $3,833 per-screen average. No box office data was released for Argot Pictures’The Anthropologist, Indican’sThe Fiance, Strand’sKiki, Love to Loveand Music Box Films’Seasons.
Looking ahead to next weekend, Warner Bros. will bring itsHarry Potterfranchise back to theaters withFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which will go up against Open Road Films' boxing dramaBleed For Thisand STX Entertainment’sThe Edge of Seventeen. Also opening in limited release is Magnolia’s horror-thrillerThe Eyes of My Mother, Well Go USA’s dramatic comedyI Am Not Madame Bovary, Roadside Attractions' dramaManchester by the Sea, Focus Features' thrillerNocturnal Animals, Magnolia’s action movieOfficer Downe, Cleopatra Films' dramatic comedyA Street Cat Named Boband High Top Releasing’s action movieThe Take. Check back on Sunday for the box office estimates, but until then, here’s our projections for the top 10 during the November 11 weekend.
