1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens- $88.3M/$740.2M
New Year's weekend is generally a soft one for new releases since studios know most people will be nursing hangovers. That doesn't mean business was slow, at least not for Star Wars: The Force Awakens which continued its epic run with $88.3M, unheard of for a third weekend. That brings its domestic total to $740M, just $21M from surpassing James Cameron's Avatar for the all-time record here in America. The film has been out only 17 days, whereas it took weeks and months for Cameron's films, both Avatar and Titanic, to reach their incredible heights. Worldwide its $1.51B has just moved it into 6th place all-time and probably by the time I finish this sentence it will have surpassed Furious 7 and moved into 5th. That's not a joke, it probably just passed Vin Diesel and crew. So where does it end? Some analysts are saying a big drop is due in the next couple of weeks, but these are the same people who didn't predict the kinds of numbers we are already seeing. It still has a long way to go to break Avatar's $2.7B global haul, but if next week's debut in China turns out to be huge (it will) then all bets are off.
2. Daddy's Home- $29M/$93.6M
People love the comedy combo of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, and Daddy's Home is shaping up to be one of the bigger hits for both actors. The film only slipped 23% in week two and will easily break $100M in the next day or so.
3. The Hateful Eight- $16.2M/$29.5M
Bounding a whopping 252% now that it's finally in wide release is Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight. Clearly, there was some anticipation for those who weren't able to take in the 70mm road show version of the violent Western, and they turned out for the shorter, digital cut. This one doesn't have the star power of Tarantino's prior efforts, no Brad Pitt or Leonardo DiCaprio to speak of, so expecting it to do as well is perhaps a little silly. Solid awards buzz, particularly for the cinematograhy, score, and Tarantino's screenplay, should give it enough legs to be a long earner.
4. Sisters- $12.5M/$61.7M
5. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip- $11.8M/$67.3M
6. Joy- $10.4M/$38.7M
Another one that's hoping Oscar notice will see it through is Joy, David O. Russell's latest team up with Jennifer Lawrence. The biopic scored $10.4M and slid 38% which isn't terrible but maybe a little underwhelming given the amount of talent involved. The film, which is based on the life of inventor Joy Mangano, isn't as easily marketed as Silver Linings Playbook or American Hustle, which could be part of the problem. Or maybe there's a case of Jennifer Lawrence fatigue going around.
7. The Big Short- $9M/$32.9M
8. Concussion- $8M/$25.3M
The Will Smith football drama is getting sacked here in the States, but maybe his overseas clout will help Concussion find the end zone.
9. Point Break- $6.8M/$22.4M
Well...it didn't totally wipe out but this unwanted remake is struggling domestically while performing better overseas. Currently it sits at $80M worldwide and within reach of its $105M+ budget, but don't expect too many more remakes of old Patrick Swayze movies any time soon. Wait...what's that? Road House with Ronda Rousy? Uhhhh....
10. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2- $4.6M/$274.2M
