“X-Men: Apocalypse” Modestly Rules Memorial Day Weekend

By Kip Mooney • On • In News, Weekend Box Office Report News, Weekend Box Office Report 0

BOX OFFICE REPORT

May 27-30, 2016

(estimates from BoxOfficeMojo.com)

TOP 5

X-Men: Apocalypse  $80 million
Alice Through the Looking Glass  $34.1 million
The Angry Birds Movie $24.6 million
Captain America: Civil War $19.7 million
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising $11.4 million

It was nearly a total apocalypse at the box office. The latest X-Men chapter took in an estimated $80 million over the four-day weekend. That was more than enough for first place, but Apocalypse fell well below the $110 million Days of Future Past took in on Memorial Day Weekend two years ago. In fact, even when factoring in the Memorial Day holiday, that's still below what X2 took in over three days in 2003. Whatever Fox has planned next for the franchise, they better be sure audiences are still interested in the team efforts.

But disaster could not be avoided for Alice, no longer in Wonderland. Through the Looking Glass made a meager $34.1 million. That's right in line with what Alice in Wonderland made in its third weekend in theaters back in 2010. Just like The Huntsman: Winter's War, there's a good chance Through the Looking Glass doesn't make in its entire run what the original made just in its opening weekend.

The Angry Birds Movie slipped to No. 3, falling only 35 percent, nearly making back its budget. $100 million is definitely in sight, but it won't be one of the top animated movies of the year once all is said and done. Captain America: Civil War continued its dominance, expanding its lead as the year's biggest movie. But it was a big tumble for Neighbors 2. The sorority may be rising, but this raunchy comedy is sinking fast. It's barely crossed $40 million.

Outside the top 5:

  • This Weekend's Indie Champ: The Lobster reclaimed the title as it added another 92 screens, averaging $8,127 at all locations.
  • Love & Friendship, Whit Stillman's adaptation of Jane Austen's novella Lady Susan, finally made its way into the top 10. It's earned $4.1 million so far and is now likely to top his 1994 comedy Barcelona as his biggest movie ever.
  • Let's hear it for Zootopia. Disney's animated offering has now spent 13 consecutive weeks in the top 10. That's the most of any movie since Frozen. Before that, you'd have to go back to Avatar.

Next week:

It's going to be relatively quiet until Finding Dory opens later in June. The first weekend of the month finds Andy Samberg's Justin Bieber parody Popstar taking on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sequel Out of the Shadows, with the tear-jerker Me Before You serving as counter-programming. TMNT will definitely take the top spot with around $60 million, just below what the first reboot did in 2014.

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About Kip Mooney

Kip Mooney
Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about. I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague. Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work. In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo. I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.

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