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411 Box Office Report: Mission: Impossible – Fallout Dominates With $61 Million Start

July 29, 2018 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

Mission: Impossible – Fallout was the king of the box office this weekend, scoring the #1 spot without breaking a sweat. The Tom Cruise-headlined action sequel raked in $61.5 million to top the box office, marking the best opening for the franchise to date. The previous high for the series was Mission: Impossible II’s $57.8 million opening back in May of 2000. The start also represents the second-best opening of Cruise’s career, behind only War of the Worlds’ $64.9 million opening in June of 2005.

The number falls on the high end of expectations going into the weekend. The film was boosted by incredibly good buzz, highlighted by a stellar 97% Rotten Tomatoes average with critics. Audiences loved it too; Fallout received an A CinemaScore, the highest that the series has received (besting the A- of Ghost Protocol, Rogue Nation and M:I III). More importantly for its star, the opening is a rebound for Tom Cruise after a few disappointing films. The Mummy was a flop last summer with only $31.7 million to start and $80.2 million in the US. Cruise followed that with American Made, which was barely profitable worldwide against its $50 million budget. Better yet, the film had a more equal male-to-female split in audiences at 55%/45%, compared to Rogue Nation’s 62%/38%.

Paramount has had a lot of success with the Mission: Impossible franchise over its last three films. After Mission: Impossible III relatively disappointed in 2006, there was a question of how long this series would continue. The series was reinvigorated with Ghost Protocol, and it has continued to reach new heights since. That’s due in no small part to Cruise’s overseas appeal, where the films never repped less than 60% of their revenue. Fallout is off to a great start internationally as well, with $92 million in just thirty-six markets that represent 40% of the film’s total footprint.

One of the keys for this series is its ability to leg out nicely, and nothing currently suggests Fallout will be any different. Rogue Nation had a 3.5 multiple from its opening, and Fallout could do the same considering the relatively light schedule of competition for August. That would put it at around $210 million domestically by the end of its run, which would be a franchise high. Even a lower domestic total would be profitable, though. The budget was $178 million, a high for the series, but Paramount will be just fine here.

With Ethan Hunt soaking up all the adult audience, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again saw a larger-than-expected drop. The film was down 57% in its second weekend to $15 million. That puts the musical sequel at $70.4 million domestically and $167.2 million worldwide. The film now looks like it won’t top the original’s $144.1 million, which was acheived thanks to stellar holds week-to-week. But it will still make it up to the $100 million to $110 million range, and perhaps higher. On a $75 million budget, this will be a profitable film for the studio.

The Equalizer 2 also took a heavy hit, down 61% in its second weekend to $14 million. The Denzel Washington sequel was obviously affected by Mission: Impossible – Fallout’s success. The first Equalizer slipped only 45% in comparison. Equalizer 2 currently sits at $64.2 million domestically and $70.3 million worldwide, with its international rollout still in the early stages. The film should end its run at around $90 million to $100 million, close to the original’s domestic numbers, and will be a bit of a profit for Sony on a $62 million budget.

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation was dowsn 48% in its third weekend with $12.3 million. The film is suffering from the bigger drops associated with third films, but is moving toward a profit margin as it reaches $119.2 million domestically and $284.2 million worldwide. It should reach $145 million or so in the US. The budget was $80 million.

Animated superhero film Teen Titans Go! To The Movies opened okay at $10.5 million. That’s a little on the low side of where most people had it pegged at, imagining a mid-teens start going into the weekend. The family film take on the DC comic book team scored well with critics and fans, with a 90% RT average and a B+ CinemaScore. These numbers should help it in successive weeks, with little competition aside from the already-released Hotel Transylvania 3“. It added $1 million in a smattering of markets overseas for an $11.5 million worldwide start. This one should be able to make it to at least $30 million in the US and will be profitable on a $10 million budget.

Ant-Man & The Wasp brought in $8.4 million, down 49% in its fourth weekend. The MCU sequel now stands at $183.1 million domestically and $394.2 million worldwide. At this point, the movie looks likely to finish off with around $200 million domestically and will be another profitable MCU film on its $162 million budget.

The Incredibles 2, moved down another 40% in its seventh weekend with $7.2 million. The animated superhero sequel has brought its totals to $572.8 million domestically and $996.5 million worldwide. It should be able to finish off with a around $590 million, with $600 million difficult but not impossible. The budget was $200 million.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom garnered $6.8 million in its seventh weekend. The dinosaur action-adventure was off a decent 40% and currently sits at $397.6 million domestically and $1.235 billion worldwide. It’s at #15 in the all-time worldwide grosses chart, and will pass The Fate of the Furious’ $1.236 billion tomorrow. It should stop at around $410 million and at any measure, it’s a huge hit. The budget was $170 million.

Skyscraper is fading away domestically, off 53% in its third weekend with $5.4 million. The Dwayne Johnson-starring action-thriller sits at just $59.2 million in the US, but — as is typical for him — is killing it overseas. The worldwide total for the film is at $225.8 million. It should end its US run at around $70 million and will need the international grosses to continue in order to make money for Universal. The budget was $125 million budget.

The First Purge fell 56% in its fourth weekend to $2.2 million. The prequel thriller is up to $65.5 million domestically and $111.1 million worldwide. It has already made Universal money on its $13 million budget, and should hit about $72 million in the US.

Mission: Impossible may well rule again next weekend, as it faces a trio of films: Christopher Robin, The Spy Who Dumped Me, and The Darkest Minds. Those movies are expected to do around $30 million, $15 million and $8 million to $10 million, respectively, meaning Fallout will be in a close battle with the Disney movie.

BOX OFFICE TOP TEN (Three-Day Domestic Numbers)
1. Mission: Impossible – Fallout – $61.5 million ($61.5 million total)
2. Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! – $15 million ($70.4 million total)
3. The Equalizer 2 – $14 million ($64.2 million total)
4. Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation – $12.3 million ($119.2 million total)
5. Teen Titans Go! To the Movies – $10.5 million ($10.5 million total)
6. Ant-Man & The Wasp – $8.4 million ($183.1 million total)
7. The Incredibles 2 – $7.2 million ($572.8 million total)
8. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom – $6.8 million ($397.6 million total)
9. Skyscraper – $5.4 million ($59.2 million total)
10. The First Purge – $2.2 million ($65.5 million total)