John Krasinski’s imaginary friend feature IF made $1.75M in Thursday night previews that began at 4PM. It’s been a while since we had a live-action PG-rated feature, so comps are tough. The outlook heading into the weekend is $40M. The highest grossing opening for an original live-action PG film was Hop at $37.5M.
Reviews are challenged at 51% Rotten, but there’s a better than anticipated audience reaction I understand. If you need comps, well, IF is close to Zootopia’s $1.7M previews and Boss Baby‘s $1.5M — but those were animated movie.
Lionsgate’s reboot of The Strangers—Chapter 1 drew $1.2M from previews that began at 5M as well. Booked in 2,856 locations in North America, tracking showing $7M-$9M for the $8.5M budgeted movie from Renny Harlin about a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) after their car breaks down in a spooky town. RT critics are low at 19%.
Focus Features’ has the Amy Winehouse StudioCanal biopic Back to Black. Pic is only suppose to open to $4M-$6M. The R-rated movie starring Marisa Abela as the Grammy winning millennial soul singer only grossed $375K in previews from 1,700 theaters. RT critics also harsh at 36%. Focus’ exposure on the movie is limited given that they shelled out $20M for domestic and several foreign rights.
Disney’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ends its first week with $75.3M, not far from the $77.3M first week take of 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes.