1. Midway (review) – $17.5M
While pretty much all predictions didn’t see this coming Roland Emmerich’s Midway took first place, even if the total take was less then impressive for a movie this size. While the first place finish may sound like a good sign for anyone who’s been praying for the day’s of the big-budget 90’s action epic, ala Pearl Harbor, Armageddon, etc, to return, I wouldn’t get your hopes up just yet. At less then $20M domestic the film still isn’t likely to be in the black at the end of the day.
2. Doctor Sleep (review) – $14.1M
If there was a surprise bigger then Midway taking the top spot this week it would be that Doctor Sleep, the follow up to one of the most iconic horror films of all time, didn’t. I’m not positive the impetus for this film being made now was the success of IT but if it was to further test the waters for a slew of Stephen King remakes then they just took a hard step back.
3. Playing with Fire – $12M
John Cena’s “tough guys unexpectedness stuck with kids” movie, a right of passage for new action stars in Hollywood debuted without screening for critics, so we can’t tell you our thoughts, but it appears the thoughts of most people out there were “nah, I don’t feel like seeing that”.
4. Last Christmas (review) – $11.6M
With a fourth place start to Emilia Clarke’s highly talked about Christmas rom-com I have to start to wonder if there’s a market on the big screen for movies like this. There are no less then 49 romantic and cheesy holiday films debuting on Hallmark, Netflix, and Lifetime in the next month and a half….I guess those are good enough for most people.
5. Terminator: Dark Fate – $10.6M/$48.4M
6. Joker – $9.2M/$313.4M
7. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil – $2.3M/$97.3M
8. Harriet – $7.2M/$23.4M
9. Zombieland: Double Tap – $4.3M/$66.6M
10. The Addams Family – $4.2M/$91M
