Another year, a few more record-setting films and still fewer tickets sold than any time since the 1990s. It’s only going to get worse, but it seems audiences may finally be wising up: rejecting some tired franchises and championing original films (or at least ones that aren’t based on comic books, theme park rides and toys).
SURE-FIRE HITS – The Kings of the Box Office
*Star Wars: The Last Jedi ($517.2 million)
Beauty and the Beast ($504 million)
Wonder Woman ($412.5 million)
It ($327.2 million)
SURPRISE SUCCESSES – They got there through word-of-mouth or succeeded where others failed
Get Out ($175.4 million)
*Wonder ($121.5 million)
Girls Trip ($115.1 million)
Baby Driver ($107.8 million)
CONSOLATION PRIZES – Didn’t do so hot here, but made up for it overseas
Despicable Me 3 ($264.4 million) – made $767.7 million outside North America
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales ($172.5 million) – made $622.2 million outside North America
The Great Wall ($45.1 million) – made $289.3 million outside North America
Wolf Warrior 2 ($2.7 million) – made $867.6 million outside North America
DISAPPOINTMENTS – Movies that should have done better
*Justice League ($225.5 million) – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice made $330.3 million
War for the Planet of the Apes ($146.8 million) – previous film made $208.5 million
Transformers: The Last Knight ($130.1 million) – previous film made $245.4 million
Alien: Covenant ($74.2 million) – Prometheus made $126.4 million
FLOPPIEST FLOPS – These cost a lot and didn’t come close to returning their investment
The Mummy ($80.1 million) – cost $125 million and killed Universal’s Dark Universe
Ghost in the Shell ($40.5 million) – cost $110 million
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets ($40.4 million) – cost $177.2 million
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword ($39.1 million) – cost $175 million
LOW BUDGET VICTORIES – Low-cost, high-yield successes
Annabelle: Creation ($102 million) – cost $15 million
Happy Death Day ($55.5 million) – cost $4.8 million
The Big Sick ($42.8 million) – cost $5 million
Wind River ($33.7 million) – cost $11 million
SADDEST STATISTIC – The Emoji Movie made $86 million.
*still in release