The last installment of the YA film franchise was the only wide release which opened in North American theaters last week, easily winning the race against last week's champion 'Jumanji'.
- Jan 29, 2018
AceShowbiz - "Maze Runner: The Death Cure" has won the race on weekend domestic box office. The last installment of the action, adventure movie trilogy debuted atop the chart with an estimated $23.5 million from 3,787 theaters on its first weekend, dethroning last week's reigning champ "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle".
"I think it's a testament to the diverse types of films that Fox is known for and having the ability to appeal to so many different segments of the moviegoing audience," said Chris Aronson, the studio's president of domestic distribution.
The movie's bow likely comes in at the higher end of analysts' projections, but it's still below its predecessors. The first "The Maze Runner" movie opened with $32.5 million in 2015, while "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials" took in $30.6 million a year later. The franchise had gradually lost its fanbase over time and Dylan O'Brien's injury, which delayed the movie's release by nearly a year, didn't help either.
Overseas, the 20th Century Fox dystopian YA film fared better, collecting $32.6 million for the weekend from 58 markets for an early foreign total of $82 million. Made with $62 million budget (the most expensive of the three films), it has grossed $105.5 million globally so far.
"Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle", which nabbed the first place on the previous three weekends, dropped one slot to No. 2 with an estimated $16.4 million in its sixth week. The adventure film starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has accumulated $338 million domestically and $822 million globally.
Christian Bale's "Hostiles" soared from outside the top ten to No. 3 with an estimated $10.2 million after expanding from select cinemas to 2,813 theaters across the country. "The Greatest Showman" was up one place from No. 5 to No. 4 with approximately $9.5 million. It swaps place with Steven Spielberg-directed "The Post", which now rounded out the top five with approximately $8.8 million.
Meanwhile, "The Shape of Water" enjoyed a boost from its Oscar nominations, moving up eight places to No. 8 with an estimated $5.7 million (up 160.7|percent|) as it upped its theater count to 1,851. "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" also saw a huge increase in ticket sales (up 87.8|percent|), with an estimated $3.6 million.
Top Ten Movies at Weekend Box Office for January 26-28:
