Category: Movies

What Will ‘Avengers 4’ Be Called?

It’s just over six months away, and Marvel Studios has not unveiled the title.
As anticipation grows for the fourth Avengers movie, so does speculation about the movie’s title, which remains under wraps with just over six months to go until release. By this point in its release cycle, even Star Wars: The Last Jedi’s title was known — that got revealed 11 months out — and the lack of knowledge is making fandom both excited and frustrated.

It’s almost guaranteed that the movie’s title will feature or adapt a comic book series, following in the pattern established by earlier movies in the series — The Avengers, Age of Ultron and [The] Infinity War were all comic books before they were movies, even if the storylines don’t match entirely. But with more than half a century’s worth of comic books to choose from, which titles are most likely for Marvel Studios and Joe and Anthony Russo to choose from? Here are our five picks:

Avengers Disassembled

The title was originally coined for the 2004 comic book storyline that ended one era of the Avengers. It’s something that would be fitting to revive for the movie that, thanks to the presumed retirement of the onscreen Captain America,Thor and Iron Man, brings about another final adventure for the cinematic incarnation of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Also, what better description is there of the way that the good guys were left at the end of Avengers: Infinity War…? (Technically, there’s 2011’s “Shattered Heroes,” but that might be slightly too on the nose.)

Avengers: Secret Wars

The “Secret Wars” title has been used on a number of occasions, starting with 1984’s toy tie-in series Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars; it’s popped up since on storylines with significance within the larger Marvel mythology, making it suitable for use for the movie that is, to all intents and purposes, the climax of the original era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Depending on the plot of Avengers 4, it could also refer to whatever the inevitably covert comeback plan of the heroes ends up being. After all, it has to be covert, surely. It would be ridiculous to just attack Thanos in public… wouldn’t it?

Avengers: Fear Itself

While the 2011 comic book series Fear Itself doesn’t have any particular Thanos connection, it is an Avengers-centric storyline that sees the heroes face the traditional unbeatable odds and villains far outside of their comfort zone — beings with godlike powers who induce a state of panic on Earth. That’s not a million miles away from what Avengers 4 might present, and even if it wasn’t, there’s something both fitting (and especially Marvel-esque) about invoking Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first inaugural address when promoting the final appearance of Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers.

Avengers: Infinity Gauntlet

In comic book terms, Infinity Gauntlet was the title of the 1991 comic book series that came before 1992’s The Infinity War, but the storyline of Gauntlet might sound familiar to moviegoers: It’s what the remaining Marvel heroes get up to after Thanos snaps his fingers and wipes out half of all life with the Infinity Gauntlet. (As it happens, they just try and confront him publicly, apparently not having seen my earlier comment about how ridiculous that would be. Spoilers: It really doesn’t work out well for them.) Titling the fourth feature Infinity Gauntlet would also underscore that the movie is the second half of the story started in Infinity War, given the recurring “Infinity,” as well. It’s the only upside for using this one.

Avengers: Annihilation

If fan speculation is to be believed, this is the title Marvel is going to use — one that originated in a 2006 event set in space featuring heroes standing against a massive invasion from another dimension. Evidence for this in many people’s eyes comes in the fact that the word “annihilation” has been used in dialogue in both Captain America: The First Avenger and Avengers: Age of Ultron, which is either a coincidence brought about by the fact that “annihilation” is a pretty fun dramatic word, or a sign that Marvel is playing the long game unlike anyone ever imagined.

The still-untitled fourth Avengers movie will be released May 3, 2019. Hopefully, by that point, we’ll know what it’s actually called.

Halloween stays on top with $32 million second weekend

Halloween is still making a killing at the box office.

Director David Gordon Green’s slasher reboot is poised to sell an estimated $32 million in tickets at 3,990 theaters in the U.S. and Canada from Friday through Sunday, topping the chart for the second weekend and pushing the film’s domestic total past the $100 million mark. The Universal Pictures release will drop off about 58 percent from its big debut weekend.

After 10 days in theaters, Halloween has earned about $126.7 million in North America, and another $45.6 million overseas ($25.6 million this weekend), for a global total of about $172.3 million. It’s quite a haul for a movie that cost about $10 million to make.

Serving as a direct sequel to John Carpenter’s original 1978 Halloween, the new film ignores the nine other sequels and remakes and picks up 40 years later, with Jamie Lee Curtis’ hardened heroine Laurie Strode preparing for her inevitable rematch with masked killer Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney). Green directed from a script he wrote with Danny McBride and Jeff Fradley. Carpenter served as an executive producer and composed the score with his son, Cody Carpenter, and godson, Daniel Davies.

Critics’ reviews were solid, and audiences gave it a B-plus CinemaScore.

The pre-Halloween weekend is usually one of the quieter frames of the year, and this week’s only new wide release, Lionsgate’s submarine thriller Hunter Killer, is on track to open with a muted $6.7 million (in 2,720 theaters), good for fifth place. Reviews for the film were tepid, though moviegoers gave it an A-minus CinemaScore.

Overall, however, this October has been a record one at the box office: Powered by movies such as Halloween, Venom ($10.8 million this weekend), and A Star Is Born ($14.1 million this weekend), the monthly total has hit $789.9 million with a few days to go, eclipsing the $757.1 million earned for the entire month during the previous record-setting year of 2014.

In limited release, director Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria remake is arriving in two locations with an estimated $179,806, which works out to an impressive per-screen average of $89,903. Amazon Studios is distributing the film.

Overall box office is up 10.9 percent year-to-date, according to ComScore. See the Oct. 26-28 figures below.

1. Halloween — $32 million
2. A Star Is Born — $14.1 million
3. Venom — $10.8 million
4. Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween — $7.5 million
5. Hunter Killer — $6.7 million
6. The Hate U Give — $5.1 million
7. First Man — $4.9 million
8. Smallfoot — $4.8 million
9. Night School — $3.3 million
10. Mid90s — $3 million

Halloween scores second-best October opening ever with $77.5 million

Halloween is slaying its box office competition.

Universal’s reboot of the venerable horror franchise is on track to sell an estimated $77.5 million in tickets at 3,928 theaters in the U.S. and Canada from Friday through Sunday, winning the weekend and scoring the second-highest October opening ever, behind Venom’s $80.3 million earlier this month. The new Halloween will also mark the series’ best debut (blowing past the Rob Zombie remake’s $26.4 million) and the second-highest opening for an R-rated horror movie, behind last year’s It ($123.4 million).

Heading into the weekend, Halloween had been projected to earn $70 million or more — a strong start for a film that cost about $10 million to make. Critics’ reviews have been largely positive, and audiences gave it a B-plus CinemaScore, which is solid for the horror genre. Overseas, Halloween will collect an estimated $14.3 million this weekend.

Serving as a direct sequel to John Carpenter’s original 1978 Halloween, the new film ignores the nine other sequels and remakes and picks up 40 years later, with Jamie Lee Curtis’s battle-scarred heroine Laurie Strode preparing for her inevitable rematch with masked killer Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney). David Gordon Green directed, from a script he wrote with Danny McBride and Jeff Fradley. Carpenter served as an executive producer and composed the score with his son, Cody Carpenter, and godson, Daniel Davies.

Curtis celebrated the film’s big opening on Twitter.

Rounding out the top five this weekend are Warner Bros’. music-driven romance A Star Is Born, with about $19.3 million; Sony’s superhero movie Venom, with about $18.1 million; Sony’s kid-friendly chiller Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween, with about $9.7 million; and Universal’s Neil Armstrong biopic First Man, with about $8.6 million.

Entering wide release, Sony’s critically acclaimed drama The Hate U Give, based on Angie Thomas’ novel about a black teen who witnesses the police shooting of a childhood friend, will collect an estimated $7.5 million from 2,303 theaters, in line with expectations and good for sixth place. That brings the film’s domestic total to $10.6 million.

In limited release, Jonah Hill’s directorial debut, Mid90s, is arriving in four theaters with an estimated $249,500, which works out to a robust per-screen average of $62,375. The film is distributed by A24.

Overall box office is up 10.6 percent year-to-date, according to ComScore. See the Oct. 19-21 figures below.

1. Halloween — $77.5 million
2. A Star Is Born — $19.3 million
3. Venom — $18.1 million
4. Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween — $9.7 million
5. First Man — $8.6 million
6. The Hate U Give — $7.5 million
7. Smallfoot — $6.6 million
8. Night School — $5 million
9. Bad Times at the El Royale — $3.3 million
10. The Old Man and the Gun — $2.1 million

‘Avengers 4′ Directors Announce Film Has Wrapped With Puzzling Photo

What could the bright blue light be?

Joe and Anthony Russo on Friday announced that production had wrapped on their highly anticipated, yet-to-be-titled fourth Avengers movie — but they also left fans scratching their heads.

Along with tweeting their news, the brothers’ account shared a picture of a bright blue glowing light.

Marvel fans immediately went into overdrive trying to figure out what it meant.

In the previous film, Infinity War, half of the superheroes died, so one fan theory about the light was that one more hero is going to die. And since Chris Evans recently confirmed he was done playing Captain America, sights were set on him.

Of course, it could just be the brothers messing with fans and a picture of a set light.

Either way, fans are going to have to wait some time to find out. Before the pic is released, Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel will hit theaters March 8, with Avengers 4 is set to open May 3.

First Man can’t launch past Venom and A Star Is Born at the box office

Damien Chazelle’s Neil Armstrong biopic First Man blasted off this weekend with awards season aspirations and critical acclaim, but it’s hitting some turbulence at the box office. The Universal Pictures release is on track to sell an estimated $16.5 million in tickets at 3,640 theaters in the U.S. and Canada from Friday through Sunday, landing in third place behind Sony’s Venom and Warner Bros’. A Star Is Born, both of which bowed last week.

Starring Ryan Gosling as Armstrong and made for about $59 million, First Man had been projected to open in the $18 million to $20 million range. Since wowing audiences at the Venice International Film Festival in August, the drama has collected excellent reviews, while moviegoers gave it a less-than-stellar B-plus CinemaScore. Overseas, First Man will add about $8.6 million this weekend.

Reteaming Chazelle and Gosling after hit 2016 musical La La Land, First Man chronicles Armstrong’s journey to become the first man to walk on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. The film is written by Josh Singer and also stars Claire Foy, Corey Stoll, Pablo Schreiber, Jason Clarke, and Kyle Chandler.

Topping the box office for the second weekend in a row is the comic book movie Venom, with an estimated $35.7 million (from 4,250 domestic theaters). That figure represents a respectable decline of 56 percent from the movie’s debut, and it brings the North American total to $142.8 million after 10 days in theaters.

Overseas, Venom will take in about $69.7 million, bringing its worldwide total to $378.1 million.

Based on the titular Spider-Man villain (but not related to last year’s Spider-Man: Homecoming), Venom stars Tom Hardy as a journalist who becomes bonded to an extraterrestrial life form that grants him extraordinary powers and has a taste for human flesh. Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) directed. Critics panned the movie, but audiences gave it a B-plus CinemaScore.

Taking second place this weekend and holding strong is Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga‘s music-driven romantic drama A Star Is Born, with an estimated $28 million (on 3,708 screens) — a drop of just 35 percent from last week’s bow.

Ten days in, the film has grossed $94.2 million in North America and $41.2 million overseas (for a global total of $135.4 million).

Cooper makes his directing debut on the fourth (or fifth) incarnation of a timeless Hollywood tale, which this time centers on a hard-living country music star (played by Cooper) who mentors and falls for a talented young singer-songwriter (Gaga). With star power and glowing reviews, the film is pegged as a serious Oscar contender with mass appeal.

Arriving alongside First Man this weekend are Sony’s kid-friendly sequel Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween, with an estimated $16.2 million, good for fourth place, and Fox’s thriller Bad Times at the El Royale, with an estimated $7.2 million, putting it in the No. 7 spot.

In limited release, Amazon Studios’ awards hopeful Beautiful Boy will gross an estimated $221,437 in four theaters, which works out to an impressive per-screen average of $55,359. Steve Carrell and Timothee Chalamet star in the addiction drama, which is directed by Felix van Groeningen.

Overall box office is up 9.8 percent year-to-date, according to ComScore. See the Oct. 12-14 figures below.

1. Venom — $35.7 million
2. A Star Is Born — $28 million
3. First Man — $16.5 million
4. Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween — $16.2 million
5. Smallfoot — $9.3 million
6. Night School — $8 million
7. Bad Times at the El Royale — $7.2 million
8. The House With a Clock in Its Walls — $4 million
9. The Hate U Give — $1.8 million
10. A Simple Favor — $1.4 million

Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish’s Night School tops box office with $28 million

Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish are teaching the competition a lesson this weekend.

The duo’s adult-education comedy Night School is on track to earn an estimated $28 million in ticket sales at 3,010 theaters in the U.S. and Canada from Friday to Sunday, outpacing fellow new release Smallfoot to become the No. 1 film at the box office.

Heading into the weekend, Night School was projected to gross about $25 million to $30 million. Made for about $29 million and released by Universal Pictures, the film reunites Haddish with her Girls Trip director, Malcolm D. Lee, and producer Will Packer. For comparison, Girls Trip debuted with $31.2 million back in July 2017. As for Hart, Night School’s debut is coming in lower than 2016’s Central Intelligence ($35.5 million) and Ride Along 2 ($35.2 million), as well as 2015’s Get Hard ($33.8 million), but higher than 2015’s The Wedding Ringer ($20.6 million).

Night School centers on a high school dropout (Hart) who starts taking evening classes to get his GED and make himself a better man, with the help of an unconventional teacher (Haddish) and some fellow misfits (Rob Riggle, Romany Malco, Keith David). Critics’ reviews have been tepid, but moviegoers gave it an A-minus CinemaScore.

Taking second place this weekend is Warner Bros’. animated movie Smallfoot, which will earn about $23 million at 4,131 theaters. That figure is slightly below industry projections, which were also in the $25 million to $30 million range.

Directed by Karey Kirkpatrick and made for about $80 million, Smallfoot tells the story of a Yeti who forms an unlikely friendship with a human. The voice cast includes Channing Tatum, James Corden, Zendaya (as Meechee), Common, LeBron James, and Gina Rodriguez. Reviews were generally positive, and audiences gave it an A-minus CinemaScore.

Rounding out the top five this weekend are last week’s winner, The House With a Clock in Its Walls ($12.5 million), followed by A Simple Favor ($6.6 million) and The Nun ($5.4 million). Lionsgate’s slasher movie Hell Fest arrives with an estimated $5.1 million at 2,297 theaters, good for sixth place.

In limited release, National Geographic’s critically acclaimed climbing documentary Free Solo will earn an estimated $$300,804 in four theaters, notching the best per-screen average of the year ($75,201).

According to ComScore, overall box office is up 8.4 percent year-to-date. Check out the Sept. 28-30 figures below.

1. Night School — $28 million
2. Smallfoot — $23 million
3. The House With a Clock in Its Walls — $12.5 million
4. A Simple Favor — $6.6 million
5. The Nun — $5.4 million
6. Hell Fest — $5.1 million
7. Crazy Rich Asians — $4.2 million
8. The Predator — $3.7 million
9. White Boy Rick — $2.4 million
10. Peppermint — $1.8 million

Box Office: ‘The House With a Clock in Its Walls’ Leads With $26.8 Million, ‘Fahrenheit 11/9’ Falls Flat

“The House With a Clock in Its Walls” easily topped the domestic box office in an otherwise quiet weekend at multiplexes.

Eli Roth’s adaptation of the popular children’s book picked up a better-than-expected $26.8 million when it opened in 3,592 locations. The fantasy film, starring Jack Black and Cate Blanchett, didn’t face much competition. A number of holdovers filled out the top five as a trio of new releases came in way under expectations.

“The House With a Clock in Its Walls” topped “Hostel” as Roth’s biggest opening to date. The family-friendly film bowed with $3.1 million overseas for a global start of $29.9 million. Imax screens accounted for $2.5 million of its box office total.

Universal’s head of domestic distribution Jim Orr said the release date in a wide open market, along with the team of Roth, Black, and Blanchett, helped bolster the film above earlier projections.

“Obviously, we couldn’t be more pleased,” Orr said. “It’s always great to kick off your fall slate at No. 1.”

Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 11/9,” a satirical look at President Donald Trump, fared the best among newcomers. The Briarcliff Entertainment political documentary landed in eighth place, coming in way under estimates with $3.1 million from 1,719 venues. Launching the film in over a thousand theaters might have hurt its box office potential. Most specialized films start small in a select amount of theaters before slowly expanding nationwide as word of mouth builds.

It was a good summer for docs — “RBG,” “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” and “Three Identical Strangers” all hit double digits, but they all had modest expansions. Dinesh D’Souza took a similar route to Moore just a few months ago, opening “Death of a Nation” on over 1,000 screens. The pro-Trump doc was the worst showing for the right-wing conservative filmmaker, bowing with $2.3 million and picking up just $5.8 million. It’s a tough time to be serving up even more Trump. Moore’s 2004 film “Fahrenheit 9/11” is still the highest grossing documentary ever. It debuted with $23 million in North America and went on to earn $22 million globally.

“Life Itself,” a tear-jerker from “This Is Us” creator Dan Fogelman, didn’t even crack the top 10, pocketing just $2.1 million from 2,609 screens. That’s cause for concern, especially considering Amazon Studios paid $10 million for the star-studded drama with Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde, Antonio Banderas, and Annette Bening. It didn’t help that the movie was savaged by bad reviews ahead of its release. It currently holds a 13% average on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, as well as a B+ CinemaScore.

Meanwhile, Neon’s “Assassination Nation” scraped together a disappointing $1 million in 1,403 locations. Sam Levinson wrote and directed the edgy teen thriller.

Lionsgate’s “A Simple Favor,” the neo-noir mystery drama starring Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, and Henry Golding, landed in second place with $10.4 million in 3,102 locations in its second frame. To date, it has earned $32 million. In third is Warner Bros.’ “The Nun” with $10.2 million, taking its domestic tally to $100 million.

Fox’s “The Predator” dropped to No. 4 after leading the domestic box office last weekend. The sci-fi thriller earned $8.6 million for a domestic total of $40.3 million. Rounding out the top five is Warner Bros.’ “Crazy Rich Asians.” The acclaimed romantic comedy earned another $6.5 million, bringing its North American earnings to $159 million.

In limited release, Bleecker Street’s “Colette” earned $156,788 when it showed in four theaters. That translates to a solid $39,197 per theater. The biographical drama with Keira Knightley and Dominic West about the life of the French novelist who was forced to publish her novels under her husband’s name.

Annapurna’s “The Sister Brothers,” Jacques Audiard’s western dark comedy stars John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix, picked up $122,028 from four locations for a per-theater average of $30,507.

Even with the sleepy weekend, the domestic box office remains up 8.5%, according to comScore. However, the frame is down 21.8% compared to the same weekend last year when “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” launched with $39 million.

The Predator returns to Earth with so-so $24 million opening

The Predator is eliminating its box office competition, though not without taking some blows.

The latest installment in Fox’s action-packed film series about extraterrestrial big-game hunters is on track to debut with an estimated $24 million in ticket sales from Friday through Sunday, at 4,037 theaters in the U.S. and Canada. In doing so, it will dethrone last week’s No. 1 movie, The Nun, and keep fellow new releases A Simple Favor, White Boy Rick, and Unbroken: Path to Redemption at bay.

Although it’s poised to top the box office, The Predator is coming in on the low end of industry forecasts, which ranged from $25 million to $35 million. The film, which cost $88 million to produce, is also trailing its most recent predecessor, Predators, which opened with $24.8 million eight years ago. Overseas, The Predator will add about $30.7 million this weekend.

Marking the sixth film in the Predator franchise (counting two Aliens vs. Predator crossovers) and arriving 31 years after the Arnold Schwarzenegger-led original, The Predator finds the titular alien stalking humans in suburbia, including an Army Ranger played by Boyd Holbrook, a scientist played by Olivia Munn, and a young boy played by Jacob Tremblay. Shane Black (who played a supporting role in 1987’s Predator) directed, from a script he wrote with Frank Dekker.

Critics’ reviews were underwhelming, while audiences gave it a weak C+ CinemaScore, which does not bode well for word of mouth.

Warner Bros. and New Line’s horror flick The Nun will earn about $18 million in its sophomore weekend, good for second place. That brings the film’s domestic total to about $85 million after 10 days in theaters. Internationally, the film has grossed an estimated $143.6 million, for a global total of $228.7 million.

Arriving alongside The Predator this weekend are Lionsgate’s thriller A Simple Favor, in third place with an estimated $16.1 million; Sony’s crime drama White Boy Rick, in fourth place with an estimated $8.8 million; and PureFlix’s biopic Unbroken: Path to Redemption, in ninth place with an estimated $2.4 million.

A Simple Favor is directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids) and stars Anna Kendrick as a mommy blogger who tries to solve the disappearance of a glamourous new friend (played by Blake Lively). The film is coming in slightly ahead of industry projections, which were in the $12 million to $15 million range.

White Boy Rick is based on the true story of Richard Wershe Jr., a young drug kingpin and FBI informant in 1980s Detroit. The film stars Richie Merritt, Matthew McConaughey, and Bel Powley; Yann Demange directed. Its opening is in line with projections.

Finally, Path to Redemption is a sequel to Angelina Jolie’s 2014 film Unbroken, about Olympic runner and World War II veteran Louis Zamperini. Directed by Harold Cronk (God’s Not Dead), the new film chronicles Zamperini’s return from the war, his struggles to readjust to civilian life, and his religious reawakening.

According to ComScore, overall box office is up 8.9 percent year-to-date. Check out the Sept. 14-16 figures below.

1. The Predator — $24 million
2. The Nun — $18 million
3. A Simple Favor — $16.1 million
4. White Boy Rick — $8.8 million
5. Crazy Rich Asians — $8.7 million
6. Peppermint — $6.1 million
7. The Meg — $3.8 million
8. Searching — $3.2 million
9. Unbroken: Path to Redemption — $2.4 million
10. Mission: Impossible — Fallout — $2.3 million

Crazy Rich Asians holds strong to win second weekend at the box office

Crazy Rich Asians is scarcely slowing down.

After a strong debut last week, Warner Bros’. glitzy rom-com is on track to earn an estimated $25 million in ticket sales at 3,526 theaters in the U.S. and Canada from Friday through Sunday, topping the box office again and boasting a remarkably strong hold. It’s down from $26.5 million last weekend, which works out to a decline of just 6 percent. (It’s not uncommon for major movies to drop off 40 percent or more.)

That brings the film’s domestic total to about $76.8 million after 12 days in theaters. Overseas, where the film is beginning to roll out, it will add about $6 million this weekend, for a worldwide total of about $83.9 million. All in all, it’s a dazzling start for a film that cost about $30 million to make, and it could mark a watershed moment for Asian representation in Hollywood.

Based on Kevin Kwan’s best-selling 2013 book about a Chinese-American professor (played by Constance Wu) who travels to Singapore with her boyfriend (Henry Golding) to meet his fabulously wealthy, tradition-bound family, Crazy Rich Asians represents the first major contemporary Hollywood movie to showcase a predominantly Asian cast since The Joy Luck Club back in 1993. Jon M. Chu directed Crazy Rich Asians, and the ensemble cast includes includes Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan, Awkwafina, and Ken Jeong.

The film has received glowing reviews from critics, and moviegoers gave it an A CinemaScore. A sequel is already in the works.

The outlook is less favorable for the weekend’s major new releases, The Happytime Murders and A.X.L. The former film, a raunchy, R-rated comedy starring Melissa McCarthy as a cop who teams up with her old puppet partner to solve a string of killings, will earn about $10 million at 3,256 theaters, putting it in third place. A.X.L., the story of a teenage boy (Alex Neustaedter) who befriends a high-tech robotic dog created by the military, will take in about $2.9 million at 1,710 theaters, good for ninth place.

The Happytime Murders, which cost about $40 million to make, marks a career-low debut for McCarthy for a movie in which she has top billing. Directed by Brian Henson (son of puppet pioneer Jim Henson) and release by STX Entertainment, the film received poor reviews from critics and a dismal C-minus CinemaScore from audiences.

Meanwhile, the poor performance of A.X.L. comes as another setback for the year-old mini studio, which is on the verge of collapse.

In limited release, Sony’s tech-themed thriller Searching, starring John Cho and Debra Messing, is arriving in nine theaters with an estimated $360,000. That works out to a strong $40,000 per-screen average.

According to ComScore, overall box office is up 9.5 percent year-to-date. Check out the Aug. 24-26 figures below.

1. Crazy Rich Asians — $25 million
2. The Meg — $13 million
3. The Happytime Murders — $10 million
4. Mission: Impossible — Fallout — $8 million
5. Christopher Robin — $6.3 million
6. Mile 22 — $6 million
7. Alpha — $5.6 million
8. BlacKkKlansman — $5.3 million
9. A.X.L. — $2.9 million
10. Slender Man — $2.8 million