There are no major releases this weekend (in fact there aren’t any until It arrives on September 8) so The Hitman’s Bodyguard should remain number one but the box office will take a major hit due to the much publicized Mayweather/McGregor fight on Saturday.
The pay-per-view event stands to score an estimated U.S. take of $500 million-plus. If it were a movie, that figure easily would land in the list of 10 top-grossing films of all time.
After last weekend registered the lowest three-day at the domestic box office for 2017 with $95.9 million for 100-plus reported titles, this weekend will register another low, -11% and estimated at $85 million per box office tracking.
Given how most older males will be glued to the TV set on Saturday night, box office analysts expect Lionsgate’s action comedy The Hitman’s Bodyguard to be down 5% more than usual in its Saturday play. Should the Ryan Reynolds-Samuel L. Jackson film hold No. 1 at -53% in its second weekend it’s looking at about $10 million when it’s all said and done. It should rebound a bit next weekend but it has to settle for a steep fall here due to the fight.
Other new entries this weekend include the Weinstein Co.’s Leap! (estimating a $4-5 million opening) at 2,570 theaters and Sony Affirm’s faith-based title All Saints at 700 sites (estimating a $3-4 million opening). There is also The Birth of the Dragon opening in 1,600 locations but it won’t make a debt with about $3 million for the weekend.
Check back Monday for the full box office results