LOS ANGELES -- As the summer of sequels dies down, studios are beginning to roll out more dramas and family films in the run-up to fall. However, none of last weekend's five new wide releases were enough to topple Universal's Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw from the top spot at the box office.
The film, in its second weekend, added $25.4 million (a 58% drop) for a cumulative $108.5 million, according to estimates from measurement firm Comscore. Internationally, it made $60.8 million over the weekend for a global cumulative of $332.6 million.
Leading the crop of newcomers, Lionsgate, eOne and CBS Films' Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark debuted in second place with $20.8 million, within analyst projections of $20 million to $22 million.
Adapted from Alvin Schwartz's best-selling children's horror book series, the film was produced by Guillermo del Toro and directed by André Ovredal. The PG-13 movie earned a mixed reception with a C CinemaScore from audiences and an 80% "fresh" rating on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.
"The filmmakers and the team at CBS Films are thrilled that moviegoers are embracing the world of Scary Stories," del Toro said in a statement Sunday. "It's particularly satisfying to see families experiencing the fun of the movie together."
Despite Scary Stories scoring the second-biggest opening ever for CBS Films, the studio is shutting down this year.
At No. 3, Disney's The Lion King added $20 million in its fourth weekend for a cumulative $473.1 million. Globally, the film stands at $1.33 billion.
In fourth place, Paramount's Dora and the Lost City of Gold opened with $17 million, as analysts projected.
An adaptation of the popular Nickelodeon cartoon, the film was well-received with an A CinemaScore and 81% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Directed by James Bobin, Dora stars Isabela Moner in the titular role alongside Eva Longoria, Michael Peña and Eugenio Derbez.
Rounding out the top five, Columbia's Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood added $11.6 million in its third weekend for a cumulative $100.3 million, the only original film of the summer to cross the $100 million milestone.
At No. 6, Fox and Disney opened The Art of Racing in the Rain with $8.1 million, in range of analyst projections of $8 million to $9 million.
An adaptation of Garth Stein's novel about a race car driver and his golden retriever, the film stars Milo Ventimiglia as the driver and features the voice of Kevin Costner as his pet.
The film is the latest disappointment for Fox, which hasn't had a true hit since last year's Bohemian Rhapsody. Following the studio's merger with Disney in March, every release has flopped including Dark Phoenix and Stuber.
In seventh place, Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema's mob drama The Kitchen opened with a dismal $5.5 million, in range of analyst projections of $5 million to $6 million.
Directed by Andrea Berloff in her directorial debut, the period drama stars Melissa McCarthy, Elisabeth Moss and Tiffany Haddish as residents of Hell's Kitchen who are thrust into new leadership roles after their mobster husbands are carted off to jail. The result is a career-low at the box office for both McCarthy and Haddish. The film fared poorly with audiences, notching a B minus CinemaScore and was universally panned by critics with a 21% "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Kitchen is the latest Warner Bros. film to flop this summer.
Warner Bros. distribution head Jeff Goldstein said that they were "very disappointed" with the results.
"I think that the filmmakers took a very bold approach to their choice with the movie and I think it just didn't resonate with the viewers," Goldstein said. "The good news is the movie was a fairly low-budgeted film."
At No. 8, Columbia's Spider-Man: Far From Home added $5.3 million in its sixth weekend for a cumulative $371 million.
In ninth place, Disney's Toy Story 4 added $4.4 million in its eighth weekend for a cumulative $419.6 million.
Rounding out the top 10, Trafalgar Releasing opened the BTS documentary Bring the Soul: The Movie in 873 locations Aug. 7, grossing $2.3 million over the weekend for a cumulative $4.4 million in five days.
Also new last week, Bleecker Street opened the indie drama Brian Banks with $2.1 million, in range of analyst projections of $2 million.
Directed by Tom Shadyac, the film stars Aldis Hodge and tells the true story of a football player who is falsely accused of rape and imprisoned. It earned a 54% "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Still, the weekend is down 10.2% and the year continues to lag 6.3% too.
"Audiences are confounded by the number of newcomers," Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for box office tracker Comscore, said. "There was so much overlap with all of these titles."
But the marketplace is already looking ahead to the fall and the release of It Chapter Two.
"It's going to feel like summer in September when It opens," Dergarabedian said.
In limited release, Roadside Attractions and Armory Films opened the Shia LaBeouf comedy The Peanut Butter Falcon in 17 locations to $205,236 for a per-screen average of $12,108. It earned a 96% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Sony Pictures Classics opened After the Wedding in five locations to $57,124 for a per-screen average of $11,425. It earned a 94% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
1091's Them That Follow expanded into 195 locations from three last weekend, adding $87,750 for a per-screen average of $5,000 and a cumulative $103,970.
Music Box Films' Piranhas added $6,053 in its second weekend across 10 locations for a per-screen average of $605 and a cumulative $10,940.
MovieStyle on 08/16/2019