Weekend Box Office Report: Midway flies to the top!

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

The action of World War II is at #1!

A new big-budget war movie flew into theaters this Veteran's Day weekend and put MIDWAY in first place at the box office with an estimated opening of $17.5 million!

For director Roland Emmerich (taking a break from planetary destruction like INDEPENDENCE DAY, THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW and 2012), the historical action-drama was his lowest opening for a wide release since the $16.6 million start of STARGATE back in 1994.

The account of the critical 1942 Pacific Theater battle (previously depicted in the 1976 Charlton Heston-led film also carrying the MIDWAY title) cost a reported $100 million.

The PG-13 WWII naval epic with an ensemble cast (including Ed Skrein, Aaron Eckhart, Mandy Moore, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Nick Jonas and Patrick Wilson) also made $4.4 million overseas for a worldwide total of $21.9 million.

The clash of American and Japanese fleets didn't quite float with critics, who gave the movie a 41% average on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 48 on Metacritic. Sail on over to the JoBlo review HERE.

Opening in second place was the horror sequel DOCTOR SLEEP with $14.1 million.

The follow-up to Stephen King's THE SHINING (adapted in Stanley Kubrick's classic 1980 movie) seemed to be caught snoozing with an opening far lower than the expected $25-30 million that was predicted for its first weekend.

Directed by Mike Flanagan (OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL, Netflix's "The Haunting of Hill House"), the R-rated return to the Overlook Hotel reportedly cost around $45 million.

The new adaptation, with Ewan McGregor as adult Danny Torrance revisiting his childhood trauma of groovy rugs, a blood elevator and the terror of Room 237, also scared up $20 million from international audiences for a worldwide total of $34.1 million.

Critics were mildly intrigued by the continuing supernatural tensions at the isolated resort, giving the movie a 73% average on Rotten Tomatoes and a 60 score on Metacritic. Check in with the JoBlo reviews HERE and HERE.

In third place was the new comedy PLAYING WITH FIRE with an opening of $12.8 million.

The PG-rated family feature, with John Cena, Keegan-Michael Key and John Leguizamo as firefighters dealing with three rescued kids, cost a reported $30 million.

Critics weren't exactly laughing at the beefy wrestler's challenges with children, giving the movie a 24% average on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 24 on Metacritic.

Opening in fourth place was the new holiday comedy LAST CHRISTMAS with $11.6 million.

For director Paul Feig (BRIDESMAIDS, A SIMPLE FAVOR), the PG-13 romcom had the slowest start since his previous attempt at a Christmas comedy with UNACCOMPANIED MINORS, which opened with $5.8 million back in 2006.

Co-written and produced by actor Emma Thompson, the early present with "Game of Thrones" star Emilia Clarke in a romantic interlude with Henry Golding (CRAZY RICH ASIANS) cost a reported $25 million. An extra $3.1 million from international audiences gives it a $14.7 million worldwide total.

The music-inspired London love story wasn't a solid "Wham!" for critics, who gave it an average of 49% on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 51 on Metacritic. Try to get George Michael's song out of your head with the JoBlo review HERE.

After stalking the top of the chart last weekend, the R-rated sequel TERMINATOR: DARK FATE staggered down to fifth place with $10.7 million, annihilated by 63% from its opening.

DEADPOOL director Tim Miller's effort with James Cameron's time-travel franchise has a ten-day domestic total of $48.4 million and a worldwide total of $199.3 million, on a reported cost of $185 million.

The R-rated comic adaptation JOKER was in sixth place with $9.2 million as the homicidal clown is up to a domestic total of $313.6 million on his sixth weekend.

With a current worldwide total of $984.6 million on a cost somewhere between $55 million and $70 million, the Gotham villain's violent origin story (already the biggest R-rated release in history) is now considered the most profitable comic book movie of all time. 

In seventh place was the Disney sequel MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL with $8 million. After four weekends, the PG-rated Angelina Jolie fantasy has a domestic total of $97.3 million and $430.3 million worldwide, on a reported cost of $185 million.

The historical drama HARRIET was in eighth place with $7.2 million, losing only 38% from last weekend's opening. The $17 million chronicle of freedom fighter Harriet Tubman (portrayed by Cynthia Erivo) has a ten-day domestic total of $23.4 million.

The R-rated horror-comedy ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP was in ninth place with $4.3 million. On its fourth weekend, the sequel with post-apocalypse wanderers Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin has a domestic total of $66.6 million and $101.9 million worldwide on a reported $42 million cost.

Closing out the list was THE ADDAMS FAMILY with $4.1 million as the PG-rated animated update has reached $91.3 million domestic and $154.7 million worldwide on a reported cost of $40 million.

Outside the chart, horror movie COUNTDOWN finished ticking away its moments, the Naomie Harris/Tyrese Gibson cop thriller BLACK AND BLUE got locked away, and Ed Norton's period drama MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN disappeared along with the animated ARCTIC DOGS after both enjoyed a single weekend in the Top 10.

In limited release, Bong Joon ho's acclaimed grifter-family drama PARASITE continued brisk business along with Taika Waititi's war comedy JOJO RABBIT, both landing just outside the list.

The new R-rated drama HONEY BOY, starring and written by Shia LeBeouf based on his own life experiences, had an impressive start with a $72k per-screen average. Critics seemed to appreciate his semi-biographical story, giving the movie a 93% average on Rotten Tomatoes and a 70 score on Metacritic (the JoBlo review is HERE).

Next weekend has Matt Damon and Christian Bale competing in FORD V FERRARI, Ian McKellen swindling Helen Mirren in the drama THE GOOD LIAR, and a new trio of action women in CHARLIE'S ANGELS.

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