Of course Pixar's newest, a sequel no less, topped the chart...
Cars 3 posted the lowest opening - numbers and ticket sales-wise - of the mainline series to date, but $53 million is nothing to sneer at. It did slightly miss the $60 million threshold that Pixar films usually top with ease when opening up.
Worldwide, its release is staggered. It collected $21 million in the territories it's currently playing in. Unlike most modern Pixar sequels, Cars 3 - according to various reports - did not cost $200 million to make. Instead, they were a little more conservative. The threequel cost $175 million to make. I think that's smart, because Cars 3 went back to the American setting and feel of the first movie, which wasn't quite an overseas beast. Neither was the international sequel, either, so they played their cards right. Cars 3 will have to clear roughly $440 million worldwide in order to break even, Cars managed to make $461 million without any 3D, IMAX 3D, or bells and whistles like that. Cars 3 has more advantages some 11 years later...
Now, some are already questioning this opening weekend gross and are a little surprised that the newest entry in the popular franchise didn't post bigger numbers. Most animated franchises, believe it or not, dip with each installment in terms of the ticket sales. Grosses sometimes are higher because of ever-increasing ticket prices, 3D, and IMAX 3D surcharges. So I made a little list recently, a look at how much tickets the sequels sell compared to the originals... Most of the time, the original makes the most, and it's a steady decline from there. If there's ever an increase, it's a pretty minor one. Shrek 2 is one notable exception to this rule.
Anyways, Cars 3 is a decent-sized drop-off. Cars 2 hauled in over 8 million tickets on its opening weekend (domestic gross of $66 million), this took in 6 million. Cars took in 9 million (domestic gross: $60m), again, in the days before widespread 3D and IMAX 3D.
Slipping a fine 39% to 8th place was DreamWorks' low budget Captain Underpants. Up to $57 million here and $62 million everywhere else. $76 million is double the budget, can it make it there? I hope so, but then again, I don't think DreamWorks will be too fazed by its performance. Sending this one to Mikros saved them, big time. No way this thing could've succeeded with a Boss Baby-sized budget.
Speaking of The Boss Baby, though only estimates are in, it's currently still in the Top 20. It's still trailing Home closely, and it's now at $172 million here and $490 million elsewhere. Yep... The Boss Baby, closing in $500 million. I thought this thing was going to perform similarly to Turbo!
To be updated tomorrow...