By Jake Coyle, Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --The R-rated "X-Men" spinoff "Logan" slashed into the weekend box office, opening with a massive $85.3 million in North American theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday, while best-picture winner "Moonlight" got a significant, if far from superhero-sized, Oscar bump.
The debut of 20th Century Fox's "Logan," starring Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, ranks among the biggest March openings ever and top R-rated debuts. Like last year's R-rated "Deadpool" (also a Fox release), the better-than-expected opening for "Logan" – a darkly violent, grittily dramatic movie applauded by critics – further proves moviegoers' hunger for less conventional comic book films.
"'Deadpool,' was to comedy what 'Logan' is to drama. The only common theme is that they're quote-unquote 'comic-book movies' and they're rated R," said Fox distribution chief Chris Aronson, who credited director and co-writer James Mangold and Jackman for executing their personal vision for the film.
Jackman has said it will be his final performance as Wolverine, whose claws he has worn for 17 years. "Logan," made for about $100 million, also sold $152.5 million in tickets overseas.
"On a global scale, we've exceeded all pre-release expectations," Aronson said.
Last week's No. 1 film, Jordan Peele's horror sensation "Get Out" slid just 22 percent – a small drop for any movie but particularly in the horror genre. The acclaimed Universal Pictures release, made for $5 million by Blumhouse Productions, dropped to second place but still grossed $26.1 million. Its 10-day total is $75 million.
The Oscar best-picture winner "Moonlight" had its widest release yet, appearing on 1,564 screens. It turned in its biggest weekend, too, with an estimated $2.5 million. That accounts for roughly 10 percent of the movie's total domestic haul of $25.3 million.
"Moonlight," made for just $1.5 million, is also out on DVD and on-demand. Indie distributor A24 said it will be its highest-grossing release in its five-year existence. "Moonlight" also ranks fourth on iTunes.
"That's a true Oscar halo effect in full view," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore. "Usually the biggest bounce comes from the nominations. But this film hadn't made a ton of money. A24 smartly expanded into more theaters, and it really worked for them."
Barry Jenkins' drama is nevertheless one of the least widely seen best-picture winners. Only Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" ($17 million) earned less at the domestic box office.
Though it memorably did not win best picture, Lionsgate's "La La Land" – winner of six Academy Awards – is closing in on $400 million globally after adding another $11 million internationally and $3 million domestically.
Lionsgate's "The Shack" also opened in North American theaters over the weekend and came in third with $16.1 million. The Christian tale, starring Sam Worthington and Octavia Spencer, was slammed by critics, but it attracted one of the largest faith-based audiences in recent years.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers also are included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Logan," $85.3 million ($152.5 million international).
2. "Get Out," $26.1 million.
3. "The Shack," $16.1 million.
4. "The Lego Batman Movie," $11.7 million ($10.4 million international).
5. "Before I Fall," $4.9 million.
6. "John Wick: Chapter Two," $4.7 million ($5.6 million international).
7. "Hidden Figures," $3.8 million.
8. "The Great Wall," $3.5 million ($6.5 million international).
9. "Fifty Shades Darker," $3.5 million ($10.7 million international).
10. "La La Land," $3 million ($11.1 million international).
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to comScore:
1. "Logan," $152.5 million.
2. "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter," $18.4 million.
3. "A Dog's Purpose," $17.4 million.
4. "Sing," $11.4 million.
5. "La La Land," $11.1 million.
6. "Fifty Shades Darker," $10.7 million.
7. "The Lego Batman Movie," $10.4 million.
8. "Split," $8.6 million.
9. "The Great Wall," $6.5 million.
10. "John Wick: Chapter Two," $5.6 million.
Full Lineup Set For AFI Fest; Official Selections Span 44 Countries, Include 9 Best International Feature Oscar Submissions
The American Film Institute (AFI) has unveiled the full lineup for this year’s AFI Fest, taking place in Los Angeles from October 23-27. Rounding out the slate of already announced titles are such highlights as September 5 directed by Tim Fehlbaum, All We Imagine As Light directed by Payal Kapadia, The Luckiest Man in America directed by Samir Oliveros (AFI Class of 2019), Zurawski v. Texas from executive producers Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and Jennifer Lawrence and directors Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault, and Oh, Canada directed by Paul Schrader (AFI Class of 1969). A total of 158 films are set to screen at the 38th edition of AFI Fest.
Of the official selections, 48% are directed by women and non-binary filmmakers and 26% are directed by BIPOC filmmakers.
Additional festival highlights include documentaries Architecton directed by Victor Kossakovsky; Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie directed by David Bushell; Devo directed by Chris Smith about the legendary new wave provocateurs; Gaucho Gaucho directed by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw; Group Therapy directed by Neil Berkeley with Emmy® winner Neil Patrick Harris and Tig Notaro; No Other Land directed by a Palestinian-Israeli team comprised of Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor and Hamdan Ballal; Pavements directed by Alex Ross Perry; and Separated directed by Errol Morris. Notable narrative titles include Black Dog (Gou Zen) directed by Guan Hu; Bonjour Tristesse directed by Durga Chew-Bose with Academy Award® nominee Chloë Sevigny; Caught By The Tides directed by Jia Zhangke; Hard Truths directed by Mike Leigh with... Read More