Box Office Round-Up - 7-23-2018

Divided reviews and what was perceived to be low enthusiasm did not stop The Equalizer 2 from edging out the splashier Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again atop the box office. Perhaps we ought never to bet against Denzel Washington? The iconic star, along with frequent collaborator Antoine Fuqua, delivered once again with a $36 million opening weekend. Denzel has been a WME fixture for many years now, while Fuqua is with CAA.

The aforementioned Mamma Mia! sequel finished a close second, with $34 million for the weekend. If you had to bet on the legs of either film, you might give the edge to Cher and company, as the film has received generally positive reviews and should appeal to a broader base. Cher is represented by former-ICM-agent-turned-manager Risa Shapiro, but the film overall is more UTA-friendly, with the agency repping star Lily James and director Ol Parker.

Coming in third with $23 million was holdover Hotel Transylvania 3, while Ant-Man and the Wasp hung on for fourth with $16 million. Disney/Pixar’s Incredibles 2 is still selling tickets, finishing the weekend with $12 million and a domestic gross of $557 million.

Rounding out the top ten, we had Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Skyscraper, The First Purge, Unfriended: Dark Web (another premiere this past weekend) and Sorry to Bother You, which, for an indie satire about race, is holding its own economically.

This coming Friday will be all about Mission Impossible: Fallout, which is already being hailed as an action movie for the ages, and should do well off the buzz.
 
1. The Equalizer 2 ($36 MM)
Dir: Antoine Fuqua (CAA)
Writer: Richard Wenk (Gersh|The Arlook Group)

Cast: Denzel Washington (WME)
        Ashton Sanders (Hyperion|Savage Agency)
        Pedro Pascal (WME|Untitled)

2. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again ($34 MM)
Dir: Ol Parker (UTA|Management 360)
Writers: Ol Parker (UTA|Management 360)

Cast: Lily James (UTA)
        Meryl Streep (CAA)
        Cher (RMS Productions)

3. Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation ($23 MM)
Dir: Genndy Tartakovsky (WME)
Writers: Genndy Tartakovsky (WME) and Michael McCullers (WME|3 Arts)

Cast: Adam Sandler (WME|Brillstein)
        Selena Gomez (WME|Lighthouse Management)
        Andy Samberg (UTA|Rise Management)

4. Ant-Man and the Wasp ($16 MM)
Dir: Peyton Reed (WME)

Cast: Paul Rudd (UTA|Lighthouse Management)
        Evangeline Lilly (UTA|Silver Lining Entertainment)
        Michael Douglas (UTA)

5. Incredibles 2 ($12 MM)
Dir: Brad Bird (UTA)
Writer: Brad Bird (UTA)

Cast: Craig T. Nelson (UTA|Forward Entertainment)
        Holly Hunter (ICM|Management 360)
        Bob Odenkirk (WME|Odenkirk Provissiero)