The action movie sequel to 'London Has Fallen' performs stronger than expected on its opening weekend despite receiving majorly low scores from movie critics.
- Aug 26, 2019
AceShowbiz - "Angel Has Fallen" has risen as the new winner of North American box office this week. The third installment in the "Fallen" film series starring Gerard Butler exceeded expectations with approximately $21.25 million during its first three days of release. The movie was initially projected to gross $13-15 million on its opening weekend.
With the three-day gross collected on its first weekend, the "London Has Fallen" sequel easily nabs the top spot at the chart, edging out R-rated comedy "Good Boys" which now sits on the second place with an estimated $11.8 million.
"Angel Has Fallen" is slightly below its predecessor "London Has Fallen", which collected $21.6 million on its opening weekend, but couldn't match the first movie, 2013's "Olympus Has Fallen", which debuted to $30.4 million.
Lionsgate's president of domestic distribution David Spitz attributes the movie's success to the perfect release schedule. "We wanted to give enough distance from the big summer tentpole films," he says of the movie's late August release. "We had the opportunity, and the movie really delivered."
The Ric Roman Waugh-directed film is also loved by audiences, despite receiving not-so-glowing reviews from critics. It holds an approval rating of 40% based on 108 reviews, with an average rating of 4.99/10 on Rotten Tomatoes. Moviegoers, on the other hand, gave it an average grade of "A-" on CinemaScore.
"Audiences loved the movie," Spitz adds, believing that Butler's likable character is a strong factor to draw the audience. He confidently says, "Because of the strong exit polls, the movie should have a nice long run in theaters."
Another new release, faith-based sports drama "Overcomer" from Sony's Affirms Films, debuts at No. 3 with approximately $8.2 million. It's considerably a success for a movie which carries a $5 million price tag. The film also received a rare average grade of "A+" from audiences, despite its 38% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
"The Lion King (2019)" drops another spot to No. 4 with an estimated $8.15 million for a current domestic total of $510.6 million and more than $1.5 billion worldwide. "Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw" trails close behind at No. 5 with approximately $8.14 million, bringing its domestic gross to $147.7 million and global total to $588.9 million so far.
Top Ten Movies at Weekend Box Office for Aug. 23-25:
- "Angel Has Fallen" - $21.2 million
- "Good Boys" - $11.8 million
- "Overcomer" - $8.2 million
- "The Lion King (2019)" - $8.15 million
- "Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw" - $8.14 million
- "Ready or Not" - $7.6 million
- "The Angry Birds Movie 2" - $6.4 million
- "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" - $6 million
- "Dora and the Lost City of Gold" - $5.2 million
- "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" - $5 million
