Don't Breathe overperformed above all expectations and claimed the top spot at the domestic box office with $26.1 million. Earlier predictions were putting it neck and neck with Suicide Squad at $14 million, but the horror film went ahead and made 2.6 times its $10 million budget. It might finish its run with $55-$65 million. Meanwhile the DC villains film had a 42% drop from last week on its fourth weekend with $12.1 million for a current domestic total of $282.8 million and a global cume of $635.9 million. Jason Statham Mechanic: Resurrection debuted in the fifth spot with $7.5 million. Meanwhile Ben Hur had an even worst drop than expected (60%) and took home just $4.5 million in the #10 spot for a two weeks total of $19.5 million. This disastrous performance could signal the end of big budget biblical epics. The other two new releases landed outside the top ten. Southside with You debuted in the #13 spot with $3 million. Faring not much better is the Roberto Duran biopic Hands of Stone which landed in the 16 spot with a mere $1.7 million in 810 screens. The studio will expand it wider next week.
Don't Breatthe remained at the top of the Labor Day weekend with $19.4 million for a 12 days total of $56.8 million which is awesome for the $10 million budget horror film. Suicide Squad continues defying all the doom predictions and had a small 18% drop taking the second spot with $13 million which was enough to reach the milestone $300 million domestically (at this pace it might reach 'Guardians of the Galaxy' final numbers of $333 million domestically even if its total global numbers might fall short of the Marvel film). On the international front, Star Trek Beyond finally debuted in China with a less than spectacular $31.3 million. This is really disappointing for the scifi franchise as being China the biggest foreign market it needed to conquer to stay afloat. Sure, the film still has to open in October in Mexico, Japan and Argentina, but those markets have always behaved mostly indifferent to the Trek franchise. We might be looking at a $70-$75 million write-off loss for Paramount and possibly the end of this particular crew adventures. Unless Bad Robot & Paramount decide to go 'Wrath of Khan' treatment of going low budget and focusing more on story & character development than in spectacular special effects summer tentpole. Probably the proposed sequel with Chris Hemsworth reprising the George Kirk role might or might not be shelved for something more moderate budget wise...or we will get yet another reboot? and, surprise!!! the little tearjerker romance film Me before You has reached $200 million worldwide. The $20 million film was a modest hit domestically earning $56.3 million, but at the international front it has amassed $144.4 million and counting! This puts lead star Emilia Clarke as a bonafide international box office star even if here in USA she doesn't sell much outside 'Game of Thrones'. Her two films 'Terminator Genysis' and now 'Me Before You' have been box office hits internationally regardless of bad reviews and unspectacular reception on USA soil.