'Don't Breathe' tops box office again over Labor Day weekend

AP News
Posted: Sep 04, 2016 3:13 PM
'Don't Breathe' tops box office again over Labor Day weekend

NEW YORK (AP) — The horror thriller "Don't Breathe" topped the box office for the second straight week, while several new releases struggled to find traction over a typically sleepy Labor Day weekend at North American movie theaters.

The Sony Screen Gems release made an estimated $15.7 million in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. The R-rated "Don't Breathe," about an ill-considered home invasion of a blind man, is on pace to make $19.4 million over the four-day holiday weekend. Produced for just $10 million, the film has made $51.1 million in total.

Its success spelled doom for the other horror film trying to gain a foothold: "Morgan," a low-budget science-fiction thriller directed by Ridley Scott's son, Luke Scott. Opening on more than 2,000 screens, it bombed with just $2 million.

Also torpedoed was the Robert De Niro-Edgar Ramirez boxing drama "Hands of Stone," about Panamanian boxer Robert Duran. It made just $1.3 million while expanding to 2,011 theaters, marking the latest in a string of disappointments for the Weinstein Co.

The DreamWorks drama "The Light Between the Oceans," starring Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, debuted with a modest $5 million a day after it premiered at the Venice Film Festival. The period film, directed by Derek Cianfrance, stars the real-life couple as newlyweds living at a remote Australian lighthouse. Its budget was about $20 million.

The poor performing new releases enabled Warner Bros.' "Suicide Squad" to hold second place at the box office with $10 million. Despite rough reviews, the supervillain team-up film has shown decent legs in theaters, making nearly $300 million domestically.

Monday will mark the end of Hollywood's summer. According to comScore, the season will come in almost exactly tied with last year's $4.5 billion. Despite a rash of underperforming sequels and a number of high-profile disappointments , the overall box office is stable.

Heading into a fall that includes some seemingly surefire blockbusters such as "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," ''Doctor Strange" and "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," the 2016 box office is running 5.7 percent ahead of last year.


1. "Don't Breathe," $15.7 million ($5.3 million international).

2. "Suicide Squad," $10 million ($11.8 million international).

3. "Pete's Dragon," $6.5 million ($3.3 million international).

4. "Kubo and the Two Strings," $6.5 million ($1.7 million international).

5. "Sausage Party," $5.3 million ($4.6 million international).

6. "The Light Between Oceans," $5 million.

7. "Bad Moms," $4.7 million ($5 million international).

8. "War Dogs," $4.7 million ($3.6 million international).

9. "Hell or High Water," $4.5 million.

10. "Mechanic: Resurrection," $4.3 million ($7.6 million international).



1. "Star Trek Beyond," $37 million.

2. "The Secret Life of Pets," $17.3 million.

3. "Jason Bourne," $12 million.

4. "Suicide Squad," $11.8 million.

5. "Ice Age: Collision Course," $8.2 million.

6. "Mechanic: Resurrection," $7.6 million.

7. "Finding Dory," $6.3 million.

8. "Lights Out," $5.4 million.

9. "Don't Breathe," $5.3 million.

10. "Ben-Hur," $5.2 million.

