“The Post” was the top money-making awards contender this weekend, expanding nationwide to just over 2,800 screens and making an estimated $22.4 million on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. But “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” also had a strong weekend off of its big Golden Globes win, while “Lady Bird” continues to be A24’s strongest performing release ever.
“Lady Bird” has been grabbing box office headlines since it kicked off with a $100,000+ per screen average two months ago and has continued to thrive in limited release since. Last weekend, the coming-of-age film won the Golden Globe for Best Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actress for Saoirse Ronan. Following that, A24 added 90 screens to bring its screen count to 652 for MLK Jr. weekend, and is expected to bring in $2 million over the four days.
Since mid-November, the film has made over $1 million every weekend, remaining consistently strong despite peaking its screen count at 1,557 a month ago. By comparison, A24’s big awards winner last year, “Moonlight,” had eight weekends with over $1 million grossed. “Lady Bird” has already passed that with 10 and is now A24’s highest grossing release with just under $37 million.
Fox Searchlight, meanwhile, was able to capitalize off the big victory for “Three Billboards” at the Globes, where it won four awards including Best Picture – Drama. The dark dramedy expanded to 1,022 screens this weekend and is estimated to make $2.8 million, bringing its running total to $29 million. Searchlight’s other contender, “The Shape of Water,” won the Globe for Best Director for Guillermo del Toro and added $3.3 million this weekend from 723 screens to bring its total to $27 million.
A24’s “The Disaster Artist,” which won a Golden Globe for lead star James Franco, crossed the $20 million mark this weekend with $537,000 in its seventh weekend. Focus Features’ “Darkest Hour,” which also won an acting Globe for Gary Oldman’s portrayal of Winston Churchill, will add $5.7 million this weekend to bring its total just shy of $37 million. Focus’ other contender, “Phantom Thread,” expanded to 62 screens after its 70mm limited engagement, adding $1.4 million for a per screen average of just under $23,000 and a total of $2.5 million.
Neon/30West’s “I, Tonya” won a Globe for Allison Janey’s supporting performance as the Olympic figure skater’s abusive mother and will cross the $10 million mark this weekend with $4.1 million from 517 screens. Finally, Entertainment Studios’ “Hostiles” made $356,000 from 42 screens this weekend, bringing its total to $1 million before its nationwide expansion next weekend.