HOLLYWOOD—Well, not every sequel can be a massive hit. I predicted “The Lego Batman Movie” would dominate the box-office this weekend and I was correct. The animated flick took the top spot at the box-office during a competitive weekend earning $55.6 million.
While many expected the sequel to “Fifty Shades of Grey” win, the sequel fell short of its predecessor with only $46.8 million. That is a far cry from the $85 million plus debut of the first chapter in the series back in 2015. I suspect the film will see a major boost come Valentine’s Day, but how it performs next weekend will be an important tale of its future box-office success.
Another surprise at the box-office was the debut of “John Wick: Chapter 2” which impressed audiences with a tally of $30 million to land in third place. Not bad for a film that has developed a bit of a cult following. The film stars Keanu Reeves, as a former hitman who can’t seem to retire like he hoped to.
Landing in fourth place was previous box-office champion “Split” with a little over $9 million, pushing the thriller over the $100 million mark at the domestic box-office. Rounding out the top five was the feel good drama “Hidden Figures” with $8 million. “La La Land” might be the favorite at the Academy Awards, but it should be threatened by the success of “Hidden Figures” people.