LOS ANGELES -- In a Monday box office twist, Kingsman: The Golden Circle landed in the top spot after Sunday estimates had pegged the film for third place behind It and the new Tom Cruise drama American Made. The race was tight between the three films nonetheless.
In its second week in first place, the Kingsman sequel took in $16.94 million, just over $30,000 more than It, which added $16.9 million to its total. In third place was Cruise's American Made, which debuted over the weekend.
New Line Cinema's It, now in its fourth week, moved to second at the box office.
Despite a 42 percent drop in earnings last week, the $35 million film, now the biggest September release ever (not adjusting for inflation), brought in about $291 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters and $553.1 million worldwide.
The Stephen King remake about a group of kids terrorized by an evil clown, was directed by Andy Muschietti and stars Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise the Dancing Clown.
Universal Pictures' $54 million American Made, starring Tom Cruise as a CIA-recruited pilot, drug and arms smuggler, debuted in third place, earning $16.8 million last weekend, above analysts' expectations of $12 million to $15 million.
Another high-octane collaboration from Cruise and director Doug Liman (2014's Edge of Tomorrow), the film is the latest test of Cruise's draw as an action star in the U.S. beyond the Mission: Impossible films. The Mummy flopped big time in June at the box office and was panned by critics.
Kingsman, a sequel to the 2015 hit Kingsman: The Secret Service, debuted last weekend and has taken in $66.7 million so far, despite a 56 percent drop from last week.
Warner Bros.' The Lego Ninjago Movie was fourth in its second week, grossing $11.6 million (a 41 percent drop) for a cumulative $35.2 million. The computer-animated film focuses on a crew of young ninjas under the tutelage of a wise master voiced by Jackie Chan. Justin Theroux, Olivia Munn and Dave Franco also lend their voices.
Sony Screen Gems' sci-fi remake of Flatliners, in fifth place, earned $6.6 million in its first week, under analysts' projections of $8 million. The PG-13 thriller follows five medical students obsessed with instigating their own near-death experiences to glimpse the afterlife.
After expanding to 1,213 locations, Fox Searchlight's Battle of the Sexes came in at No. 6 in its second week, earning $3.4 million over the weekend (under analysts' projections of $6 million). Emma Stone and Steve Carell star in the film about the 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and ex-champ Bobby Riggs.
Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions' Stronger added 645 theaters and brought in $922,923, (a 39 percent drop in earnings despite an added 71 theaters) for a to-date total of $3.2 million. The Jake Gyllenhaal-led drama is based on the true story of Jeff Bauman, a man who lost both of his legs in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by comScore:
Kingsman: The Golden Circle, 20th Century Fox, $16,935,565, 4,038 locations, $4,194 average, $66,637,153, two weeks.
It, Warner Bros., $16,902,442, 3,917 locations, $4,315 average, $290,775,232, four weeks.
American Made, Universal, $16,776,390, 3,024 locations, $5,548 average, $16,776,390, one week.
The Lego Ninjago Movie, Warner Bros., $11,644,237, 4,047 locations, $2,877 average, $35,200,302, two weeks.
Flatliners, Screen Gems, $6,574,326, 2,552 locations, $2,576 average, $6,574,326, one week.
Battle of the Sexes, Fox Searchlight, $3,417,342, 1,213 locations, $2,817 average, $4,090,500, two weeks.
American Assassin, Lionsgate, $3,315,644, 3,020 locations, $1,098 average, $31,864,225, three weeks.
Home Again, Open Road, $1,726,563, 2,370 locations, $729 average, $25,152,128, four weeks.
Til Death Do Us Part, Novus Content, $1,521,803, 562 locations, $2,708 average, $1,521,803, one week.
Mother! Paramount, $1,449,378, 1,840 locations, $788 average, $16,310,224, three weeks.
Victoria & Abdul, Focus Features, $1,092,204, 77 locations, $14,184 average, $1,312,549, two weeks.
A Question of Faith, Pure Flix, $1,025,489, 661 locations, $1,551 average, $1,025,489, one week.
Stronger, Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions, $922,923, 645 locations, $1,431 average, $3,165,000, two weeks.
Friend Request, Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures, $728,064, 2,081 locations, $350 average, $3,411,022, two weeks.
The Hitman's Bodyguard, Lionsgate, $679,375, 1,119 locations, $607 average, $74,624,503, seven weeks.
Judwaa 2, Fox International Productions, $638,045, 192 locations, $3,323 average, $638,045, one week.
Wind River, The Weinstein Co., $597,048, 892 locations, $669 average, $32,786,407, nine weeks.
Spider-Man: Homecoming, Columbia, $588,932, 679 locations, $867 average, $332,707,249, 13 weeks.
Leap! The Weinstein Co., $483,227, 730 locations, $662 average, $20,910,437, six weeks.
Brad's Status, Annapurna Pictures , $400,522, 453 locations, $884 average, $1,766,066, three weeks.
MovieStyle on 10/06/2017