'Scary Stories' Leads Newcomers with $20.8M Debut as 'Hobbs & Shaw' Repeats at #1
It wasn't as close a race at the top of the weekend box office as we thought it might be heading into the weekend as Universal's Hobbs & Shaw held on much better than expected and easily retained the #1 spot for a second week in a row. As for the weekend's crowd of six new wide releases, CBS Films, eOne and Lionsgate's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark led the way with nearly $21 million, followed by a decent performance from Paramount's Dora and the Lost City of Gold while Trafalgar's release of Bring the Soul: The Movie appears to have eked its way into the top ten.

Leading the weekend was Hobbs & Shaw for the second weekend in a row. The film held on quite well in its second weekend, dipping just -51% for an estimated $25.4 million sophomore frame and a domestic cume that now stands at $108.5 million.

Internationally, Hobbs & Shaw added another $60.8 million internationally, pushing its overseas cume to $224.1 million for a global tally that now tops $332 million as it enters its second week in release. This week saw the film open in five new markets including a $6.9 million launch in France, a $2.6 million debut in Italy and a $1.6 million opening in Belgium. The film has still yet to open in Korea, where it will debut on August 14, followed by an August 23 launch in China.

In the runner up position is where we find the first of the weekend's five new wide releases in CBS Films, eOne and Lionsgate's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. The PG-13 thriller topped pre-weekend expectations and delivered an estimated $20.8 million this weekend. The $25 million production received a "C" CinemaScore from opening day audiences while playing to a weekend crowd that was 57% female and 54% of the overall audience was aged 25 or older.

Disney's The Lion King ended up in third place, delivering an estimated $20 million. The film's domestic cume now stands at $473 million as it enters its fourth weekend in release.

Internationally, The Lion King launched in Japan this weekend with an estimated $9.3 million for a second place finish. The film's international cume now totals $861.5 million for a global tally reaching $1.334 billion, topping Beauty and the Beast ($1.263b) to become the highest grossing film among Disney's "live-action" reimaginings not to mention the 12th highest grossing worldwide release of all-time. Additionally, depending on how you look at it given media and industry confusion over whether the film is truly live-action or animated, The Lion King is now the highest grossing "animated" release of all-time worldwide, topping Frozen's $1.276 billion.

Paramount's release of Dora and the Lost City of Gold saw the live-action adaptation of the animated Nickelodeon series debut with an estimated $17 million. The film received an "A" CinemaScore from opening day audiences while playing to a weekend crowd that was 57% female and 54% of the overall audience was aged 25 or older.

Internationally, Dora debuted in 11 overseas markets this weekend with an estimated $2.5 million. Leading the way was Russia with an estimated $878,000 opening. The film will continue to expand internationally over the next few months ending with a November 7 release in Brazil.

Rounding out the top five is Sony's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, dipping -42% as it entered its third week in release with an estimated $11.6 million. The film's domestic cume now stands at just over $100 million.

Internationally, Once Upon a Time debuted in Russia with an estimated $7.7 million. The release was the film's first overseas major market debut with openings in France, UK, Australia, Brazil, Germany and Spain set for next weekend followed by Mexico (Aug 23), Japan (Aug 30), Italy (Sep 18) and South Korea (Sep 26).

Just outside the top five is where we find Fox's release of The Art of Racing in the Rain. The drama debuted in 2,765 locations and finished on the lower end of expectations with an estimated $8.1 million. The film received an "A-" CinemaScore playing to an audience that was 62% female and 59% of the overall crowd was aged 25 or older.

Internationally, the film launched in just ~16% of the overseas marketplace with an estimated $1.1 million with debuts in Brazil and the United Kingdom accounting for roughly half that figure. The film will continue to launch internationally throughout the year culminating in an early December release in France.

Right behind it is Warner Bros. and New Line's The Kitchen, which fell well below even the lowest of expectations, bringing in an estimated $5.5 million from 2,745 theaters. The film entered the weekend as the worst reviewed feature among new releases and came away with a "B-" CinemaScore from an audience that was 51% female and 89% were over the age of 25.

And rounding out the top ten is Trafalgar's release of Bring the Soul: The Movie, a new documentary feature centered on South Korean boy band BTS. The film began playing in theaters on August 7 and this weekend, playing in 873 locations, estimates have it edging out A24's The Farewell for a place in the top ten with an estimated $2.29 million and a domestic cume that now totals over $4.4 million after five days in release.

Just outside the top ten is Bleecker's release of Brian Banks, which finished pretty much right on expectations with an estimated $2.1 million from 1,240 locations.

In limited release, Roadside's The Peanut Butter Falcon opened in 17 locations with an estimated $205,236 ($12,108 PTA); Amazon's One Child Nation opened in two theaters with an estimated $22,244; and Sony Classics debuted After the Wedding in five theaters with an estimated $57,124 ($11,425 PTA).

Next weekend will be yet another busy week when it comes to new releases as four new films will make their theatrical debut over the weekend, but not before Sony's The Angry Birds Movie 2 begins playing in over 3,500 locations on Tuesday. After that, Friday will see the release of Entertainment Studios's 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, which will swim into over 3,600 locations. Universal will also debut the R-rated comedy Good Boys in ~3,000 theaters, UAR's Where'd You Go, Bernadette? will release in over 2,300 locations and Blinded by the Light will launch in over 2,000 theaters.

You can check out all of this weekend's estimated results right here and we'll be updating our charts with weekend actuals on Monday afternoon.

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