"The Revenant" is the king of the box office this week despite the winter storm, which caused problems in the United States this week. The movie has taken the top spot for the first time, and it may have a lot to do with the blizzard.
So far, the film only has managed to make $16 million from 3,711 theaters throughout the United States with earnings of $119.2 million. Worldwide, the movie has earned over $200 million, which is not bad in light of stiff competition at the box office.
"The Revenant" could have earned more, but storm Jonas forced around 300 to 400 theaters to shut their doors. It also affected other films that had to settle for less. However, we expect that once the storm moves along, moviegoers will get out again to watch what they have missed.
What's interesting here is the fact that New York is where 7 percent of the United States box office earnings come from. With theaters having to close at that location, one can realize how much of a blow that it is to the overall market.
"I don't ever recall such widespread theater closures," according to Chris Aronson, the domestic distribution chief at Fox. "Honestly, I expected 'Revenant' to be No. 1, but I had it doing $19 million, not $16 million."
Analysts believe overall box office earnings could fall by as much as 12 percent by the end of the week. Several theaters remained closed on Sunday so that it can be cleaned up. It is not yet certain if they will be ready come Monday and the days after.
Sitting behind "The Revenant" at the box office, are "Ride Along 2" ($12.9 million), "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" ($14.5 million) and "Dirty Grandpa" ($11.5 million).
"Dirty Grandpa" starred Robert De Niro and Zack Efron. The film received terrible reviews from critics. At the moment, it sits with an 8 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, which makes it one of the worst movies Robert De Niro has ever performed in.
