This photo provided by Warner Bros. Pictures shows, Antonio Banderas, right, as Mario Sepulveda and Jacob Vargas, top left, standing, as Edison Pena, in Alcon Entertainment's true-life drama "The 33," a Warner Bros. Pictures release. The film, directed by Patricia Riggen, releases in U.S. theaters on Nov. 13, 2015. (Beatrice Aguirre/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
Though the 2010 mine crash, which trapped 33 miners underground for 69 days, riveted the world, moviegoers showed little interest in a dramatized version of the accounts.
According to weekend box office numbers, Warner Bros.’ “The 33” starring Antonio Banderas and Juliette Binoche did not attack the attention in the theaters, earning a middling $5.8 million on its opening weekend.
The Chilean miner drama did not make a dent on the strong hold of James Bond and Charlie Brown, which once again dominated the North American movie theaters over the weekend. Angelina Jolie Pitt’s “By the Sea,” however, made barely a ripple.
Sony's "Spectre," the 24th Bond installment and last week's top film, took in $35.4 million in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Daniel Craig's fourth Bond film has most flexed its muscles abroad, where the majority of its $500 million-plus two-week global haul has come from. It got a boost, too, over the weekend in China, where it debuted with $48 million — the best opening for a 2-D, U.S. release in China, Sony said.
"The Peanuts Movie," from 20th Century Fox, remained in second place with $24.2 million. Both it and "Spectre" held strongly in their second weeks. "The Peanuts Movie" has grossed $82.5 million thus far.
Of the new releases, the Christmas comedy "Love the Coopers" — a family holiday gathering directed by Jessie Nelson and starring an ensemble including Diane Keaton and Alan Arkin — fared the best. It took in $8.4 million for CBS Films.
Universal Pictures considerably scaled back the release of the poorly reviewed "By the Sea," a marital drama starring Jolie Pitt and Brad Pitt. Playing in just 10 theaters, it made only $95,440. The third film directed by Jolie Pitt, who also wrote the script, "By the Sea" was made for a modest $10 million, so it won't hurt Universal much, but proved surprisingly unappealing to moviegoers despite starring two of Hollywood's biggest stars.
Expanding to 60 theaters, Tom McCarthy's acclaimed "Spotlight," about the Boston Globe investigation into Catholic priest sex abuse, pulled in $1.4 million with a per-screen average of $23,307 for Open Road Films. Tabbed as an Oscar favorite, the film, featuring an ensemble including Mark Ruffalo and Michael Keaton, is stoking interest with a gradual expansion.
Next weekend, Lionsgate's "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2," the final chapter in the young-adult saga, is sure to supplant Bond at the top of the box office.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
Based on reporting by the Associated Press.
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