SA’s box office: Meh. Emoji Movie overtakes It

If there’s one type of film you do not want to compete with at the South African box office, it’s the first animated kids film to open at cinemas in over a month. Here’s proof: The Emoji Movie — armed with terrible reviews, an awful trailer, and a lack of heart — has rocketed into top spot, pushing the much-hyped It (now the highest-grossing horror film ever) out of first after only one week at the top.

The Emoji Movie has now made US$185-million from a US$50-million budget. I hope we’re all proud of ourselves.

But were the others on the chart spared its wrath this weekend? (22 – 24 September)

The other Stephen King adaptation Dark Tower was only pushed down one to third thanks to the newcomer. Along behind it was thriller American Assassin, and Reese Witherspoon’s romantic comedy Home Again.

In exciting local news, South Africa’s very own Vasilinetjie opened in sixth this week. Based on the eponymous novel by Anoeschka von Meck, the film tells of a young girl raised by “her loving brown grandparents in a remote rural village” until she’s sent to an orphanage in Joburg when welfare finds out she’s not their biological grandchild.

Predictably, indie animation The Son of Bigfoot suffered with the arrival of The Emoji Movie. Despite holding fast to third place for five consecutive weeks, it began slipping slowly down the charts and has this week fallen with a thud from fifth to eighth — making it the biggest dropper.

Finally, Girls Trip may be on its last leg in tenth, but it is also the highest life-to-date grosser on the charts with over R14.7-million in revenue. The film has exceeded worldwide box office expectations, and has so far pulled in over US$134.5-million from just a US$19-million budget.

Here are ten most-watched movies in SA this past weekend:

1. The Emoji Movie (Incl. 3D)
2. It (Incl. IMAX & 4DX)
3. Dark Tower (Incl. 4DX)
4. American Assassin
5. Home Again
6. Vaselinetjie
7. The Hitman’s Bodyguard (Incl. 4DX)
8. The Son of Bigfoot (Incl. 3D)
9. American Made
10. Girls Trip

The above list was provided by Ster Kinekor Entertainment.