SA’s box office: Geostorm tops charts, because we love chaos

In South Africa right now, Durban is trying to rebuild after a deadly storm. Joburg was just hit with hail, floods, and fires. Cape Town is entering summer with very little water in its dams — perfect for the fires that have already begun to rear their ugly heads.

So what does the country do when the chaotic climate mocks us for our unpreparedness? Do we look for escapism in a comedy, a spy movie, or a teen thriller? Hell no: we bolt into the cinemas to watch the ultimate worst case scenario, because we take life by the chin.

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This weekend at the box office, Geostorm — in which futuristic climate-controlling satellites malfunction — rose to the top of the charts, perhaps proving it’s nothing more than hot air. The film bombed in the US, but is banking on international releases (and most notably China) to bring back its US$120-million production budget.

But how did the other films fare this weekend? (20 – 22 October)

Geostorm’s success meant that Tyler Perry’s Boo 2!: A Madea Halloween opened in second, despite its victory in the US this weekend. The film unsurprisingly did not impress critics (Tyler Perry probably stopped caring about reviews years ago), but it did manage to pull US$22-million out of the bag on just a US$25-million budget.

Last week’s number one, Blade Runner: 2049, fell to sixth place in what could be the most dramatic fall from grace this year. The film has not had the spectacular box office many were expecting, but its wide global release has allowed it to pull in just under US$195-million on a production budget of US$150-million.

Last week’s second place, Kingsman 2: The Golden Circle, fared slightly better. It dropped only two to fourth, unable to budge The Emoji Movie from its hold on third place.

The Snowman has dropped from fourth to seventh, but its tumble shouldn’t affect the thriller’s cultural impact, as the strange plot and art direction have already found it some minor meme fame.

Finally, Stephen King adaptation It is enjoying its swan song in ninth place, leaving on a high as the highest life-to-date grosser with R19.5-million in ticket sales.

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

1. Geostorm (Incl. 3D, IMAX & 4DX)
2. Tyler Perry’s Boo 2!: A Madea Halloween 
3. The Emoji Movie (Incl. 3D)
4. Kingsman 2: The Golden Circle (Incl. 3D, 4DX, & IMAX)
5. The Mountain Between Us
6. Blade Runner: 2049 (Incl. 3D, IMAX & 4DX)
7. The Snowman
8. The Lego Ninjago Movie (Incl. IMAX & 3D)
9. It (Incl. IMAX & 4DX)
10. Happy Death Day (review)

The above list was provided by Ster Kinekor Entertainment.