SA’s box office: Fifty Shades Freed comes first

Happy Valentine’s Day, South Africa, and congrats on never being afraid to get your (missionary) freak on.

This weekend, Fifty Shades Freed, the last of the trilogy, opened right at the top of the charts, knocking the ever strong Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle down to second. I think it’s fair to say we love a good bush.

Fifty Shades Freed topped the charts this week, pushing the successful Jumanji down to second

But how did the other films fare this weekend? (9 – 11 February)

Animation Tad the Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas (the catchiest of film titles) opened in fourth, unable to take on Cape Town-shot Maze Runner: The Death Cure, knocked to third by Fifty Shades‘ entrance.

Other newcomers 12 Strong, a US army film, and Just Getting Started, a Morgan Freeman-led comedy, opened in seventh and eighth respectively. The latter has received a dismal 5% on Rotten Tomatoes, with most decrying the wasted talent of its lead actors.

South Africa’s controversial Inxeba (The Wound) fell a sad three spots from sixth to ninth. The film, which depicts an isiXhosa initiation rite, was met with protests for publicly detailing the sacred ceremony.

But the biggest fall of the week went to Liam Neeson’s The Commuter, which dropped a whopping six spots from fourth to tenth. After spending five weeks on the charts, it seems the action thriller is on its way out.

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

1. Fifty Shades Freed (Incl. IMAX) (NEW)
2. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (Incl. 3D, IMAX, 4DX & D.BOX)** (-1)
3. Maze Runner: The Death Cure (Incl 3D, IMAZ, 4DX & D.BOX) (-1)
4. Tad the Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas (NEW)
5. Den of Thieves (-2)
6. The Greatest Showman (-1)
7. 12 Strong (Incl. IMAX & D.BOX) (NEW)
8. Just Getting Started (NEW)
9. Inxeba (The Wound) (-3)
10. The Commuter (Incl. IMAX & D.BOX) (-6)

**Highest life-to-date grosser with R57 086 355.

The above list was provided by Ster-Kinekor Entertainment.