According to Box Office Mojo…
Trolls: Domestic Total as of Nov. 18, 2016: $102,564,533
Arrival: Domestic Total as of Nov. 18, 2016: $34,980,799
Ugh.
And lest you think that it’s specifically Americans who are teh dumm…
Trolls: Foreign: $129,338,668
Arrival: Foreign: $10,845,054
You know, those of us who appreciate*good* science fiction often bemoan the lack of it in theaters, compared to explodey eye candy (Dr. Strange has so far made half a billion). But when the rare smart science fiction movie comes along and performs this badly, is it any wonder that more like it aren’t made? Granted it’s only been one week, but it’s unlikely to suddenly zoom into popularity from here. So after that one week it has made $46M off of a $47M budget (dirt cheap by Hollywood standards), probably about half what is required to break even. With luck the coming weeks will see it inch towards profitability, but what with “Fantastic Beasts” stomping all over the box office, I’m not sure I’d bet on it.
FYI:
Star Trek: Beyond, budget $185M. US:$158.8M; Foreign: $184.5M, total: $343.3M. Did poorly enough that “Star Trek 4” is in doubt.
Ghostbusters 2016, budget $144M. US: $128.4M, Foreign: $100.8M, Total: $229.1M. A moderate bomb.
And to really give you a “WTF is *wrong* with you people?!?!?” vibe…
BOO! A Madea Halloween, budget $20 M, Worldwide: $72,644,026