Lacklustre Legos

So we've got the second movie in the Kingsman franchise at the top of the card deck, and the third iteration of the Lego series filling the third position.

THE WEEKEND BOX OFFICE TAKE

1.) Kingsman: The Golden Circle (FOX), 4,003 theaters / $15.2m Fri. (includes $3.4m previews) /3-day cume: $39M /Wk 1

2.) It (NL/WB), 4,007 theaters (-141) / $9.1M Fri. /3-day cume: $29.1M (-52%)/Total: $265.4M/Wk 3

3.) The Lego Ninjago Movie (WB), 4,047 theaters / $5.8M Fri. /3-day cume: $20.8M /Wk 1

4.) American Assassin (CBS/LG), 3,154 theaters / $1.86m Fri. (-68%) /3-day cume: $6.2M (-58%) /Total: $26.1M/Wk 2

5.) Home Again (OR), 2,685 theaters (-351) / $1M Fri. (-38%) /3-day cume: $3.4M (-33%)/Total: $22.4M/Wk 3

6.) mother! (PAR), 2,368 theaters / $1M Fri. (-67%) /3-day cume: $3.25M (-57%)/Total: $13.4M/Wk 2

7/8). Hitman’s Bodyguard (LG), 2.037 theaters (-1,235) / $513K Fri. / 3-day cume: $1.83M (-49%)/Total: $73.6M /Wk 6

Friend Request(ES), 2,569 theaters / $694K Fri. /3-day cume: $1.8M / Wk 1

9.) Stronger (RSA), 574 theaters/ $520K Fri./3-day cume: $1.58M /Wk 1

10.) Wind River (TWC), 1,431 theaters (-1,118) / $367K Fri. / 3-day cume: $1.2M (-53%)/Total: $31.6M/Wk 8

The Lego franchise seems to be showing diminished returns. Perhaps you can only go to the well so many times without delivering something fresh and different?

... What made The Lego Movie so delightful was how it transcended its corporate roots and felt surprising. What made that film surprising makes this feel too familiar. Herein lies the downside of pulling off a seemingly impossible trick: once you perform the same trick enough times, the surprise of its success wears off. ...

The Lego Movie excelled at being different, and more off-kilter, than other animated films. The Lego Ninjago Movie feels not just like its predecessors, but other studios’ family fare. The last thing any of these movies should feel is watered down.

Meantime, The Emojoi Movie is down in the teens of the box office list, with $84.4 million in the kitty.