‘Solo’ falls 65 percent over its second weekend

LOS ANGELES - “Solo: A Star Wars Story” is losing momentum quickly at the box office, even with a relatively quiet weekend free of any new blockbuster competition. After an underwhelming launch, the space saga fell 65 percent in weekend two with $29.3 million sales from North American theaters, according to studio estimates on Sunday.

“Solo” has now earned $148.9 million domestically, which is still shy of “Rogue One’s” December 2016 opening weekend of $155.1 million and over $135 million short of where “Rogue One” was in its second weekend.

The 65 percent drop off is one of the highest in recent “Star Wars” history, although it is less steep than the second week fall of the franchise’s last film, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” which slid 67.5 percent in weekend two this past December - but, that was also after a $220 million debut.

Internationally, “Solo” added $30.3 million, and globally the film has netted $264.2 million.

Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for comScore, thinks that all the media attention given to “Solo’s” less-than-impressive opening weekend numbers could have actually negatively affected its second weekend earnings.

“Box office got conflated with perceived value of the movie and that might have affected its second weekend,” Dergarabedian said. “Sometimes news of the box office can impact a movie’s bottom line.”

He noted that in comScore’s audience survey, most of the over 1,000 people polled “really liked” the movie.

“Solo’s” tumble brought it even closer to “Deadpool 2,” which is now in its third weekend in theaters and still managed to reel in an estimated $23.3 million to take second place. With a domestic total of $254.7 million and a crowded marketplace with both “Solo” and “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Deadpool 2” is still only about $30 million behind where the first film was in its third weekend.

Shailene Woodley’s lost-at-sea drama “Adrift” fared the best of the three newcomers, which included the horror pic “Upgrade” and a Johnny Knoxville comedy “Action Point.” “Adrift,” from STX Entertainment, washed up in third place with $11.5 million, while the others struggled to make an impact.

AP