Among a trio of films opening this weekend, 'Game Night' earns $1 million in Thursday night previews, followed closely by Natalie Portman-starrer 'Annihilation' with 900,000.
Midbudget titles that would've been theatrical fare in years past (like 'Cloverfield Paradox' and 'Extinction') are going direct to streaming as studios minimize risk.
With the Oscar ceremony less than two weeks away, the movie is among a number of best-picture nominees parlaying awards attention into box-office gains, including 'Darkest Hour' with a mighty $131.6 million in global grosses.
With Hollywood focused on churning out tentpoles, international moviegoers are flocking to regional adaptations: “People want to see their own stars and their own stories”
Studio blockbusters including 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'Despicable Me 3' and 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' helped drive record box-office results in the U.K. and strong performances in France and Russia.
'Peter Rabbit' hops to $25 million in the U.S., while Clint Eastwood's 'The 15:17 to Paris' debuts to $12.6 million after getting derailed by many critics.