'The Predator' is #1 With Soft $24M, While 'Meg', 'Hotel Transylvania 3' & 'M:I 6' Hi

20th Century Fox's release of The Predator may have topped the weekend box office, but whether it was the controversy swirling around the film, dwindling franchise interest or a combination of both, the film delivered the lowest opening weekend gross for a live-action film debuting in over 4,000 theaters. Meanwhile, Lionsgate's A Simple Favor delivered solid numbers in a third place finish, Studio 8's White Boy Rick debuted with moderate results and Pure Flix's Unbroken: Path to Redemption debuted on the lower end of expectations.

With an estimated $24 million, 20th Century Fox's The Predator took the weekend's #1 spot, but the film has little to celebrate. Debuting in 4,037 theaters, the film's opening is the worst for a live-action film opening in over 4,000 locations, unseating The Mummy, which previously held the distinction after its $31.6 million opening in 4,035 theaters last summer. The opening currently falls short of even 2010's Predators which opened with $24.76 million in just 2,669 locations. That film went on to gross just over $52 million.

The Predator received a disappointing "C+" CinemaScore from opening day audiences. Weekend crowds were 62% male with 66% of the audience coming in 25 years of age or older. These are the exact same demos Alien: Covenant saw last year, and should The Predator deliver a similar 2.05x multiplier we're looking at a domestic run just shy of $50 million.

Internationally, The Predator debuted in 72 markets with an estimated $30.7 million. Leading the way was Russia with an estimated $4.7 million followed by the UK ($3.1m), Thailand ($1.1m) and Hong Kong ($948k). Next weekend, the film opens in 11 additional markets including Argentina (Sep 20) and Mexico (Sep 21) followed by October releases in Belgium, France and Italy.

In the runner-up position, Warner Bros. release of New Line's The Nun has delivered yet another franchise record. After its franchise-best debut last weekend, the film dipped a franchise worst, 66% this weekend, delivering an estimated $18.2 million for a domestic gross that now tops $85 million, soon to become the fourth film in the franchise to top $100 million domestically.

Internationally, The Nun added another $33.1 million, pushing its running international cume to $143.6 million, taking the global tally to $228.7 million. Mexico remains the film's top international market with $17 million and it will get a nice boost next weekend with releases in France, South Korea, Russia, Italy and Japan.

Lionsgate's release of A Simple Favor landed in third position with an estimated $16 million. The R-rated thriller from Paul Feig stars Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick and both audiences and critics seemed to like what they saw. The film scored a 68 with critics on Metacritic and earned a "B+" CinemaScore from opening day audiences. Carrying a reported $20 million budget the question now is whether it will barely top $30 million domestically or if it has a chance at reaching $40 million.

Internationally, A Simple Favor brought in an estimated $3.5 million from 28 markets including $1.5 million in Australia, where the film has now brought in $2 million after bringing in $437k from previews last weekend. The film will debut in the UK, Russia and Finland next weekend followed by openings in France (Sep 26), Belgium (Sep 26), Brazil (Sep 27), The Netherlands (Sep 27), Mexico (Sep 28), Spain (Sep 28), Sweden (Sep 28), Norway (Oct 19) and Germany (Nov 8).

Sony's release of Studio 8's White Boy Rick landed in fourth place with an estimated $8.8 million debut from 2,504 theaters. The drug-fueled drama brought in a so-so "B" CinemaScore from opening day audiences while the studio has yet to provide weekend audience demographics.

Rounding out the top five is WB's Crazy Rich Asians, which is now just shy of $150 million domestically after taking in an estimate $8.7 million as it kicks off its fifth week in release. Internationally, the romantic comedy added another $7.3 million for an overseas cume now totaling $37.9 million for a global tally over $187 million. The film will debut in Mexico next weekend followed by Japan on September 28.

Outside the top five is where we find Pure Flix's Unbroken: Path to Redemption, which fell to the lower end of industry expectations and couldn't even muster half of Mojo's pre-weekend $5 million forecast. The film debuted in 1,620 locations and brought in an estimated $2.35 million for a disappointing $1,451 per theater average.

Elsewhere in the top ten, however, a few milestones were reached beginning with WB's The Meg, which added $3.8 million this weekend for a domestic total reaching $137 million. The film also added over $6 million internationally this weekend, bringing its international running cume to $368.2 million for a global tally topping $505 million.

Additionally, Paramount's Mission: Impossible - Fallout rounded out the weekend top ten with an estimated $2.3 million, pushing the film's domestic cume over $216 million. The result makes Fallout the highest grossing release in the Mission franchise, topping Mission: Impossible II's $215.4 million domestic run back in 2000. The film also added $15.9 million internationally this weekend as its global cume continues to rise, now topping $760 million.

Also, joining The Meg in the $500 million club is Sony's Hotel Transylvania 3, which brought in over $4 million globally this weekend for a worldwide cume that now totals $503 million.

In limited release, Vertical's Where Hands Touch opened with an estimated $70,000 in 103 locations ($680 PTA); Roadside debuted Lizzie in four locations for an estimated $49,895 ($12,473 PTA); Hannover's The Riot Act brought in an estimated $28,275 from nine locations ($3,142 PTA); A24's The Children Act opened with an estimated $20,362 in three theaters ($6,787 PTA); Vitagraph's Museo debuted with an estimated $17,500 from one theater; Screen Media's Bel Canto delivered $14,036 in two locations; National Geographic's Science Fair opened with $12,250 in one theater; Cinema Guild's Hale County This Morning, This EVening opened in two locations with an estimated $9,914; and Sony Classics's American Chaos could muster only $7,963 from 26 locations for a per theater average of just $306.

Next weekend Universal will release the family targeted feature The House with a Clock in its Walls in 3,300+ locations; Amazon Studios will debut Life Itself into 2,500 locations; and Briarcliff will release the Michael Moore documentary Fahrenheit 11/9 into ~1,500 theaters.