One Direction: This Is Us box office: 3D concert movie suffers one of steepest Friday-to-Saturday drops
The 3D concert movie One Direction: This Is Us failed to get even close to the $20 million mark at the North American box office this Labor Day weekend (Fri.–Sun.) despite relatively strong opening-day grosses.
Featuring One Direction band members Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson, and directed by Morgan Spurlock, whose Super Size Me was shortlisted for the 2004 Best Documentary Feature Academy Award, One Direction: This Is Us debuted at 2,735 locations, pulling in a not inconsiderable $8.9 million on Thursday evening/Friday, Aug. 29–30, which should have meant approximately $20 million by Sunday evening – especially taking into account that Monday is a national holiday. That didn’t happen.
Whereas Justin Bieber: Never Say Never debuted with $13.1 million from 3,105 sites on opening day in February 2011, eventually collecting $29.5 million* over the weekend ($30.3 million including Wednesday previews), One Direction: This Is Us’ U.S. and Canada weekend gross is expected to top only $17 million according to studio estimates found at boxofficemojo.com.
But why? A 54 percent Friday-to-Saturday drop-off rate helps to explain why. Talk about a movie being frontloaded. Clearly, those who wanted to watch Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson strut their stuff bought tickets for midnight and/or first-day showings. In fact, as Box Office Mojo’s Ray Subers explains, One Direction: This Is Us suffered the steepest Friday-to-Saturday drop of any movie (since at least the early 1980s) outside of December.
For comparison’s sake: Justin Bieber: Never Say Never was down only 13 percent on Saturday, while back in February 2008 Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour was actually up 51 percent.
The way things are going, One Direction: This Is Us should end up raking in only $19–$20 million by the end of Labor Day, one of the times of year Americans and Canadians are too busy stuffing their faces and getting drunk to find time (or energy or sobriety) to go watch movies. Of course, that figure is not bad when you consider the One Direction movie’s reported $10 million budget (and somewhat modest marketing campaign), but it’s downright disappointing if one takes into account the movie’s Thursday/Friday figures and its 3D surcharges.
Note: One Direction: This Is Us also grossed a modest $14.5 million from 53 international territories. The 3D movie’s worldwide total currently stands at an estimated $31.5 million.
One Direction vs. Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Michael Jackson
The biggest three-day opening in the 3D concert genre belongs to Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour, which earned an impressive $31.1 million from 683 locations in February 2008.
Next is Justin Bieber: Never Say Never with the aforementioned $29.5 million and Michael Jackson’s This Is It, which opened on a Wednesday, with $23.2 million in early November 2009.
The good news: At least the One Direction movie is well ahead of Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience, which took in $12.5 million from 1,271 theaters in February 2009, and Katy Perry: Part of Me, which debuted with a dismal $7.1 million from 2,730 sites in July 2012.
Besides One Direction-ers Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, and Harry Styles, One Direction: This Is Us features Dan Richards, Sandy Beales, John Shone, and Josh Devine. Cinematography by Neil Harvey.
The One Direction movie currently has a 59 percent approval rating and 5.7/10 average among Rotten Tomatoes’ top critics.
Worst Friday-to-Saturday drop-off rates ‘ever’
Six of the twelve movies that suffered the steepest – recorded – Friday-to-Saturday drop-off rates have been December releases. Blame that on Christmas Day celebrations, as all six movies opened on Dec. 24.
Also of note, three are Twilight Saga movies. Blame that on Twihards who simply had to see their idols on the Twilight movies’ first day out – whereas most other moviegoers weren’t all that interested in what Bella, Edward, Jacob, and the gang were up to. Moreover, keep in mind that the Twilight Saga movies had huge midnight grosses that inflated Friday figures.
Here are the top twelve Friday-to-Saturday drop-off rates:
- Barry W. Blaustein’s The Ringer
Down 72 percent (Dec. 24–25)- Steven E. de Souza’s Street Fighter
Down 55 percent (Dec. 24–25)- Morgan Spurlock’s One Direction: This Is Us
Down 54 percent (Aug. 30–31)- David Yates’ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Down 53 percent (July 16–17)- Dean Parisot’s Fun with Dick and Jane
Down 52 percent (Dec. 24–25)- Adam Shankman’s Cheaper by the Dozen 2
Down 50 percent (Dec. 24–25)- Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey’s African Cats
Down 49 percent (Apr. 23–24)- David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Down 46 percent (Dec. 24–25)- Rob Marshall’s Memoirs of a Geisha
Down 44.2 percent (Dec. 24–25)- Bill Condon’s The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1
Down 44.1 percent (Nov. 19–20)- Chris Weitz’s The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Down 41.8 percent (Nov. 21–22)- Bill Condon’s The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
Down 41.8 percent (Nov. 17–18)
This Is Us has strong Friday debut
Aug. 31: Movie tickets for One Direction: This Is Us have been a hot commodity among female adolescents, as the 3D concert documentary is set to top the North American box office this Labor Day Weekend. Directed by Morgan Spurlock, whose stomach-conscious Super Size Me (2004) was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Documentary Feature category, One Direction: This Is Us chronicles the behind-the-scenes and onstage happenings during the world tour of One Direction band members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson.
Currently playing at 2,735 locations, the reportedly $10 million budget One Direction: This Is Us collected $8.9 million on Thursday evening (an estimated $2.7 million) and all day Friday, Aug. 29–30, 2013, according to studio estimates found at Boxofficemojo.com.
For comparison’s sake: Michael Jackson’s This Is It debuted with $7.4 million from 3,481 venues on a Wednesday in late October 2009, while Justin Bieber: Never Say Never debuted with $13.1 million at 3,105 sites on a Friday in February 2011.
“One Direction: This Is Us Box Office” notes
Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson One Direction: This Is Us image: Tri-Star | Sony Pictures.
*last modified in May 2025.