With $92 million this week, it’s expected to match or come close to August 2023’s domestic total for the first time since March. The rest of the films deserve credit: Three new films made a combined $19 million, nearly 20% of the weekend’s total.
“Blink Twice” (Amazon MGM), Zoe Kravitz’s directorial debut starring Channing Tatum, landed in fourth place with a disappointing $7.3 million. Made for $20 million and streaming on Amazon, the gritty tale of a billionaire who hosts a group of young women at his island hideaway has at least gotten enough attention to raise interest, despite a not-so-strong theatrical debut.
Disney’s top two films traded places last week. “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which dropped just 39 percent in its fifth weekend, took in $18.3 million for a domestic total of $577 million, far exceeding expectations and the best Marvel film since “Avengers: Endgame.” The film is projected to gross between $625 million and $640 million, putting it in second place this summer behind “Inside Out 2” both domestically and internationally.
Another Disney film, “Alien: Romulus,” fell 61 percent to second place with $16.2 million, for a domestic total of $72 million. With strong foreign response (a rarity this summer for the studio’s films) to $153 million so far, the $80 million-budgeted sequel is expected to eventually turn a profit.
“It Ends with Us” (Sony), the summer’s top grosser, took third place with about $12 million (down 50% from its third weekend). It’s now at $121 million domestically with similar overseas take, which is completely unexpected for a $25 million film that focuses primarily on women.
“The Draft”
Sony, through its faith-based partner Affirm, had the second-best opening with “The Forge,” written and directed by “Fireproof” Alex Kendrick. The $5 million budgeted film is in fifth place with $6.6 million in 1,818 theaters. That’s 1,249 fewer than “Blink Twice,” but it still tied “Blink Twice.” The film, about a high school graduate whose life changes when he finds faith, earned an A+ Cinemascore, a standard for the genre.
The Crow (Lionsgate) was the worst of the three opening films, opening no higher than eighth place with $4.6 million. The remake of the Brandon Lee comic book cost $50 million to make. Lionsgate is selling the film only domestically and claims that subsequent revenue will make it profitable. The film grossed less than the second weekend of Fathom’s re-release of Coraline, which can be rented online for $3.99 and was shown in 1,150 fewer theaters (and a large number of children’s tickets).
In 10th place were “Twisters,” “Despicable Me 4” (both Universal) and “Inside Out 2,” which dropped less than 40%. All three films are also streaming on video-on-demand and are still doing well in their late theatrical runs.
Two well-reviewed independent films avoided the platforms and opened wider, but neither had particularly big results. “Strange Darling” (Magenta Light), a nonlinear thriller, took in $1.14 million at 1,135 theaters, or $1,008 per theater. “Between the Temples” (Sony Pictures Classics), starring Jason Schwartzman as a grieving pastor in crisis who reconnects with his music mentor (Carol Kane), took in $678,000 at 576 theaters, or $1,118 per theater. We’ll know better if these strategies worked after next weekend.
The year-over-year decline in box office revenue was 14%, the lowest level since the beginning of the year. With “Beetlejuice” set to open on Sept. 6, and looking like the first of a series of strong post-summer releases, there is hope for an $8 billion haul in 2024.
Top 10
1. Deadpool and Wolverine (Disney) Week 5; Last Weekend #2
$18,300,000 (-39%) in 3,840 (-120) theaters; PTA (average per theater): $4,766; cumulative: $577,203,000
2. Alien: Romulus (Disney) Week 2; Last Week #1
$16,200,000 (-61%) in 3,915 (+30) theaters; PTA: $4,138; Cumulative: $72,639,000
3. We end up (Sony) Week 3; Last Weekend #3
$11,850,000 (-50%) in 3,839 (+100) theaters; PTA: $3,087; Cumulative: $120,824,000
4. Blink twice (Amazon MGM) New – Cinemascore: B-; Metacritic: 66; Estimated Budget: $20M
$7,300,000 at 3,067 theaters; PTA: $2,388; Total: $7,300,000
5. The Forge (Sony) New – Cinemascore: A+; Estimated Budget: $5 million
$6,600,000 in 1,818 theaters; PTA: $3,630; Total: $6,600,000
6. Twisters (Global) Week 6; Last Week #4; Also on PVOD
$6,200,000 (-38%) at 3,206 (-277) theaters; PTA: $1,934; Cumulative: $248,670,000
7. Coraline (Fathom/Focus) REISSUE Week 2; Last Week #5; Also on VOD
$5,006,000 (-49%) in 1,600 (+168) theaters; PTA: $3,521; Cumulative (adjusted): (estimated) $134,100,000
8. The Crow (Lionsgate) New – Cinemascore: B-; Metacritic: 29; Estimated Budget: $50M
$4,600,000 in 2,752 theaters; PTA: $1,672; Total: $4,600,000
9. I am despicable 4 (Global) Week 8; Last Week #6; Also on PVOD
$4,400,000 (-30%) at 2,788 (-221) theaters; PTA: $1,698; Cumulative: $348,280,000
10. Inside Out 2 (Disney) Week 10; Last Week #8; Also on PVOD
$2,100,000 (-39%) at 1,850 (-350) theaters; PTA: $1,346; Cumulative: $646,311,000
“Strange Darling” © Magenta Light Studios / Courtesy of Everett Collection
Other specialized/independent titles
Films (limited, limited film expansions) are listed by week of release, starting with those released that week; after the first three weeks, only films with grosses over $5,000 are listed. Metacritic and initial film festival scores were recorded. When available.
My strange lover (Magenta Light) New – Metacritic: 83; Festivals include: Frightfest 2023
$1,144,182 at 1,135 theaters; PTA: $1,008
Between the temples (Sony Pictures Classics) New – Metacritic: 82; Festivals include: Sundance, Berlin, Tribeca 2024
$677,948 at 576 theaters; PTA: $1,177
My penguin friend (Roadside Attractions) Week 2
$454,200 at 760 (-323) theaters; PTA: $519; Total: $2,047,000
Mountains (Music Box) Week 2
$11,478 in 5 theaters; PTA: $2,296; Cumulative: $20,569
Cuckoo (Neon) Week 3
$177,100 in 250 (-1,151) theaters; Cumulative: $6,050,000
good one (Metrograph) Third week
$52,200 in 31 (+18) theaters; Cumulative: $157,700
patella (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 4
$27,150 in 34 (-24) theaters; Cumulative: $1,010,000
Cat Video Festival 2024 (Oscillator) Week 4
$35,110 in 32 (-29) theaters; Cumulative: $586,780
Didi (Focus) Week 5
$470,000 in 435 (+8) theaters; PTA: $1,079; Total: $3,611,000
The Widow Clicquot (Vertical) Week 6; Also on PVOD
$27,500 in 44(-5) theaters; Cumulative total: $866,170
sing sing (A24) The seventh week
$241,118 in 119 (+7) theaters; PTA: $1,262; Total: $1,598,000
leggy (NEON) Week 7; Also on PVOD
$320,590 in 375 (-270) theaters; Cumulative: $73,586,000
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