Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Box Office

  • ‘Smile’ Surprises With $22 Million Opening, ‘Bros’ Stumbles

    ‘Smile’ Surprises With $22 Million Opening, ‘Bros’ Stumbles

    Paramount’s latest offering put a smile on the faces of moviegoers this weekend. Smile, directed by newcomer Parker Finn, pulled in an impressive $22 million over the weekend. The movie earned $8.2 million on Friday, which includes the $2 million the movie pulled in from Thursday previews. Smile‘s performance is all the more impressive considering the film had a modest budget of $17 million.

    Smile, which stars Sosie Bacon, focuses on a therapist who meets a graduate student that has recently witnessed a gruesome suicide. Soon after, she begins experiencing frightening experiences she can’t explain. In order to survive, she’ll need to confront her past in order to escape her horrifying new reality. The film also stars Caitlin Stasey, Kyle Gallner, Robin Weigert and Kal Penn.

    The only other new release this weekend, Bros, failed to take off at the box office. The movie took in $4.8 million this weekend, well under expectations for the film. Smile managed to come in fourth place, beneath Don’t Worry Darling and The Woman King. The former, of course, took in $7.3 in its second weekend, bringing its 10-day domestic haul to $32.8 million. While the latter, The Woman King, came in third with $7 million from 3,504 cinemas, bringing its domestic haul to $47 million. Coming in fifth was the Avatar re-release which took in $4.7 million from 1,860 theaters for a 10-day domestic total of $18.1 million.

    Source: THR.

  • ‘Avatar 2’ Eyeing $650M Domestic Run, Unlikely to Dehtrone ‘Top Gun Maverick’

    ‘Avatar 2’ Eyeing $650M Domestic Run, Unlikely to Dehtrone ‘Top Gun Maverick’

    While there have been many discussions surrounding the slow recovery of the box office since the pandemic started back in 2020, there have been some massive successes even through these unpredictable times. Spider-Man: No Way Home and Top Gun: Maverick went on to break far past any expectations set on the projects, and there has been a lot of hope that Avatar: The Way of Water would do exactly the same later this year. It’s the first sequel to James Cameron‘s passion project from 2009. While the film is set to make a big splash in the box office, it may not surpass its predecessor.

    Variety’s early predictions based on Cinelytic believe that The Way of Water is likely to make around $650M but likely won’t come near the first Avatar‘s $772M. The reasonings are quite simple. A lot has happened since that film was released and we’ve seen quite a few CG-heavy worlds being created. So, it’s no longer as unique as it once was, as we’ve entered an era inspired by the technology that was established through that film’s release.

    If it does end up going below $700M, it’ll also remain in the second spot for 2022, as Top Gun: Maverick managed to pass the $700M mark not too long ago and still continues to have a strong staying power at the box office. Black Panther Wakanda Forever was predicted to not even make it past the $500M mark but early projections for the Top Gun sequel also had it set for a lower $300M box office run. At this rate, there are a lot of unpredictable elements at play and we’ll have to see how the rest of the year turns out with very little hitting the market moving forward.

    Source: Variety

  • Early Projections Predict ‘Wakanda Forever’ to Outgross ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Domestically

    Early Projections Predict ‘Wakanda Forever’ to Outgross ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Domestically

    There’s still some time until Black Panther: Wakanda Forever releases in theaters later in November. Yet, that isn’t stopping form early projections from hitting the web. The sequel has some heavy weight upon its back, as it not only has to compensate for the loss of its main star Chadwick Boseman but also faced quite a few production troubles along the way. After a powerful first trailer though, it definitely seemed safe to say that Wakanda Forever will still leave its mark in theaters while paying tribute to the actor that made T’Challa a household name.

    According to Variety’s early projections based on Cinelytics, the film is likely to make around $423M domestically. Many will look at these numbers and point out that it’s a far cry from the first entry’s massive $700M domestic release. It’s still very early to say how it will truly perform as the marketing has yet to kick into high gear but there is some concern about the passing of Boseman negatively affecting the film’s main draw. Plus, the first entry was quite the cultural release that went way past expectations.

    While many like to callback to Tom Cruise‘s star power for the box office success of Top Gun: Maverick, it’s just as much lightning in the bottle scenario that it had the staying power it did. It became Cruise’s highest-grossing film ever by a wide margin. Sometimes elements just come together at the right time to give films a massive boost, which we saw in the past with Avatar, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and The Force Awakens. The question is rather if people’s curiosity about the sequel and how it pays tribute to the actor.

    It could just as well end up surprising many. Plus, Marvel Studios’ main goal is for it to cover the production costs and pull in a profit. If it manages to accomplish that, it’s still a success in their eyes even if it wouldn’t really break any massive records or come near the first release. For now, it still looks like it could likely become 2022’s highest-grossing Marvel Studios release and that might be enough to push the project forward. Who knows if we have another No Way Home scenario on our hands and we won’t know until November.

    Source: Variety, The Numbers

  • ‘Avatar’s Re-Release Pulls in Mighty $10M, Potentially Hinting at ‘Way of Water’s Performance

    ‘Avatar’s Re-Release Pulls in Mighty $10M, Potentially Hinting at ‘Way of Water’s Performance

    This weekend saw the re-release of James Cameron‘s original Avatar. Not only did it include new elements to better lead into the upcoming sequel The Way of Water, but it also acts as a reminder of one of the biggest releases in theaters many years ago. The film has managed to pull in $10M over the weekend landing in third place and with a higher box office than most of this year’s re-releases.

    Spider-Man: No Way Home was also a massive re-release a few months ago, it did so on around 4,000 theaters while Avatar managed to pull in its numbers on only 1,860. So, it’s looking quite good that Way of the Water is going to open massively worldwide. While it’s unclear if it’ll have the legs to pull off a $2 billion release window, there’s a decent chance at play here.

    As one might expect, the film that established the modern 3D boom also pulled in most of its money through that format. It’s no surprise, especially with Cameron‘s promise to bring a new era to that very technology with his upcoming sequels. It’s fascinating to see the reception to the film that has been coined as “forgotten” for quite some time and likely given the long breaks in-between re-releases. We’ll see if that momentum carries over throughout multiple sequels released every two years.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Jurassic World Dominion’ Officially Joins the 1 Billion Club at the Worldwide Box Office

    ‘Jurassic World Dominion’ Officially Joins the 1 Billion Club at the Worldwide Box Office

    Jurassic World Dominion has officially passed the lucrative threshold of earning over a billion dollars at the worldwide box office. For a film that was released in June, it took a more gradual time period than most films to reach this milestone. Nonetheless, it’s certainly notable being only the third film to gross one billion since the pandemic began. One of the two is Top Gun: Maverick, which remains well ahead of Dominion as the highest-grossing film of 2022 thus far.

    The assumed final installment of the Jurassic World saga completes the trilogy’s ability to earn over $1B globally. The total earnings from the trilogy are currently at $6.02B. Jurassic World Dominion is also the seventh film from Universal to reach this financial milestone.

    Overall, this has been a banner year from Universal at the box office between Dominion, family films in Minions: Rise of Gru and The Bad Guys, and horror films in The Black Phone and Nope. Between all of these films, Universal has passed the threshold of over three billion dollars at the global box office this year. They are the first studio to reach that financial milestone since 2019.

    And the film studio is far from finished with new releases this year. Of note, Bros, Tar, Ticket to Paradise, She Said, Puss n’ Boots: The Last Wish, and The Fabelmans (which just won the Toronto International Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award) are all set to release by the end of 2022.

    In terms of upcoming films that have the potential to join Dominion and Maverick in one billion earned globally, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Avatar: The Way of Water seems to stand the best chance to be financial needle-movers for Disney by year’s end.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Avatar’ Earns $3.5M Internationally in Re-Release

    ‘Avatar’ Earns $3.5M Internationally in Re-Release

    As Avatar begins its official theatrical re-release in the United States, the James Cameron-directed film has thus far earned over $3.5 million in the international box office. The film has so far been released in 37 different global markets. In relation to other theatrical re-releases, Avatar has earned 57% more than Star Wars: The Phantom Menace did at this point in 2012. Though it has underperformed by 29% in comparison to the 3D release of James Cameron’s other financial juggernaut in Titanic during 2012’s Easter season.

    The relaunch of Avatar in movie theaters comes just under three months before the highly anticipated sequel project Avatar: The Way of Water arrives. To help drum up interest in the re-release, the original Avatar film has been temporarily removed from the Disney+ streaming platform. The results of this attempt to drum up interest in the franchise could be an indicator of how The Way of Water will be received by audiences by December of this year.

    After well over a decade, questions were had about if Avatar would indeed have any future installments. However, audiences should prepare for an onslaught of new films in the franchise with three additional films arriving in 2024, 2026, and 2028 respectively.

    Avatar: The Way of Water is set to open theatrically on December 16, 2022, and stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ Opens to $3.1M in Previews

    ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ Opens to $3.1M in Previews

    Don’t Worry Darling looks to be showing promising signs for its box office performance. The Olivia Wilde-directed film has opened to over three million dollars from preview screenings between Monday’s IMAX fan screenings and Thursday’s official opening. The film was initially projected by Warner Bros to open with a total of approximately $17 million in its first weekend, however, industry sources have begun leaning towards a $25+ million opening.

    This would definitely be a positive for the studio following what has been a harsh review season for Don’t Worry Darling, which currently sits at 36% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes. And audiences appear to be skewing more positive with an 87% approval rating on the website. Don’t Worry Darling stacks up relatively well in relation to other notable past releases such as House of Gucci and Get Out’s preview openings of $1.3M and $1.8M.

    While initially being a highly anticipated second feature outing for rising star director Olivia Wilde, much of the intrigue in the past month has been based around ample amounts of tabloid-esque controversy surrounding the project. This includes the disputed nature of Shia LaBeouf‘s exit from the film, rumored conflict between Wilde and star actress Florence Pugh, and potential that Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine at the Venice Film Festival (which has been proven false).

    Overall, following the rumored production and publicity nightmares of the film, Warner Bros could end up finding Don’t Worry Darling to be a commercial success for a studio in desperate need of financial gains.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘The Woman King’ Dominates the Weekend Box Office as ‘Barbarian’ Shows Strong Hold

    ‘The Woman King’ Dominates the Weekend Box Office as ‘Barbarian’ Shows Strong Hold

    Here’s some great news as The Woman King has taken the weekend. Not only did it pull in $19M with strong word-of-mouth but also nabbed the rare A+ CinemaScore from General Audiences. It’s quite the boost after taking in $1.7M in previews. In a market dominated by high-octane action flicks like Marvel and this year’s stand-out Top Gun: Maverick, it offered something quite unique.

    Production wasn’t easy on the film, so it’s exhilarating for everyone involved to see its current success. The movie could still end the weekend with more than $19M as Sony hopes to see an additional boost in churchgoing audiences that’ll head to cinemas, which is currently predicted to end with around $5M. Given the film’s little, women were also the majority viewers with 60% and an older demographic; a good sign for non-four quadrant productions moving forward.

    Taking second place is Barbarian, which is holding quite well with a 40% drop and pulling in $6.3M. Disney was smart to bring this film to theaters even if it could’ve done the same with a few other productions throughout the year. A24’s Pearl has also opened and gotten a TIFF boost, as it pulled in $3.124M which is slightly below Ti West‘s previous entry with X, but still mighty impressive considering its low budget.

    Source: Twitter, Deadline

  • ‘Barbarian’ Looking to Top the Weekend Box Office

    ‘Barbarian’ Looking to Top the Weekend Box Office

    Barbarian is looking to scare up some business at the box office this weekend.

    The Hollywood Reporter reports the horror film took in $850k from Thursday previews. It is currently on track to take the top spot at the box office with $5 million to $6 million this weekend. The 20th Century Studios and New Regency flick, which is rated R, currently has a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 71 reviews.

    While $5 million isn’t a notable return in box instances, September tends to be a quiet box office month. Outside of Top Gun: Maverick, which continues to exceed expectations, Barbarian has little competition. The only other big release this weekend is Bollywood pic Bramastra Part 1: Shiva, which took in $700k from Thursday previews. Estimates have that film on track for a $4 million weekend as it expands into 810 North American theaters. The film is set to have the biggest ever IMAX release for a Bollywood film.

    The only other large release for September will be Don’t Worry Darling, set to open later this month. The Warner Bros. Discovery flick, however, has been at the center of controversy as of late, and that could end up hurting its box office performance.

    Barbarian is now playing in theaters. Check out our review of Barbarian by heading here.

    Source: THR.

  • ‘Spider-Man’ Re-Release Wins the Weekend as ‘Top Gun’ Passes $700M Domestically

    ‘Spider-Man’ Re-Release Wins the Weekend as ‘Top Gun’ Passes $700M Domestically

    It’s a crazy Labor Day weekend at the box office, as two long-running films have taken the top two spots. Strategically released, Sony gave Spider-Man: No Way Home a return to theaters hoping to crack the $2 billion mark with some more footage added in and the “More Fun Edition” tagged on. It went up against Memorial Day weekend surprise hit Top Gun Maverick which has been showing some incredibly impressive legs all summer.

    As of now, it seems that No Way Home re-release will take the weekend with $6M but Top Gun: Maverick‘s $5.5M is nothing to laugh at, especially as it has now passed the $700M mark. It’ll likely pass Black Panther in just a day or two and it’s unclear just how big its wings might continue to propel it. With 50% fewer theatrical releases, it may have been the one surprise hit to boost the total market alongside other big releases like Thor: Love and Thunder, Minions: Rise of Gru, and the few to make a splash this summer.

    Still, the weekend had a special offer for many as ticket costs were down quite a bit as a way for cinemas to test out the market. Quite a few films got a select boost as a result. Jurassic World: Dominion is inching its way to a potential billion, as it now stands at $994M. Mostly depends on how it performs overseas with Japan being the big decider here. Nope is still showing a stronghold and has pulled in $120M domestically, which is lower than expected but still a decent pull.

    Thor: Love and Thunder also saw a minimal drop of 8% and pulled in another $2.4M and has now pulled in over $750M worldwide with $340M domestically. While some still pretend the film was a failure of some kind, it has outgrossed its predecessor and still is among the higher-tier earners. Making more than the previous entry with its fourth entry isn’t a common occurrence in a franchise that’s been running for as long as it has. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s release is definitely going to be one to keep an eye on though.

    Source: Forbes