Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Box Office

  • ‘Eternals’ Faces Harsh Drop But Still Eyeing Top Spot With $28M+ in its Second Weekend

    ‘Eternals’ Faces Harsh Drop But Still Eyeing Top Spot With $28M+ in its Second Weekend

    Eternals‘ box office has been a highly debated discussion due to the film’s mixed critical reception. While it was behind expectations, it still managed to nab the fourth-highest domestic opening of 2021 with $71M. Of course, the first weekend is where any film builds its momentum and the question is how strong it can keep that top spot in the coming weeks. Well, it looks like the Friday numbers are in and the film faced a drop similar to Venom: Let There Be Carnage. The drop is around 75% that is a far cry from Shang-Chi‘s 67%. Still, it’ll very likely pass the $100M mark once the weekend is over.

    Eternals will take the top spot again in its second weekend, which is still a strong showing. What should be highlighted is that this film might not have strong legs as other projects, its international numbers may be giving it an additional boost. The numbers are also developing similarly to how July was right as the pandemic was only starting to slow down. The box office generally has a few milestones for various franchises, such as Dune also passing the $100M mark and the Venom sequel getting to $200M.

    Clifford the Big Red Dog will take the second spot but won’t give the latest Marvel Studios film much competition. It’s also been facing harsher critical reception but is doing better with audiences as a fun film for families to check out. So, it might be a quieter week but it’s very likely that Eternals will be dethroned once Ghostbusters: Afterlife releases next week.

    Source: Twitter, Twitter (Milestone), Box Office Mojo

  • ‘Eternals’ Now Fourth-Biggest Domestic Opening of 2021 With $71M

    ‘Eternals’ Now Fourth-Biggest Domestic Opening of 2021 With $71M

    We’ve been watching Eternals‘ predictions go up and down throughout the weekend. Some pointed to it underperforming with around $69M as its highest possible outcome, but it looks like it did keep pushing through and now ends the weekend on $71M. It is behind Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘ $75.3M but takes the fourth spot of highest-earning film openings of the year at the domestic box office. Including its international cume, it now stands at quite an impressive $161.7M with the pandemic still raging.

    As of now, the top four releases of the year are Marvel-based properties with three of them stemming from Marvel Studios. The best opening at $90M is still held by Sony’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage film. There is a good chance the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home film might take the top spot before the year ends. Still, Eternals is the second-biggest international opening of any film during the pandemic which is quite impressive and shows that it simply has a stronger pull in other markets, especially South Korea.

    Eternals numbers aren’t your usual Marvel Studios fair, as they commonly beat the lowest expectation. Yet, it’s not the first time it happened. Back in the day, Ant-Man also opened to the lower end of its expectations. There’s a strong connection to build-up and connectivity between the various franchises that may play a factor here. Plus, we’re still in the pandemic. The latest entry of the MCU seems to have an older audience in mind, which is currently still entering cinemas later than usual. Naturally, it’s behaving closer to an indie film on a larger scale given Zhao‘s touch and its reception by audiences. It’ll be interesting to see how it develops.

    Source: Variety (Prediction), Variety

  • ‘Eternals’ is Disney’s Highest Friday Opening for a Theater-Exclusive Release Since 2019

    ‘Eternals’ is Disney’s Highest Friday Opening for a Theater-Exclusive Release Since 2019

    Box office numbers are slowly rolling in, as we got a clearer picture of just how well Eternals did on Friday. It looks like the film pulled in $30.7M. It’s slightly above the base $30M reported last night and puts the film on a path to potentially beat out Black Widow‘s $80M opening weekend. For now, it’s slightly behind Thor: The Dark World and Doctor Strange, who didn’t have to compete with the pandemic. At its current standing, it is Disney’s highest opening day with a theatrical exclusive release, as it just barely passed Shang-Chi‘s impressive $29.5M in September.

    The big test will be how word-of-mouth affected the film, as while it has a 48% on Rotten Tomatoes by critics, fans have generally deemed to enjoy the film with 84%. Yet, it currently has a B CinemaScore standing with audiences, which is the lowest for an MCU film. Still, it’s a great start and still opens the possibility of it passing Black Widow’s opening numbers. Internationally, the film has been performing well and garnered $38.4M, which means it has earned $69.1M in just its first day. Currently, it is trending ahead of the previous entries of the franchise.

    For now, we’ll have to keep an eye on how it develops over the weekend and if word-of-mouth might hurt it long-term with a stronger drop in its second week. Shang-Chi was a strong showing for the studio as it continued to hold on to the top spot for quite some time. With more competition heading its way, it’s unclear if Eternals might manage the same, or face a harsher drop given its mixed reception moving forward. Its massive running time is also part of the issue here, as it means fewer showings for the film, which doesn’t have the whole “end of a decade” selling point attached to it.

    Source: Box Office Pro

  • ‘Eternals’ Makes $30M on Friday at the Domestic Box Office

    ‘Eternals’ Makes $30M on Friday at the Domestic Box Office

    It’s been a busy day for Marvel Studios fans, as Eternals finally released in theaters. Not only are all the spoilers hitting the internet, but also the public reaction has shown there’ quite the divide between critics and audience’s views on the film. So, we’ve been curious what it might mean for its box office performance, as it earned $9.5M in its Thursday Previews. It made the film the third-highest of the pandemic. Well, it looks like the film is currently heading towards a $75M after opening this Friday with around $30M (including the money it made from previews). It’s currently in line with Shang-Chi‘s $29M opening from September.

    Friday usually makes up 40% of the box office, as pointed out by Deadline which means it might be lower than the previously stated $80M prediction. Of course, there’s always a chance this new audience reception, which is only available as of today, might boost its numbers after all. The CinemaScore might be our first indication. Eternals only drawback is the film’s length. It’s one of the longest entries in the franchise. While Avengers: Endgame had the selling point of ending the franchise’s first major arc, Eternals is a rather unknown property that introduces a group of new heroes.

    Dune is currently in second place and might take a bite out of Eternals box office. As of now, the film might not pass the $80M mark after all even as earlier predictions were a bit more optimistic in that regard. Internationally, the film is currently outpacing Shang-Chi and Black Widow, which continues to point to a strong global opening for the production. Deadline also points out that Disney has $100M in brand marketing partners, which helps reduce the burden on covering costs for the company.

    Source: Deadline, The Numbers, Deadline, Box Office Mojo

  • ‘Eternals’ Nabs $9.5 in Thursday Previews, Third Best of the Pandemic

    ‘Eternals’ Nabs $9.5 in Thursday Previews, Third Best of the Pandemic

    All eyes are on Marvel Studios’ venture into the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s history with indie darling Chloé Zhao‘s attempt at a grounded epic about eternal beings. After its initial critical reception ending up as the studio’s first rotten scored film on Rotten Tomatoes, it made many wonders what it means for the film’s box office performance. In a way, there’s the discussion if the Marvel brand can sustain its position at the box office even if hit by a mixed reception, and the star-power of the project.

    Luckily, as we’re about to enter the weekend we got a glimpse at its performance through its initial Thursday previews. Box office analyst Charlie Jatinder shared his findings that offer a better understanding of where the film is currently heading. The latest predictions had it at a strong $150M worldwide opening, but it’s looking like it might pass them if it keeps up the momentum going into the weekend. As of now, it earned $9.5M in Thursday previews through the US and Canada. So, it’s now nearing an $85M with its international release following the same trend currently.

    As Deadline points it, it currently is the third-best earner in its Thursday previews. Currently, Black Widow holds the top spot with $13.2M followed by Venom: Let There Be Carnage‘s $11.6M. The latter went on to surpass the former’s overall opening weekend. So, the big showcase will be how the film holds over going into Saturday. Shang-Chi earned $8.8M in its previews and the latest release is ahead of pre-pandemic releases of Doctor Strange and Thor: The Dark World. Overall reception is at 86% with audiences which is a far cry from its current 50% on Rotten Tomatoes.

    Source: Twitter, Deadline, Forbes

  • ‘Eternals’ Eyeing a $150M Worldwide Box Office Opening

    ‘Eternals’ Eyeing a $150M Worldwide Box Office Opening

    After the mixed reception, there was some concern that it might hamper Eternals box office performance. Early predictions had it at potentially breaking the $100M mark while the critical reception led to that going towards a prediction between $67M and $92M. As we’ve finally entered the week, we’re starting o get a better grasp of its potential box office performance. According to Variety, the box office is currently set to hit $75M+ with some even seeing it surpass the $85M mark. To give a comparison, it could potentially become Marvel Studios’ highest-earning film of 2021 if it passes Black Widow‘s $80M (excluding its Disney+ Premier Access income).

    Venom: Let There Be Carnage still holding on to the $90M record for the year, which it could still potentially surpass if fan reception shows a more positive development. Shang-Chi also managed to beat early expectations by quite a bit as it was believed to only hit around $30M but ended up with $70M. So, there’s still a chance that it might surprise us and garner quite a bit more and potentially surpass the $100M mark that everyone has been chasing throughout the year.

    Internationally, the film might potentially make $150M globally. In addition to the domestic predictions, it might add around $75M in international markets. It opened in South Korea to the top spot with the second-best opening day during the pandemic with $2.6M. The inclusion of Train to Busan‘s Ma Dong-seok has made the market a potential strong international player. So, it looks like it might pass Shang-Chi‘s international performance and potentially might develop similar to Black Widow. As the week continues, we’ll get a clearer picture of where the box office is heading.

    Source: Variety, Deadline

  • ‘Eternals’ Dominating Pre-Sales in South Korea, Currently Ahead of ‘Black Widow’

    ‘Eternals’ Dominating Pre-Sales in South Korea, Currently Ahead of ‘Black Widow’

    It’s Eternals release week! Fans from across the world will be heading to cinemas to see the Marvel Studios epic on Wednesday. They will be eager to see the film for themselves as executive producer Nate Moore said the studio wanted to “take some chances and give audiences something that feels completely new.” It will be interesting to see audience and box office reactions this week as it releases to the wider population. While the local predictions softened after its critical reception, it looks like ticket sales from South Korea are hitting a high and crushing the competition. 

    According to data from the Korean Film Council seen by K-Odyssey, Eternals had sold 200,000 pre-sold tickets in South Korea two days ahead of its release. The film accounted for 78.8% of all tickets sold, while Dune was at 8.6% and Venom: Let There Be Carnage at 2.3% at the time of the data being noted. Eternals pre-sales also outpace Marvel Studios’ Black Widow by 30, 000 at the equivalent moment in its release schedule. South Korean actor Ma Dong-Seok, who is also known as Don Lee, stars as Gilgamesh, one of the Eternals in the film and is the first actor from South Korea to take a major role in a Marvel Studios film. There’s a chance his inclusion might be one of the film’s selling points. 

    As the film releases this week, box office and audience reactions will be interesting to contrast with critics’ reviews who have remained somewhat divided by the film. Still, with the studio trying big swings at new things, it isn’t completely unheard of for critics and fans to be slightly out of sync with their perception of how well these new attempts land. At the very least, it seems fans will have a whole range of new characters to love and some thematic thoughts to consider! 

    Source: Korean Film Council via K-Odyssey

  • ‘Eternals’ Early Box Office Predictions Soften, Now Eyeing $96M Opening Weekend

    ‘Eternals’ Early Box Office Predictions Soften, Now Eyeing $96M Opening Weekend

    All eyes were on Eternals after the first critic reviews found their way online. It was met with a positive to mixed reception, which sometimes may hamper the early predictions. Well, it seems that it may do exactly that as early predictions have softened in the last few days. Earlier this month, it was eyeing around 110M at the highest. It was shortly after the film managed to outsell Black Widow and Shang-Chi on its first day, which put it on a trajectory for a large opening weekend. Now, the numbers are still strong but there’s a question mark if it’ll pass the $100M mark.

    As of now, the three-day prognosis has the film heading towards a box office opening bewteen $67M and $92M. It’s dropped by around 12% since the last prediction. They highlight that the mixed critical reception is why they revised the model and could lead to a potential slowdown in pre-sales. Yet, the film had a strong early push which could potentially make up for it.

    One could also argue that the first Marvel Studios film to not become an instant critical darling may garner quite an audience. Even Box Office Pro highlights that the MCU as a brand might be review-proof at this point. So, the first film to go against the grain might garner quite a bit of additional attention by fans and viewers. Eternals also is quite a different take on a classic Marvel film which may caught some wanting more from the previously-released Dune. If you are interested, you can check our review of the film here.

    Source: Box Office Pro

  • ‘Dune’ and ‘Halloween Kills’ Fend Off Newcomers at the Box Office

    ‘Dune’ and ‘Halloween Kills’ Fend Off Newcomers at the Box Office

    There was little to no competition for Dune and Halloween Kills this weekend.

    Denis Villeneueve’s Dune retained it’s top spot at the box office after pulling in another $15.5 million during the slow Halloween weekend – a 62% dip from last weekend. That is enough to bring the film’s domestic haul to $69.4 million after 10 days in release. The film also did well internationally, bringing in $21.4 million from 75 markets, including $33 from China. To date, Dune has earned $292.1 million at the worldwide box office.

    Halloween Kills came in second, pulling in $8.5 million during its third outing. So far, the film has earned $85.6 million domestically. Coming in third place is the James Bond film, No Time to Die, which took in another $7.8 million. The latest James Bond film has now surpassed $600 million at the worldwide box office after opening to $28.2 million in China.

    The biggest surprise of the weekend, however, didn’t come from one of the big titles. FUNimation’s My Hero Academia: World Heroes Mission surprised everyone with $6 million from just 1,600 locations. (By comparison, Halloween Kills was still playing in 3,616 locations this weekend.)

    The biggest new release this week was Edgar Wright‘s The Last Night in Soho, which faltered at the box office with just  $4.2 million from 3,016 theaters. That is well below the $8 million box office experts estimated going into the weekend.

    Source: THR

  • ‘Dune’ Becomes Denis Villeneuve’s Best Domestic Opening with $40.1M

    ‘Dune’ Becomes Denis Villeneuve’s Best Domestic Opening with $40.1M

    As we were going into the weekend, early Thursday numbers were hinting at Dune managing a $30M+ opening in the domestic office. All eyes were on Denis Villeneuve‘s next epic to see if the space opera could make a big splash at the box office. Especially if you consider that it’s also available on HBO Max. Well, the weekend is coming to a close and it garnered around $40M. As such, the film is Warner Bros.’s best box office performer with an HBO release. Not just that, Dune marks Villeneuve‘s best opening ever in the domestic market.

    https://twitter.com/frankpallotta/status/1452288582048178192

    These numbers are a great showcase for its potential staying power at the box office, especially as it’s the biggest debut for Warner Bros. all year. So, it’s definitely a safe bet to think that they would be interested in exploring a sequel entry in the franchise, as it’s also what this film openly sets up at the end. Recently, WarnerMedia Studios CEO Ann Sarnoff pretty much confirmed that they’re banking on a sequel. So, these numbers might be that extra push to fast-track the project.

    Villeneuve has shared that it’s a passion project. So, it’s always great to see it pay off for him to further explore Arrakis and more of Frank Herbert‘s iconic novels. The film also might’ve given IMAX cinemas an extra push, as it’s the biggest opening for the cinema format since the pandemic started with $9M. It’ll be interesting to see if it holds steady over Halloween and then against Eternals in November.

    Source: Twitter, Variety, Twitter (BO), Twitter (IMAX)