Box Office Report

[Swamps]

These numbers are strictly from box office, and don't include streaming.

Gotcha. It's going to be difficult to tell if a movie bombs or not with the streaming services. Which I ain't going to complain. I got five kids so it's cheaper for me, plus I ain't got to worry about their badasses bothering nobody.

 

[Necro]

Gotcha. It's going to be difficult to tell if a movie bombs or not with the streaming services. Which I ain't going to complain. I got five kids so it's cheaper for me, plus I ain't got to worry about their badasses bothering nobody.

The problem is too, it's hard to get solid numbers from these streaming services.

 

[Necro]

Despite a handful of splashy, star-studded new releases, Ryan Reynolds’ two-week-old action comedy, Free Guy, held the top spot over the weekend. The irreverent crowd-pleaser from 20th Century Studios and Disney pulled in $18.8 million in its sophomore frame, making it one of the summer’s most encouraging sleeper hits. Nipping at the heels of Reynolds & Co. with a $13 million second-place opening was Paramount’s PAW Patrol: The Movie —an adaptation of Nickelodeon’s kid-friendly animated TV show about a group of rescue pups whose bark at the box office turned out to be just as mighty as its bite. The rest of the frame’s newcomers, however, wound up arriving D.O.A.

Just one week after its stronger-than-predicted $28.4 million debut, Free Guy saw a surprisingly small drop-off from the previous session, dipping just -33.8% (it marked the best second-weekend hold of the summer so far). Part of the reason for its continued grip on audiences is the fact that the film, unlike every other widely-released Disney title this year, was not released simultaneously on the studio’s streaming service, Disney Plus (it will only pop up on the platform after unspooling in theaters for 45 days). In other words, if you wanted to see the film, you could only see it in a theater.

While the latest wave of COVID cases from the Delta variant have certainly hobbled the theatrical business and kept many potential ticket buyers away, Free Guy seems to be one of the rare summer titles that is bucking that trend. Its strong reviews from critics and straight ‘A’ CinemaScore grade certainly haven’t hurt either. The PG-13-rated film, which costars Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer and tells the story of a background character in a videogame racing to save his virtual universe before its real-world developers shut it down, earned a $4,511 per-screen average in 4,165 theaters, bringing its two-week domestic box-office total to $58.8 million. So far, the film has added another $53.1 million from overseas, bringing its current worldwide cume to $111.9 million.

In the runner-up spot was Paramount’s tyke-targeted ‘toon, PAW Patrol: The Movie. The G-rated spin-off of the hit Nickelodeon kids’ show about a posse of pups who come to the aid of the accident-prone residents of Adventure City, pulled in a Doberman-sized $13 million haul in its opening frame. That’s a lot of kibble and it well exceeded pre-weekend estimates. While kids’ movies have fared well at the box office throughout pandemic, PAW Patrol’s numbers are especially solid considering that the title was also available via the Paramount+ streaming service. With its A- CinemaScore, Paw Patrol managed a $4,082 per-screen average at 3,184 locations and has tacked on an additional $21.5 million overseas, bringing it worldwide take to $34.5 million.

Repeating in third place was Disney’s Jungle Cruise, which added $6.2 million in its fourth weekend. The PG-13-rated white-water adventure starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt dropped off -31.7% from the previous weekend, earning a $1,742 per-screen average at 3,575 locations. Those fourth-week numbers now bring the movie’s domestic box-office total to $92.5 million, while its $81.2 million in international receipts gooses its worldwide tally to $173.7 million. Unlike Free Guy, Jungle Cruise is currently available to Disney Plus subscribers for a $30 surcharge.

In fourth was Screen Gems’ horror sequel, Don’t Breathe 2. The R-rated follow-up to the highly profitable 2016 invasion thriller (which then, as now, stars Stephen Lang) pulled in slightly more than $5 million in its second weekend, falling a steep -52.5% from the previous weekend. The fright-flick earned a $1,680 per-screen average in 3,005 theaters and its two-week domestic tally now sits at just under $19.7 million, which is more impressive than it seems in light of the movie’s bargain $15 million budget. Overseas, Don’t Breathe 2 has added $7.5 million in receipts, bringing its global box-office cume to roughly $27.2 million.

Rounding out the top five was MGM’s Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect. In its second weekend, the PG-13-rated portrait of the Queen of Soul starring Jennifer Hudson took in $3.8 million, which translated to a -56.7% drop off in business from the prior weekend. The music-fueled film played in 3,207 theaters, which equaled a $1,188 per-screen average. Respect’s shaky numbers have to be a disappointment for MGM considering the film’s $55 million budget. But its ‘A’ grade from CinemaScore means that its older target demo may catch up with it eventually, especially if it can hold on until COVID numbers begin to flatten out. After two weeks, Respect has raked in $15.1 million domestically and a negligible $569,000 from abroad, putting its worldwide gross at $15.7 million.

Speaking of disappointments, three other newcomers all with Hollywood stars, albeit of varying degrees of wattage, entered the charts well below the top five: In seventh place with $2.9 million was Lionsgate’s adult action-thriller The Protege , starring Michael Keaton, Maggie Q, and Samuel L. Jackson; in eighth place with $2.86 million was Searchlight’s ghost story The Night House, starring Rebecca Hall; and in ninth place—and the biggest bust by far—was Warner Bros. sci-fi thriller Reminiscence, starring Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Ferguson. While Reminiscence probably did lose some of its audience to its day-and-date release on HBO Max, its $2 million debut has to sting no matter how you try to rationalize it.

 

[Necro]

Who can take a sunrise, sprinkle it with dew, cover it with blood and a bone-chilling scream or two? Candyman can. Twenty-nine years after first being summoned on the big screen in 1992’s horror classic, Universal’s sequel to the now-infamous urban legend scared up an impressive $22.3 million debut at the North American box office, far exceeding expectations and easily sinking its hooks into the top spot.

Rolling out exclusively in theaters, Candyman was touted to gross somewhere in the neighborhood of $15 million. But as the weekend went on, it quickly became clear that the R-rated chiller would roar past those initial predictions. When all was said and done, the film’s haul of slightly more than $22.3 million nearly matched its $25 million production budget, putting instant profitability in its sights. Co-written by Jordan Peele, directed by Nia DaCosta (who is helming the upcoming Captain Marvel), and starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (who made a splash in Aquaman as Black Manta), Candyman was well-received by critics and earned a ‘B’ grade from CinemaScore.

Unspooling in 3,569 theaters in North America, Candyman had a $6,267 per-screen average and tacked on a less dazzling $5.2 million from 51 overseas markets, bringing its first-week global haul to $27.6 million. The racially-themed film, which centers around a bogeyman who returns to a now-gentrifying Chicago neighborhood where he first unleashed his hook-handed wrath, played well with Black audiences (who comprised 37% of first-week ticket buyers) and the 18-34 demo, who made up 69% of its audience. The original Candyman, which was released nearly three decades ago, only made $25.8 million in its initial run in theaters. But, over time, it snowballed into a cult classic, spawning two less-memorable sequels. The new chapter, though, should continue to play well in the weeks to come since it is not currently available on any streaming platform like so many other recent splashy titles.

In the runner-up spot this weekend was Ryan Reynolds’ Free Guy. The irreverent action comedy from 20th Century Studios and Disney pulled in just over $13.5 million in its third week in multiplexes. Like Candyman, it is also a theatrical-only title, which may help explain its impressively modest -26.7% drop off from the previous frame. The PG-13-rated film, which costars Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer and tells the story of a background character in a videogame racing to save his virtual universe before its real-world developers shut it down, earned a $3,440 per-screen average in 3,940 theaters, bringing its three-week domestic total to $79.3 million. So far, the movie has added another $100.3 million from overseas, putting its current worldwide cume at $179.6 million.

In third was Paramount’s tyke-targeted ‘toon, PAW Patrol: The Movie. The G-rated spin-off of the hit Nickelodeon kids’ show about a posse of pups who come to the aid of the accident-prone residents of Adventure City, puts its claws into $6.6 million in its sophomore weekend. PAW Patrol slid -49.6% from the previous weekend, managing a $2,077 per-screen average at 3,189 locations. To date, the pups have racked up $24.1 million in North America and have dug up an additional $37.8 million from overseas, putting the film’s worldwide take at $61.9 million.

In fourth was Disney’s Jungle Cruise, which added $5 million in its fifth weekend. The PG-13-rated white-water adventure starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt slipped -20.9% from the prior session, earning a $1,489 per-screen average in 3,370 theaters. Those fifth-week numbers pushed the movie’s domestic box-office total past the $100 million milestone with $100.1 million—it is just the fifth film of the COVID-era to accomplish that feat. Jungle Cruise’s $86.9 million in international receipts goosed its worldwide tally to $187 million. The film was released day-and-date on the Disney Plus platform for a $30 surcharge.

Rounding out the top five was Screen Gems’ horror sequel, Don't Breathe 2. The R-rated follow-up to the highly profitable 2016 invasion thriller (which then, as now, stars Stephen Lang) pulled in $2.8 million in its third weekend, falling -43.9% from the previous weekend. The fright-flick earned a $1,048 per-screen average in 2,703 theaters and its three-week domestic tally now sits at just a hair under $24.6 million. Overseas, Don’t Breathe 2 has added $10.7 million, bringing its cumulative global box-office tally to roughly $35.3 million.

Finally, with the extended Labor Day weekend fast approaching, the box-office sweepstakes should prove to be an exciting spectator sport in the days to come. While Candyman should hold on well thanks to its theatrical exclusivity, the frame’s real fireworks will come from Disney’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which is the sole Marvel tentpole to be released only in theaters since the pandemic began. So grab your bucket of popcorn and fasten your seatbelt, the numbers should be big.

 

[Swamps]

I'm going to try and see if Candyman is on Vudu later. Really want to see it.

 

[Necro]

Theater owners got down on their knees and thanked the movie gods this weekend for the arrival of Marvel’s newest superhero extravaganza over the usually sleepy Labor Day frame. Disney’s latest entry in the MCU, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, blew past industry predictions and bowed to a Marvel-ous $71.4 million over the first three days of the long holiday weekend, making it the second-highest grossing film of the COVID era, just behind Black Widow’s $80.3 million back in July. Unlike that film, however, the Asian-themed Shang-Chi is playing exclusively in theaters and should thus prove to have longer legs than Scarlett Johansson & Co.’s epic, which simultaneously rolled out on Disney Plus.

Originally slated to hit theaters back in February, Shang-Chi proved to be worth the wait. The PG-13-rated film, which is Marvel’s first to feature an Asian superhero and be anchored by a cast and director of Asian origin, was expected to pull in between $45 and $50 million over its first weekend. But it quickly became clear that the movie—which stars Simu Liu along with Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, and Tony Leung—would blow past those bearish projections. In fact, Shang-Chi’s projected four-day holiday weekend haul of $83.5 million leaves the previous Labor Day box-office record holder, 2007’s Halloween (with $30.6), well in the dust. It was just the sort of news that nervous theater owners were hoping for.

With an impressive $13.2 million of its total receipts coming from IMAX screens, Shang-Chi proved to be a hit with both audiences (who gave the film a straight ‘A’ CinemaScore) but critics as well (who goosed the film to a 92% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes). Unspooling in 4,300 locations, Marvel’s latest earned a whopping $16,604 per-screen average and added on another $56.2 million from overseas. While that may sound low it makes sense when you consider that the film still hasn’t been scheduled for release in China—one of Marvel’s biggest markets, especially considering the Asian-themed nature of Shang-Chi. Its one-week worldwide cume is $139.7 million. With little in the way of new competition from the major studios in the next couple of weekends and the film’s theatrical exclusivity for its first 45 days, Shang-Chi should continue to pull in big bucks until at least the beginning of October.

As for the runner-up spot, that honor went to last week’s champ, Candyman, which pulled in slightly more than $10.5 million domestically over the weekend’s first three days—a drop off of -52% from the previous session. The hook-handed horror flick is estimated to pull in a projected $13.4 million over the long four-day weekend. Universal’s R-rated chiller starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II earned a $2,956 per-screen average in 3,569 theaters, putting its two-week North American total at $41.9 million. To date, Candyman has added $10.9 from overseas, putting its global box office total at $52.9 million. Like Shang-Chi, it is only available in theaters...

As is the holiday weekend’s third place finisher: 20th Century Studios and Disney’s Free Guy. The irreverent PG-13-rated action comedy starring Ryan Reynolds raked in $8.7 million in the first three days of the long weekend and is projected to wind up with $11.2 after Monday’s receipts are tallied. Free Guy slipped -33.8% from the prior frame and managed a $2,244 per-screen average in 3,886 locations. After four weeks, the movie has racked up $94.3 million in North America and an impressive $147.4 million from abroad, bringing is current worldwide box office total to $241.7 million.

In fourth was Paramount’s tyke-targeted ‘toon, PAW Patrol: The Movie. The G-rated spin-off of the hit Nickelodeon kids’ show about a posse of helpful pups, bit off $4 million domestically between Friday and Sunday and is projected to boost that take to $5.2 million by the end of the long weekend. PAW Patrol fell -39.9% from the previous weekend, managing a $1,331 per-screen average at 3,004 locations. To date, the pups have racked up $31.5 million in North America and have dog-piled on an additional $50.3 million from overseas, putting the film’s worldwide take at $81.8 million.

Rounding out the top five was Disney’s Jungle Cruise, which added slightly more than $3.9 million in its sixth weekend (it is expected to finish the four-day frame with $5.2 million). The PG-13-rated white-water adventure starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt slipped a modest -21% from the prior session, earning a $1,284 per-screen average in 3,075 theaters. Having pushed past the $100-million domestic milestone last weekend (its current North American cume is $106.9 million), Jungle Cruise has added $86.9 million internationally, bringing its total worldwide haul to $193.8 million. The film was released day-and-date on the Disney Plus platform for a $30 surcharge. But now, with the massive success of Shang-Chi as a theaters-only release, Disney’s brass has some big decisions to make. Namely, will it release its next MCU title, Eternals, exclusively in theaters like Shang-Chi? Or will it go with the Black Widow streaming-hybrid model? Millions can be made or lost in these decisions. And, no doubt, the rest of the industry will be watching very closely.

 

[Necro]

You can now add sustained box-office might to Shang-Chi’s already-impressive array of superpowers. A week after the Marvel blockbuster’s record-breaking Labor Day roll-out, the film not only held on to the top spot with relative ease, thanks to its nearly $35.8 million sophomore weekend haul, it also roared past Black Widow to become the fastest film to reach the $100 million milestone in North America this year. The superhero tentpole also crossed the $250 million mark globally. Meanwhile, Warner Bros.’ latest chiller-thriller, Malignant, proved to be terrifying but in all the wrong ways, scaring up an underwhelming $5.5 million in its domestic bow.

The latest entry in the still-thriving MCU, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has proven that Disney’s pandemic-era hybrid model (where it simultaneously released its splashiest titles in theaters and on Disney Plus for a $30 surcharge) may be becoming a thing of the past. In fact, Shang-Chi’s resounding success as a theatrical exclusive led the studio to announce last week that its remaining titles for 2021 (which includes Marvel’s Eternals and Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story) would follow Shang-Chi’s lead and open only in theaters before making their way to its streaming platform a month and a half later.

Breaking down Shang-Chi’s sophomore week numbers, the film’s North American haul of slightly less than $35.8 million translated to a -52.5% fall-off from the prior session—which may sound steep but is actually pretty consistent with Marvel’s pre-COVID second-weekend declines. (In fact, the PG-13-rated extravaganza starring Simu Liu and Awkwafina is holding on far better than its recent stablemate, Black Widow, which nosedived -67.8% in its second frame). Earning a $8,322 per-screen average in 4,300 theaters, Shang-Chi has now racked up $145.6 million domestically. Meanwhile, the film has added $112 million from overseas to date, which may sound low, but makes sense when you consider that it still hasn’t been scheduled for release in China—one of Marvel’s biggest markets. Its worldwide cume after two weeks is $257.6 million.

Well below, in second place, was 20th Century Studios and Disney’s Free Guy with $5.8 million. The irreverent PG-13-rated action comedy dipped -34.5% from the prior frame and managed a $1,594 per-screen average in 3,650 locations. After five weeks, the movie finally managed to nose past the $100 million mark, ending up with $101.8 million in North America. To date, it has added an impressive $174.7 million from abroad, which brings its current worldwide box office total to $276.5 million and seems to indicate that the film’s star, Ryan Reynolds, may now be considered a legitimate international marquee draw.

Sluggishly arriving in third place was Warner Bros.’ horror flick Malignant. Although it was the only widely released newcomer from a major studio this weekend, and despite the platinum pedigree of its director James Wan (who created both the Saw and Conjuring franchises), the R-rated chiller starring Annabelle Wallis as a woman whose visions of brutal murders come true only managed to scare slightly less than $5.8 million in its debut frame. Malignant eked out a $1,598 per-screen average in 3,485 theaters and has brought in an additional $9.5 million from overseas, where it opened a week earlier. Its worldwide box-office total is just under $15.1 million, which by any metric has to be considered a disappointment considering its roughly $40 million budget.

In fourth place was another scary movie, Universal’s Candyman, which brought in $4.8 million in its third weekend in theaters. That number represents a -53.1% drop off from the prior session. The latest installment in the R-rated horror cycle, which stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, earned a $1,473 per-screen average in 3,279 theaters, putting its three-week North American total at $48 million. To date, Candyman has added $11.2 million from overseas, putting its global box office total at $59.2 million.

Rounding out the top five was Disney’s Jungle Cruise, which just keeps cruising along. In its seventh week in theaters, the Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt-starrer added just under $2.5 million. The PG-13-rated white-water adventure sank a modest -38.7% from the previous frame, earning an $877 per-screen average in 2,800 theaters. To date, Jungle Cruise has pulled in $109.9 million in North America and $86.9 million internationally, bringing its total worldwide tally to $196.8 million. The film was released day-and-date on the Disney Plus platform for a $30 surcharge.

Bubbling under the top five were two very different indie debuts: Focus Features’ R-rated gambling thriller The Card Counter, which was written and directed by Paul Schrader, and recently unspooled at the Venice and Telluride film festivals, opened in eighth place with $1.1 million; meanwhile Affirm Films’ PG-rated inspirational Christian film, Show Me the Father, opened in ninth place with $700,000.

 

[Necro]

In its third week in theaters, Disney’s latest superhero tentpole, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, continued to dominate the North American box office. Pulling in $21.7 million over the otherwise sleepy September frame, Marvel’s most recent epic shows little sign of slowing down and it is well on its way to surpassing its MCU stablemate, Black Widow, to become the top theatrical grosser of the pandemic-plagued year as it rocketed past the $300 million mark in worldwide ticket sales. Meanwhile, the weekend’s most high-profile newcomer, Clint Eastwood’s Western drama Cry Macho, bowed quietly in third place with a pokey $4.5 million as the cinema legend’s legion of older fans opted to stay home and stream the film from their La-Z-Boys.

Still, the story of the weekend—and of 2021 as a whole—is Shang-Chi, hands down. The comic-book extravaganza has proven that Disney’s COVID-era hybrid model (where it simultaneously released its splashiest titles in theaters and on Disney Plus for a $30 premium) is now looking like a thing of the past. In fact, Shang-Chi’s resounding success as a theatrical exclusive led the studio to recently announce that its remaining titles for 2021 (which includes Marvel’s Eternals and Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story) would follow Shang-Chi’s lead and roll out solely in theaters before making their way to its streaming platform a month and a half later.

Shang-Chi, which is now on track to become the first film of 2021 to break the $200 million domestic box-office barrier, dropped off only -37.5% from the previous weekend. The PG-13-rated movie which stars Simu Liu and Awkwafina earned a $5,331 per-screen average in 4,070 theaters and pushed its domestic box-office tally to $176.9 million. Overseas, the film has added $143.7 million to date, which may sound low, but makes more sense considering that it still hasn’t been scheduled for release in China—one of Marvel’s biggest markets. Its worldwide cume after three weeks is $320.6 million.

Well below, in second place, was 20th Century Studios and Disney’s surprisingly resilient Free Guy with $5.2 million. The irreverent PG-13-rated action comedy dipped a mere -6.8% from the prior frame and managed a $1,581 per-screen average in 3,288 locations. After six weeks, the movie has compiled $108.6 million domestically and another $189.7 million abroad, bringing its current worldwide box office total to $298.3 million. It’s official: Ryan Reynolds is now a legit international draw.

Arriving in third place with a slow trot rather than an energetic gallop was Warner Bros.’ latest from director and star Eastwood, Cry Macho. Forecast to debut with receipts somewhere between $5 million and $10 million, the PG-13-rated Western drama about a former rodeo star hired by his ex-boss to bring the man’s son back from Mexico opened to a disappointing $4.5 million. The 91-year-old icon’s loyal fanbase is older and clearly chose to watch his latest film on HBO Max, where it was free to the streaming service’s subscribers. It didn’t help that the film didn’t exactly blow away critics (who gave it a 52% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes) or audiences (who gave it a lukewarm ‘B’ CinemaScore grade). Cry Macho bowed to a $1,138 per-screen average in 3,967 theaters and tacked on a negligible $350,000 overseas, placing its first-week global cume at just under $4.9 million. For comparison, Eastwood’s last film—2018’s The Mule—debuted to $17.5 million and ended up pulling in $103.8 million in its North American theatrical run. Obviously, Cry Macho will come nowhere near that number.

In fourth place was Universal’s Candyman, which brought in $3.5 million in its fourth weekend. That number represents an impressive -26.5% drop from the prior session. The latest installment in the R-rated horror cycle, which stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, earned a $1,241 per-screen average in 2,820 theaters, putting its four-week North American total at $53.2 million. To date, Candyman has added $13.5 million from abroad, pushing its global box-office total to $66.7 million.

Rounding out the top five was Warner Bros.’ horror flick Malignant, which scared up a hair under $2.7 million in its sophomore weekend, putting its two-week domestic take at $9.8 million. The R-rated chiller starring Annabelle Wallis as a woman whose visions of brutal murders come true, fell -50.7% from its debut frame. Malignant earned a less-than-hair-raising $765 per-screen average in 3,501 theaters. So far, it has brought in a more robust $14.8 million in international markets, where it should be noted it opened a week earlier. The movie’s worldwide box office total currently stands at $24.6 million.

Simmering outside of the top five are three indie debuts: Open Road’s R-rated crime thriller Copshop, starring Gerard Butler, opened in sixth place with just under $2.7 million; Searchlight’s PG-13-rated The Eyes of Tammy Faye, which traces the rise and fall of real-life televangelists Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield) and his wife Tammy Faye (Jessica Chastain), bowed in ninth place with $675,000 in limited release; and Focus Features’ R-rated immigration drama Blue Bayou, starring and helmed by Justin Chon, debuted in thirteenth place with $315,000 also in limited release.

Finally, there as one interesting box-office development from outside of the U.S., where the highly-anticipated sci-fi film, Dune, rolled out in 24 foreign markets. Warner Bros.’ big-budget adaptation of Frank Herbert’s cult novel starring Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, and Oscar Isaac doesn’t hit theaters (as well as HBO Max) until Oct. 22, but it racked up $35.8 million abroad hard on the heels of its well-received premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Of the territories where it bowed, Russia led the way with $7.6 million in receipts.

 

[Necro]

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings continued to own the September box office this weekend, easily holding onto the top spot in North America for the fourth consecutive frame. The Disney superhero tentpole racked up another $13.3 million in North America, bringing its total domestic haul to $196.5 million, putting it ahead of its Marvel stablemate Black Widow as the highest-grossing film of 2021. Meanwhile, the weekend’s only major newcomer, Universal’s Dear Evan Hansen, hit a slightly sour note in its debut, pulling in a disappointing $7.5 million, which was still good enough for second place during what turned out to be a slow session.

Shang-Chi, which should break the $200 million barrier in domestic ticket sales early this week (becoming the first movie since 2020’s Bad Boys for Life to do so), was the first title to earn the No. 1 spot four weekends in a row since Tenet accomplished the same feat last year. The Marvel movie has easily become the big box-office story of the year as we head into October and its slate of blockbuster hopefuls such as Venom: Let There Be Carnage, No Time to Die, and Dune.

Shang-Chi’s $13.3 million in receipts over the weekend brought its current domestic tally to $196.5 million (putting Black Widow and its $183.6 million in the rearview mirror). The PG-13-rated film which stars Simu Liu and Awkwafina dipped a modest -38.7% from the previous weekend and earned a $3,361 per-screen average in 3,952 locations. Overseas, the film has added $166.9 million to date despite it lack of a release China—one of Marvel’s biggest markets. Its worldwide cume after four weeks is $363.4 million.

Well below, in second place, was Universal’s rookie Dear Evan Hansen, which earned $7.5 million in its debut weekend. A star-studded adaptation of the hit 2016 Broadway musical, the PG-13-rated film cost only $27 million to produce. But its underwhelming first-weekend numbers can only be viewed as disappointing, especially since the film was predicted to make $10 million over its opening frame. The coming-of-age story about an anxious high school student caught in a lie that snowballs out of his control features Amy Adams, Julianne Moore, and Ben Platt (who also toplined the stage version). And while the film was hardly a musical misfire on par with the studio’s 2019 dog-with-fleas, Cats, Dear Evan Hansen scored a soft $2,229 per-screen average in 3,364 theaters. While critics pulled out their knives on the film (it earned a 33% green splat on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences responded more positively giving it an A- grade from CinemaScore. The film will need a lot of positive word of mouth to stick around in what promises to be a very crowded marketplace in the coming weeks. Dear Evan Hansen did not open internationally.

In third place was 20th Century Studios and Disney’s ulra-resilient Free Guy with $4.1 million. The irreverent PG-13-rated action comedy starring Ryan Reynolds slipped a mere -18.8% in its seventh weekend and managed a $1,300 per-screen average in 3,175 locations. After nearly two months, the movie has compiled $114.1 million domestically and a supersized $203.3 million abroad, bringing its current worldwide box office total to $317.4 million. It just keeps going and going and going….

In fourth place (again) was Universal’s Candyman, which scared up $2.5 million in its fifth weekend. That number represents a decent -28.8% drop from the previous session. The latest installment in the R-rated horror cycle, which stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, earned a $982 per-screen average in 2,556 theaters, putting its five-week North American total at $56.8 million. So far, Candyman has added $14.8 million from abroad (where the franchise is less known), pushing its global box-office haul to $71.6 million.

Rounding out the top five was Warner Bros.’ Cry Macho, the latest film from 91-year-old director and star Clint Eastwood. The PG-13-rated Western drama about a former rodeo star hired by his ex-boss to bring the man’s son back from Mexico tacked on $2.1 million in its sophomore weekend, bringing its two-week North American tally to $8.3 million. The movie, which is also available on HBO Max, nosedived -52.2% from its debut frame. Cry Macho earned a $525 per-screen average in 4,022 theaters and has added a negligible $762,000 overseas to date, putting its worldwide box-office cume at $9.1 million.

Expect all of these standings to be seriously shaken up in the next few weekends as Hollywood begins to roll out its first wave of big fall titles: Next weekend sees the release of Venom: Let There Be Carnage and the Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark; October 8th brings the latest (and oft-delayed) 007 installment No Time to Die; October 15th will deliver Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel and a new Michael Myers chapter Halloween Kills; and October 22 will introduce Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch and the sci-fi spectacular, Dune. Let the games begin….

 

[Necro]

October 3, 2021 15:43 PDT - By Chris Nashawaty - Box Office News
The first weekend in October usually kicks off the cozy sweater-and-pumpkin spice latte season. But this year, it also signaled the long overdue return of the sort of hand-over-fist blockbusters that dominated the multiplex before the arrival of COVID. Hard on the heels of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ record-setting September, Sony’s supervillain sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, shattered all previous pandemic-era benchmarks with a massive $90.1 million bow in North America, making the case that the Hollywood tentpole is finally back. Further evidence came from abroad, where the latest 007 outing, No Time to Die, bowed to $119 million ahead of its U.S. release next weekend. But it wasn’t all good news: While United Artists’ animated The Addams Family 2 scared up an $18 million domestic debut, Warner Bros.’ much-anticipated Sopranos prequel, The Many Saints of Newark, got whacked on arrival, pulling in just $5 million as fans said “fuggedaboutit” to seeing their favorite mobsters on the big screen.

Although a Marvel property, Venom: Let There Be Carnage is not technically part of the MCU. Still, that didn’t prevent the PG-13-rated sequel starring Tom Hardy from racking up Marvel-sized numbers in its opening frame. In fact, the follow-up outperformed its pre-pandemic predecessor’s $80.2 million debut in 2018 (the original ultimately grossed $213.5 domestically and $856.1 million worldwide). Venom 2’s record-setting $90.1 million domestic bow beat out the most bullish box-office predictions and was no doubt helped along by the fact that it bypassed streaming and VOD venues and opened exclusively in theaters, where it blew past Black Widow’s $80.4 million launch and Shang-Chi’s $75.4 million initial salvo.

Rolling out in 4,225 theaters, Venom 2 scored a staggering $21,325 per-screen average over the weekend and added another $13.8 million from overseas (it has not yet opened in most international markets yet, including China, where the first Venom grabbed $269 million), bringing its first-week global box-office total to $103.9 million. The film was tepidly reviewed by critics, who gave the sequel a 59% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences were more forgiving with a ‘B+’ grade from CinemaScore. As for Venom 2’s audience, the demographic breakdown revealed that 62% of ticket buyers were male and that 25% were under age 25. No shock there.

Although Venom 2 dominated the box-office headlines, it was far from the only triumph of the weekend. In the runner-up spot, United Artists’ animated sequel The Addams Family 2 also bested expectations, debuting to a kooky and positively spooky $18 million. The PG-rated follow-up to The Addams Family (which bowed to $30.3 million in 2019), features the voices of Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, and Chloe Grace Moretz and was also available on premium VOD for $19.99. The ‘toon unspooled in 4,207 theaters and earned a solid $4,280 per-screen average. Although reviewers savaged the film with a 27% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, ticket-buyers gave it a more generous ‘B’ grade from CinemaScore. It has not opened internationally yet.

In third place was Disney’s Shang-Chi, which added $6 million in its fifth weekend in North American theaters. The PG-13 rated superhero sensation starring Simu Liu and Awkwafina dropped off -53.7% from the previous frame, but still managed to push past the $200 million barrier domestically—a lofty plateau whose only other resident is its Marvel stablemate, Black Widow. Playing in 3,455 locations, Shang-Chi received a $1,747 per-screen average, pushing its total domestic haul to $206.1 million. To date, it has also racked up $180.8 million overseas, putting its worldwide cume at $386.9 million.

Licking its wounds in fourth place was Warner Bros.’ Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark, an origin story of the Jersey mobsters whose exploits were chronicled on the hit HBO series. The R-rated film, which stars Michael Gandolfini (the son of the show’s late star James Gandolfini), bowed to $5 million in North America. It also premiered simultaneously on HBO Max, which no doubt took a bite out of its take at the box office. Saints opened in 3,181 locations and scored a $1,571 per-screen average. It padded its anemic haul with an additional $2.3 million from abroad, bringing its first-week worldwide cume to $7.3 million. The film wasn’t done any favors by its soft ‘C+’ grade from CinemaScore, although it did grab a 74% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Rounding out the top five was Universal’s Dear Evan Hansen, which added a little less than $2.5 million in its sophomore frame. The PG-13-rated musical starring Ben Platt nosedived -67.1% from its debut weekend and eked out a $728 per-screen average in 3,364 theaters. Its two-week domestic total now stands at…cue sad trombone…$11.8 million. It has not opened overseas yet.

Speaking of overseas, the biggest development beyond our shores was the early international arrival of Bond…James Bond. Daniel Craig’s 007 swan song No Time to Die finally opened after 18 months of delays and date switches in 54 foreign territories a week ahead of its sure-to-be-huge splashdown in North America. With Universal handling international distribution duties, the 25th super-spy outing pulled in $119 million in its opening weekend. Those receipts were especially impressive considering that No Time to Die’s foreign numbers did not include China—one of 007’s biggest markets—where it bows on October 29. For comparison, the most recent Bond chapter, 2015’s pre-pandemic Spectre, debuted to $123 million internationally. Stay tuned for next week, when No Time to Die finally arrives Stateside. It should be a doozy….

 

[Necro]

No Time To Die, the 25th official chapter in the long-running 007 film franchise and Daniel Craig’s swan song as license-to-kill agent James Bond, spent the better part of the COVID pandemic gathering dust on MGM’s shelves waiting for the right moment to make its way to multiplexes. This weekend, that long wait finally ended. So, did those 18 months of delays and date changes pay off? It depends whether you see the martini glass as half full or half empty. With its $56 million opening weekend in North America, the action-packed tentpole fell well short of box-office soothsayers’ predictions, but it still marks one of the biggest debuts of 2021.

Originally slated to hit theaters back in April 2020, the eagerly-awaited Bond sequel, pitting Craig’s bruised-knuckle MI6 agent against Rami Malek’s supervillain, debuted to $56 million in 4,407 locations over the weekend, which translated to a $12,708 per-screen average. But with its $250 million production budget (not to mention its steep marketing campaign), the PG-13-rated movie has to be viewed as something of a disappointment next to its $60-$70 million pre-weekend forecast and the $70.4 million that its predecessor, Spectre, opened to in 2015 (the series’ splashiest bow remains Craig’s Skyfall with $88.4 million bow back in 2012). Then again, in his nearly six decades of globe-trotting derring-do, James Bond had never met a foe quite like COVID-19, which no doubt played a significant role in the film’s softer-than-expected debut since so many of the franchise’s longtime fans are older and more cautious about returning to theaters (MGM’s internal polling showed that 25% of No Time to Die’s audience was heading to theaters for the first time since the pandemic began). Also not helping matters: the film’s lengthy 163-minute running time, which limited how many times the film could be shown each day.

As for the glass-half-full portion of 007’s performance, No Time to Die earned an A- grade from CinemaScore and a rosy 84% "fresh" rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Better yet, the film continued to clean up overseas, where it was unveiled a week earlier than it was in the States. After two weeks, the espionage epic has pulled in $257.3 million from abroad, bringing its current worldwide box-office total to $313.3 million. Perhaps the best bit of news for MGM (and Universal, who is handling the film’s foreign distribution duties) is that No Time to Die still hasn’t reached ticket buyers in China—one of the Bond franchise’s most lucrative foreign markets. It opens there on October 29.

With no other major debuts this weekend, the runner-up spot belonged to Sony’s instant blockbuster, Venom: Let There Be Carnage. The PG-13-rated supervillain sequel starring Tom Hardy, which grabbed headlines last weekend with its record-shattering $90.1 million domestic debut, fell -64.5% in its sophomore frame, earning $32 million in North America. Unspooling in 4,225 theaters, Venom 2 scored a $7,573 per-screen average in its second frame, putting its two-week domestic tally at just a hair under $141.7 million. The film has tacked on another $43.9 million from overseas, bringing its global box-office total to bit less than $185.6 million.

In third place was United Artists’ animated sequel The Addams Family 2, which scared up $10 million in its second weekend. The PG-rated follow-up to The Addams Family (which ended up grossing $100.7 million domestically in 2019), features the voices of Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, and Chloe Grace Moretz and is also available on premium VOD for $19.99. Dipping -42.2% from the previous weekend, The Addams Family 2 played in 4,207 locations and nabbed a $2,381 per-screen average. Its two-week cume at the North American box office now stands at $31.1 million. It has earned $4.6 million overseas, putting its current worldwide gross at $35.7 million.

In fourth was Disney’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which added $4.2 million in its sixth weekend in North American release. The PG-13 rated superhero sensation starring Simu Liu and Awkwafina dropped off -31.3% from the previous sesssion. Playing in 2,800 locations, Shang-Chi received a $1,500 per-screen average, pushing its total domestic haul to just under $212.5 million. So far, it has also piled on $189.1 million from overseas, pushing it just past the $400 million mark in worldwide ticket sales with a $401.6 million global cume.

Rounding out the Top 5 was Warner Bros.’ Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark with $1.5 million as it continued to struggle on the big screen in its second weekend (it is also playing simultaneously on the HBO Max streaming platform, which may be part of the reason why). The R-rated film, which stars Michael Gandolfini (the son of the show’s late star James Gandolfini), fell -68.8% from its lackluster opening weekend, exhibiting in 3,181 theaters, which translated to a $455 per-screen average. To date, the Sopranos origin story has added $2.9 million from abroad, bringing its combined two-week global gross to $10.3 million.

Bubbling just underneath the Top 5 was A24’s Lamb, which debuted in seventh place with $1 million. The strange and surreal R-rated indie about a childless couple in Iceland who treat a baby lamb as if it was their own baby and stars Noomi Rapace opened in 583 theaters and earned a $1,715 per-screen average. Meanwhile, with No Time to Die now finally out in the world, blockbuster lovers and box-office trackers are now turning their eyes to the next wave of big-ticket titles making their way to theaters such as the horror sequel Halloween Kills (October 15), the sci-fi eye-candy epic Dune (October 22), and Marvel’s next E-ticket, Eternals (November 5).

 

[Necro]

With just two weeks to go before trick-or-treaters head out on their annual holiday rounds, the latest chapter in the Michael Myers horror cycle, Halloween Kills, slayed the competition with a bloody good $50.4 million debut. The bogeyman’s box-office bow was especially impressive considering that the film was also available via VOD on the Peacock streamer and was going up against such splashy competitors as James Bond, Venom, and the long-awaited reunion of Good Will Hunting’s Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, whose historical drama The Last Duel was dead on arrival with a woeful $4.8 million opening.

In what can only be regarded as a hopeful sign for this fall’s box-office prospects, Universal’s Halloween Kills topped a theatrical slate that surpassed $100 million in total receipts for the third weekend in a row—the first time that feat has been accomplished in the past 18 months, when the COVID pandemic crippled the movie business. A sequel to 2018’s franchise-refresh Halloween, the latest chapter which once again stars the legendary scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis, scored the highest-grossing opening weekend for a day-and-date premiere (meaning a simultaneous release in multiplexes and on streaming), besting Godzilla vs. Kong ’s $31.6 million opening back in March.

The R-rated Halloween Kills is the twelfth film in the hit-and-miss Michael Myers saga that began back in 1978. But the franchise showed new life by racking up a $13,589 per-screen average in 3,705 theaters. Its $50.4 million haul didn’t quite match its 2018 predecessor’s $76.2 million domestic debut, but it still has to be considered a bona fide smash, especially since it failed to win over critics (who gave it a 39% green splat on Rotten Tomatoes) and, to a lesser extent, audiences, who gave the ultraviolent sequel a ‘B-‘ CinemaScore grade. The sequel padded its impressive total with a relatively meager $5.5 million from overseas, bringing its one-week worldwide gross to $55.9. For comparison, 2018’s Halloween ended its theatrical run with $255 million in global ticket sales.

Finishing in the runner-up spot was MGM’s latest 007 chapter, No Time to Die, which pulled in $24.3 million in its sophomore frame. Originally slated to hit theaters back in April 2020, the eagerly-awaited Bond sequel, pitting Daniel Craig’s bruised-knuckle MI6 agent against Rami Malek’s supervillain, underwhelmed in its debut session last weekend with a $56 million opening. In week two, the PG-13-rated action-adventure dropped off -56% (roughly on track with previous Bond entries), earning a $5,513 per-screen average in 4,407 theaters. Its domestic box-office total after two weeks now stands at $99.5 million. However, the latest Bond continues to pull in virile numbers overseas, where it has raked in $348.3 million so far. Its worldwide cumulative gross is currently $447.8 million—and that does not include the 007-friendly market of China, where No Time to Die is scheduled to open on October 29.

In third place was Sony’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage. The PG-13-rated supervillain sequel starring Tom Hardy, slid -48% from the previous weekend, earning $16.5 million in North America. Unspooling in 4,013 theaters, Venom 2 scored a $4,111 per-screen average in its third session, putting its three-week domestic tally at $168.1 million. The film has tacked on another $115.6 million in foreign ticket sales, bringing its global box-office total to $283.7 million.

In fourth was United Artists’ animated sequelThe Addams Family 2, which tacked on $7.2 million in its third weekend. The PG-rated follow-up to The Addams Family (which ended up grossing $100.7 million domestically in 2019), features the voices of Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, and Chloe Grace Moretz and is also available on premium VOD for $19.99. Falling a mere -28.9% from the previous frame, The Addams Family 2 played in 3,607 locations and nabbed a $1,994 per-screen average. Its three-week cume at the North American box office now stands at $42.3 million. It has earned $16.2 million overseas, putting its current worldwide gross at $58.5 million.

Rounding out the Top 5 was the weekend’s biggest disappointment, 20th Century Fox’s The Last Duel. Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Adam Driver and Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer in addition to Damon and Affleck, the R-rated action-drama hobbled away from its opening weekend with just $4.8 million in North American ticket sales. The film eked out a $1,572 per-screen average in 3,065 theaters and added just $4.2 million from overseas, bringing its first-week global cume to $9 million. The medieval epic with a price tag somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 million couldn’t even point the finger at cannibalization from streaming since it was only available in theaters. Like No Time to Die—albeit to much gloomier degree—The Last Duel no doubt suffered from the fact that its target demographic was older viewers, who remain more skittish about returning to theaters than younger audiences (in fact, 51% of the film’s opening weekend ticket buyers were over 35). Rating a respectable 86% fresh with critics on Rotten Tomatoes and snagging a ‘B+’ CinemaScore grade, the film played well with the few folks who paid to see it…the problem was there just weren’t enough of them.

 

[Necro]

Warner Bros.’ big-budget sci-fi epic Dune spiced up the box office this weekend with a $40.1 million domestic debut. Topping predictions that had the star-studded spectacle opening in the $30-$35 million range, director Denis Villenueve’s eye-candy adventure easily snagged the top spot in North America (where it is also streaming on HBO Max) and continued to clean up overseas, where it has been playing for weeks. But with the movie’s hefty $165 million price tag, will Dune’s performance prove strong enough for the studio to green light its proposed sequel? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, Wes Anderson’s latest indie curio, The French Dispatch, got off to a hot start in the specialty market, where it earned the biggest per-screen average for any film—big or small—of 2021.

Dune’s first-place finish was a good sign for a film that was always going to be a tough sell to ticket buyers. Despite a starry cast that includes Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem, the futuristic movie has a lengthy 155-minute running time and a knotty story about warring tribes fighting over a desert planet known for a priceless natural resource called “spice.” It was also an open question to what extent its simultaneous debut on the HBO Max streaming platform would cut into its theatrical ticket sales. But Dune’s $40.1 million haul surpassed early projections and handily toppled last week’s champ, Halloween Kills, for the top spot.

The PG-13-rated film, which was previously adapted by David Lynch in a confounding 1984 box-office dud, scored with audiences (where it earned an ‘A-‘ grade from CinemaScore) and critics (who gave it an 82% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes). Dune earned a $9,721 per-screen average in 4,125 theaters and has now racked up $180.6 million overseas, where it opened several weeks ago. Its cumulative worldwide box office currently stands at $220.7 million. Dune’s release marked Warner Bros. best three-day tally since it began its day-and-date roll-out strategy with Godzilla vs. Kong in April. It also was a triumph for IMAX, which accounted for $9 million of the film’s domestic gross. The studio will no doubt be keeping a close eye on how the film holds up on big screens going forward as well as its small-screen streaming numbers before deciding whether to pull the trigger on a follow-up.

Landing in the runner-up spot was Halloween Kills with $14.5 million. The latest installment in the seasonal slasher saga featuring masked bogeyman Michael Myers and scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis as victim-turned-avenger Laurie Strode. In its sophomore weekend, Universal’s R-rated horror sequel nosedived a precipitous -70.7% from the previous frame, scaring up a $3,890 per-screen average at 3,727 locations. After two weeks, Halloween Kills has pulled in $73.1 million in North America and just $17.8 million from overseas, bringing its two-week global cume to $90.9 million. The film is also available on the Peacock streaming platform. For comparison, the franchise’s most recent entry, 2018’s Halloween, ended its theatrical run with $255 million in global ticket sales.

In third place was MGM’s latest 007 chapter, No Time to Die, which added $11.9 million in its third weekend. The latest James Bond sequel (starring Daniel Craig in his last turn in the tux), dropped off -50% from the previous session, scoring $3,122 per-screen average in 3,807 theaters. The PG-13-rated action-adventure has now earned $120 million at the domestic box office and $405 million from abroad. Its combined worldwide box office is now $525.7 million and places the movie in the elite company of F9: The Fast Saga as the only two Hollywood films to surpass the $500 million global milestone this year. Better news yet for MGM is that No Time to Die will finally open in the 007-friedly Chinese market next weekend.

In fourth place was Sony’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage. The PG-13-rated supervillain sequel starring Tom Hardy, slid -44.9% from the previous weekend, pulling in $9.1 million in North America. Unspooling in 3,513 theaters, Venom 2 scored a $2,590 per-screen average in its fourth session, putting its four-week domestic tally at $181.8 million. The film has tacked on another $170.6 million in foreign ticket sales, bringing its global box-office total to $352.4 million.

Rounding out the Top 5 was the weekend’s only other wide debut, 20th Century Studios' Ron's Gone Wrong. An animated tale which envisions a world where personal robots are all the rage and features the voices of Zach Galifianakis, Olivia Colman, and Ed Helms had a sluggish $7.3 million bow (pre-weekend estimates had it pegged for a $10 million bow). The PG-rated family film had a 2,050 per-screen average in 3,560 theaters despite earning an ‘A’ grade from CinemaScore and an 80% fresh rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Ron’s Gone Wrong added $10 million from overseas, bringing its first-week global cume to $17.3 million.

Finally, Wes Anderson’s latest indie release, The French Dispatch, debuted impressively in ninth place with $1.3 million. Rolling out in just 52 theaters, the R-rated comedy about the quirky staff of an even quirkier Gallic magazine (which clicked with critics on the festival circuit and whose chockablock cast includes Bill Murray, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, and Dune’s hard-working Timothée Chalamet) earned a whopping $25,000 per-screen average in arthouses, giving it the mightiest per-screen average of 2021. Searchlight’s little movie that could has not opened internationally yet.

 

[Marty McFourth]

Ghostbuters: Afterlife doing well. I need to see it with it getting good reviews. Dune still in the Top 5.

 

[Marty McFourth]

Full write-up in spoilers below for this past weekend:

Spoiler

As had been widely expected, Disney's Encanto was able to remain in first place by taking in an estimated $12.74 million this weekend. The well-received computer animated film from Walt Disney Animation Studios declined 53 percent from last weekend, which while sizable, also represents a very reasonable second weekend hold for an animated film that opened over Thanksgiving weekend. With a twelve-day total of $57.96 million, Encanto is already about to zoom past the $58.57 million total domestic gross of last year's The Croods: A New Age to become the highest grossing fully animated film since the re-opening of theatres and before too much longer Encanto will also surpass the $70.53 million total domestic gross of this year's computer animated / live action hybrid Space Jam: A New Legacy. Encanto is playing exclusively in theatres until it also becomes available via streaming on Disney+ on Christmas Eve (December 24).

Internationally, Encanto grossed an estimated $20.7 million this weekend from 49 markets. That brings the film's international total to $58.1 million and current global haul to $116.1 million. This weekend saw Encanto debut with $0.8 million in Australia ($0.9 million with sneaks included). Additional estimated international totals for Encanto through Sunday include $6.5 million in France, $5.9 million in Colombia, $4.2 million in the United Kingdom, $3.5 million in Russia, $3.5 million in Italy, $3.5 million in South Korea, $3.4 million in Japan, $3.1 million in Spain, $3.0 million in Mexico and $2.0 million in Saudi Arabia. Next weekend Encanto will open in the Philippines.

Sony's Ghostbusters: Afterlife took in an estimated $10.35 million to remain in second place. In the process, Ghostbusters: Afterlife surpassed the $100 million domestic mark this weekend, which makes Ghostbusters: Afterlife the tweleth film to reach the milestone since re-opening. The 17-day total for Ghostbusters: Afterlife stands at $102.19 million. Ghostbusters: Afterlife did fall a sharp 57 percent this weekend, though it should be noted that the film lost its IMAX screens this weekend. Ghostbusters: Afterlife will have a good chance of re-stabilizing next weekend, especially since the frame will give moviegoers the opportunity to catch up with the film before fellow Sony release Spider-Man: No Way Home arrives the following weekend on December 17.

Internationally, Ghostbusters: Afterlife grossed an estimated $13.1 million from 53 markets. Respective totals for the film stand at $42.9 million internationally and $145.1 million globally. This weekend Ghostbusters: Afterlife debuted with $2.7 million in Russia, $2.0 million in France and $1.1 million in Spain. Additional international totals for Ghostbusters: Afterlife through Sunday include $12.2 million in the United Kingdom and $5.0 million in Mexico.

United Artists Releasing and MGM's House of Gucci continued to claim third place by taking in an estimated $6.77 million. The Ridley Scott directed crime drama starring Lady Gaga and Adam Driver was down a sizable 53 percent from last weekend. House of Gucci didn't hold up as well as its strong midweek business had been suggesting, but much like Encanto, House of Gucci still had a very reasonable second weekend hold for a Thanksgiving weekend opener. The twelve-day total for House of Gucci stands at $33.64 million. While what is and what isn't a drama can be argumentative, the consensus feeling is that House of Gucci is already the highest grossing traditional drama domestically since re-opening.

Internationally, House of Gucci took in an estimated $14.8 million from 60 markets this weekend. House of Gucci is being handled in the majority of international markets by Universal and in other markets by MGM. Like the film's current domestic total, the current international total for House of Gucci also stands at $33.6 million. That places the current global total at $67.2 million. This weekend, House of Gucci debuted with $2.8 million in Russia and $1.9 million in Germany. Additional international totals for House of Gucci through Sunday include $7.1 million in the United Kingdom, $3.4 million in France, $2.0 million in Mexico, $1.7 million in Spain, $1.2 million in Ukraine and $1.0 million in Brazil.

This weekend's highest grossing new release was Fathom Events and Angel Studios' Christmas with The Chosen: The Messengers, which placed in fourth over the three-day weekend with an estimated $4.10 million (from 1,700 locations). With the addition of very strong weekday performances on Wednesday and Thursday (due in part to the event screening nature of Christmas with The Chosen), the estimated five-day start for Christmas with The Chosen stands at $9.00 million, which is already an all-time record breaking gross for Fathom Events according to the distributor (though it should be noted that most events from Fathom Events only play for a day or two). Christmas with The Chosen: The Messengers includes a new episode from The Chosen faith-based television series and a number of Christmas music performances. The event is currently scheduled to remain in theatres through December 10 (for a total of ten days of release).

Disney's Eternals rounded out the weekend's top five with an estimated $3.94 million. That represented a sizable, but respectable 50 percent decline from last weekend. Eternals has grossed $156.53 million through 31 days, as the film remains the seventh highest grossing film domestically since re-opening. Internationally, Eternals grossed an estimated $5.8 million this weekend from 51 markets. Respective totals for Eternals currently stand at $227.8 million internationally and $384.3 million globally.

Sony and Screen Gems' Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City placed in sixth with an estimated $2.66 million. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City declined a respectable 50 percent from last weekend, which a bit surprisingly represented this weekend's best hold among last weekend's three new wide releases (especially since Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City didn't hold onto its showtimes as well as either Encanto or House of Gucci did this weekend). In the bigger picture, despite this weekend's hold, the twelve-day total for Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City stands at a modest $13.17 million. Internationally, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City grossed an estimated $4.2 million this weekend from 39 markets. That brings the international total for the film to $11.1 million and the film's current global haul to $24.3 million.

With the aid of returning to select IMAX screens, Warner Bros. and Legendary's Dune was down only 13 percent from last weekend to gross an estimated $1.81 million this weekend. IMAX screens were responsible for an estimated $1.0 million (55 percent) of this weekend's overall domestic gross. The 45-day domestic gross for Dune stands at $104.57 million. Internationally, with the aid of a $3.4 million debut in Australia, Dune grossed an estimated $5.1 million this weekend from 69 markets. Respective totals for Dune stand at $277.6 million internationally and $382.2 million globally (with $52.6 million of the film's global total coming from global IMAX screens).

On the platform front, United Artists Releasing and MGM's Licorice Pizza continued to impress with an estimated $223,328 from 4 locations in New York City and Los Angeles. The critically acclaimed Paul Thomas Anderson directed film had a per-location average of $55,832 for the frame and was down just 35 percent from last weekend's debut. The ten-day platform start for Licorice Pizza stands at a promising $761,126. Licorice Pizza is currently scheduled to expand to wide release on Christmas Day.