OPENINGS: THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER (Blumhouse/Morgan Creek/Universal) was at the low end of expectations with $27.2M, and it was also below projections internationally with $17.9M in 52 markets. It’s hard to tell just what this means in terms of the bottom line, because while a $125M worldwide total wouldn’t look terrible against $30M in production costs (roughly $90M including global marketing), that reported budget number doesn’t seem to include any allocation of the mammoth $400M rights fee the studios paid for the Exorcist franchise. Even if there’s a set of books that eventually shows Believer reaching breakeven or better, this doesn’t bode well for the returns on the rights in general.
A Halloween-season re-release of the original HOCUS POCUS (Disney) brought in $1.5M.
Even for low-budget horror, the $200K launch of WHEN EVIL LURKS (IFC) at 659 theaters–equating to a $300 weekend per-theater average–was awful.
HOLDOVERS: With the family market nearly to itself, PAW PATROL THE MIGHTY MOVIE (Nickelodeon/Paramount) dipped 48% from last week’s premiere to $11.8M, and might reach $75M in the US on moderate costs. Overseas, it has $48.2M after a $14M weekend in 57 territories.
Considering the direct competition from Exorcist: Believer, SAW X (Lionsgate), held nicely, down 56% to $8.2M from last week’s opening, and on its way to around $55M in the US on low costs. The overseas total thus far is $11.3M.
THE CREATOR (20th/Disney) is the most expensive film in the Top 10, with $150M+ in production/marketing costs, so its 57% drop to $6.1M is bad news. It may not even reach $45M in the US, and the international total is $36.9M after a $10.8M weekend in 50 markets.
THE BLIND (Fathom) increased its theater count by about 30%, and the weekend result was up 13% to $4M, putting it on track for $25M in the US on extremely low costs. There hasn’t been any overseas distribution thus far.
A HAUNTING IN VENICE (20th/Disney) slipped 25% to $2.7M in its 4th weekend, and should end up slightly below Death On the Nile‘s $45.6M US total. It has $67M internationally after a $4.4M weekend in 52 territories, unlikely to reach Nile‘s $91.7M.
Horror continued to show its strength with THE NUN II (New Line/Warners, also on VOD), down 46% to $2.7M in its 5th weekend, as it heads toward a $90M US total, down about 25% from its predecessor. The overseas total is $167.6M after a $6.7M weekend in 75 markets, likely to be similarly down from The Nun‘s $248.6M total.
Although DUMB MONEY (Black Bear/Columbia/Sony) held well with a 35% drop, the $2.2M weekend total keeps it on a trajectory for less than $20M in the US. It has $1.4M in limited international release.
THE EQUALIZER 3 (Columbia/Sony, also on VOD) lost 32% to $1.8M, and with a $95M US total will be a bit below its predecessors. The international total is $78.2M after a $4M weekend in 50 markets.
THE EXPEND4BLES (Lionsgate) fell 59% to $1M, unlikely to hit $20M in the US (roughly half of the last installment). The current overseas total is $28.4M from a handful of territories.
LIMITED RELEASE: DICKS: THE MUSICAL (A24) launched at 7 NY/LA theaters with an OK $32K weekend per-theater average (as a comparison, Bottoms averaged $46K when it opened at 10). The weekend’s other arrivals started more widely and paid the per-theater price: SHE CAME TO ME (Vertical) with a $1K average at 355, THE ROYAL HOTEL (Neon) with a $1300 average at 267, and the short subject (padded out with other shorts) STRANGE WAY OF LIFE (Sony Classics) with a $700 average at 276. CAT PERSON (Rialto) averaged $2500 at 4.
NEXT WEEKEND: Every wide release previously scheduled for October 13 cleared off the calendar for TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR (AMC), which is expected to obliterate records for concert movies when it arrives.
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