OPENINGS: Beyonce’s concert documentary RENAISSANCE (Variance/AMC Theaters) led the traditionally slow first weekend of December with $21M, a shadow of the $92.8M for the Eras Tour movie a couple of months ago, but within expectations. As with Eras Tour, it’s likely that the Renaissance box office will be front-loaded with fans, so the US total may be around $40M, a good enough number considering the low production costs and minimal marketing spend. Also as with Eras Tour, the international result for Renaissance was far below domestic, with just $6.4M in 94 markets.
GODZILLA MINUS ONE (Toho) had a solid start with $11M, Japanese monster epics being much more economical than Hollywood’s. It also has $23.1M in its home market.
The Indian-language ANIMAL (Cine) performed very well at only 700 theaters with $7.1M, a better weekend per-theater average than Renaissance. It also has $36.1M from 37 international territories.
The Christian audience supported THE SHIFT (Angel) with a blah $4.4M, nowhere near the studio’s $19.7M launch of Sound of Freedom last summer. No openings overseas as of yet.
John Woo’s almost dialogue-free thriller SILENT NIGHT (Lionsgate) flopped with $3M, although the studio was quick to assure sympathetic pundits that it would clean up on VOD. It hasn’t opened internationally.
DREAM SCENARIO (A24) expanded to wide release at 1578 theaters with $1.7M, the latest arthouse darling to stumble beyond big cities.
HOLDOVERS: THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES (Lionsgate) had an OK hold for the post-Thanksgiving frame, down 50% to $14.5M, and on its way to $165M in the US. It also has $122.7M from 87 overseas territories.
TROLLS BAND TOGETHER (DreamWorks Animation/Universal) dropped 57% to $7.6M in its 3rd weekend, and might have enough stamina to reach $100M in the US. The international total is $85.8M.
The fate of WISH (Disney) was sealed with a sharp 62% drop to $7.4M, putting it on track for a lousy $75M in the US against around $300M in production/marketing costs. It has $39.6M overseas after an $18.8M weekend.
Historical dramas aimed at an older audience typically hold well, but the loss for NAPOLEON (Apple/Sony) was even worse than the 60% drop for its financier’s Killers Of the Flower Moon (down 60% in Weekend 2), plunging 66% to $7.1M, and with a likely trajectory similar to Flower Moon, which may not reach $70M in the US. Unlike Scorsese’s epic, however, Ridley Scott’s is overperforming internationally, with $90.9M after a $28.6M weekend (the overseas total for Flower Moon is $87.8M after 7 weeks).
THANKSGIVING (TriStar/Sony) lost 63% to $2.6M in its 3rd weekend, but a US total under $40M is apparently OK with Sony, which reportedly has a sequel in development. The international total is $8.4M to date.
The ignominious THE MARVELS (Marvel/Disney) fell 60% to $2.5M in its 4th weekend, and may have to stretch for $90M in the US, by far the worst-performing title in the MCU. Overseas it has $116.4M, better but not nearly good enough.
Perhaps the strangest and least explainable box office result of the weekend was the tiny 16% slip for the seemingly polarizing SALTBURN (MGM/Amazon), which didn’t add any theaters yet was close to last week’s holiday weekend with $1.6M. Normally it would seem unlikely to get past $10M in the US, but if word of mouth is strong, that could change. It has $3.2M overseas.
THE HOLDOVERS (Focus/Universal, also on VOD) was down 59% to $1.2M in its 6th weekend, and might reach $20M in the US. It hasn’t yet opened internationally.
LIMITED RELEASE: EILEEN (Neon) averaged an OK $15.1K at 6. MONSTER (WellGo) had a $5100 average at 5. The documentary THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERE HITE (IFC) expanded to 19 with a $300 average.
NEXT WEEKEND: The major studios will be steering clear of another early December weekend, but POOR THINGS (Searchlight/Disney) and ORIGIN (Neon) begin limited runs.
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