OPENINGS: Franchises continued to be the lifeblood (so to speak) of Hollywood, and this week it was SCREAM VI (Paramount) breaking its saga’s previous record with $44.5M, almost 50% higher than the $30M for last year’s Scream reboot. It was also above the $40M for 2000’s Scream 3, although that would change with an adjustment for inflation. The Scream movies are comparatively inexpensive to produce (although they carry large-scale marketing costs, including a Super Bowl ad this year), and Scream VI could become the first in the series to top $100M since the first two installments in the 1990s, ,so there should be plenty of profit. Overseas, Scream VI launched with $22.6M in 53 markets, consistent with the last Scream, which found 59% of its worldwide box office in the US.
An opening can be better than expected but still not very good. That’s the case with 65 (Columbia/Sony), which had a $12.3M start after expectations that fell below $10M. Nevertheless, considering costs that will likely approach $100M with worldwide marketing, 65 is unlikely to break even. Overseas was soft with $8.5M.
CHAMPIONS (Focus/Universal) generated limited interest with a $5.2M opening (plus under $1M overseas) and would need strong word of mouth to come near a profit.
HOLDOVERS: CREED III (MGM/Amazon) withstood the arrival of Scream VI with a reasonable 53% Weekend 2 drop to $27.2M. Comparisons with the other Creed movies aren’t apples-to-apples, as both opened over 5-day Thanksgiving weekends, but Creed III is on track to leap past their US totals ($109.8M/$115.7M) with $150M+. Unsurprisingly, Amazon is reportedly already in talks about developing a multi-platform “Creed-verse.” Overseas, Creed III has $78M after a $24M weekend in 75 territories.
ANT-MAN & THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA (Marvel/Disney) dropped 45% to $7M in its 4th weekend, on its way to a $220M US total that would be just $3M or so above Ant-Man & the Wasp despite an opening that was $30M higher. Although the international total is better with $249.6M after a $9.8M weekend in 52 markets, that’s considerably below the last installment’s $406M.
COCAINE BEAR (Universal) lost 45% to $6.2M in its 3rd weekend, and should top $70M in the US. However it’s a lot less ferocious overseas, with $14M to date, and that may keep it barely profitable on roughly $75M in production/marketing costs.
JESUS REVOLUTION (Lionsgate) dipped 39% to $5.2M in its 3rd weekend, and should pass $50M in the US. It still hasn’t opened overseas.
Best Picture nominee AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER (20th/Disney) continued to glide slowly to a box office landing, down 26% to $2.7M in its 13th weekend, and likely to top $680M in the US and claim #7 at the all-time US box office. The gigantic international total is $1.6B.
PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH (DreamWorks Animation/Universal, also on VOD), also an Oscar nominee, was down 40% to $1.7M in Weekend 12, still headed for $185M in the US, and with $281.9M overseas.
OPERATION FORTUNE: RUSE DE GUERRE (Lionsgate) fell 59% from last week’s opening to $1.3M, and may have to stretch to hit $10M in the US. The $31.3M overseas total is a bit better.
LIMITED RELEASE: THE QUIET GIRL (Neon) expanded to 244 theaters with an $1800 weekend per-theater average. RETURN TO SEOUL (Sony Classics) averaged $1800 at 43.
NEXT WEEKEND: The sequel of the week is SHAZAM: FURY OF THE GODS (DC/Warners). Smaller releases include INSIDE (Focus/Universal) and MOVING ON (Roadside).
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