OPENINGS: CIVIL WAR (A24) marked its studio’s biggest swing to date, with costs that will approach $100M for production and worldwide marketing. (A24 limited its risk by pre-selling some overseas territories to subdistributors.) The early results were promising, with a studio-record $25.7M weekend, alhough tepid audience surveys and the fact that the audience was overwhelmingly male may limit the upside. It hasn’t yet opened internationally.
The golf drama THE LONG GAME (Mucho Mas) is reporting a $1.4M weekend in 1030 theaters, but that studio estimate is based in part on the prediction of an extraordinarily strong Sunday hold, so final numbers will tell the tale.
There were two low-budget horror arrivals, neither with impressive starts. STING (WellGoUSA) earned $1.2M at 1350 theaters (a $900 weekend per-theater average), but that looked like Avatar next to ARCADIAN (IFC), which managed just $500K at 1100 theaters, a dreadful $400 average.
HOLDOVERS: GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE (Legendary/Warners) dropped 51% to $15.5M in its 3rd weekend, and will hope to touch $200M in the US, matching 2014’s Godzilla. As with all the Monsterverse movies, it’s stronger overseas with $278.6M to date.
GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE (Columbia/Sony) lost 36% to $5.8M in its 4th weekend, on its way to $115M in the US, about 10% below Afterlife on higher costs. The international total is $63M.
KUNG FU PANDA 4 (DreamWorks Animation/Universal) slipped 29% to $5.5M in its 6th weekend, and with no family competition for several more weeks, it could reach $190M+ in the US. The overseas total is a robust $279M.
DUNE: PART TWO (Legendary/Warners) was down 43% to $4.3M in its 7th weekend, still en route to $285M in the US. It’s at $411.8M overseas.
MONKEY MAN (Universal) plunged 60% to $4.1M, and may need to stretch to hit $30M in the US. It has $5.1M in limited international release.
THE FIRST OMEN (20th/Disney) fell 55% to $3.8M, perhaps capable of reaching $25M in the US. It’s slightly stronger overseas with $20.8M.
LIMITED RELEASE: ESCAPE FROM GERMANY (Tuckett) launched with a $4100 weekend per-theater average at 40. SASQUATCH SUNSET (Bleecker Street) opened at 9 with a subdued $10K average. LA CHIMERA (Neon) expanded to 216 with an $800 average. HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS (Focus/Universal) widened to 75 with a $900 average. THE BEAST (Janus) averaged $2200 at 23. YOLO (Sony) was nearly invisible with a $100 average after expanding to 175. THE ABSENCE OF EDEN (Vertical) averaged $200 at 110.
NEXT WEEKEND: A miscellany of titles arrive, including ABIGAIL (Universal), THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE (Lionsgate), HARD MILES (Blue Fox) and SPY X FAMILY CODE: WHITE (Crunchyroll/Sony).
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