OPENINGS: THE BIKERIDERS (Regency/Focus/Universal) seized the opportunity to open on a prime summer weekend without any new tentpole releases, and the studio estimate (which assumed the strongest Sunday hold in the Top 10) was $10M, in line with expectations. The question is how well the indie will hold up next week against new action movie arrivals. In addition, it will presumably follow the Universal model and hit VOD in its 3rd weekend. The Bikeriders also brought in $4M overseas.
THE EXORCISM (Vertical) was dim even by low-budget horror standards with $2.4M in 2240 theaters, unlikely to reach $10M in the US. It has $1.5M internationally.
Although THELMA (Magnolia) had a lower weekend total than The Exorcism at $2.2M, it ran in almost 1000 fewer theaters, so the per-theater weekend average was about 60% higher at $1700 if still nothing to shout about. It hasn’t opened overseas.
The quasi-concert movie GHOST: RITE HERE RITE NOW (Trafalgar) earned $1.5M in 751 theaters ($2.6M since its Thursday opening), but it was massively frontloaded. The international total is $2.1M.
The very small indie GHOSTLIGHT (IFC) expanded to the lowest edge of wide release at 502 theaters with $250K, a terrible $500 per-theater average.
HOLDOVERS: With no meaningful new releases to face, INSIDE OUT 2 (Pixar/Disney) romped to a historic $100M 2nd weekend, the highest-ever for an animated film and the 7th highest overall. Next weekend’s releases also won’t challenge it directly, so it should dominate the market until Despicable Me 4 arrives in 2 weeks. The international total is $369.2M after a massive $164.4M weekend in just 44 markets. A $1B worldwide total is now certain, and the $1.66B all-time worldwide animation record of the CG The Lion King isn’t out of the question.
BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE (Columbia/Sony) held quite well in its 3rd weekend, down 44% to $18.8M, still with a chance of reaching $200M in the US after Bad Boys For Life totaled $206M. That film’s $220M overseas total may be out of reach, however, with Ride or Die at $140M to date.
Despite the giant presence of Inside Out 2, THE GARFIELD MOVIE (Alcon/Columbia/Sony) was down just 25% to $3.6M in its 5th weekend, and could touch $100M in the US if it can hold onto its theaters. International is even stronger with $145.5M.
KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (20th/Disney) dipped 35% to $3.6M in its 7th weekend, on its way to $175M in the US. It also has $217.1M overseas.
As with The Garfield Movie, IF (Paramount, also on VOD) wasn’t wiped out by Inside Out 2, down 23% to $2.8M in its 6th weekend and headed for $115M in the US. International is lower at $74.7M.
THE WATCHERS (Blinding Edge/New Line/Warners) dropped 45% to $1.9M in its 3rd weekend and probably won’t reach $25M in the US. It’s even weaker overseas with $12.2M.
FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA (Warners) fell 49% to $1.4M in its 5th weekend and may barely hit $70M in the US. The $102M international total is stronger, but not enough to redeem the production’s high costs.
THE FALL GUY Universal, also on VOD) lost 39% to $1M in its 8th weekend, and will fall short of $95M in the US. It has $81.5M overseas.
LIMITED RELEASE: Yorgos Lanthimos’s KINDS OF KINDNESS (Searchlight/Disney) started impressively with a $70K weekend per-theater average at 5 NY/LA theaters, the best average of 2024 so far and almost equal to Poor Things‘ $73K debut average (at 9). It also kicked off its international run with $965K. ROBOT DREAMS (Neon) widened to 90 theaters with a $1400 average. JANET PLANET (A24) opened at 2 NY arthouses with a $25K average.
NEXT WEEKEND: A pair of very different action movies: the horror prequel A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE (Paramount), and the first installment of Kevin Costner’s magnum opus HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA – CHAPTER 1 (Warners).
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