OPENINGS: THOR: LOVE & THUNDER (Marvel/Disney) opened within expectations at $143M, although it’s worth noting that while the Friday-to-Saturday drop was steeper than those for Thor: Ragnarok and Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness (39% vs. 5%/36% respectively), the studio estimate assumes a better Saturday-to-Sunday hold than both (25% vs. 27%/33%). If the number holds, Love & Thunder will be 17% higher than Ragnarok and 24% below Dr Strange 2, which should put its eventual US total around $350M, making it #12 of the 29 MCU titles. Overseas, Love & Thunder launched with $159M in 47 territories that included most major global markets, but not China, where Ragnarok grossed $112.2M. Love & Thunder‘s longevity in theaters should be boosted by the fact that it’s the last true blockbuster of the summer.
HOLDOVERS: MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU (Illumination/Universal) dropped 57% to $45.6M from last week’s opening, precisely the same dip as the Weekend 2 drop for 2015’s Minions. The result should be close to Minions‘s $336M US total. Overseas, Rise of Gru has $189.8M after a $56.4M weekend in 64 territories, and is currently running much lower than the first Minions, with 48% of its global total from international compared to Minions‘ 71%.
TOP GUN: MAVERICK (Paramount) continued its triumphant roll, down 40% to $15.5M in its 7th weekend, and on its way to an amazing $625M+ in the US. Overseas is close behind, with $586.2M after a $23M weekend in 65 territories.
ELVIS (Warners) lost 40% to $11M in its 3rd weekend, and may reach $125M in the US, a strong result for a non-franchise film with an older audience. It’s not as solid overseas with $64M to date after an $8.7M weekend in 56 markets.
JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION (Universal) was down 49% to $8.4M in its 5th weekend, on track for a $375M US total that would be just 10% lower than Fallen Kingdom. The current overseas total is $526.1M, unlikely to get close to Fallen Kingdom‘s $892.7M.
THE BLACK PHONE (Blumhouse/Universal) continued to hold extremely well for the low-budget horror genre, down 37% to $7.7M in its 3rd weekend and headed for $85M in the US. It has $36.8M overseas.
LIGHTYEAR (Pixar/Disney) fell 55% to $2.9M in its 4th weekend, and embarrassingly may have to stretch to match The Good Dinosaur‘s $123.1M, the low-water mark of Pixar releases (other than the truncated-by-Covid run of Onward). Things are even worse internationally, where Lightyear has just $92.2M.
MR MALCOLM’S LIST (Bleecker Street) collapsed in its 2nd weekend, down 70% to less than $250K. It may not even reach $3M in the US, and hasn’t yet opened overseas.
LIMITED RELEASE: MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON (A24) continued its steady platform release with an expansion to 48 theaters with a $7100 per-theater weekend average. HALLELUJAH (Sony Classics) widened to 15 with a $2500 average. FIRE (IFC) opened at 4 and averaged $6300, while FIRE OF LOVE (Neon) opened at 3 and averaged $7400. FOURTH OF JULY (Circus King) expanded to 11, but presumably due to a lack of Louis C.K. personal appearances, plunged by 93% with a $1300 average.
NEXT WEEKEND: Smaller titles will attempt to counterprogram the 2nd weekend of Love & Thunder, including WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING (Sony), MRS HARRIS GOES TO PARIS (Focus/Universal), and PAWS OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF HANK (Paramount).
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