Behind the US/Worldwide Weekend Box Office – 8.20.2023

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OPENINGS:  Although BLUE BEETLE (DC/Warners) won the weekend over a tiring Barbie, it landed at the low end of expectations with $25.4M–and given the heavy 15% Friday-to-Saturday drop (much steeper than the 4%/6% drops for the Shazam movies), not to mention the Sunday West Coast weather, that studio estimate may be optimistic.  The international opening was even weaker, with $18M in 63 territories.  Blue Beetle carries around $175M+ in production/marketing costs, and with the US opening of Grand Turismo (which will take most of the Imax screens) just around the corner, the prospects for breakeven aren’t great.

STRAYS (Universal) bombed with $8.3M, and probably won’t recoup its marketing costs, let alone the production budget.  It also had a slow start overseas, with $2M in 21 markets.

BACK ON THE STRIP (Luminosity) reportedly opened with a tiny $460K at 1317 theaters, a $350 weekend per-theater average.

In its final pre-US weekend, GRAND TURISMO (Columbia/Sony) earned $6.3M in 34 territories for a $22.7M total to date.

HOLDOVERS:  BARBIE (Warners) relinquished its crown but remained strong, down 37% to $21.5M in its 5th weekend.  By this time next week, it should pass Super Mario Bros‘s $574.3M to become the year’s #1 film in the US.  The overseas total is 711.9M after a $27.5M weekend in 75 markets, and it’s approaching Super Mario‘s $780.9M there as well.

OPPENHEIMER (Universal) finally lost most of its standard Imax screens (but not 70mm Imax, which will hold through the end of the month), and lost 44% to $10.6M, still on track to pass $300M in the US, which will push it beyond Inception to become Christopher Nolan’s top non-Dark Knight title here.  It’s reached $432.6M overseas after a $32M weekend in 80 territories (with China still to come), and if its worldwide total exceeds Inception‘s $837.2M, it will hit the same mark globally.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM (Nickelodeon/Paramount) dropped 45% to $8.4M, and should top $100M in the US.  Its weakness is overseas, where it has just $30.3M after a $4.8M weekend in 47 markets.

In the US, MEG 2: THE TRENCH (CMC/Warners) remained unimpressive, down 48% to $6.7M in its 3rd weekend, and headed for $85M (down more than 40% from The Meg).  It’s far more successful overseas, where it has $250.1M ($106.3M of that from China, its coproduction home) after a $21.9M weekend in 76 territories.

TALK TO ME (A24) continued to hold very well for its genre, down 37% to $3.2M in its 4th weekend, and on its way to $45M in the US.  It has $8.8M in limited overseas release.

HAUNTED MANSION (Disney) lurched down 48% to $3M in its 4th weekend, and may not get much past $65M in the US on heavy costs.  Things were even worse internationally, where the total is $26.4M after a $1.4M weekend in 45 markets.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART 1 (Skydance/Paramount) dipped 41% to $2.7M in its 6th weekend, and probably won’t reach $175M in the US, down 20% from Fallout.  It has $376.4M overseas after a $6.2M weekend in 67 territories, likely to be 30% below Fallout.

THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER (Universal) plunged 62% to $2.5M, unlikely to see $20M in the US.  It has less than $500K in early international release.

SOUND OF FREEDOM (Angel) fell 50% to $2.5M, on track for $185M in the US.  Still no overseas release.

LIMITED RELEASE:  A revival of OLDBOY (Neon) had a weekend per-theater $2K average at 250.  THE MIRACLE CLUB (Sony Classics) for some reason expanded back up to 224 theaters and averaged a paltry $400.  LANDSCAPE WITH INVISIBLE HAND (UA/MGM) opened at 304 with a nearly invisible $300 average.  BIRTH/REBIRTH (IFC) averaged $350 at 137.  DAY BY DAY (Utopia) widened to 18 with a $1250 average.

NEXT WEEKEND:  As noted, Grand Turismo finally hits official release on US shores (it will be interesting to see where the studio puts the revenue from the extensive “preview” campaign).  It will be joined by GOLDA (Bleecker Street) and the limited release of BOTTOMS (Orion/MGM).