Behind the US/Worldwide Weekend Box Office – 9.3.2023

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OPENINGS:  THE EQUALIZER 3 (Escape Artists/Columbia/Sony) performed both within expectations and at around the same level as its predecessors, with $34.5M for the 3-day weekend compared to $36M for Equalizer 2 and $34M for the first in the franchise.  (The Monday holiday is projected to bring the total to $42M.)  Also like the previous installments, Equalizer 3 is softer overseas than in the US, with $26.1M in 49 markets.  Both previous films ended up with around $100M in the US and $90M internationally, and 3 should be about the same.

BOTTOMS (Orion/UA/MGM) managed what few recent indies have pulled off with a solid expansion to wide release, earning $3M at 715 theaters.  On a per-theater basis, that’s similar to the result of Everything Everywhere All At Once‘s initial expansion, with $4200 compared to $4800.

HOLDOVERS:  BARBIE (Warners) is now 2023’s highest grossing release worldwide, moving ahead of Super Mario Bros with $1.38B compared to $1.36B.  Nor is Barbie close to being done.  In the US, it dipped 30% to $10.6M in its 7th weekend ($13M with Monday), and overseas it brought in $13.2M in 75 territories.

BLUE BEETLE (DC/Warners) is going to be DC’s 3rd consecutive money-loser after Shazam: Fury of The Gods and The Flash.  Its 3rd weekend dropped 40% to $7.3M ($9M with Monday), and it may reach $80M in the US.  Things are worse overseas, where it has $45.3M after a $5M weekend in 71 markets.

After last week’s mess, where the studio crammed weeks of “previews” into what it called “opening weekend,” GRAND TURISMO (Columbia/Sony) was due for a steep loss, and it fell 62% to $6.6M ($8.5M with Monday), on its way to $50M in the US.  The international total is $50.3M after an $8.7M weekend in 64 territories.

OPPENHEIMER (Universal) continued to roll, down 33% in the US to $5.5M in Weekend 7 ($7.2M with Monday), heading toward $325M.  Its overseas performance has been even more phenomenal, this week sparked by a strong China opening to a $49.7M weekend in 83 markets for a $542.7M international total.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM (Nickelodeon/Paramount) lost 35% to $4.8M in its 5th weekend ($6.3M with Monday), with a chance of reaching $125M in the US.  However, it’s much lower overseas, with $44.9M after a $5.4M weekend in 57 territories.

MEG 2: THE TRENCH (CMC/Warners) was down 39% to $2.9M in its 5th weekend ($4M with Monday), and may hit $90M in the US.  Its real strength is internationally, where it has $296.6M after an $8.5M weekend in 77 markets.

STRAYS (Universal) fell 49% to $2.5M in its 3rd weekend ($3.2M with Monday), and may not see $30M in the US.  It has only $6M overseas.

TALK TO ME (A24) continued to hold extremely well, down just 23% to $1.8M in its 6th weekend ($2.2M with Monday), and if it can hold onto theaters, it may reach $50M in the US.  It has $18.6M overseas.

The Christian-themed THE HILL (Briarcliff) was down 37% to $1.4M ($1.9M with Monday) and may need a stretch for $10M in the US.  It hasn’t opened overseas.

HAUNTED MANSION (Disney) dropped 35% to $1.3M in its 6th weekend ($1.7M with Monday, and is unlikely to hit $70M in the US.  It has an ugly $35.6M overseas.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART 1 (Skydance/Paramount) dropped 41% to $1.2M in its 8th weekend ($1.6M with Monday), and will hope to reach $175M in the US.  Although it’s bigger internationally with $389.7M, the worldwide total is down almost 30% from Fallout.

ELEMENTAL (Pixar/Disney) jumped from 235 theaters to 2190 in a grab for families on back-to-school weekend, and brought in $1.1M ($1.5M with the holiday), for a $152.9M US total.  It has $325.4M overseas.

Apparently the VOD strength of Liam Neeson make his vehicles financially viable, because it certainly isn’t their theatrical ticket sales.  His latest RETRIBUTION (Roadside) plunged 71% to $1M ($1.3M with Monday), and won’t reach $10M in the US.  The overseas total is $2.2M.

LIMITED RELEASE:  THE GOOD MOTHER (Vertical) opened at 423 theaters with a $700 per-theater average for the 3-day weekend.  FREMONT (Music Box) widened to 9 theaters with a $3300 average.  THE UNKNOWN COUNTRY (Music Box) averaged $400 at 10.

NEXT WEEKEND:  THE NUN 2 (Warners) will continue to plumb The Conjuring‘s franchise, and MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3 (Focus/Universal) is its franchise’s first entry since 2016.