OPENINGS: Horror has been one of the more reliable genres at the pandemic box office, and CANDYMAN (MGM/Universal) opened with a solid $22.4M, buoyed by unusually good reviews (85% on Rotten Tomatoes). That offset a weaker showing overseas, where it earned $5.2M in 51 markets.
HOLDOVERS: FREE GUY (20th/Disney) enjoyed its final pre-Shang Chi weekend, and with no direct competition it slipped just 27% to $13.6M in its 3rd seekend. Depending on the effect of next week’s blockbuster arrival, it could reach as high as $140M in the US. Overseas, it’s at $100.3M after a $37.3M weekend in 47 territories that was sparked by a $23.9M opening in China, which instantly became the film’s top overseas territory.
PAW PATROL: THE MOVIE (Nickelodeon/Paramount, also on Paramount+) fell 50% from last week’s premiere to $6.6M, and may see $45M in the US. It has $37.8M overseas after a $10.3M weekend in 46 markets.
JUNGLE CRUISE (Disney) declined by just 21% in its 5th weekend to $5M, on its way to $115M in the US. It has $86.9M overseas after a $2.7M weekend in 49 territories (with no China release yet scheduled).
DON’T BREATHE 2 (Columbia/Sony) dropped 44% to $2.8M in Weekend 3, and it might get to $30M in the US. It’s at $10.7M internationally after a $1.6M weekend in 28 markets.
RESPECT (MGM, also on VOD) lost 42% to $2.2M in its 3rd weekend, headed for $25M in the US. It has $3.4M overseas.
THE SUICIDE SQUAD (DC/Warners, also on HBO Max) dipped 40% to $2M in its 4th weekend, and probably won’t get past $60M in the US. Overseas, it has $101.8M after a $4.6M in 73 territories (but not China).
THE PROTEGE (Lionsgate) was down 43% from last week’s opening to $1.7M, on its way to $10M in the US, with negligible release overseas at this point.
THE NIGHT HOUSE (Searchlight/Disney) fell 57% to $1.2M from last week’s premiere, and probably won’t hit $10M in the US. It’s at about $700K overseas.
REMINISCENCE (Warners, also on HBO Max) dropped 58% to $800K from last week’s opening, and may not get past $6M in the US, with $3.8M overseas, a resounding flop even by pandemic standards.
LIMITED RELEASE: TOGETHER (Bleecker Street) opened faintly at 250 theaters with just $100K, a $400 per theater weekend average.
NEXT WEEKEND: All eyes will be on SHANG-CHI AND THE EGEND OF THE 10 RINGS (Marvel/Disney), the first Marvel movie to open exclusively in theaters since the pandemic began. It was a curious decision to open a presumed blockbuster on one of the historically lowest-grossing weekends of the year, and the one prediction that seems safe is that Shang-Chi will smash the current 4-day Labor Day Weekend record of $30.6M currently held by the 2007 version of Halloween.
About the Author
