This weekend represented a summer box-office first: Four films grossed over $28 million. The last time that happened was Thanksgiving 2018, a year when domestic ticket sales hit $11.89 billion. “Barbie” (Warner Bros.) led for the third time with $53 million, down 43 percent. It now stands at $459 million domestic and over $1 billion worldwide, something has happened that defies all normal distribution logic.
The reason four films rarely gross this much in a single weekend is studios do everything they can to prevent it. They make sure to stagger new openings and avoid any competitive roadblocks. Yet audiences defied that logic as “Oppenheimer” (Universal), off only 39 percent, added another $28.7 million in its third week for $228 million domestic, $553 million worldwide.
Then add two new releases with “Meg 2: The Trench” (Warner Bros.) at $30 million domestic and $112 million worldwide, and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” (Paramount), $28 million, with an additional $8.5 million in 24 initial markets.
Based on Sunday’s estimates, the order between #2-#4 could change. “Turtles,” with its Wednesday domestic opening, grossed $15 million before the weekend. Had it opened Friday, much of that gross would have ended up in the three-day weekend and it would easily have been #1. (Its five-day domestic haul is $43 million).
It’s a victory for theaters when multiple titles don’t cannibalize grosses. The $178 million weekend total wasn’t a record August weekend (the same weekend in 2016 did $228 million, over $270 million adjusted, with “Suicide Squad” providing over half the gross). However, the unusually strong number suggests that success feeds momentum.
It’s also a bit reassuring to see two franchise films with decent starts. The animated “Turtles” cost $70 million pre-marketing and should gross $100 million domestic or more. The original “Meg” grossed $530 million worldwide; this one has already collected $130 million. “Turtles” had an A Cinemascore, “Meg” B-, so expect the former to have better domestic legs.
With 29 days of the movie summer season remaining and $3.4 billion in grosses, we’ve exceeded the same period in 2023 and $4 billion remains possible. Year to date is around $6 billion (depending on whether you include non-film theater events). Year to date that’s up 23 percent, which would project to $9.1 million for the full year.
At #5, “Haunted Mansion” (Disney) fell 63 percent to just under $9 million. “Talk to Me” (A24) at #8 had an outstanding drop of only 40 percent for a horror film, adding $6.2 million. “Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani” (Moviegoers) from India is a close #9 with over $1.5 million in only 270 theaters, off only nine percent.
Though it remains a disappointment, “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” (Paramount) at #7 fell only 39 percent. It crossed $500 million worldwide, but it’s running out of time; in 2018, “Fallout” reached nearly $800 million. “Sound of Freedom” (Angel), down 43 percent, placed #6 to $163 million reported so far.
Ira Sachs’ unrated “Passages” (MUBI) (after the MPAA slapped on a dubious NC-17) debuted with a promising $64,000 in three New York/Los Angeles locations ($21,333 average). It adds another 12 cities next Friday, though its expansion might be slightly limited if some theaters exclude unrated films.
Elsewhere, specialized titles struggle. “Shortcomings” (Sony Pictures Classics) out of Sundance this year managed only $316,000 in 404 theaters. Even worse was “Dreaming Wild” (Roadside Attractions), $129,000 in 402. “CatVideoFest 2023” fared better with $115,000 in only 41 theaters.
“Theater Camp” (Searchlight) nearly doubled its theaters, but managed only $570,000 in 555. It has reached $2.4 million, with an ultimate $4 million. The reported acquisition cost out of Sundance was $8 million.
The Top 10
1. Barbie (Warner Bros. Discovery) Week 3; Last weekend #1
$53,000,000 (-43%) in 4,178 (-159) theaters; PTA (per theater average): $12,685; Cumulative: $459,381,000
2. Meg 2: The Trench (Warner Bros.) NEW – Cinemascore: B-; Metacritic: 40; Est. budget: $130 million
$30,000,000 in 3,503 theaters; PTA: $8,564; Cumulative: $30,000,000
3. Oppenheimer (Universal) Week 3; Last weekend #2
$28,700,000 (-39%) in 3,612 (-35) theaters; PTA: $7,946; Cumulative: $228,569,000
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount) NEW – Cinemascore: A; Metacritic: 74; Est. budget: $70 million
$28,000,000 in 3,858 theaters; PTA: $7,258; Cumulative: $43,073,000
5. Haunted Mansion (Disney) Week 2; Last weekend #3
$8,971,000 (-63%) in 3,740 (no change) theaters; PTA: $2,399; Cumulative: $42,021,000
6. Sound of Freedom (Angel) Week 5; Last weekend #4
$7,032,000 (-45%) in 3,001 (-310) theaters); PTA: $2,364; Cumulative: $163,473,000
7. Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning: Part One (Paramount) Week 4; Last weekend #5
$6,450,000 (-39%) in 2,422 (-749) theaters; PTA: $2,663; Cumulative: $151,003,000
8. Talk to Me (A24) Week 2; Last weekend #6
$6,272,000 (-40%) in 2,370 (+30) theaters; PTA: $2,646; Cumulative: $22,135,000
9. Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (Moviegoer) Week 2; Last weekend #10
$1,530,000 (-9%) in 270 (+5) theaters; PTA: $5,666; Cumulative: $3,204,000
10. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Disney) Week 6; Last weekend #7
$1,521,000 (-62%) in 1,190 (-975) theaters; PTA: $1,278; Cumulative: $170,640,000
Other specialized titles
Films (limited, expansions of limited, as well as awards-oriented releases) are listed by week in release, starting with those opened this week; after the first two weeks, only films with grosses over $5,000 are listed.
Passages (MUBI) NEW – Metacritic: 78; Festivals include: Sundance, Berlin 2023
$64,000 in 3 theaters; PTA: $21,333
Shortcomings (Sony Pictures Classics) NEW – Metacritic: 67; Festivals include: Sundance, Tribeca 2023
$316,403 in 404 theaters; PTA: $783
Dreamin’ Wild (Roadside Attractions) NEW – Metacritic: 68; Festivals include: Venice, Toronto 2022
$129,360 in 402 theaters; PTA: $322
CatVideoFest 2023 NEW
$115,500 in 41 theaters; PTA: $2,805
What Comes Around (IFC) NEW – Festivals include: Toronto 2022; also on VOD
$4,000 in 14 theaters; PTA: $285
Shiva Baby (Utopia) (reissue)
$10,186 in 7 theaters; PTA: $1,455
The First Slam Dunk (GKids) Week 2 581
$62,000 in 68 (-513) theaters; PTA: $912; Cumulative: $1,033,000
The Unknown Country (Music Box) Week 2
$4,000 in 5 (+2) theaters; PTA: $800; Cumulative: $16,185
Theater Camp (Searchlight) Week 4
$570,000 in 555 (+260) theaters; PTA: $; Cumulative: $2,476,000
The Miracle Club (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 4
$50,220 in 65 (-46) theaters; Cumulative: $1,729,000
Lakota Nation vs. United States (IFC) Week 4
$7,000 in 18 (-2) theaters; Cumulative: $36,000
Have You Got It Yet? (Abramorama) Week 4
$5,703 in 9 (-17) theaters; Cumulative: $70,960
Asteroid City (Focus) Week 7; also on PVOD
$60,000 in 86 (-38) theaters; Cumulative: $27,786,000
