As a long-time film enthusiast and industry observer with a particular affinity for indie cinema, I find this weekend’s box office results both intriguing and disheartening in equal measure. Having witnessed the meteoric rise of Greek auteur Yorgos Lanthimos from arthouse darling to mainstream sensation, it’s disappointing to see his latest offering, “Kill,” underperform so dramatically. The stark contrast between “Kill” and the critical and commercial successes of his previous films, “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” and “The Lobster,” is a sobering reminder of the unpredictable nature of the film industry.
I’m excited about this weekend’s box office developments, and it’s clear that everyone’s been talking about “Longlegs” defying predictions. But let’s start with the current ruler of North American box office: “Despicable Me 4.” This time around, it made $44.6 million, only dropping 40% from its impressive opening weekend. With a domestic total of $211.2 million now, it’s the third movie of 2024 to reach $200+ million in the US. Its second weekend even surpassed “Despicable Me 2’s” $43.8 million frame. This strong performance indicates a promising future for “Despicable Me 4,” which has no trouble reaching $300 million and perhaps even $350 million domestically.
OK, now let’s talk about Longlegs, arguably the surprise smash hit of 2024 so far.
Prior to the weekend just past, predictions for the film “Longlegs” indicated earnings within the $7-9 million range. Some optimistic voices online speculated it could possibly reach $10 million. Previously, A24’s highest horror movie opening stood at $13.6 million for “Hereditary.” This seemed like a limit for independent horror productions. However, “Longlegs” shattered all expectations with an astounding debut of $22.6 million, becoming the second-best horror launch in 2024 (surpassed only by “A Quiet Place: Day One”). Neon’s accomplishment with distributing “Longlegs” is particularly noteworthy.
In the past, the largest domestic opening weekend for the label belonged to “Immaculate,” with $5.3 million. The film “Longlegs” outperformed that number in only three days and is currently Neon’s third-biggest release domestically. It’s likely to surpass both “I, Tonya” and “Parasite” to become Neon’s biggest hit in North America. For Maika Monroe, this is her third-largest role ever, while “Longlegs” has been particularly successful for Nicolas Cage. In one weekend alone, it surpassed the domestic earnings of his 2020 films “Renfield” and “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.” Among live-action movies he’s starred in, “Longlegs” is now Cage’s biggest non-“Ghost Rider” film since “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” (July 2010). Impressively, it ranks as the ninth-biggest live-action opening weekend for a Nicolas Cage movie.
Here, Neon significantly stepped up its marketing game. Prior to the release of “Longlegs,” a meticulously planned six-month marketing blitz took place. This campaign featured intriguing teaser trailers and captivating posters that left viewers intrigued but unsure of the plot details. Conversely, “Longlegs” introduced something fresh to the horror genre as a police procedural merged with an eerie element. Unlike most Blumhouse productions, which largely take place in suburban neighborhoods, this unique blend offered a new perspective on the genre.
In the 2020s, films like “Longlegs,” which have a bleak tone, have been surprisingly successful financially. This trend suggests that audiences are increasingly drawn to darker movies. However, this doesn’t mean that lighter films such as “Anyone But You” cannot be profitable. In fact, movies with grim reflections of modern society like “Oppenheimer,” “Civil War,” and “I Saw the TV Glow” have all seen significant financial success. Even big-budget productions like “Dune: Part Two” and “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which ended on downbeat notes, have done well financially. The zeitgeist appears to be shifting towards darker films, and “Longlegs” may have tapped into this trend to achieve unexpected box office success. Additionally, a well-promoted horror movie should never be underestimated.
As a longtime movie enthusiast and box office analyst, I’ve been closely following the success of “Inside Out 2” since its release. This past weekend, I was thrilled to learn that it brought in another impressive $20.7 million at the domestic box office. However, I couldn’t help but notice a 32% decrease from its previous weekend’s earnings.
Also opening in thousands of theaters this weekend was Fly Me to the Moon, the latest Apple Original Films (God, I hate that name) release receiving a major theatrical run before a streaming premiere. Grossing $10 million, Fly Me to the Moon grossed nowhere near enough to cover its $100 million budget (though it is a streaming movie, theatrical revenue, and profitability aren’t as important as it is for a normal Disney movie). How did the movie fare compare to other modern romantic comedies? . It opened $6 million beneath Ticket to Paradise, was roughly on par with My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3’s debut, and was up 68% from Anyone But You’s North American launch (though that one got to leg out over Christmas).
In the golden age of romantic comedies, it was a rarity for these films to launch with substantial opening sums, excluding titles like “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Hitch,” or productions helmed by Adam Sandler. For instance, “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” debuted with $23.7 million, while “Notting Hill” bowed at $21.8 million. In July 2011, “Crazy Stupid Love” opened with a modest $19.1 million but went on to rake in an impressive $84 million in its theatrical run. These movies proved profitable over time rather than within their opening weekend. Unfortunately, “Fly Me to the Moon’s” disappointing debut and frontloaded box office performance this weekend doesn’t bode well for “Crazy Stupid Love’s” potential legs. The letdown is even more disheartening given that leading actors Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum have enjoyed much larger opening weekends in recent years. Despite their best efforts, they weren’t able to propel this production to greater box office successes.
As a longtime romantic comedy enthusiast and someone who’s grown up watching these delightful films, I strongly believe that Hollywood needs to produce more of them, frequently and affordably. I used to eagerly anticipate the release of each new romantic comedy, counting down the days and planning my movie night out with friends. But lately, it feels like we only get one or two big-budget productions every six months.
I’m a big fan of bringing classic romantic comedies back to life on the big screen, but we need to make them appealing to today’s younger audience who are driving moviegoing trends. Take “Fly Me to the Moon” for example, with its nods to early 2000s features that paid homage to 60s Rock Hudson and Doris Day films. Unfortunately, it didn’t resonate with the key demographic. But let’s not give up on this genre just yet! We can still create contemporary romantic comedies that pay tribute to the past while also appealing to modern audiences. Let’s keep pushing for more of these heartwarming and hilarious films in theaters!
As a fan, I’m excited to report that A Quiet Place: Day One brought in an additional $11.8 million this weekend, but saw a 43% decrease from its previous earnings. With a current domestic total of $116.2 million after 17 days, it seems set to reach a final finish of around $140 million. On the other hand, Bad Boys: Ride or Die managed to keep its losses minimal this weekend, earning an extra $4.4 million and bringing its domestic gross to $184.8 million. This blockbuster hit is now aiming for a grand total North American gross of just under or over $195 million.
In seventh position came “Indian 2,” with a strong earnings of $1.97 million. This production is poised to exceed the $3.8 million domestic revenue of “Ponniyin Selvan: Part Two,” making it one of the top-grossing Tamil films domestically if it does so. However, “MaXXXine” faced stiff competition from “Longlegs,” resulting in a 69% decrease in earnings this weekend. It has amassed $11.7 million after ten days in cinemas. Unfortunately, “Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1” had a challenging week. Not only was the release of its second chapter delayed from August 16, but it also generated an additional $2.4 million this weekend – a 56% decrease compared to the previous week. Its domestic revenue now totals $27 million after 17 days.
The movie “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot” had a poor second weekend in theaters, earning only $1.34 million compared to its opening weekend’s $2.78 million. This represents a steep 56% decline and leaves the film with a disappointing domestic total of $9.7 million after 11 days. On the other hand, “The Lion King” experienced a less successful return to cinemas this weekend than its previous 3D re-release in September 2011, which grossed over $30 million during the opening weekend. This time around, Disney’s classic only managed to generate $1.07 million, likely due to minimal marketing efforts and a theater count of just 1,330.
Focus Features unexpectedly debuted the foreign film “Touch” in 316 theaters over the weekend, likely to expedite its availability to PVOD retailers. The film earned $470,000, generating a $1,487 average per theater. It’s questionable if it will reach $1 million domestically, as Focus Features releases tend to decline steeply post-opening weekend.
As a big fan of the critically-acclaimed film “Sing Sing,” I was thrilled to see it begin its domestic theater release on a high note. The movie raked in an impressive $137,119 during its opening weekend at just four theaters, averaging an astounding $34,280 per theater. This second-best limited-release opening weekend average for 2024, trailing only behind “Kinds of Kindness,” left me hopeful and excited for more to come. Thankfully, A24 has opted for a more measured rollout with “Sing Sing” compared to their hasty expansion strategy for “Janet Planet.” The film won’t hit wide release until August 2nd. Here’s hoping that this thoughtful approach will result in many more positive conversations about “Sing Sing’s” impressive box office achievements.
Simultaneously, the film “National Anthem” debuted in four cinemas, generating a total revenue of $42,000. This equated to a strong per-theater average of $10,500. Conversely, the new production by IFC Films, titled “Dandelion,” underperformed significantly with earnings of $65,538 from 446 theaters. This resulted in an alarmingly poor per-theater average of $147. It’s important for someone at IFC Films to recognize that small indie films like “Dandelion” and “Ghostlight” differ greatly from their upcoming releases, such as “Late Night with the Devil” and “In a Violent Nature.”
The characteristics in question should be introduced gradually to gain more exposure among audiences. Hastily throwing them into multiple theaters all at once without proper promotion is detrimental. Sadly, titles such as “Dandelion” and “Ghostlight” may disappear into obscurity due to IFC’s faulty release tactics. In contrast, Sony Pictures Classics has benefited from the distraction caused by IFC’s mishaps in their release strategies. An unnamed Sony Pictures Classics executive might even be relieved, exclaiming, “I’m grateful IFC has taken the spotlight off my botched plans!” Meanwhile, “Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger” earned a mere $7,083 from one theater opening.
Based on my years of experience following the box office performance of films, particularly those from the Indian film industry, I can tell you that the third-weekend earnings for a movie like Kalki 2898 are usually an important indicator of its overall domestic success in North America. Although we haven’t received official figures yet, reliable sources suggest that the film grossed approximately $163,000 on its third Friday in this region.
Over the past weekend, the top 10 movies earned a total of $120 million. This figure represents a 10% decrease from the same period last year. Leading the pack was “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.” Despite the absence of major new blockbusters, this impressive earnings can be attributed to new releases like “Longlegs” and strong holdovers such as “Inside Out 2” and “Bad Boys: Ride or Die.” Additionally, smaller films like “Thelma” and “Sing Sing” drew in audiences at the box office. The diversity of offerings keeps the theatrical marketplace thriving, as evidenced by recent weekends. To ensure more weekends with multiple $20 million-plus grossing movies, studios should release more theatrical productions (with adequate support for independent cinemas).
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2024-07-15 14:15