As a seasoned film industry observer with decades of experience under my belt, I must say that the current state of the box office is nothing short of perplexing. The success of low-budget horror films like “Terrifier 3” serves as a stark reminder that audiences crave fresh and exciting content, which the major studios seem reluctant to provide.
It’s interesting to note that during its initial release in 2018, there were no reported box office figures for the original run of “Terrifier”. This horror film, featuring Art the Clown, made such a small impact financially that no domestic box office numbers are available beyond its 2023 re-issue. However, things have significantly changed over six years. The sequel, “Terrifier 2”, was a surprise hit in October 2022. Now, with a budget of $2 million and marketing focused only on Bloody Disgusting subscribers, “Terrifier 3” managed to top the entire domestic box office over its weekend release. Yes, you read that correctly – the graphic, unrated violence of “Terrifier 3” became the number-one movie in America.
With an impressive $18 million domestic debut, “Terrifier 3” has surpassed the lifetime domestic earnings of “Terrifier 2,” making a significant impact on the cinematic landscape. This achievement is particularly noteworthy for Cineverse, a small and specialized distributor known for super indie productions. It’s no wonder that “Terrifier 3” has become such a phenomenon given its predecessor’s success. “Terrifier 2” was a major hit. With Halloween approaching, there’s a high demand for spooky entertainment. By setting the story during Christmastime, this installment offered a unique twist compared to its predecessors. Even with these distinctive features, it’s still astonishing to think that such a gruesome horror movie is currently dominating American box offices. Cinema-goers are embracing their darker side when it comes to horror selections, and the box office is thriving as a result.
Another noteworthy point about the premiere of “Terrifier 3” is that it has surpassed the opening weekends of several major studio releases from 2024, such as “Night Swim”, “Speak No Evil”, and “The First Omen”. This success comes even after films like “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour”, “Civil War”, “Longlegs”, “Coraline”, “Godzilla Minus One”, and “The Boy and the Heron” have all managed impressive domestic grosses, with distributions by AMC Theatres, A24, Neon, Fathom Events, Toho, GKIDS, and Cineverse respectively. For instance, “Civil War” earned $68.6 million, while “Longlegs” reached $74 million in North America. Furthermore, “Coraline” grossed $33 million domestically through Fathom Events, and “Godzilla Minus One” and “The Boy and the Heron” outperformed Disney’s 2022 family movie tentpole “Strange World”.
For the past 52 weeks, numerous studios apart from the five major ones (including Lionsgate) have achieved box office success by providing audiences with something fresh and different compared to more of the same Joker, The Crow, and recycled Kevin Costner Westerns. Despite AMC being a large conglomerate itself, smaller studios like A24, Neon, and Cineverse are evidently catering to moviegoers who feel let down by the limited offerings from the big studios’ annual film lineups. If Disney, Warner Bros., and Lionsgate choose not to function as traditional movie studios anymore, there are other companies ready to fill that gap, much like Art the Clown.
Over the weekend, “The Wild Robot” saw a decrease of about 29% and brought in $13.44 million, making its 17-day domestic earnings reach $83.7 million. This third-weekend drop is significantly lower than that of other late September animated films like “Smallfoot.” The positive buzz surrounding this title suggests it will have a strong theater run for the upcoming month. A conservative estimate predicts a domestic total ranging between $120-$125 million.
The film “Joker: Folie a Deux,” directed by Todd Phillips, joined “Halloween Kills” and the 2009 version of “Friday the 13th” this weekend as one of only three movies ever to open in over 3,000 theaters but drop by more than 80% in its second week. The disappointing earnings continued for this box-office flop, with a dismal final weekend gross of $7.055 million, a steep 81% decline. After ten days in theaters, “Joker 2” has only managed to earn $51.6 million, significantly less than initial projections for its opening weekend earnings. The domestic total for this expensive production is expected to be just over $65 million, a staggering loss for a film with a budget of $200 million.
As a devoted cinema enthusiast, I find myself marveling at the impressive performance of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” which, after six weekends in theaters, continues to captivate audiences and rake in profits. This Tim Burton masterpiece added another $7.050 million to its tally last weekend, bringing its domestic total to a staggering $275.6 million. With another $24.4 million to go before reaching the $300 million mark domestically, it seems plausible that “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” could achieve this milestone soon.
A number of fresh wide-release films (including six, including the expansion of Saturday Night) attempted to make an impact at the box office this week. However, none of them became breakout hits. The highest-grossing newcomer not named Terrifier was Piece by Piece, a peculiar film with a budget of $16 million. With an opening weekend earnings of $3.81 million, this Lego Pharrell Williams biopic documentary had a remarkable debut for a documentary. As a general release in more than 1,800 theaters, though, its opening was disappointing. It’s expected to disappear from the market soon. Transformers One saw a 32% drop this weekend, bringing its fourth-weekend total to $3.65 million and its domestic earnings to $52.8 million.
Following that was “Saturday Night,” which earned a modest $3.4 million over the weekend. Despite its impressive limited-release numbers, Jason Reitman’s directorial effort didn’t manage to achieve broader success. Movies set in period pieces about TV shows and other niche entertainment topics often find it challenging to attract an audience. Even back in 1994, films aimed at adults typically made money, but “Quiz Show” couldn’t surpass $24.7 million during its domestic run. A popular romantic comedy like “Morning Glory” peaked at $31 million, while the Best Picture Oscar nominee “Frost/Nixon” struggled to reach $18.6 million.
On a typical Saturday evening, Reitman’s movie saw a broad release and the box office results were predictable considering historical trends, yet they fell short of expectations given its $30 million budget. However, there is some positive news for Reitman: this could mark his first directorial success since “Labor Day” in early 2014 that earned more than $10 million domestically. Meanwhile, “My Hero Academia the Movie: You’re Next” managed to pull in $3 million during its opening weekend – not an outstanding figure but a step up from where it started.
This past weekend, I was thrilled to see Disney bring back “The Nightmare Before Christmas” to an impressive 1,700 theaters, and it truly outshone several new wide releases, raking in another $2.3 million! With this latest addition, the film has now grossed a whopping $89.9 million. Keep your eyes peeled over the next decade as Disney might just manage to push Jack Skellington and his pals past the $100+ million mark domestically – these re-releases are simply too lucrative!
As a passionate movie enthusiast, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of “The Apprentice” in our local cinemas. After much anticipation and countless headlines about legal wrangles in the Deadline/Hollywood Reporter, the day finally arrived. However, the opening weekend was not as successful as we had hoped, with a dismal $1.58 million gross at 1,740 theaters, averaging nearly $900 per theater. This is reminiscent of the struggle Oliver Stone and Anthony Hopkins faced in the ’90s when “Nixon” and “W.” failed to draw large audiences. It seems that biographical movies about our nation’s leaders, unless they are overly favorable portrayals like “Reagan” or set far in the past like “Lincoln,” often falter at the box office.
In simpler terms, people generally prefer not to watch modern politicians taking over their local cinema screens. Unfortunately, “The Apprentice” didn’t fare well due to a weak marketing effort and reviews that were only average rather than enthusiastic. Interestingly, a film that showcases the perspectives of marginalized groups affected by Trump, instead of giving an entire movie to such a potentially harmful figure, might have earned significantly more at the box office.
“Ordinary Guy” struggled at the box office this weekend, earning only $1.15 million across 1,713 cinemas, resulting in a disappointing theater average of $651. Despite Fathom Events’ success over the past two years, “The Substance” wasn’t one of those triumphs. On the other hand, “The Substance,” a horror movie distributed by Mubi, has become a box office sensation, losing only 17% of its audience in its fourth week. This is extremely rare for an R-rated horror film. It made another $1.14 million this weekend, bringing its domestic total to $11.7 million. This unexpected hit supports my earlier claims about “Terrifier 3”: people are craving something new, and the major studios aren’t providing it (Universal has dropped distribution rights for “The Substance”). If “The Substance” continues at this pace, it could potentially reach $15 million domestically, which would be remarkable.
Over the weekend, “White Bird: A Wonder Story” dropped by 52% and earned a modest $755,000. After ten days in theaters, its total earnings amount to $3 million. Last week’s sensation, “Look Back,” experienced a 65% drop, which is expected given its impressive performance in the previous week. It has now accumulated an additional $239,320, bringing its domestic total to $1.54 million. On the other hand, “Megalopolis” saw a steep 79% decline this weekend and only managed to earn $230,000. Its domestic total now stands at a mere $7.3 million.
In its initial release at five cinemas, We Live in Time earned approximately $225,911, translating to an average of $45,182 per theater. This promising start indicates a strong beginning, but it remains uncertain if mainstream audiences will attend the film when it expands to wider release this Friday.
This past weekend, the highest-grossing ten films earned a surprisingly low $62 million. The release of Joker: Folie a Deux and a lack of engaging fresh movies have severely impacted the market, causing this mid-October period to plummet approximately 42% compared to the same weekend in 2021, when Halloween Kills dominated the scene on Peacock. Remarkably, even the same weekend in October 2022 saw better earnings. It’s baffling how the domestic box office is currently producing weekends with lower revenues than it did two or three years ago!
In my frequent discussions, I often emphasize that the solution lies within the movies themselves. Over the weekend, we witnessed an abundance of fresh film releases; however, it was only “Terrifier 3” that truly shone and warranted a watch. The remaining productions were either too outdated or lacked sufficient promotion to make an impact. It’s also important to note that the majority of significant new releases cater primarily to white audiences, with nearly half of all moviegoers being white. Were there any elements in “Saturday Night” or “The Apprentice” that would resonate with audiences of color? This trend in October 2024 releases appears to overlook the current theater landscape, which is dominated by younger and non-white spectators. This also helps explain why these titles are underperforming. Many dramas targeting older white people seem to be competing against one another, leading to self-cannibalization.
Two years ago, the movie “Ticket to Paradise” had successful showings at cinemas when it was released in October. Since it was seen as a film for women, Hollywood dismissed its success as a one-off occurrence, which is why romantic comedies are still hard to find today. However, this kind of title could be just what the market needs right now. Let’s hope that upcoming films like “Smile 2,” “Venom: The Last Dance,” and potential art house titles such as “Anora” and “Conclave” will help end the month on a positive note. As of halfway through October 2024, the total box office earnings are barely reaching $200 million, which is quite small. Hollywood, it’s time to learn: don’t rely solely on one potential blockbuster for an entire month. Offering counterprogramming to “Joker: Folie a Deux” might have saved this month’s box office performance and been beneficial for theater owners and employees alike.
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2024-10-14 16:15