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FRIDAY AM UPDATE: The only new wide release this weekend is Amblin’s period Dracula horror pic The Last Voyage of the Demeter being distributed by Universal. It made $750K last night in previews from showtimes that began at 5PM in 2,350 theaters in what is expected to be an underwhelming 3-day single digit million result for the $45M feature production. The R-rated pic expands to 2,715 theaters today.
That preview result is in the vicinity of last August’s vampire horror movie, The Invitation, which did $775K in previews, a $6.8M opening and $25.1M final domestic.
Why is this period horror film on the calendar? Because it’s from horror filmmaker André Øvredal. He excited the early August box office back in 2019 with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. That movie from the shuttering CBS Studios label did an amazing $2.3M in previews for what turned out to be a $20.9M No. 2 opening in the face of the second weekend of Hobbs & Shaw. The sleeper PG-13 horror pic did close to $69M in U.S./Canada and $104.5M WW on what was a $25M production cost.
You’ll remember, Sony’s Gran Turismo moved off this date and opted for two weeks of sneaks before an Aug. 25 launch in an effort to build word of mouth for the feature take of the Sony Playstation game. No bother, as Warner Bros’ Barbie is expected to reign supreme in weekend 4 with $31.8M as she heads for half billion stateside today. The Greta Gerwig-directed feature take of the Mattel toy has already cracked the $1 billion worldwide box office mark with just under $32M from China. Barbie did $7.1M yesterday at 4,178 theaters, -3% from Wednesday, for a running total through three weeks of $492.6M.
Universal’s Oppenheimer is also expected to ease -40% in its fourth weekend with around $17.5M at 3,612 theaters. The Christopher Nolan directed three-hour drama in Imax and 70M made an estimated $3.6M yesterday, -3% from Wednesday for a three-week total of $245.4M.
With more theatrical release date changes expected for the rest of 2023, one distribution head wisely remarked this week, “Watch Barbie and Oppenheimer play through Thanksgiving.”
Paramount’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem should also be down around 40% for a near $17M second weekend. Through its first nine days, the Nickelodeon/Point Grey animated pic did $57M at 3,858 theaters. Turtles did $2.7M yesterday, even with Wednesday.
Warner Bros’ The Meg 2: The Trench is eyeing a 60% decline in weekend two for $12M. Week one for the surprise No. 2 pic last weekend is $41.4M. Thursday was $2.1M, -3% from Wednesday, in fourth place for the day at 3,503.
Disney’s Haunted Mansion, booked at 3,740 theaters, made an estimated $1M, +2% from Wednesday for a two-week running total of $47.2M.
The Tamil language action comedy Jailer from Nelson Dilipkumar opened in 375 theaters on Wednesday doing an estimated $961K, followed by $627K yesterday for a two-day of $1.58M. Logline: A retired jailer goes on a manhunt to find his son’s killers. But the road leads him to a familiar, albeit a bit darker place. Can he emerge from this complex situation successfully?