As a seasoned gamer of life who has seen more than a few movie releases come and go, I must say that the box office race between Smile 2 and Terrifier 3 is reminiscent of a high-stakes game of cat and mouse. The former, with its star-studded cast and creepy concept, seems to be pulling ahead, but the latter, unrated and sneaking its way into theater seats, refuses to back down.
Paramount and Temple Hill are grinning widely.
In the domestic box office competition, the latest movie titled “Smile 2” is leading with an estimated opening weekend earnings of $23 million. It made $9.4 million on its first day, and an additional $2 million during previews. This initial performance slightly surpasses the debut of the original “Smile”, a surprise success that earned $22.6 million in late September 2022. The original film eventually grossed over $217 million worldwide, outperforming its budget of $17 million.
Once more helmed by Peter Finn, this movie portrays an evil entity that hops between hosts using a sinister grin. In this instance, it targets a troubled pop star (Naomi Scott), who carries a heavy burden of past traumas, as suggested in the review from The Hollywood Reporter. Joining Scott in the cast are Lukas Gage, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Miles Gutierrez-Riley. This production boasted a budget of $28 million, a reasonable figure for a major studio film.
The second Smile movie received a B rating from audiences, just like the original one did. It’s currently facing competition from the slasher film Terrifier 3, which managed to earn $18.9 million in its opening weekend, despite being unrated and not running any television ads.
As a die-hard horror movie enthusiast, I’m thrilled about the anticipated performance of “Terrifier 3” from Cineverse. It seems like it’s poised to secure a spot in the top three on the weekend box office chart, potentially earning between $9 million and $10 million. This impressive hold will push its domestic total close to approximately $26 million, all while keeping its production budget at a modest $2 million. Truly terrifying… in a good way!
There’s some talk that the family-friendly movie “The Wild Robot” from DreamWorks/Universal might be gaining an unexpected boost, as some theaters are only allowing adults to watch “Terrifier 3,” which is rated R and not suitable for viewers under 17 unless accompanied by an adult. This has sparked speculation among competing studios that teenagers may be purchasing tickets for “The Wild Robot” and then attempting to secretly watch “Terrifier 3.” A similar scenario could potentially apply to “Smile 2,” another R-rated film.
Regardless of the situation, the movie “Wild Robot” (which can be watched at home through premium Video On Demand) is worthy of pride as it secures the second spot in its fourth weekend and surpasses the $100 million mark in domestic earnings.
The standout film at this year’s box office awards is Sean Baker’s “Anora“, which is debuting in five cinemas across New York City and Los Angeles. This unique movie, distributed by Neon, tells the story of a sex worker who develops feelings for a Russian oligarch’s son. Notably, it won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. “Anora” is projected to average around $108,000 per theater, making it the strongest performance since Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City “.
Over the past weekend, several movies competing for Oscars didn’t perform as expected when they chose a nationwide release instead of a platform debut. Among them was Jason Reitman’s movie titled “Saturday Night“.
Estimates will be updated Sunday morning.
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2024-10-19 19:54