As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience navigating the ever-changing landscape of the film industry, I must say this weekend was a breath of fresh air. With the major studios opting for a low-key approach, it allowed smaller productions to shine and showcase their worth.
This year, the major Hollywood studios had anticipated that the weekend following November 8th would be unusually tranquil due to their decision to postpone releasing large-scale event films. The primary reasons for this were high advertising costs and concerns about potential civil unrest if Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, did not win. The images of the attack on the U.S. Capitol following Al Gore’s loss in 2000 have not been easily forgotten, contributing to these worries. However, it was Trump who ended up defeating his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris.
This past weekend, there wasn’t a major new release on the marquee as we had seen two years ago with “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and last year with “The Marvels”. Instead, Sony’s “Venom: The Last Dance” remained at the top of the domestic box office chart in its third week, earning an estimated $16.2 million from 3,905 theaters. This brings its domestic total to $114.8 million and a massive global total of $394.2 million, with $82.8 million coming from China.
Beyond the prominent movie studios, other contenders are actively participating in the U.S., and it’s a tight competition for the runner-up position. The faith-based adaptation of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, distributed by Lionsgate and Kingdom Films, is projected to earn around $11.1 million from 3,020 theaters, while A24’s psychological horror film Heretic is estimated to bring in approximately $11 million from 3,221 cinemas. (The earnings of Christmas Pageants include an extra $2.2 million from incentivized screenings, where each ticket purchased granted an additional free ticket.)
The final outcome will be decided on Monday morning once the weekend’s figures are added up, but it seems that “Pageant” has a lead. Directed by Dallas Jenkins, who is known for “The Chosen”, this well-acclaimed adaptation of Barbara Robinson’s 1972 children’s book about six unruly siblings stars Judy Greer, Pete Holmes, and Lauren Graham. It appears to perform exceptionally well in conservative regions and has received a flawless A rating from CinemaScore.
Over the past few weeks, independent studio A24 reversed their decision and chose to release the film Heretic nationwide, disregarding post-election worries. This premiere has proven to be Hugh Grant’s most successful opening as a leading actor in over two decades, thanks to favorable reviews and an overwhelming attendance from moviegoers aged 18-35, who accounted for approximately 67% of all ticket sales.
The horror movie titled “Heretic” by directors Scott Beck and Bryan Wood received a C+ CinemaScore, which is quite typical for this genre of films. This cat-and-mouse thriller revolves around two young Mormon missionaries (played by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East), who find themselves in trouble when they accidentally knock on the wrong door.
In its second weekend, the movie collaboration between Universal and DreamWorks Animation titled “The Wild Robot” earned $6.7 million across 3,051 cinemas in the U.S., bringing its domestic earnings to a total of $130.9 million and a worldwide gross of $292 million. Coming close behind is Paramount’s “Smile 2“, which made $5 million from 2,822 screens within the U.S., resulting in a domestic sum of $60.5 million and a global total of $123.6 million.
In its third week among the Academy Award nominees, the independent film “Conclave” remained noteworthy, raking in $4.1 million at 2,283 theaters nationwide, bringing its total domestic earnings to a striking $21.5 million.
In another impressive showing, Neon’s movie “Anora” accumulated $2.5 million as its theater count expanded from 851 to 1,104 locations domestically. To date, it has made a total of $7.2 million within the U.S. Universal International, responsible for the film overseas, is reporting an early foreign gross of $5 million.
More to come.
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2024-11-10 19:24