For two consecutive weeks, an unexpected new release has outshone the anticipated movies slated for 2024, taking the top spot at the box office during a subdued Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. Remarkably, the R-rated comedy “One of Them Days” managed this feat, surpassing Leigh Whannell’s “Wolf Man“, which debuted in third place behind “Mufasa: The Lion King“. Worth noting is that the sequel to the live-action Disney remake and “Moana 2” also reached notable milestones during this weekend.
Just last week, “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” made history as the first new film of 2025 to lead the box office. However, it experienced a substantial drop in its earnings during its second week. Here’s the complete chart for your reference, and I’ll subsequently analyze the figures for you.
It Was A Good Day For Keke Palmer And SZA, While Wolf Man Showed More Bark Than Bite
In the movie “One of Them Days,” portrayed by Keke Palmer and SZA, their characters might have had concerns about paying rent. Contrastingly, the film, produced by Issa Rae and written by Syreeta Singleton for “Insecure,” didn’t experience any financial worries. According to The Numbers and Variety, the buddy comedy brought in an estimated $11.6 million during its first extended weekend and was projected to reach approximately $14 million by Monday’s close, surpassing the predicted range of $8 million to $13 million.
The movie “One of Them Days” has been warmly received by critics, as indicated by Sarah El-Mahmoud’s 3.5 out of 5 stars rating in TopMob review. On Rotten Tomatoes, it boasts a 97% approval rating among critics and an A- grade on CinemaScore. This strong response suggests that the film will likely maintain its audience through positive word-of-mouth, and I anticipate a modest decrease in viewership during its second week. Regardless, it’s off to a solid start and seems poised to recoup the relatively low production cost of $14 million.
The film titled “Wolf Man” might face a challenging journey ahead. Over the four-day weekend, it fell short of the projected $12 million, earning only $10.6 million from Friday through Sunday. It also managed to gather an additional $4.8 million in international markets. With its production budget amounting to $25 million (not including marketing costs), its Week 2 earnings will be crucial in determining whether it can emerge from the red.
The reactions towards the horror movie “Wolf Man” were varied (with Eric Eisenberg’s review from TopMob awarding just 2 out of 5 stars), which might not generate as much buzz as other films in this week’s Top 10. However, there are always audiences eager for new horror releases, and given its modest budget, it doesn’t have to be an all-time great horror film to be considered successful.
Moana 2 Crosses $1 Billion In Worldwide Ticket Sales, While Mufasa: The Lion King Passes $200 Million Domestically
As a devoted movie enthusiast, I must say that this past week was truly remarkable for Disney sequels! The much-anticipated “Moana 2” has been gracing the Top 10 charts for an impressive eight consecutive weekends and has now stepped out of the Top 5. However, its impact is far from diminishing as it’s just crossed the $1.012 billion mark on the global box office, according to Box Office Mojo. This phenomenal success makes “Moana 2” the third Disney production of 2024 to join the billion-dollar club, following closely behind “Inside Out 2” with a staggering $1.7 billion and “Deadpool & Wolverine” with an impressive $1.3 billion. Quite remarkable, isn’t it?
The Lion King remake, similar to Mufasa himself, has a strong case for roaring loudly as it narrowly failed to reclaim the top domestic position this week (with final numbers, it could potentially achieve this feat). Regardless, its $11.5 million earnings this week propelled it to a total of $205.8 million after five weeks in cinemas, reaching the $200 million milestone at a pace slightly behind Sonic the Hedgehog 3, another movie released during the same weekend and still holding strong within the Top 5.
Den Of Thieves Sequel Falls To Fifth Place In Second Weekend
This weekend’s news wasn’t favorable for sequels. After the movie Den of Thieves 2: Pantera led box office sales last week, it saw a significant drop of 56% over its second weekend, earning an additional $6.6 million domestically. The international numbers didn’t provide much support either, adding only $5 million after two weekends, resulting in worldwide earnings in the low $30 millions.
The movie “Deadline,” featuring Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr., had a production cost of $40 million, and another $20 million was spent on advertising. Lionsgate expected the film to have a long run in theaters to recoup these costs. The original “Den of Thieves” from 2018 made over $80 million worldwide during its theater release. However, it seems unlikely that the sequel will achieve similar success, given the upcoming releases next week.
On January 24, not just one but two exciting films will be launched: “Flight Risk,” directed by Mel Gibson and starring Mark Wahlberg, and the espionage action movie “Inheritance” featuring Phoebe Dynevor and Rhys Ifans. These movies are highly anticipated by action genre enthusiasts and might attract audiences away from Christian Gudegast’s sequel.
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2025-01-20 01:08