Movies

Way of Water’ Crossing $500M – Deadline

January 7, 2023

FRIDAY PM: For an early January weekend falling after New Years Day and before MLK, it’s certainly not sleepy. Some adult films may struggle to work at the box office as cinema emerges from the pandemic, but you can bet the house on horror films. Universal Has A Dynamic No. 2 Winner In Blumhouse’s Scary Posh Doll Movie M3GAN who looks at a $26.7M opening after a $11.4M Friday (plus previews) in 3,509 cinemas. The PG-13 horror film directed by Gerard Johnstone landed 94% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with reviews and a current Audience Score of 78%. This film is in such good condition that they are already thinking about a sequel, I hear.

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

Meanwhile, James Cameron Avatar: The Way of the Water is heading to break even (according to the filmmaker) with a running total in the United States by Sunday well north of half a billion. 20th Century Studios/Disney/Lightstorm Movie Fourth Friday Looks Like $10M-60% compared to last Friday for 3 days of $37 million-45%, for a cumulative total of $508.7M in first place in 4,340 screens.

Universal also holds DreamWorks Animation’s third weekend number 3 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 3,913 locations. Friday is $2.5M (-62%), the third weekend is $10M (-40%) and the cumulative total by Sunday is $84.6M.

Sony breaks into the top five in fourth placeit is limited edition of A man called Otto which goes from four theaters in New York and LA to 637 locations for an estimated Friday of $1.2M3 days of $3.4M. The film ended its first week with just over $85,000. The photo sits 67% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes but is still 94% audience-pleasing.

The Fifth Returns to Disney/Marvel Studio’s 9th Weekend Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in 2,255 rooms with a $900,000 Friday, -53%, 3 days off $3.1M-39% and an accumulation of $445.1 million.

The third weekend of Babylon of Paramount/C2 is in 6th place with a Friday of $400,000-57% compared to a week ago, $1.3M 3 days, -50%, for a cumulative total until Sunday of $13.4M.

FRIDAY AM: The Blumhouse-Universal PG-13 genre title got off to a good start with $2.75 million after the 5 p.m. sessions. Universal is betting $17 million before the weekend on M3GAN while the follow-up saw well north of $20 million. Horror fans always hang out on Thursday nights, so hopefully that great momentum continues.

A Blumhouse film with excellent reviews aimed at the under-25 demo is always a good sign for box office prospects: critics gave M3GAN 95% on rotten tomatoes. The picture is booked in 3,509 theaters and is expected to take second place behind Avatar: The Way of the Water which is looking at $25-30 million in Weekend 4. Currently, the James Cameron-led sequel has less than $472 million for the weekend – it has a chance of hitting half a billion in the United States. United.

When the reviews are good, the Rotten Tomatoes score is VERY HIGH. When the reviews are bad, the reviews don’t matter. 🙂

—Jason Blum (@jason_blum) January 4, 2023

As for compositions, the Thursday previews for M3GAN are just below that of ScreamA year ago, it made $3.5 million before a $30 million opening weekend, but that was during an MLK holiday weekend. It’s also above Sony The escape room which kicked off New Year’s Eve 2019 with $2.3 million in previews before notching up an $18.2 million opening. This photo was 50% with reviews on RT with an audience score of 52%.

Avatar: The Way of the Water

Disney Studios/20th Century

Among regularly released films, 20th Century Studios/Lightstorm/Disney’s Avatar: The Way of the Water leading Thursday with $6.7 million in 4,202 theaters, -10% compared to Wednesday with a cumulative total of $471.7 million. The sequel grossed $113.5 million for the week.

Uni/DreamWorks Animation’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish across 4,121 sites, it made $2 million yesterday, -11% from Wednesday for a second week of $30 million and a cumulative total of $74.6 million.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever at 2,310 ends its eighth week with an estimate of $8.8 million, a Thursday of $490,000 and a cumulative total of $441.9 million.

Tri-Star/Compelling Images/Black Label Media I want to dance with someone at 3,625 saw a second Thursday of $444,000, a second week of $6.7M and a cumulative total of $17.3M.

from Paramount Babylon at 3,351 posted an estimate of $353,000 on Thursday, -16% from Wednesday, a second week of $4.7M and a cumulative total of $12M. That tops Guillermo del Toro’s era-title lifetime national total of $11.3 million alley of nightmares which went on to be nominated for four Oscars including Best Picture. Proof that poor ticket sales don’t necessarily impact the chances of awards season.