Just as we predicted earlier this week, Sony Animation’s GOAT was able to leapfrog last weekend’s champ, Wuthering Heights, at the box office this weekend, finishing in the top spot with $17 million and a $58.3 million domestic total. Is a finish in the $100 million range within reach? Possibly, as the movie only dropped 38% in week two, which is a fair hold for an animated film, although the A CinemaScore rating suggests the hold should have been better.
In any case, it was less front-loaded than Emerald Fennell’s divisive Wuthering Heights, which plunged 57% in week two. While not disastrous, with a $60 million gross and a finish in the $80–90 million range within reach, this is not the blockbuster many assumed it would be. The film only cost a modest $80 million (credit to Fennell — it looks like it cost much more), but WB spent at least that much marketing it, so it will have to make up the difference overseas to turn a profit. Worldwide, it’s made about $150 million, so with VOD and digital sales, it should at least break even for the studio, but I think many expected this movie to be a blockbuster. The reviews have been mixed, as has audience reaction, with it only earning a B CinemaScore rating.
Faith-Based Sequel Underperforms
However, great CinemaScore ratings likely don’t mean much in the end. Case in point: this week’s faith-based sequel, I Can Only Imagine 2. Despite an A+ CinemaScore rating (standard for Christian-skewing films), it only mustered an $8 million opening, which is less than half of what the first film made ($17.1 million). However, one must also remember that the market was very different back in 2018, as it was released in pre-COVID times when exhibition was much stronger. There also wasn’t as much competition for faith-based movies back then, but now, with companies like Angel Studios, there are a lot more of those kinds of movies being made.
Crime 101 and Send Help: Two Very Different Stories
Amazon/MGM’s Crime 101 also turned out to be pretty front-loaded, falling a steep 60% to fourth place with $5.7 million. Costing $90 million (how on earth did this cost more than Wuthering Heights?), Amazon is going to take a bath on this one, with the total domestic gross standing at $24.7 million. Too bad, as it’s a solid little thriller — kind of Michael Mann-lite, if you catch my drift.
Sam Raimi’s Send Help has proven to be the little blockbuster that could, earning another $4.7 million this weekend for a $55.5 million total. It comes from 20th Century Studios, whose horror release Psycho Killer opened so poorly this weekend (with $1.6 million) that it didn’t even make the top 10.
Glen Powell’s Tough Streak Continues
Meanwhile, Glen Powell had his second major flop in a row, with How to Make a Killing failing to — well — make a killing, opening in sixth place with a poor $3.5 million. The writing was on the wall for this one for a few weeks now, with A24 opting to release it on only about 1,600 screens.
Elvis, Angel Studios and the Holdovers
Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis obsession continues to pay off, with EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert making a terrific $3.5 million on only 325 screens. Per ComScore, its per-screen average was $10K, which is more than twice what GOAT made in the top spot. It goes wide next weekend.
Angel Studios’ Kevin James movie, Solo Mix, continued to perform well, making $2.5 million for a decent $21.8 million total. Disney’s Zootopia 2 continued to print money with $2.3 million and a $423 million domestic total. Finally, James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash is only about $500K shy of a $400 million domestic total, having made $1.8 million this weekend.
Next Weekend: Scream 7 Looms
Next weekend sees the release of Scream 7, which should easily top the box office but, forebodingly, isn’t screening for critics. Uh-oh. Will it stink? Let us know in the comments.
