The 4K re-release of Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke edges out Jason Statham’s A Working Man by a wolf’s whisker.
Princess Mononoke did not come to play during its highly anticipated re-release after slathering on some warpaint and going for the jugular with $1.2M in previews, edging out David Ayer and Jason Statham’s A Working Man by a slight margin. Princess Mononoke, one of filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s most outstanding cinematic achievements, returned to cinemas this week at 330 Imax locations with a shiny 4K print. The special screenings are a treat for fans of the 1997 animated epic, especially those who’ve not seen it on the silver screen.
In Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke, a cursed young warrior named Ashitaka stumbles into a conflict between the people of Iron Town and Princess Mononoke, a girl raised by wolves who will stop at nothing to prevent the destruction of her home. Can Ashitaka and the princess topple the sinister forces of Iron Town before they destroy the sacred land? Watch the movie and find out!
While Princess Mononoke buried a spear in $1.2M, Ayer and Statham’s latest collaboration, A Working Man, punched a hole through $1.1M, which analysts think could do $10M-$12M across 2,229 locations. Statham’s latest slugfest is a hit with critics, with many saying the action film by David Ayer and Sylvester Stallone has ’80s action movie vibes. JoBlo’s editor-in-chief, Chris Bumbray, enjoyed the hell out of A Working Man, saying the film is “a campy B-movie blast with eighties-style madness.”
Elsewhere, Disney’s live-action Snow White is more ho-hum than hi-ho, with woodland creatures bringing $1.8M on Thursday to Mickey Mouse’s money bin. Despite the remade Disney classic’s mediocre returns, Snow White should keep the top spot at the box office this weekend with an estimated $20M.
Blumhouse and Universal’s new PG-13 horror film, Woman in the Yard, scared $870K out of wallets on Thursday after opening in 2,500 theaters. Last year, Blumhouse’s last PG-13 fright-fest, Imaginary, earned $725K in previews, slightly below yesterday’s debut for Woman in the Yard. Additionally, A24’s Death of a Unicorn, starring Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd, rammed a forn through $700K, while Robert De Niro’s Alto Knights made off with $175K added to its first-week total of $4.4M.
Never underestimate the lasting appeal of a Studio Ghibli classic, my friends.
