News Analysis India

Tag: box-office

  • ‘Barbie’ takes the box office crown and ‘Oppenheimer’ soars in a historic weekend

    By Associated Press

    “ Barbenheimer ” didn’t just work – it spun box office gold. The social media-fueled fusion of Greta Gerwig’s “ Barbie ” and Christopher Nolan’s “ Oppenheimer ” brought moviegoers back to the theatres in record numbers this weekend, vastly outperforming projections and giving a glimmer of hope to the lagging exhibition business, amid the sobering backdrop of strikes.

    Warner Bros.’ “Barbie” claimed the top spot with a massive $155 million in ticket sales from North American theatres from 4,243 locations, surpassing “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (as well as every Marvel movie this year) as the biggest opening of the year and breaking the first-weekend record for a film directed by a woman. Universal’s “Oppenheimer” also soared past expectations, taking in $80.5 million from 3,610 theatres in the U.S. and Canada, marking Nolan’s biggest non-Batman debut and one of the best-ever starts for an R-rated biographical drama.

    It’s also the first time that one movie opened to more than $100 million and another movie opened to more than $80 million in the same weekend. When all is settled, it will likely turn out to be the fourth biggest box office weekend of all time with over $300 million industrywide. And all this in a marketplace that increasingly curved towards intellectual property-driven winner takes all.

    The “Barbenheimer” phenomenon may have started out as a good-natured competition between two aesthetic opposites, but, as many hoped, both movies benefitted in the end. Internationally, “Barbie” earned $182 million from 69 territories, fueling a $337 million global weekend. “Oppenheimer” did $93.7 million from 78 territories, ranking above “Barbie” in India, for a $174.2 million global total.

    ALSO READ | Barbenheimer escapes brunt of Hollywood halt

    The only real casualty was “Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part I,” which despite strong reviews and a healthy opening weekend fell 64% in weekend two. Overshadowed by the “Barbenheimer” glow as well as the blow of losing its IMAX screens to “Oppenheimer,” the Tom Cruise vehicle added $19.5 million, bringing its domestic total to $118.8 million.

    “Barbenheimer” is not merely counterprogramming either. But while a certain section of enthusiastic moviegoers overlapped, in aggregate the audiences were distinct.

    Women drove the historic “Barbie” opening, making up 65% of the audience, according to PostTrak, and 40% of ticket buyers were under the age of 25 for the PG-13 rated movie.

    “It’s just a joyous time in the world. This is history in so many ways,” said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros.’ president of domestic distribution. “I think this marketing campaign is one for the ages that people will be talking about forever.”

    “Oppenheimer” audiences meanwhile were 62% male and 63% over the age of 25, with a somewhat surprising 32% that were between the ages of 18 and 24.

    Both “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” scored well with critics with 90% and 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively, and audiences who gave both films an A CinemaScore. And social media has been awash with reactions and “takes” all weekend – good, bad, problematic and everywhere in between – the kind of organic, event cinema, watercooler debate that no marketing budget can buy.

    “The ‘Barbenheimer’ thing was a real boost for both movies,” Goldstein said. “It is a crowning achievement for all of us.”

    “Oppenheimer” had the vast majority (80%) of premium large format screens at its disposal. Some 25 theatres in North America boasted IMAX 70mm screenings ( Nolan’s preferred format ), most of which were completely sold out all weekend — accounting for 2% of the total gross. Theaters even scrambled to add more to accommodate the demand including 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. screenings, which also sold out.

    “Nolan’s films are truly cinematic events,” said Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic distribution.

    IMAX showings alone made up 26% of the domestic gross (or $21.1 million) from only 411 screens and 20% of the global gross, and “Oppenheimer” will have at least a three-week run on those high-demand screens.

    “This is a phenomenon beyond compare,” said Rich Gelfond, the CEO of IMAX, in a statement. “Around the world, we’ve seen sellouts at 4:00 a.m. shows and people travelling hours across borders to see ‘Oppenheimer’ in IMAX 70mm.”

    This is the comeback weekend Hollywood has been dreaming of since the pandemic. There have been big openings and successes – “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” among them, but the fact that two movies are succeeding at the same time is notable.

    “It was a truly historic weekend and continues the positive box office momentum of 2023,” said Michael O’Leary, President & CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners. “People recognized that something special was happening and they wanted to be a part of it.”

    And yet in the background looms disaster as Hollywood studios continue to squabble with striking actors and writers over a fair contract.

    “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” were the last films on the 2023 calendar to get a massive, global press tour. Both went right up to the 11th hour, squeezing in every last moment with their movie stars. “Oppenheimer” even pushed up its London premiere by an hour, knowing that Emily Blunt, Matt Damon and Cillian Murphy would have to leave to symbolically join the picket lines by the time the movie began.

    Without movie stars to promote their films, studios have started pushing some fall releases, including the high-profile Zendaya tennis drama “Challengers.”

    But for now, it’s simply a positive story that could even continue for weeks to come.

    “There could be a sequel next weekend,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “The FOMO factor will rachet up because of this monumental box office event centred around the movie theatre experience.”

    Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

    1. “Barbie,” $155 million.

    2. “Oppenheimer,” $80.5 million.

    3. “Sound of Freedom,” $20.1 million.

    4. “Mission: Impossible-Dead Reckoning Part I,” $19.5 million.

    5. “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” $6.7 million.

    6. “Insidious: The Red Door,” $6.5 million.

    7. “Elemental,” $5.8 million.

    8. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” $2.8 million.

    9. “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” 1.1 million.

    10. “No Hard Feelings,” $1.1 million.

    “ Barbenheimer ” didn’t just work – it spun box office gold. The social media-fueled fusion of Greta Gerwig’s “ Barbie ” and Christopher Nolan’s “ Oppenheimer ” brought moviegoers back to the theatres in record numbers this weekend, vastly outperforming projections and giving a glimmer of hope to the lagging exhibition business, amid the sobering backdrop of strikes.

    Warner Bros.’ “Barbie” claimed the top spot with a massive $155 million in ticket sales from North American theatres from 4,243 locations, surpassing “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (as well as every Marvel movie this year) as the biggest opening of the year and breaking the first-weekend record for a film directed by a woman. Universal’s “Oppenheimer” also soared past expectations, taking in $80.5 million from 3,610 theatres in the U.S. and Canada, marking Nolan’s biggest non-Batman debut and one of the best-ever starts for an R-rated biographical drama.

    It’s also the first time that one movie opened to more than $100 million and another movie opened to more than $80 million in the same weekend. When all is settled, it will likely turn out to be the fourth biggest box office weekend of all time with over $300 million industrywide. And all this in a marketplace that increasingly curved towards intellectual property-driven winner takes all.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    The “Barbenheimer” phenomenon may have started out as a good-natured competition between two aesthetic opposites, but, as many hoped, both movies benefitted in the end. Internationally, “Barbie” earned $182 million from 69 territories, fueling a $337 million global weekend. “Oppenheimer” did $93.7 million from 78 territories, ranking above “Barbie” in India, for a $174.2 million global total.

    ALSO READ | Barbenheimer escapes brunt of Hollywood halt

    The only real casualty was “Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part I,” which despite strong reviews and a healthy opening weekend fell 64% in weekend two. Overshadowed by the “Barbenheimer” glow as well as the blow of losing its IMAX screens to “Oppenheimer,” the Tom Cruise vehicle added $19.5 million, bringing its domestic total to $118.8 million.

    “Barbenheimer” is not merely counterprogramming either. But while a certain section of enthusiastic moviegoers overlapped, in aggregate the audiences were distinct.

    Women drove the historic “Barbie” opening, making up 65% of the audience, according to PostTrak, and 40% of ticket buyers were under the age of 25 for the PG-13 rated movie.

    “It’s just a joyous time in the world. This is history in so many ways,” said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros.’ president of domestic distribution. “I think this marketing campaign is one for the ages that people will be talking about forever.”

    “Oppenheimer” audiences meanwhile were 62% male and 63% over the age of 25, with a somewhat surprising 32% that were between the ages of 18 and 24.

    Both “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” scored well with critics with 90% and 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively, and audiences who gave both films an A CinemaScore. And social media has been awash with reactions and “takes” all weekend – good, bad, problematic and everywhere in between – the kind of organic, event cinema, watercooler debate that no marketing budget can buy.

    “The ‘Barbenheimer’ thing was a real boost for both movies,” Goldstein said. “It is a crowning achievement for all of us.”

    “Oppenheimer” had the vast majority (80%) of premium large format screens at its disposal. Some 25 theatres in North America boasted IMAX 70mm screenings ( Nolan’s preferred format ), most of which were completely sold out all weekend — accounting for 2% of the total gross. Theaters even scrambled to add more to accommodate the demand including 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. screenings, which also sold out.

    “Nolan’s films are truly cinematic events,” said Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic distribution.

    IMAX showings alone made up 26% of the domestic gross (or $21.1 million) from only 411 screens and 20% of the global gross, and “Oppenheimer” will have at least a three-week run on those high-demand screens.

    “This is a phenomenon beyond compare,” said Rich Gelfond, the CEO of IMAX, in a statement. “Around the world, we’ve seen sellouts at 4:00 a.m. shows and people travelling hours across borders to see ‘Oppenheimer’ in IMAX 70mm.”

    This is the comeback weekend Hollywood has been dreaming of since the pandemic. There have been big openings and successes – “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” among them, but the fact that two movies are succeeding at the same time is notable.

    “It was a truly historic weekend and continues the positive box office momentum of 2023,” said Michael O’Leary, President & CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners. “People recognized that something special was happening and they wanted to be a part of it.”

    And yet in the background looms disaster as Hollywood studios continue to squabble with striking actors and writers over a fair contract.

    “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” were the last films on the 2023 calendar to get a massive, global press tour. Both went right up to the 11th hour, squeezing in every last moment with their movie stars. “Oppenheimer” even pushed up its London premiere by an hour, knowing that Emily Blunt, Matt Damon and Cillian Murphy would have to leave to symbolically join the picket lines by the time the movie began.

    Without movie stars to promote their films, studios have started pushing some fall releases, including the high-profile Zendaya tennis drama “Challengers.”

    But for now, it’s simply a positive story that could even continue for weeks to come.

    “There could be a sequel next weekend,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “The FOMO factor will rachet up because of this monumental box office event centred around the movie theatre experience.”

    Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

    1. “Barbie,” $155 million.

    2. “Oppenheimer,” $80.5 million.

    3. “Sound of Freedom,” $20.1 million.

    4. “Mission: Impossible-Dead Reckoning Part I,” $19.5 million.

    5. “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” $6.7 million.

    6. “Insidious: The Red Door,” $6.5 million.

    7. “Elemental,” $5.8 million.

    8. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” $2.8 million.

    9. “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” 1.1 million.

    10. “No Hard Feelings,” $1.1 million.

  • ‘Mission: Impossible’ debuts with $80M over five days, igniting box office but missing expectations

    By Associated Press

    NEW YORK: After a globe-trotting publicity blitz by star Tom Cruise, “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” launched with a franchise-best $80 million over five days, though it came in shy of industry expectations with a $56.2 million haul over the three-day weekend, according to studio estimates.

    The Paramount Pictures debut was boosted by strong overseas sales of $155 million from 70 markets. But while a $235 million worldwide launch marked one of the best global openings of the year, “Dead Reckoning” couldn’t approach the high-speed velocity of last summer’s top film, “Top Gun: Maverick.”

    “Dead Reckoning Part One,” the seventh film in the 27-year-old series, had been forecast to better the franchise high of the previous installment, “Fallout,” which opened with $61 million domestically in 2018. Instead, it also fell short of the $57.8 million “Mission: Impossible II” debuted within 2000.

    That puts the film’s opening-weekend tally very close to the tepid launch of Disney’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which opened in U.S. and Canadian theaters with $82 million over five days and $60 million over the three-day weekend. Paramount and Skydance had higher hopes for the action extravaganza of “Dead Reckoning,” which cost $290 million to make, not counting marketing expenses.

    Those costs were inflated, in part, by the pandemic. “Dead Reckoning,” directed by Christopher McQuarrie, was among the first major productions shut down by COVID-19. It was preparing to shoot in Italy in March 2020. When the film got back on track, McQuarrie and Cruise helped lead the industry-wide recovery back to film sets – albeit with some well-publicized friction over protocols along the way.

    Still, “Dead Reckoning” was hailed as a high point in the franchise. Critics (96% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and fans (an “A” CinemaScore) alike came away awed by the stunts and chases of the latest “Mission: Impossible” film. Though the coming competition of “Barbenheimer” — the much-anticipated debuts of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” — looms, “Mission: Impossible” should play well for weeks to come.

    “This is a global franchise. It’s going gangbusters and its going to play for a long time. Quality always wins in the end,” said Chris Aronson, distribution chief for Paramount.

    “Dead Reckoning,” Aronson said, met or exceeded the studio’s expectations.

    “In international markets, in like-for-like markets, we’re 15% ahead of ‘Fallout,’ and that’s taking China out,” added Aronson. “Domestically, we’re over 3% ahead of ‘Fallout’ for the first five days. To beat its predecessor is phenomenal, especially in this environment.”

    Cruise, the so-called savior of movie theaters last year, traveled tirelessly to again pump life back into a summer box office that’s been sluggish. After a splashy world premiere in Rome with a red-carpet on the Spanish Steps, Cruise and McQuarrie surprised theaters in Atlanta, Miami, Toronto and Washington D.C. in the days ahead of opening.

    “Dead Reckoning” hit theaters at a crucial mid-summer period for Hollywood, and not just because of the SAG-AFTRA strike which began Thursday. “Mission: Impossible” launched a week before one of the biggest box-office showdowns of the year.

    Though “Dead Reckoning” and “Oppenheimer” have vied for some of the same IMAX screens, each film has publicly endorsed the idea that a rising tide lifts all blockbusters. Cruise and McQuarrie in early July even bought opening-weekend tickets to both “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.” “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig and “Oppenheimer” filmmaker Christopher Nolan reciprocated with their own gestures of support.

    However, that trio of films performs over the next few weeks will do a lot to determine the fate of the summer box office.

    “These are a crucial couple of weeks for the industry starting this weekend,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore. “I think it’s going to be a fun reinvigoration of the box office because we have had a few films underperforming. Really, the summer movie season restarts this week with ‘Mission’ leading into ‘Barbenheimer.’”

    No other new wide release challenged “Mission: Impossible” over the weekend. Second place went to Angel Studios’ faith-based political thriller “Sound of Freedom” which increased 37% in its second with $27 million. Jim Caveziel stars in the child trafficking drama.

    Last week’s top film, “ Insidious: The Red Door ” slid to third with $13 million in its second weekend. “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” is dropping quickly with $12 million its third weekend, with a domestical total so far of $145.4 million.

    In limited release, the Searchlight Pictures’ mockumentary “Theater Camp” opened to $270,000 from six theaters in New York and Los Angeles.

    Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

    NEW YORK: After a globe-trotting publicity blitz by star Tom Cruise, “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” launched with a franchise-best $80 million over five days, though it came in shy of industry expectations with a $56.2 million haul over the three-day weekend, according to studio estimates.

    The Paramount Pictures debut was boosted by strong overseas sales of $155 million from 70 markets. But while a $235 million worldwide launch marked one of the best global openings of the year, “Dead Reckoning” couldn’t approach the high-speed velocity of last summer’s top film, “Top Gun: Maverick.”

    “Dead Reckoning Part One,” the seventh film in the 27-year-old series, had been forecast to better the franchise high of the previous installment, “Fallout,” which opened with $61 million domestically in 2018. Instead, it also fell short of the $57.8 million “Mission: Impossible II” debuted within 2000.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    That puts the film’s opening-weekend tally very close to the tepid launch of Disney’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which opened in U.S. and Canadian theaters with $82 million over five days and $60 million over the three-day weekend. Paramount and Skydance had higher hopes for the action extravaganza of “Dead Reckoning,” which cost $290 million to make, not counting marketing expenses.

    Those costs were inflated, in part, by the pandemic. “Dead Reckoning,” directed by Christopher McQuarrie, was among the first major productions shut down by COVID-19. It was preparing to shoot in Italy in March 2020. When the film got back on track, McQuarrie and Cruise helped lead the industry-wide recovery back to film sets – albeit with some well-publicized friction over protocols along the way.

    Still, “Dead Reckoning” was hailed as a high point in the franchise. Critics (96% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and fans (an “A” CinemaScore) alike came away awed by the stunts and chases of the latest “Mission: Impossible” film. Though the coming competition of “Barbenheimer” — the much-anticipated debuts of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” — looms, “Mission: Impossible” should play well for weeks to come.

    “This is a global franchise. It’s going gangbusters and its going to play for a long time. Quality always wins in the end,” said Chris Aronson, distribution chief for Paramount.

    “Dead Reckoning,” Aronson said, met or exceeded the studio’s expectations.

    “In international markets, in like-for-like markets, we’re 15% ahead of ‘Fallout,’ and that’s taking China out,” added Aronson. “Domestically, we’re over 3% ahead of ‘Fallout’ for the first five days. To beat its predecessor is phenomenal, especially in this environment.”

    Cruise, the so-called savior of movie theaters last year, traveled tirelessly to again pump life back into a summer box office that’s been sluggish. After a splashy world premiere in Rome with a red-carpet on the Spanish Steps, Cruise and McQuarrie surprised theaters in Atlanta, Miami, Toronto and Washington D.C. in the days ahead of opening.

    “Dead Reckoning” hit theaters at a crucial mid-summer period for Hollywood, and not just because of the SAG-AFTRA strike which began Thursday. “Mission: Impossible” launched a week before one of the biggest box-office showdowns of the year.

    Though “Dead Reckoning” and “Oppenheimer” have vied for some of the same IMAX screens, each film has publicly endorsed the idea that a rising tide lifts all blockbusters. Cruise and McQuarrie in early July even bought opening-weekend tickets to both “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.” “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig and “Oppenheimer” filmmaker Christopher Nolan reciprocated with their own gestures of support.

    However, that trio of films performs over the next few weeks will do a lot to determine the fate of the summer box office.

    “These are a crucial couple of weeks for the industry starting this weekend,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore. “I think it’s going to be a fun reinvigoration of the box office because we have had a few films underperforming. Really, the summer movie season restarts this week with ‘Mission’ leading into ‘Barbenheimer.’”

    No other new wide release challenged “Mission: Impossible” over the weekend. Second place went to Angel Studios’ faith-based political thriller “Sound of Freedom” which increased 37% in its second with $27 million. Jim Caveziel stars in the child trafficking drama.

    Last week’s top film, “ Insidious: The Red Door ” slid to third with $13 million in its second weekend. “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” is dropping quickly with $12 million its third weekend, with a domestical total so far of $145.4 million.

    In limited release, the Searchlight Pictures’ mockumentary “Theater Camp” opened to $270,000 from six theaters in New York and Los Angeles.

    Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

  • Ant-Man opens big at the box office with USD 104 million for ‘Quantumania’

    By Associated Press

    NEW YORK: Phase five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe may have gotten off to a rocky start, but Ant-Man is bigger than ever at the box office.

    “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” opened with $104 million in domestic ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday, easily surpassing the box-office debuts of the previous two Ant-Man films. The Walt Disney Co.’s “Quantumania” added another $121.3 million overseas to give the pint-sized hero a $225 million global launch.

    It’s easily the largest opening of the year so far. And “Quantumania” did so despite an atypically poor reception for the 31st MCU film. “Quantumania,” starring Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as the Wasp and Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, sits at 48% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the only MCU film to rank as rotten beside “Eternals” (47%).

    Audiences also weren’t thrilled with “Quantumania,” giving it a “B” CinemaScore. “Eternals” is the only other MCU film to receive a CinemaScore that low.

    Those scores will pose the biggest concern for Marvel as it continues to unroll phase five of the MCU, following mixed reviews for the post-“Avengers: Endgame” phase four of the comic-book franchise. Up next is “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” in May.

    ALSO READ | Brie Larson-starrer ‘The Marvels’ to release in India on November 10

    But good reviews or not, theaters hope “Quantumania” — the first blockbuster of the year — is a sign of things to come. After the turmoil of the past three years, there are some 30 more wide releases planned for 2023.

    “It will feel almost in the coming weeks like a pre-pandemic moviegoing environment in terms of the marketplace,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore. “That’s very good news coming off a very tumultuous past two, three years. This is the start of a big many months for this industry. We’ve sort of been in the waiting room with holdovers like ‘Avatar’ and others.”

    The first “Ant-Man” launched with $57.2 million domestically in 2015, the smallest opening for any movie in the MCU. It ultimately earned $519.3 million worldwide. Its sequel, “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” debuted three years later with $75.8 million and went to collect $622.7 million globally.

    China was vital for both of those releases, with each topping $100 million there. But in recent years, particularly during the pandemic, fewer American movies have secured major releases in the heavily regulated Chinese market. Not since “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019 has a Disney release opened simultaneously in the U.S. and China.

    Whether China will ever go back to those pre-pandemic numbers for U.S. movies, however, remains to be seen — especially as tensions continue to fester over the Chinese balloon surveillance program. “Quantumania” took in $19 million over the weekend in China.

    In its 10th weekend of release, James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” remained in second place with $6.4 million. With $2.243 billion globally, Cameron’s sci-fi sequel has now just surpassed Cameron’s own “Titanic” — currently back in theaters for its 25th anniversary — as the third-highest grossing film ever. Now, only the 2009 “Avatar” and “Avengers: Endgame” rank above “The Way of Water.”

    Last week’s top film, “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” slid to third place with $5.5 million. The Channing Tatum sequel has collected $18.1 million in two weeks.

    Landing in fourth was Universal’s “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” which has enjoyed an unusually long run in theaters as the top family option since late December. With $5.3 million over the weekend, it has totaled $167 million domestically and more than $400 million worldwide.

    Only one new film went into wide release against “Quantumania.” Open Road and Briarcliff Entertainment debuted “Marlowe,” with Liam Neeson playing Raymond Chandler’s classic private eye, in 2,281 locations. “Marlowe,” though, only mustered $1.9 million.

    Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

    1. “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” $104 million.

    2. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” $6.1 million.

    3. “Magic Mike’s Last Dance,” $5.5 million.

    4. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” $5.3 million.

    5. “Knock at the Cabin,” $3.9 million.

    6. “80 for Brady,” $3.6 million.

    7. “Titanic,” $2.3 million.

    8. “Marlowe,” $1.9 million.

    9. “Missing,” $1.7 million.

    10. “A Man Called Otto,” $1.6 million.

    NEW YORK: Phase five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe may have gotten off to a rocky start, but Ant-Man is bigger than ever at the box office.

    “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” opened with $104 million in domestic ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday, easily surpassing the box-office debuts of the previous two Ant-Man films. The Walt Disney Co.’s “Quantumania” added another $121.3 million overseas to give the pint-sized hero a $225 million global launch.

    It’s easily the largest opening of the year so far. And “Quantumania” did so despite an atypically poor reception for the 31st MCU film. “Quantumania,” starring Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as the Wasp and Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, sits at 48% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the only MCU film to rank as rotten beside “Eternals” (47%).

    Audiences also weren’t thrilled with “Quantumania,” giving it a “B” CinemaScore. “Eternals” is the only other MCU film to receive a CinemaScore that low.

    Those scores will pose the biggest concern for Marvel as it continues to unroll phase five of the MCU, following mixed reviews for the post-“Avengers: Endgame” phase four of the comic-book franchise. Up next is “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” in May.

    ALSO READ | Brie Larson-starrer ‘The Marvels’ to release in India on November 10

    But good reviews or not, theaters hope “Quantumania” — the first blockbuster of the year — is a sign of things to come. After the turmoil of the past three years, there are some 30 more wide releases planned for 2023.

    “It will feel almost in the coming weeks like a pre-pandemic moviegoing environment in terms of the marketplace,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore. “That’s very good news coming off a very tumultuous past two, three years. This is the start of a big many months for this industry. We’ve sort of been in the waiting room with holdovers like ‘Avatar’ and others.”

    The first “Ant-Man” launched with $57.2 million domestically in 2015, the smallest opening for any movie in the MCU. It ultimately earned $519.3 million worldwide. Its sequel, “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” debuted three years later with $75.8 million and went to collect $622.7 million globally.

    China was vital for both of those releases, with each topping $100 million there. But in recent years, particularly during the pandemic, fewer American movies have secured major releases in the heavily regulated Chinese market. Not since “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019 has a Disney release opened simultaneously in the U.S. and China.

    Whether China will ever go back to those pre-pandemic numbers for U.S. movies, however, remains to be seen — especially as tensions continue to fester over the Chinese balloon surveillance program. “Quantumania” took in $19 million over the weekend in China.

    In its 10th weekend of release, James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” remained in second place with $6.4 million. With $2.243 billion globally, Cameron’s sci-fi sequel has now just surpassed Cameron’s own “Titanic” — currently back in theaters for its 25th anniversary — as the third-highest grossing film ever. Now, only the 2009 “Avatar” and “Avengers: Endgame” rank above “The Way of Water.”

    Last week’s top film, “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” slid to third place with $5.5 million. The Channing Tatum sequel has collected $18.1 million in two weeks.

    Landing in fourth was Universal’s “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” which has enjoyed an unusually long run in theaters as the top family option since late December. With $5.3 million over the weekend, it has totaled $167 million domestically and more than $400 million worldwide.

    Only one new film went into wide release against “Quantumania.” Open Road and Briarcliff Entertainment debuted “Marlowe,” with Liam Neeson playing Raymond Chandler’s classic private eye, in 2,281 locations. “Marlowe,” though, only mustered $1.9 million.

    Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

    1. “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” $104 million.

    2. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” $6.1 million.

    3. “Magic Mike’s Last Dance,” $5.5 million.

    4. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” $5.3 million.

    5. “Knock at the Cabin,” $3.9 million.

    6. “80 for Brady,” $3.6 million.

    7. “Titanic,” $2.3 million.

    8. “Marlowe,” $1.9 million.

    9. “Missing,” $1.7 million.

    10. “A Man Called Otto,” $1.6 million.

  • ‘Avatar 2’ makes waves with $134 million domestic debut

    By Associated Press

    “Avatar: The Way of Water” didn’t make quite as big of a splash as many assumed it would, but James Cameron’s big-budget spectacle still helped breathe life into the box office this weekend. The sequel earned $134 million from North American theatres and $300.5 million internationally for a $434.5 million global debut, according to studio estimates on Sunday.

    It tied with “The Batman” as the fourth highest domestic debut of the year, behind “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” ($187.4 million in May), “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” ($181 million in November) and “Thor: Love and Thunder” ($144.2 million in July).

    Expectations were enormous for “Avatar 2,” which carried a reported price tag of over $350 million, the pressure of following up the highest-grossing film of all time (thanks in part to various re-releases) over a decade later and the daunting task of propping up an exhibition business that’s still far from normal.

    Everything in “Avatar” is oversized, though: the Na’vi characters, the runtime (a staggering three hours and 12 minutes), the technical advancements and the release strategy from 20th Century Studios and The Walt Disney Co.

    Going into the weekend many were expecting a domestic debut of at least $150 million. Some even said $175 or higher, but tracking has also not been as reliable a metric during the pandemic.

    Disney saw early that “The Way of Water” was going to be a different kind of beast when they looked at pre-sales. For a normal, spoiler-heavy movie like many Marvel offerings, post-opening weekend sales are usually around 5%. For “The Way of Water,” they were at 20%. In other words, the company knew that tracking was overinflated.

    “We’ve got a terrific movie that is playing across all demographics and (has) terrific word of mouth,” said Tony Chambers, the Walt Disney Co.’s executive vice president for theatrical distribution. “We’ve got the screens and we’ve got a clear run. This isn’t about the opening day or the opening weekend. This is about the entire run.”

    The film began its international rollout on Wednesday and debuted in North America on Thursday evening. Domestically, “Avatar: The Way of Water” was released in 4,202 theatres on over 12,000 screens, 400 of which were IMAX 3D. The studio and filmmakers bet big on the draw, and higher prices, of the 3D format and premium large screens.

    By the end of Friday, “Avatar: The Way of Water” had already earned $53 million in the U.S. and Canada and $180.1 million globally, aided by a China release — the first major Hollywood release in the country since “Minions: The Rise of Gru” in August. It blows “Avatar’s” $26.7 million first day in 2009 out of the water, though that didn’t include Thursday previews.

    An estimated 66% of the $435 million opening weekend revenue came from worldwide 3D ticket sales.Travis Reid, CEO of 3D company RealD, set a “new benchmark for the current 3D marketplace.”Over $48.8 million of the global total came from IMAX screens alone (1,543 in 80 markets), the company’s second biggest weekend.

    “As excited as we are about these early results, we anticipate a long and successful run for ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX, in a statement.

    As with many ambitious Cameron projects, from “Titanic” to the first “Avatar,” nerves were high for the costly sequel, one of the most expensive of all time, which began production five years ago. It faced repeated delays and weathered The Walt Disney Co’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019. It’s also one of four “Avatar” sequels Cameron had in mind. Filming on the third movie, which was shot simultaneously with “The Way of Water,” is done, with an expected release in December 2024.

    In the 13 years since the first film, “Avatar” has also been the butt of jokes for the perception that the biggest movie of all time, one that has made nearly $3 billion, has left a relatively minor footprint in the culture. But even so, critics have largely been on board with “The Way of Water,” not just for the visuals but also for improving on the story of the first. It holds a 78% positive rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

    The question of whether “Avatar 2” will earn enough is a complicated one with varied answers. Is it enough for exhibitors, who’ve had several significant hits this year, including “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Black Panther 2” and “Doctor Strange 2,” but are still hurting? Is it enough to justify starting production on the fourth and fifth movies? Is it enough for the business as a whole, which is looking at a domestic year-end total in the $8 billion range, as opposed to a pre-pandemic normal of $11 billion?

    But like the critics shouting “never doubt James Cameron,” the studio and analysts are singing a similar tune.

    “Avatar: The Way of Water” has the benefit of a holiday corridor that is, relatively speaking, lacking in major blockbuster-style movies. Next week sees the debut of Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon” and the family-friendly “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” but there are no comparable blockbusters until “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” in February. The hope is that audiences will continue seeking “Avatar 2” out for weeks and months to come, similar to the first movie.

    “Historically James Cameron’s movies are about the long haul, not the opening weekend,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “‘Avatar’ is going to develop its box office over time. It’s about where it will end up months from now.”

    Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Comscore, with Wednesday through Sunday in parentheses. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

    1. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” $134 million.2. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” $5.4 million.3. “Violent Night,” $5 million.4. “Strange World,” $2.2 million.5. “The Menu,” $1.7 million.6. “Devotion,” $825,000.7. “The Fabelmans,” $750,000.8. “Black Adam,” $500,000.9. “I Heard the Bells,” $308,893.10. “Empire of Light,” $235,000.

    “Avatar: The Way of Water” didn’t make quite as big of a splash as many assumed it would, but James Cameron’s big-budget spectacle still helped breathe life into the box office this weekend. The sequel earned $134 million from North American theatres and $300.5 million internationally for a $434.5 million global debut, according to studio estimates on Sunday.

    It tied with “The Batman” as the fourth highest domestic debut of the year, behind “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” ($187.4 million in May), “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” ($181 million in November) and “Thor: Love and Thunder” ($144.2 million in July).

    Expectations were enormous for “Avatar 2,” which carried a reported price tag of over $350 million, the pressure of following up the highest-grossing film of all time (thanks in part to various re-releases) over a decade later and the daunting task of propping up an exhibition business that’s still far from normal.

    Everything in “Avatar” is oversized, though: the Na’vi characters, the runtime (a staggering three hours and 12 minutes), the technical advancements and the release strategy from 20th Century Studios and The Walt Disney Co.

    Going into the weekend many were expecting a domestic debut of at least $150 million. Some even said $175 or higher, but tracking has also not been as reliable a metric during the pandemic.

    Disney saw early that “The Way of Water” was going to be a different kind of beast when they looked at pre-sales. For a normal, spoiler-heavy movie like many Marvel offerings, post-opening weekend sales are usually around 5%. For “The Way of Water,” they were at 20%. In other words, the company knew that tracking was overinflated.

    “We’ve got a terrific movie that is playing across all demographics and (has) terrific word of mouth,” said Tony Chambers, the Walt Disney Co.’s executive vice president for theatrical distribution. “We’ve got the screens and we’ve got a clear run. This isn’t about the opening day or the opening weekend. This is about the entire run.”

    The film began its international rollout on Wednesday and debuted in North America on Thursday evening. Domestically, “Avatar: The Way of Water” was released in 4,202 theatres on over 12,000 screens, 400 of which were IMAX 3D. The studio and filmmakers bet big on the draw, and higher prices, of the 3D format and premium large screens.

    By the end of Friday, “Avatar: The Way of Water” had already earned $53 million in the U.S. and Canada and $180.1 million globally, aided by a China release — the first major Hollywood release in the country since “Minions: The Rise of Gru” in August. It blows “Avatar’s” $26.7 million first day in 2009 out of the water, though that didn’t include Thursday previews.

    An estimated 66% of the $435 million opening weekend revenue came from worldwide 3D ticket sales.
    Travis Reid, CEO of 3D company RealD, set a “new benchmark for the current 3D marketplace.”
    Over $48.8 million of the global total came from IMAX screens alone (1,543 in 80 markets), the company’s second biggest weekend.

    “As excited as we are about these early results, we anticipate a long and successful run for ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX, in a statement.

    As with many ambitious Cameron projects, from “Titanic” to the first “Avatar,” nerves were high for the costly sequel, one of the most expensive of all time, which began production five years ago. It faced repeated delays and weathered The Walt Disney Co’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019. It’s also one of four “Avatar” sequels Cameron had in mind. Filming on the third movie, which was shot simultaneously with “The Way of Water,” is done, with an expected release in December 2024.

    In the 13 years since the first film, “Avatar” has also been the butt of jokes for the perception that the biggest movie of all time, one that has made nearly $3 billion, has left a relatively minor footprint in the culture. But even so, critics have largely been on board with “The Way of Water,” not just for the visuals but also for improving on the story of the first. It holds a 78% positive rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

    The question of whether “Avatar 2” will earn enough is a complicated one with varied answers. Is it enough for exhibitors, who’ve had several significant hits this year, including “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Black Panther 2” and “Doctor Strange 2,” but are still hurting? Is it enough to justify starting production on the fourth and fifth movies? Is it enough for the business as a whole, which is looking at a domestic year-end total in the $8 billion range, as opposed to a pre-pandemic normal of $11 billion?

    But like the critics shouting “never doubt James Cameron,” the studio and analysts are singing a similar tune.

    “Avatar: The Way of Water” has the benefit of a holiday corridor that is, relatively speaking, lacking in major blockbuster-style movies. Next week sees the debut of Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon” and the family-friendly “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” but there are no comparable blockbusters until “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” in February. The hope is that audiences will continue seeking “Avatar 2” out for weeks and months to come, similar to the first movie.

    “Historically James Cameron’s movies are about the long haul, not the opening weekend,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “‘Avatar’ is going to develop its box office over time. It’s about where it will end up months from now.”

    Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Comscore, with Wednesday through Sunday in parentheses. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

    1. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” $134 million.
    2. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” $5.4 million.
    3. “Violent Night,” $5 million.
    4. “Strange World,” $2.2 million.
    5. “The Menu,” $1.7 million.
    6. “Devotion,” $825,000.
    7. “The Fabelmans,” $750,000.
    8. “Black Adam,” $500,000.
    9. “I Heard the Bells,” $308,893.
    10. “Empire of Light,” $235,000.

  • Tom Cruise’s ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ hits USD 1 billion in 31 days at global box office

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: Paramount/ Skydance’s ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has surpassed USD 1 billion worldwide, becoming only the second pandemic-era film to achieve this landmark feat.

    It took just 31 days for the aviators to get to USD 1B with the total through Sunday at an estimated USD 1.006 billion worldwide, including domestic’s estimated USD 521.7 million and USD 484.7 million from the international box office, as per Deadline. This is also the first time Tom Cruise has hit that milestone in his 40-year-long career.

    Thank you to everyone who saw #TopGun: Maverick and helped make it a historic opening weekend.
    — Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) May 31, 2022
    The overseas holds on this 36-years-later sequel directed by Joseph Kosinski have been nothing short of stellar, with the last weekend collection off by just 21 per cent, and the current frame at USD 44.5M in 65 markets, down by only 26 per cent, which is remarkable.

    According to Deadline, Top Gun: Maverick’s performance is a testament to the work that Paramount’s distribution and marketing teams put behind it, while Cruise himself deserves massive credit. The indefatigable star travelled to San Diego, Mexico City, Japan, Cannes, London and Seoul to promote the movie. After his Korea trip, he even made a pit stop at the CineEurope convention in Barcelona this past Wednesday (en route from Seoul to the set of the next Mission: Impossible), thanking the exhibition personally for its efforts.

    To recap its journey, upon release in late May, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ lit the fire with Cruise’s biggest domestic and international debuts; and the following weekend wasn’t swallowed up by the launch of Jurassic World Dominion, proving there’s room for more than one mega-movie in the market, which comes as a piece of good news for everyone after the last two years of uncertainty.

  • ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is unstoppable, jets past USD 400 million mark in US

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: The jet engines of Tom Cruise’s charm and the nostalgia quotient seem to working at full blast as Hollywood’s recent release ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has attained the Mach 10, soaring past $400 million at the US domestic box office, making it the highest-grossing movie of the year in the US.With $401.8 million in North American ticket sales, Tom Cruise’s patriotic blockbuster has surpassed ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ ($398 million) to claim the No. 1 spot. According to ‘Variety’, it’s only the second movie in pandemic times to cross $400 million stateside, ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ being the first.While the film may have clear skies in June, heavy turbulence is expected for the Tom Cruise-starrer in July as ‘Maverick’ will have to fight off heavyweights like ‘Thor: Love and Thunder (July 8), ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ (July 1) to keep the domestic crown through 2022.’Variety’ further states that internationally, the sequel to 1986’s ‘Top Gun’ has earned $362 million, taking its global total to a massive $783.8 million. Even by pre-COVID standards, ‘Maverick’ is smashing box office expectations. Since ticket sales have stayed strong in recent weeks, industry analysts believe the film will at least cross $900 million by the end of its theatrical run and could even surpass the coveted $1 billion mark.’Top Gun: Maverick’ already stands as Cruise’s highest-grossing film in North America, but it’s close to becoming the actor’s biggest movie at the global box office. ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’, which collected $791 million worldwide in 2018, currently stands as his highest-grossing blockbuster of all time.’Top Gun: Maverick’ opened over Memorial Day weekend and set a holiday record, collecting $160.5 million in its first four days of release. It was the first movie in Cruise’s 40-year career to surpass $100 million in a single weekend.Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the $170 million-budgeted ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ picks up decades after the original and follows Cruise’s Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell as he trains a new group of aviators for a crucial assignment.

  • Doctor Strange’ remains atop box office as ‘Top Gun’ looms

    By Associated Press

    LOS ANGELES:  Doctor Strange and his multiverse got to linger a little longer atop the weekend box office as Tom Cruise and “Top Gun” wait in the wings.

    Marvel’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” was the top-earning film of the weekend for the third straight week, bringing in $31.6 million in 4,534 North American theaters, according to studio estimates released Sunday.

    “Downton Abbey: A New Era” made a strong opening showing for Focus Features with $16 million from 3,820 theaters, but there has been no real blockbuster competition for “Doctor Strange.”

    “This film has had a pretty wide-open marketplace,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “This weekend really is, this is the proverbial calm before the storm.”

    That storm will come in the form of the long-awaited, and long-delayed, the release of “Top Gun: Maverick,” the sequel that arrives next week on Memorial Day weekend, 36 years after the original smash hit and cultural landmark. It flies in amid sky-high hype.

    “The marketing for this movie has really been going on for about three years,” Dergarabedian said. “That’s a pretty long runway to build up excitement.”

    Cruise had the film festival in Cannes, France, abuzz on Wednesday with a whirlwind appearance for the film’s European premiere that included a fly-over of French fighter jets and an honorary Palme d’Or award.

    “Top Gun” represents two seemingly fading phenomena — the major movie star and the big-screen-only experience, for which Cruise has been a tireless ambassador. And the industry is hoping they will help bring a more familiar summer for theaters.

    “This is going to be one of the most important Memorial Day weekends ever, considering what the stakes are,” Dergarabedian said. “We didn’t have a traditional summer movie season for two years.”

    Before the pandemic, the summer box office season generally brought in more than $4 billion annually. After an essentially non-existent 2020, the 2021 take, in a year of recovery, was $1.75 billion. This year’s crop of films, which also includes “Jurassic World Dominion” and “Thor: Love and Thunder,” could double that, Dergarabedian said.

    But while the world waits, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” crossed the $800 million mark in global grosses, surpassing “The Batman” to become the top-grossing film of the year.

    Released by the Walt Disney Co. and directed by Sam Raimi, “ Doctor Strange 2 ” benefitted from being the first Marvel movie to follow “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” in which Benedict Cumberbatch’s sorcerer played a pivotal role.

    It also builds upon the popular Disney+ series “Wandavision” and contains a number of cameos that fans didn’t want to be spoiled.

    Holdover family films “The Bad Guys” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” took the third and fourth spots. Universal’s “The Bad Guys” added $6.1 million in its fifth week. “Sonic 2” earned $3.9 million in its seventh.

    Director Alex Garland’s folk horror thriller “Men” brought in $3.3 million for the production company and distributor A24.

    Meanwhile, “Everything Everywhere All At Once” is still going strong even after nine weeks in release. The A24 film picked up an additional $3.3 million, down only 6% from the previous weekend, bringing its total grosses to $47 million.

    Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

    1. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” $31.6 million.

    2. “Downton Abbey: A New Era,” $16 million.

    3. “The Bad Guys,” $6.1 million.

    4. “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” $3.9 million.

    5. “Men,” $3.3 million.

    6. “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” $3.1 million.

    7. “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” $1.9 million.

    8. “Firestarter,” $1.9 million.

    9. “The Lost City,” $1.5 million.

    10. “The Northman,” $1 million.

  • For ‘Fantastic Beasts’ series, its a case of diminishing returns

    By Associated Press

    “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” got off to a less than magical start in its first weekend in US and Canadian theaters. The third installment in the Harry Potter spinoff opened to $43 million in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday.

    It was enough to secure the film the top spot on the box office charts, but it’s also a low for the franchise. The first film had a $74.4 million debut in 2016 and the second, “The Crimes of Grindelwald” opened to $62.2 million in 2018. “The Secrets of Dumbledore,” which Warner Bros. released in 4,208 locations in North America, also carries a $200 million production price tag.

    It’s more common than not for sequels and threequels to come in lower than their predecessors, but “Dumbledore” also follows several franchise titles that defied that logic, including “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Venom 2” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.”

    Critics were largely not on board with “Dumbledore.” With a 49% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, most came in on the negative side. AP Film Writer Jake Coyle wrote in his review that “the purpose of these movies has never felt like much beyond keeping the Potter train running” and that this iteration is “a bit of a bore.” Audiences, which were 56% female, were a little kinder, giving it four stars on PostTrak and an overall B+ CinemaScore.

    The eight Harry Potter films were responsible for over $7.7 billion in box office, while the first two “Fantastic Beasts” films made $1.5 billion total.

    This installment stars Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Ezra Miller and Mads Mikkelsen, who replaced Johnny Depp as Grindelwald. In November 2020, following Depp’s failed libel case against The Sun tabloid newspaper for an article that labeled him a “wife-beater,” the actor said Warner Bros. asked him to step down and that he agreed.

    As with previous “Fantastic Beasts” films, however, “Dumbledore” has more hope internationally. Its grosses are $193 million worldwide. Both of the previous films made over 70% of their global totals from international showings.

    “Recapturing the original ‘Harry Potter’ magic that began some 20 years ago in cinemas is a tall order,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “The ‘Fantastic Beasts’ franchise, while seeing diminishing returns with each successive installment, still has enough of a devoted fanbase to conjure up respectable numbers, particularly with international audiences which have always provided the lion’s share of the box office for these films.”

    Dergarabedian added that the true test for “Dumbledore” will be the second weekend. Also, as Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. head of domestic distribution, pointed out, the films are just one part of the Wizarding World.

    “It’s part of a bigger strategy for the Wizarding World, a bigger business that includes theme parks and stores and merchandising. It’s all about the totality of these pieces and not anyone on their own,” Goldstein said. “There’s still a lot of public interest and a lot of fan interest.”

    Plus, Warner Bros. is celebrating a big milestone for another film: “The Batman” crossed $750 million globally this weekend. “It’s an enormous achievement,” Goldstein said.

    In its second weekend, “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” fell 58% and earned an estimated $30 million to take second place, according to Paramount. The film has grossed $119.6 million to date. Third place also went to Paramount with the action-adventure “The Lost City,” starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum.

    Sony also released “Father Stu” in 2,705 locations on Wednesday. Starring Mark Wahlberg, who helped finance the film, “Father Stu” is based on a true story and is a rare mainstream Hollywood movie with religious themes. It earned an estimated $8 million in its first five days in theaters and $5.7 million over the weekend.

    “Father Stu” came in fifth place behind “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” A24’s stealth hit that just keeps getting bigger. This weekend the buzzy interdimensional film starring Michelle Yeoh played on 2,220 screens — its widest release yet — and earned an additional $6.2 million. Its overall gross is sitting at $17.7 million.

    Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

    1. “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” $43 million.

    2. “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” $30 million.

    3. “The Lost City,” $6.5 million.

    4. “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” $6.2 million.

    5. “Father Stu,” $5.7 million.

    6. “Morbius,” $4.7 million.

    7. “Ambulance,” $4 million.

    8. “The Batman,” $3.8 million.

    9. “K.G.F.: Chapter 2,” $2.9 million.

    10. “Uncharted,” $1.2 million.

  • Covid surge slows down flight of ‘The Batman’ in China

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: The current Covid-19 surge in China has seriously affected the mainland China box office collections of the recently released Robert Pattinson-starrer ‘The Batman’. Of late, the trend has been the same for films of all origins at China’s box office, reports ‘Variety’.As per ‘Variety’, by 3:30 p.m. on its first full day, the film had earned a lowly RMB12.1 million, or $1.90 million at prevailing currency rates, according to provisional data from ticketing agency Maoyan. Including previews from Thursday, “The Batman” had a total by early afternoon of RMB13.7 million, or $2.15 million.However, there seems to be some respite for the Warner Bros. noir as it secured top position at the mainland China box office chart with a 70% market share, more than five times greater than second placed ‘The Battle at Lake Changjin II’.Previous Batman films have scored reasonably strongly in China: ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ raked in $53 million in 2012; ‘Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice’ earned $97 million in 2016; and ‘Justice League’ made $106 million in 2017 when China became the first country to premiere the film.Since 2020, Chinese audiences have been offered fewer Hollywood films than in previous years, a situation created by a smaller flow of U.S. commercial cinema during 2020, the first year of the pandemic, and by Chinese government action to crimp imports of American films in 2021.As per ‘Variety’, Disney and Sony have not been able to get import approval for five of their Marvel films and there has not been a U.S. superhero movie released in China for over a year. Instead, Chinese audiences have been treated to a succession of patriotic locally-made blockbusters that have played especially well at holiday peaks.

  • ‘The Batman’ keeps gliding as box-office leader in second weekend

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: With no new major releases for the weekend, Warner Bros.’ ‘The Batman’ has an easy path to repeating its top performance at the domestic box-office.

    The DC adaptation grossed an additional $18.7 million on Friday from 4,417 locations, more than enough to maintain the No. 1 position on North American charts, reports variety.com.

    That performance represents a 67 per cent drop-off from the film’s $57 million opening day, though that debut figure also includes $21.6 million from Thursday preview screenings populated by eager fans. Looking solely at last Friday’s numbers, aThe Batman’ is showing a much more encouraging 47 percent decline, reports variety.com.

    Compared to other recent superhero releases, ‘The Batman’ is holding a little less mightily than its peers. In their respective second Fridays, Disney’s ‘Eternals’ dropped 63.2 per cent and ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ fell 53.4 per cent, though both of those films represented properties new to moviegoers, thus being less likely to draw a front-loaded performance.

    ALSO READ | Colin Farrell says Robert Pattinson is ‘terrifying’ as Batman

    When measured up against other WB films featuring the Caped Crusader is showing a stronger hold than ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (a 77 per cent drop) and ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ (an 82 per cent drop).

    Last weekend, ‘The Batman’ bested box office predictions in its debut, raking in $134 million. Its ticket sales ranked as the best of 2022 so far, and it became the second pandemic-era theatrical release to cross the $100 million mark in its first weekend, after ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’.

    Though the film will face some competition in ‘The Lost City’ next weekend, it’s likely that ‘The Batman’ will continue to clean up on domestic charts until another superhero epic, ‘Morbius’, premieres on April 1.

    The dark take on the superhero has earned very positive reviews, with Variety’s Peter Debruge naming it a critic’s pick and writing that the “grounded, frequently brutal and nearly three-hour film noir registers among the best of the genre, even if, or more aptly, because what makes the film so great is its willingness to dismantle and interrogate the very concept of superheroes”.

    ALSO READ | Hollywood halts releases in Russia, including ‘The Batman’

    Besides Robert Pattinson as a moody Bruce Wayne, the film also stars Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth and Colin Farrell as the Penguin.

    Directed by Matt Reeves, the production proved to be a prolonged one due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with a production budget ballooning past $200 million.

    The film has already surpassed $400 million at the global box-office, an encouraging start for such an expensive endeavour. Along with ‘The Batman’, the rest of the box-office should show the same holdovers maintaining the top five slots. Columbia Pictures is expecting an additional $9 million gross for ‘Uncharted’ through Sunday.

    The Tom Holland action vehicle has been holding remarkably well, especially for a special effects spectacle aimed squarely at young men competing against a movie about Batman. The film should only drop 28 per cent in its fourth weekend, rounding out its domestic gross to $113.1 million.

    Speaking of stunning Tom Holland holds, Columbia’s ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ refuses to leave box-office charts nearly three months after its debut. The Marvel money monster is projected to land in fourth, adding an additional $4 million in its umpteenth weekend. That represents a mere 10 per cent drop from its previous outing.

    The film’s domestic haul should surpass $792 million after Sunday, inching closer to becoming the third film ever to surpass $800 million on North American charts. ‘No Way Home’ is expected to hit digital storefronts on March 15, which could pump the brakes on its continuous box office success.

    Elsewhere, MGM and United Artists Releasing’s ‘Dog’ continues to hold strong, adding an additional $1.38 million in its fourth Friday.

    The Channing Tatum vehicle should surpass a $45 million domestic haul after Sunday; not too shabby for a star-driven drama carrying a $15 million production budget. Disney and 20th Century Studios’ ‘Death on the Nile’ rounded at Friday’s top five, adding an additional $680,000.

    After a disappointing debut of $12.8 million, the Kenneth Branagh-led whodunnit has had some merciful holds, falling less than 40 per cent in each of its past three outings. The film has been buoyed by international audiences, drawing $77.6 million overseas.