UPDATED, FRIDAY MIDDAY: Disney and Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* is currently outperforming Shang-Chi’s second weekend, having garnered million on Friday and projected to reach approximately million over the weekend, reflecting a 53% decline from its opening week. By Sunday, this ensemble featuring Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell, and Sebastian Stan is expected to surpass 0 million in total earnings.
In comparison, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings achieved .7 million during its post-Labor Day frame in 2021, marking a 54% drop.
Weekend Box Office Insights
This weekend’s overall box office performance is anticipated to match the same period last year, which recorded .1 million according to Box Office Mojo. This figure was significantly bolstered by the debut of Disney/20th Century Studios’ Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which opened with .4 million.
Warner Bros’ Sinners continues to hold strong, bringing in million in its fourth weekend. When compared to other horror films in their fourth weekends, it stands on par with The Sixth Sense ( million) and exceeds It’s fourth frame of .9 million. While Sinners trails behind Blair Witch Project’s fourth weekend of .3 million, it’s worth noting that the latter was technically in its second wide weekend after a two-week platform release. Interestingly, Sinners is also close to the fourth weekend earnings of A Minecraft Movie (.7 million).
The remainder of the weekend’s box office is shaping up as follows:
- Thunderbolts* (Dis) – 4,330 theaters, Fri M, 3-day M (-53%), Total 0.3M/Wk 2
- Sinners (WB) – 3,502 theaters, Fri M, 3-day M (-39%), Total 3.3M/Wk 4
- A Minecraft Movie (WB) – 3,468 theaters, Fri .7M, 3-day M (-48%), Total 8M/Wk 6
- Accountant 2 (AMZ) – 3,402 theaters, Fri .58M, 3-day .8M (-39%), Total .6M/Wk 3
- Clown in a Cornfield (IFC) – 2,277 theaters, Fri .4M, 3-day M/Wk 1
- Shadow Force (LG) – 2,170 theaters, Fri 0K, 3-day .7M-.7M/Wk 1
- Fight or Flight (Vert) – 2,153 theaters, Fri M, 3-day M/Wk 1
Looking ahead, there are larger events on the horizon for the summer box office.
PREVIOUSLY, FRIDAY AM: Disney and Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts is poised to dominate the weekend box office in its second session, with an estimated million expected, reflecting a decline of 60% or less from its debut. Directed by Jake Schreier, the film is set to cross the 0 million mark by Friday, amidst a weekend filled with several single-digit million openers. The summer competition is anticipated to ramp up next weekend with New Line’s Final Destination: Bloodlines, projected to debut between million and million. Thunderbolts will have exclusive access to IMAX and PLF screenings this weekend.
Warner Bros’ Sinners continues its ascent at the box office, concluding week three with .6 million and a cumulative total of 3.3 million. The Ryan Coogler-directed film, featuring Michael B. Jordan, is expected to cross the 0 million threshold today, with a robust fourth weekend forecasted between million and million, reflecting a 30% decline.
Warner Bros/Legendary’s A Minecraft Movie is projected to experience a 35%-40% drop in its sixth weekend, aiming for around million following a fifth week total of .5 million and a cumulative total of 1 million as of yesterday.
Amazon MGM Studios’ The Accountant 2 wraps its second week with .1 million and a total of .7 million.
Among the new releases, IFC’s Clown in the Cornfield is expected to make a splash at 2,277 screens, with projections around million. Critics have responded positively, with an 80% fresh rating following its SXSW premiere in March. The Eli Craig-directed film is set in a declining Midwestern town where Frendo the clown, a relic of past success, returns as a menacing figure, having already accrued 0,000 in previews.
Lionsgate’s action film Shadow Force, starring Kerry Washington and Omar Sy, is eyeing a weekend total of million to million across 2,170 screens. Despite lukewarm critical reception, with a 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film had previews totaling 0,000. In Shadow Force, an estranged couple with a bounty on their heads must flee with their son to evade a shadow ops unit sent to eliminate them.
Vertical is optimistic about its airplane action movie Fight or Flight, which boasts a 78% fresh rating among both critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Starring Josh Hartnett and directed by James Madigan, the film has generated the best previews of the newcomers, totaling 0,000 from last night and Monday Mystery screenings. The outlook is set at .5 million. Among the new films tracked on PostTrak last night, Fight or Flight received the highest scores, with a 49% definite recommend and an average of 3 stars. The film follows a mercenary tasked with tracking a target on a plane, who must protect her as they face threats from those intent on killing them.
Briarcliff Entertainment is releasing Juliet & Romeo across 1,350 theaters, featuring Jason Isaacs, Rupert Graves, and Rebel Wilson. This pop musical adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is projected to earn around million.
