UPDATED, Friday PM: Where’s a wide expansion of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery when you need it? Expect a greater subtraction of dollars at this weekend’s office as the Rian Johnson-directed whodunit goes dark until December 23. Right now, Disney/Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is seeing a $4.7 million-$5 million Friday for a $17M-$19M fourth weekend No. 1 win at 3,855 theaters. Even if the movie hits the high end, it won’t cross $400M just yet — but it’s getting there. Expect at least a $393M+ running total by Sunday.
Universal’s Violent Night from 87North is currently hitting the middle of its projection with $11M after a $4.5M Friday at 3,682. The Rotten Tomatoes critics score simmered to 68% fresh, but the Thursday night crowd has it at a glowing 90% on the audience score side. Hopefully there’s a carryover of that yuletide cheer into tonight and Saturday.
Third place is going to Disney’s Strange World at 4,174 locations with an estimated $1.2M Friday and a second weekend of $4.8M-$5M, off 58%, for a running total of $25.6M at the high end. Still bad. Searchlight’s The Menu is next with $1M in its third Friday and an estimated $3.4M third weekend, -38%, and a running $24.5M cume. Fifth goes to Sony/Black Label’s Devotion at 3,405 with a second Friday of $900,000, and second weekend of $2.8M, -53% estimated, for a running total of $13.7M.
Remember, we’re in a slow period of the month until Avatar: The Way of Water on December 16, but it’s even worse this year without any wide release family product. Meaning, in pre-pandemic times we had Jumanji: The Next Level and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse teeing up business before the big year-end Disney Star Wars movie arrived. No major studio wide entries next weekend. Ugh.
PREVIOULSY, Friday AM: Universal and 87North’s action horror pic Violent Night is off to a healthy start with $1.1M previews last night. Hopefully this movie will give the weekend box office a pulse and overperform which is typically a slow period post Thanksgiving, and even worse given the fact that the marketplace is still in rebuild.
Pic fired off previews at 5PM at 3,000 theaters. Projections are $10M-$12M for Violent Night, but it’s set to get beat by Disney/Marvel Studio’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with a $17M-$25M fourth weekend win. Preview comps to Violent Night include Jackass Forever ($1.65M preview, $23.1M opening), The Menu ($1M previews, $9M opening) and The Northman ($1.35M preview, $12.2M opening). The David Harbour Santa takes revenge and matters into his own hands movie had its trailer amass over 115M views worldwide.
Wakanda Forever won the week with $54.2M in its third go-round and a running total of $376.1M. The pic made $1.8M yesterday at 4,290.
Fathom Events had the Joshua Enck directed title I Heard the Bells about the writing of the Christmas carol and its author Henry Wadsworth Longfellow; the pic was second on Thursday with $770K at 1,110 locations.
Disney’s Strange World ended its first week with $13.8M, a running total of $20.6M; the pic was 5th yesterday with an estimated $396K.
Sony and Black Label’s Devotion made $7.9M in third place for the week, was 4th on Thursday with $421K, and a running total of $11M.
Searchlight’s The Menu was fourth for the week with $7.7M, a third place Thursday of $514K, and a running total of $21.1M, 7% behind the 14-day running total of Searchlight’s genre movie Ready or Not.
UAR‘s Bones and All was 5th for the week with $3.3M, a $4.8M running total and a Thursday of $238k.
Netflix’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery left theaters EOD Tuesday. Pic per industry estimates went out with a bang with a $1.1M take that day, +26% from its $854K Monday. The Rian Johnson directed movie’s first week wrapped up with $14.7M. The pic will return to theaters after it debuts on Netflix, Dec. 23.
Indian-Telugu mystery thriller Hit: The Second Case started showtimes yesterday with an estimated $244K at 255 theaters.