Meantime, Neon — which had the last two breakout openings for subtitled films with “Parasite” and “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” — saw a terrific start for “The Worst Person in the World.” With a per-theater average of $33,760 in four New York/Los Angeles theaters, it gave fresh hope that a high-end specialized film could bring viewers back to theaters. At $60 million, this weekend’s total represents an improvement from the awful last two weeks — but you’d have to go back to 2000 to find a pre-Covid weekend that grossed less. Compared to the same pre-Covid weekend in 2020, the box office was 64 percent — the best showing since New Year’s weekend. The four-week rolling average remains a lowly 48 percent.
Per initial estimates, Roland Emmerich’s “Moonfall” (Lionsgate) edged out “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (Sony) for #2, with $10 million to $9.6 million. The top three films made up nearly 75 percent of the full gross; after that, the bottom falls out. It’s a positive sign for two new wide releases to debut, but just a little over $15 million for all other films is frightening. Like “A Quiet Place” and “Scream,” with “Jackass Forever” Paramount found an economic way to extended a franchise and hit their marks with an extended theater-only release. With 13 years since the last film, the franchise was no sure thing for revival and comedy can be tricky to sustain with a long gap. Critical response is also surprisingly positive, with a 74 Metacritic score that’s one point lower than Oscar contender “Belfast.” Lionsgate acquired “Moonfall” for an unspecified amount (likely with a marketing commitment greater than the purchase price). The studio’s report today included this statement: “With an opening in this range, the film will be profitable for Lionsgate.” The independent coproduction is reported to have cost over $140 million. Lionsgate seems on the hook for only a fraction of that. The weekend saw a weaker market for holdovers. “Sing 2” did best among top 10 titles, off 11 percent despite PVOD availability. “Spider-Man” dropped only 13 percent. Whether it’s a sign of steady repeat viewing or an increase in willingness to go to theaters, that’s impressive. It stands at $749 million and could earn as much as $800 million domestic.
Neon Neon’s achievement with “Worst Person” is very impressive in a severely challenged specialized market. Norwegian director Joachim Trier is established but not a major draw; the cast is all but unknown to American audiences. Reviews have been outstanding, but lesser-performing titles could say the same. Neon reported 60 percent of attendees were under 35. That’s atypical for non-English films, but reflects Neon’s success with “Parasite.” The film expands to up to 50 theaters in 10 markets next Friday, with further additions quickly after. It’s a strong contender to be one of the five Best International Oscar nominees Tuesday. Family film “The Wolf and the Lion” (Blue Fox) placed #10, but with only $675,000 in 1,005 theaters. It edged out “Licorice Pizza” (United Artists), which fell only two percent. It is scheduled to expand this week after the nominations. The Top 10
- Jackass Forever (Paramount) NEW – Cinemascore: B+; Metacritic: 74; Est. budget: $10 million $23,500,000 in 3,604 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $6,521; Cumulative: $23,500,000
- Moonfall (Lionsgate) NEW – Cinemascore: C+; Metacritic: 38; Est. budget: $140 million $10,005,000 in 3,446 theaters; PTA: $2,903; Cumulative: $10,005,000
- Spider-Man: Far from Home (Sony) Week 8 – Last weekend #1 $9,600,000(-13%) in 3,600 (-75) theaters; PTA: $2,667; Cumulative: $748,952,000
- Scream (Paramount) Week 4 – Last weekend #2 $4,730,000 (-35%) in 3,227 (-360) theaters; PTA: $1,466; Cumulative: $68,940,000
- Sing 2 (Universal) Week 7 – Last weekend #3; also on PVOD $4,170,000 (-11%) in 3,266 (-184) theaters; PTA: $1,277; Cumulative: $139,578,000
- The King’s Man (Disney) Week 7 – Last weekend #5 $1,184,000 (-29%) in 1,910 (-505) theaters; PTA: $620; Cumulative: $35,806,000
- Redeeming Love (Universal) Week 3 – Last weekend #4 $1,010,000 (-43%) in 1,797 (-166) theaters; PTA: $562; Cumulative: $8,076,000
- American Underdog (Lionsgate) Week 7 – Last weekend #7; also on PVOD $800,000 (-31%) in 1,470 (-643) theaters; PTA: $544; Cumulative: $25,883,000
- The 355 (Universal) Week 5 – Last weekend #6; also on PVOD $700,000 (-47%) in 1,710 (-803) theaters; PTA: $409; Cumulative: $14,177,000
- The Wolf and the Lion (Blue Fox) NEW $675,000 in 1,005 theaters; PTA: $672; Cumulative: $657,000 Additional specialized/limited/independent releases The Worst Person in the World (Neon) – Metacritic: 91; Festivals include: Cannes, Toronto, New York 2021; Sundance 2022 $135,042 in 4 theaters; PTA: $33,760 Poly Styrene (Utopia) – Metacritic: 82; Festivals include: South by Southwest 2021 $4,212 in 6 theaters; PTA: $702; Five days: $32,381 Breaking Bread (Cohen) NEW – Festivals include: Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival 2020 $5,026 in 2 theaters; PTA: $2,513 Lingui, the Sacred Bonds (Mubi) NEW – Metacritic: 83; Festivals include: Cannes, Toronto 2021 $3,170 in 1 theater Clean (IFC) – Week 2 256 $(est.) 80,000 in 181 (-75) theaters; PTA: $442; Cumulative: $(est.) 291,000 Sundown (Bleecker Street) – Week 2 6
$104,300 in 195 (+189) theaters; PTA: $535; Cumulative: $134,557 Compartment Number 6 (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 2 $11,522 in 6 (+3) theaters; PTA: $1,920; Cumulative: $32,998 Belle (GKids) Week 4 676 $116,592 in 217 (-449) theaters; Cumulative: $3,644,000 Who We Are (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 4 $50,489in 357 (+354) theaters; Cumulative: $87,891 Parallel Mothers (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 7 $191,808 in 448 (-236) theaters; Cumulative: $1,312,000 Nightmare Alley (Searchlight) Week 8; also on PVOD $204,000 in 705 (-398) theaters; Cumulative: $10,791,000 Drive My Car (Janus) Week 9 $100,600 in 115 (+1) theaters; Cumulative: $944,869 Licorice Pizza (United Artists) Week 11 – Last weekend #9 $614,948 in 786 (+14) theaters; Cumulative: $12,693,000 Belfast (Focus) Week 13; also on PVOD $190,000 in 390 (+194) theaters; Cumulative: $7,472,000 Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
