Worldwide box office: October 17-19 RankFilm (distributor) 3-day (world)Cume (world)3-day (int’l)Cume (int’l)Territories 1 Black Phon
Worldwide box office: October 17-19
| Rank | Film (distributor) | 3-day (world) | Cume (world) | 3-day (int’l) | Cume (int’l) | Territories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Phone 2 (Universal) | $42m | $42m | $15.5m | $15.5m | 72 |
| 2 | Tron: Ares (Disney) | $25.2m | $103m | $14m | $48.4m | 53 |
| 3 | One Battle After Another (Warner Bros) | $15.8m | $162.5m | $11.8m | $100.6m | 79 |
| 4 | Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie (Universal) | $8.4m | $58.2m | $6.8m | $28.2m | 61 |
| 5 | Chainsaw Man – The Movie (various) | $7.7m | $68.3m | $7.7m | $68.3m | 14 |
| 6 | Good Fortune (Lionsgate) |
$7.5m | $7.5m | $1.3m | $1.3m | 15 |
| 7 | Dude (various) | $6.2m | $6.2m | $5.6m | $5.6m | 18 |
| 8 | Roofman (Paramount) | $6.2m | $18.5m | $2.5m | $3m | 22 |
| 9 | Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle (Sony) | $5.7m | $659m | $4.4m | $527.8m | 73 |
| 10 | The Conjuring: Last Rites | $5.3m | $482m | $3.7m | $306.6m | 78 |
Credit: Comscore. All figures are estimates.
‘Black Phone 2’ is latest Blumhouse horror hit
Universal and Blumhouse Productions may have come unstuck with M3gan 2.0 this summer ($39.1m lifetime worldwide), but now return to profitable ways with the release of Black Phone 2.
The horror sequel has opened with an estimated $26.5m in North America and $15.5m across 71 international markets – combining to deliver $42.0m worldwide. The film topped the charts at the weekend domestically, internationally and globally.
These numbers are up on the launch of The Black Phone in June 2022: $23.3m for North America, $12.5m for international, and $35.8m worldwide. However, the international release was more staggered for the first film, and global box office at the time was still recovering from the pandemic.
Production budget on The Black Phone was reported in the $16-18m range, which compares with $30m for the more expansively scaled, wintry sequel. Still, Black Phone 2 looks headed for a $100m global box office total, or just below if traction proves delicate, and profits should accrue.
Mexico proved the top international opening market (as it did on The Black Phone), this time with an estimated $4.3m – achieving a 58% share of the country’s weekend box office. UK/Ireland is next, with an estimated $1.5m – second place in the market behind fellow Universal opener Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie.
Brazil and Australia (which were not among the first-wave markets for the release of The Black Phone in 2022) come next, respectively with $1.2m and $908,000.
Scott Derickson once again directs Ethan Hawke (as the Grabber), Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw and Jeremy Davies, with the cast this time joined by Demian Bichir. The original film was based on a 2004 miniature story by Joe Hill (son of Stephen King).
Blumhouse has made Hawke a perhaps unlikely-seeming horror star, casting him in Sinister (2012), The Purge (2013) and the two Black Phone films.
‘Tron: Ares’ falling brisk, reaches $103m total
Disney’s Tron: Ares is showing rapid decline at the domestic box office, eroding by 66% in the second session. Among international holdover markets the drop is a milder 54%.
Estimated box office for the weekend is $11.1m in North America, $14.1m for international, and $25.2m globally. Respective totals are $54.6m, $48.4m and $103.0m.
Tron: Ares arrived in China at the weekend, grossing an estimated $2.8m. In cumulative, Mexico ($4.9m) leads the international pack, ahead of UK/Ireland ($4.3m) and France ($3.3m).
In 2010, Tron: Legacy reached just over $400m worldwide, and it’s now tough to envisage Tron: Ares managing even half that number by the end of its run.
Given a production budget reported at $180m, and factoring in marketing costs and box office revenue shares with exhibitors, the film’s costs and yields do not look well-aligned for Disney – unless the company puts a very high premium on Tron: Ares’ value to the Disney+ platform.
‘Gabby’s Dollhouse’ grows footprint, hits $58m
Universal’s Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie opened in five fresh markets at the weekend as it continues its global rollout, landing in key territories UK/Ireland (topping the chart with an estimated $2.3m) and Spain ($969,000).
Box office fell 52% in North America and 46% in international holdover markets. Global gross is now $58.2m, with honours pretty evenly divided between North America ($29.9m) and international ($28.2m).
The UK/Ireland opening puts the territory already in second place among international markets, behind only Australia ($3.1m), which is now in the fourth week of release. Poland ($1.9m after two weekends) is a particular brilliant spot.
‘Good Fortune’ lands; ‘Roofman’ expands
Lionsgate comedy Good Fortune opened in North America at the weekend (landing in third place at the box office), plus also 14 international markets. An estimated $6.2m for domestic is added to $1.3m for international, and thus a $7.5m global session – good enough for sixth place in Comscore’s worldwide weekend chart.
Two places below is Roofman, which is now being tracked in 22 markets – including North America and UK/Ireland for Paramount. The Channing Tatum starrer fell 54% in North America, and opened with an estimated $300,000 in UK/Ireland for the weekend period, and $900,000 including previews. Global box office is now $18.5m, including $16.4m for Paramount territories.
Budgets are reported at $30m for Good Fortune and $17-19m for Roofman.
Aziz Ansari’s feature directing debut, Good Fortune stars Ansari and Seth Rogen respectively as a struggling gig worker and a wealthy tech investor, whose lives are swapped by an inept angel (Keanu Reeves).
Studiocanal tops box office with three different titles
Last week saw Studiocanal celebrating chart-topping box office with a trio of films in different European markets.
In UK/Ireland, Kirk Jones’ I Swear – which had opened in third place for the October 10-12 weekend period – saw the film rise to the top on weekdays.
In France, Cedric Jimenez’s Chien 51 (aka Dog 51) opened at the top of the box office last Wednesday (October 15) with 51,000 admissions in its first day. (Box office for the full weekend has yet to be reported, but is likely to show Dog 51 at the top.)
In Benelux, Mike van Diem’s Dutch drama Our Girls likewise topped the box office for Studiocanal.
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