Sony/Crunchyroll’s Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle crossed $100m in its second weekend, holding on to number one in North America ahead of novel a
Sony/Crunchyroll’s Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle crossed $100m in its second weekend, holding on to number one in North America ahead of novel arrivals Him from Universal, and a disappointing debut by Sony stablemate’s A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, which was the buzziest acquisition out of the 2024 EFM.
Anime smash Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle earned an estimated $17.3m from 3,342 locations to reach $104.7m. While the 76% drop from the record-breaking opening weekend’s $70.6m haul is weighty and reflects the film’s front-loaded appeal among fans, the film has done exceptionally well. It has earned more than $555m worldwide.
Him, the psychological horror from Universal about a youthful athlete’s terrifying experience under a mentor at an American Football training camp, arrived in second place on $13.5m from 3,168 sites. Jordan Peele produced through his Monkeypaw Productions and Justin Tipping directed the film starring Marlon Wayans and former college athlete Tyriq Withers.
The hefty star wattage of Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell was not enough to elevate Kogonda’s R-rated fantasy romance A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. It opened in sixth place on an estimated $3.5m from 3,300. The story of strangers who spark at a wedding and get to relive key moments from their lives was the talking point at 2024 EFM, where Sony snapped up worldwide rights in a deal reportedly worth $50m.
The hope among studio executives is the film will have a reasonably strong life on ancillary platforms, where the enduring appeal of the two leads may strike a chord with viewers.
Overall box office for the North American weekend amounted to $76m, with year-to-date at $6.4bn to lead 2024 by the same stage by 4.4%.
Next weekend brings the release of Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another featuring a starry ensemble led by Leonardo DiCaprio. The critics have been gushing over this since Warner Bros screened it on the lot in Los Angeles earlier this month.
The key question is can a film clocking in at two hours and 42 minutes captivate audiences. It certainly has the commercial chops, and will be a mighty awards season contender to boot. The studio will be aiming for its seventh consecutive number one release in what has become a banner year. Its last six films have opened on more than $40m.
Speaking of upcoming releases, last week it emerged that AMC has booked a one-weekend engagement for Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party Of A Showgirl over October 3-5. Early projections put the theatrical ploy on at least $30m. Variance is handling the release in North America. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour grossed a sensational $180m in North America from October 2023 to January 2024.
Oscilloscope Laboratories opened Austria’s Oscar submission Peacock from Bernhard Wenger on $5,220 at New York’s Metrograph cinema this weekend. The satire premiered in Venice in 2024 and will expand nationwide in September and October.
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