Box Office – ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Dominates Again While ‘The Crow’s Wings Get Clipped

In a promising turn for the domestic box office, August is on track to match or even surpass its 2023 figures, marking the first time this has happened since March. The strong performance of holdovers played a significant role, as the three new wide releases this weekend contributed only 20% to the total box office, bringing in a combined $19 million. The standout among the new releases was Blink Twice, the directorial debut of Zoë Kravitz and starring Channing Tatum. The film, which revolves around a billionaire hosting a group of young women at his island hideout, opened with a modest $7.3 million. Although the start was underwhelming, the $20 million film managed to generate enough buzz, especially as it gears up for its Amazon streaming debut.

Meanwhile, last week’s top two Disney titles swapped places. Deadpool & Wolverine took the lead after only a 39% drop in its fifth week, earning $18.3 million and pushing its domestic total to an impressive $577 million. This performance far exceeded expectations, making it the most successful Marvel title since Avengers: Endgame. The film is projected to end its run between $625 million and $640 million domestically, likely securing its spot as the second-highest-grossing film of the summer, following Inside Out 2, with $1.211 billion grossed to date worldwide.

Alien: Romulus, another Disney release, took second place with $16.2 million, despite a 61% drop. The film has amassed $72 million domestically, with a stronger international performance of $153 million to date. Given its $80 million budget, the film is expected to easily turn a profit, which should guarantee us more Xenomorphs.

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Sony’s It Ends with Us continues to perform well, landing in third place with just under $12 million in its third weekend. The film, which has resonated strongly with a female audience and has attracted attention for some less-than-savory reasons, has now grossed $121 million domestically, with an almost identical $121.8 million overseas. This is particularly impressive for a film made on a $25 million budget.

Another notable debut was Sony’s faith-based film The Forge, directed by Alex Kendrick. The film, which tells the story of a high school graduate who finds faith and transforms his life, opened with $6.6 million from 1,818 theaters, securing fifth place at the box office. Despite opening in fewer theaters than Blink Twice, The Forge nearly matched its gross, supported by an A+ Cinemascore, which is typical for this genre.

On the other hand, The Crow remake from Lionsgate struggled, grossing only $4.6 million and placing eighth. The $50 million film, a remake of the Brandon Lee comic book adaptation, failed to generate significant interest despite being in its opening weekend. Meanwhile, Twisters, Despicable Me 4, and Inside Out 2 continued to perform well, each experiencing a drop of less than 40% and still thriving late in their theatrical runs, despite also being available on PVOD.

Two well-reviewed independent films, Strange Darling and Between the Temples, opted for wider releases rather than platforming, but neither achieved major wins. Strange Darling, a non-linear thriller, grossed $1.14 million from 1,135 theaters, while Between the Temples, starring Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane, took in $678,000 from 576 theaters.

What’s On the Horizon?

As the annual box office decline narrows to 14%, the lowest it has been since early in the year, the industry remains hopeful. With Beetlejuice Beetlejuice slated for release on September 6, the first in a line of strong post-summer films, there is cautious optimism that the 2024 box office could reach $8 billion by year’s end.

Stay tuned to Collider for more.

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