‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Keeps September Strong, ‘Speak No Evil’ Easy Second Place
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” (Warner Bros.) had an unexpectedly strong second weekend. With just under $52 million, it fell 54 percent (quite decent from a $111 million start), and a domestic total of $188 million in just 10 days.
Its take made up just over half of the U.S./Canada estimated gross of $95 million. That’s up 50 percent from last year, with year to date totals now 12 percent below last year.
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The “Beetlejuice” 36 years-later sequel now looks certain to top the original film’s grosses, adjusted to current ticket prices (somewhere over $225 million, with the new film looking to easily top $250 million). “Twisters” (Universal), released earlier this summer, was a similar legacy project, though with a different cast. As big as it was ($266 million domestic so far), that’s about half of the adjusted total for the 1996 original.
“Beetlejuice,” however, is faring similarly to “Twisters” overseas. With the film open around most of the world, its foreign take so far is only $76 million, a smaller gross compared to domestic. It projects to an ultimate $350 million-$400 million total, a significant success from a $100 million plus marketing cost film. But it does make the expense of opening at Venice seem like a mixed investment at best.
On the specialized side, with the fall awards season just about to breakout as Toronto finalizes, Amazon MGM’s Sundance acquisition “My Old Ass” had a decent three city (New York, Los Angeles, and Austin) debut with $171,242 in seven theaters ($24,535 average). Megan Park’s comedy about a 19 year old girl confronted with herself 20 years later will expand to 32 theaters in 10 markets next week.
Three other titles opened wide this week, two of them aimed towards faith-based and right-wing audience, making three (with “Reagan”) in the top 10. Blumhouse’s latest horror release “Speak No Evil” (Universal) came in #2 with $11.5 million, not bad for the $15 million production. It got a better than usual B+ Cinemascore compared to similar genre releases.
Conservative media company Daily Wire’s first theatrical release “Am I Racist?” (SDG) with social media figure Matt Walsh doing a right wing version of Michael Moore’s guerrilla documentary (or perhaps latter day “Candid Camera” format) in 1,517 theaters. That’s not a bad showing for the $3 million project aimed at a niche audience and without a big marketing campaign.
Documentary grosses for initial wide releases have collapsed in recent years, with this ranking among the best. It pales compared to how some of Moore’s films did. “Sicko” in 2009 did about the same opening in only 411 theaters. His earlier “Fahrenheit 9/11” and “Bowling for Columbine” of course were much bigger.
As usual for preaching to the choir films like this, initial audiences gave this an A Cinemascore. Not getting a score (because it played in under 1,500 theaters), “God Isn’t Dead: In God We Trust” (Fathom Events) took in a little under $1.5 million for the weekend, $1.8 million for three days.
Lionsgate’s recent losing streak continued with “The Killer’s Game” opening #6 with only $2.6 million. Dave Bautista stars in this action/thriller with a comedy twist about an assassin diagnosed with a life-threatening illness who decides to take control of his fate.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” (Disney) placed third with $5.2 million, down only 26 percent and passing $620 million domestic. “Reagan” (Showbiz Direct) fifth, off 39 percent, $23.3 million so far.
From last year’s Toronto, “The Critic” (Greenwich) with Ian McKellan debuted in 566 theaters for only $200,000. “The 4:30 Movie” (Saban), Kevin Smith’s latest, managed $115,000 to 245. Opening initially in Utah only, “Faith of Angels” (Purdie) managed $65,000 in 30.
Among films not yet reporting are “Usher: Rendezvous in Paris” (Trafalagar) playing in 700 theaters, and the second week expansion of “?Casa Bonita Mi Amor!” (MTV Documentaries), which expanded to 17 theaters.
Top 10
1. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Warner Bros.) Week 2; Last weekend #1
$51,600,000 (-54%) in 4,575 (no change) theaters; PTA (per theater average): $11,279; Cumulative: $188,000,000
2. Speak No Evil (Universal) NEW – Cinemascore: B+; Metacritic: 66; Est. budget: $15 million
$11,500,000 in 3,375 theaters; PTA: $3,407; Cumulative: $11,500,000
3. Deadpool & Wolverine (Disney) Week 8; Last weekend #2
$5,200,000 (-26%) in 3,075 (-325) theaters; PTA: $1,691; Cumulative: $621,496,000
4. Am I Racist? (SDG) NEW – Cinemascore: A; Est. budget: $3 million
$4,750,000 in 1,517 theaters; PTA: $3,131; Cumulative: $4,750,000
5. Reagan (Showbiz Direct) Week 3; Last week #3
$2,964,000 (-39%) in 2,450 (-320) theaters; PTA: $1,208; Cumulative: $23,300,000
6. The Killer’s Game (Lionsgate) NEW – Cinemascore: B+; Metacritic: 36; Est. budget: $25 million
$2,600,000 in 2,623 theaters; PTA: $991; Cumulative: $2,600,000
7. Alien: Romulus (Disney) Week 5; Last week #4
$2,400,000 (-39%) in 1,950 (-610) theaters; PTA: $1,231; Cumulative: $101,276,000
8. It Ends with Us (Sony) Week 6; Last weekend #5
$2,025,000 (-45%) in 2,209 (-641) theaters; PTA: $917; Cumulative: $144,878,000
9. The Forge (Sony) Week 4; Last weekend #8
$2,010,000 (-33%) in 1,614 (-96) theaters; PTA: $1,245; Cumulative: $24,104,000
10. God’s Not Dead: In God We Trust (Fathom) NEW
$1,467,000 in 1,392 theaters; PTA: $1,054; Cumulative: $1,827,000
Other specialized/independent titles
Films (limited, expansions of limited) are listed by week in release, starting with those opened this week; after the first three weeks, only films with grosses over $5,000 are listed. Metacritic scores and initial film festivals recorded when available.
My Old Ass (MGM Amazon) NEW – Metacritic: 75; Festivals include: Sundance 2024
$171,242 in 7 theaters; PTA: $24,535
The Critic (Greenwich)NEW – Metacritic: 55; Festivals include: Toronto 2023
$200,000 in 566 theaters; PTA: $360
The 4:30 Movie (Saban) NEW – Metacritic: 54
$115,000 in 245 theaters; PTA: $469
Faith of Angels (Purdie) NEW
$65,016 in 30 theaters; PTA: $2,167
Seeking Mavis Beacon (Neon) Week 3
$12,000 in 30 (+26) theaters; Cumulative: $38,003
Strange Darling (Magenta Light) Week 4
$59,306 in 70 (-60) theaters; Cumulative: $3,016,000
Between the Temples (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 4
$86,676 in 124 (-49) theaters; Cumulative: $1,943,000
Coraline (Fathom Events) REISSUE Week 5; also on VOD
$567,067 in 442 (-414) theaters; Cumulative (reissue): $33,373,000
My Penguin Friend (Roadside Attractions) Week 5
$33,120 in 97 (-29) theaters; Cumulative: $2,668,000
Kneecap (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 7; also on PVOD
$17,819 in 114 (+98) theaters; Cumulative: $1,117,000
Didi (Focus) Week 8; also on PVOD
$101,000 in 87 (-26) theaters; Cumulative: $4,729,000
Sing Sing (A24) Week 10
$46,116 in 55 (-37) theaters; Cumulative: $2,657,000
Longlegs (Neon) Week 10; also on PVOD
$25,000 in 35 (-20) theaters; Cumulative: $74,041,000
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