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
$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.
