Several new films infiltrated cinemas nationwide this weekend, from a lighthearted trip to Italy starring Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Diane Keaton and Mary Steenburgen to a crime thriller starring Ben Affleck. However, the top two spots were once again claimed by Marvel and Mario.
In its second weekend, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” added $60.5 million to North American theaters, according to studio estimates on Sunday. That’s a slim 49% drop since it opened, which is rare for big superhero movies that tend to be front-loaded and have big second-weekend drops of 60% or more. end. As Marvel’s smallest drop since the pandemic began, it also answers the “superhero fatigue” question some were floating around last weekend. Including $91.9 million from international screenings, “Vol. 3″ has already grossed over $528.8 million worldwide.
Second place went to “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” with $13 million in its sixth weekend, bringing its domestic gross to just under $536 million. Families with young children have had almost no other options in theaters since Mario hit the scene, leading to repeat viewings and its continued dominance at the box office, where it still plays in 3,800 locations worldwide. country. Globally, it stands at $1.2 billion.
With Chris Pratt in the top positions of chart-topping movies, as the Star Lord in “Guardians” and the voice of Mario, debates have swirled about how much of a toss-up between star power and power of the brand.
It was a particularly busy weekend for new films, opening both wide and limited in all genres and of all qualities.
“The second weekend in May is very notable, traditionally speaking, as it bridges the gap between a big summer kickoff movie (‘Guardians 3’) and the next big blockbuster (‘Fast X’),” said said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst. for Comscore. “Everyone in the business knew Guardians would dominate the weekend, but it gave the opportunity for a lot of movies to come out that hit that sweet spot between two juggernauts.”
“Book Club: The Next Chapter” did best on the charts with $6.5 million from 3,508 locations. The sequel, released by Focus Features over Mother’s Day weekend, reunites the cast with director Bill Holderman and his co-writer Erin Simms. The audience was heavily female (77%), Caucasian (59%) and over 45 (66%) and the hope is that there will be a boost for Mother’s Day and a decent hold for the production. of $20 million. Older audiences don’t usually rush on opening weekend. The first film opened to $13.5 million in 2018 and grossed over $104 million.
“Hypnotic” by Robert Rodriguez, meanwhile, is all the rage. The mystery starring Affleck as a detective whose daughter has gone missing has cost $65 million. It entered the weekend with poor reviews (32% on Rotten Tomatoes) and limited marketing from distributor Ketchup Entertainment, and earned just $2.4 million from 2,118 sites.
Other mid-tier releases failed to make a splash, including Charlie Day’s Hollywood satire “Fool’s Paradise,” which grossed $443,140 from 784 locations, and the Hollywood-inspired “Knights of the Zodiac.” anime, which only grossed $535,000 from 586 theaters.
“BlackBerry,” Matt Johnson’s well-reviewed portrayal of the rise and fall of the beloved smartphone starring Glenn Howerton and Jay Baruchel, got off to a rocky start with $473,000 from 450 theaters.
Sony Pictures Classics also launched its Yogi Berra documentary “It Ain’t Over” in 99 theaters, grossing $106,000.
Dergarabedian noted that several independent films thrived this weekend with strong per-theater averages, including IFC’s “Monica” ($26,500 from two theaters) and Bleecker Street’s “The Starling Girl” ($27,736 from four rooms).
“If you’re a movie buff, you have a lot of choices right now,” Dergarabedian said.
There was also quite a bit of competition on the home screens, from a Michael J. Fox documentary on Apple TV+ to Jennifer Lopez’s action shot “The Mother” on Netflix. “Air,” which is still in the top 10 after six weekends in theaters, also debuted on Prime Video.
Things will pick up considerably next weekend when “Fast X” enters the summer box office race, followed by live-action “The Little Mermaid” on May 26.
Estimated Friday-Sunday ticket sales at US and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final national figures will be released on Monday.
1. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” $60.5 million.
2. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” $13 million.
3. “Book Club: The Next Chapter,” $6.5 million.
4. ‘Evil Dead Rise’, $3.7 million.
5. “Are you there, God?” It’s me, Margaret. $2.5 million.
6. “Hypnotic,” $2.4 million.
7. ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’, $1.9 million.
8. “Love Again,” $1.6 million.
9. “Aerial”, $875,357.
10. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,” $740,000.
