It wasn’t a big box office weekend, but there was lots of good news for exhibitors.
Disney/Marvel’s ETERNALS fell just 61% to $27.5M in weekend 2, holding way better than media pundits predicted given its rotten reviews. It’s already done $118.8M domestic. Clearly, Marvel movies aren’t review-driven.
Paramount/Scholastic’s CLIFFORD (pictured) opened to $22M for 5 days, beating Hollywood handicappers’ expectations for $15-17M, despite playing day & date on Paramount+. So much for the media’s message that family movies are on thin ice because parents won’t risk taking kids to cinemas. This view makes even less sense given media reports about how theme park revenues have soared — thanks to the same parents taking the same kids!
Sony/Marvel’s VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE has now done $202.7M, making it only the second pandemic era film to crack $200M domestic (after Disney/Marvel’s SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS with $224.4M).
MGM/Universal/Eon’s NO TIME TO DIE just hit $150.5M domestic, the year’s 6th biggest film — a very respectable showing for a movie appealing to adults, who the media claims are reluctant to return to cinemas.