Box Office: ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ No. 1 Again With $51 Million as ‘Speak No Evil’ Opens to $11 Million

As a movie aficionado with over three decades of experiencing various genres and trends in cinema, I must admit that this week’s box office has been a rollercoaster ride, but not quite the adrenaline-pumping thrill I’ve grown accustomed to. The reigning champion, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” continues to prove its worth, demonstrating that sometimes, sequels can indeed outshine their originals.


In a recent turn of events, three fresh films failed to outshine the reigning champion “Ghost With the Greatest” at the domestic box office, with “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice” once more taking the lead.

In its second weekend out, Tim Burton’s eerie sequel amassed an impressive $51.6 million, boosting its total earnings to a staggering $188 million.

For new audiences, “Speak No Evil,” the Universal and Blumhouse remake of the 2022 Danish horror film, began its run in second position, earning $11.5 million at 3,375 cinemas. On the other hand, Matt Walsh’s satirical documentary “Am I Racist?” took fourth place with a respectable $4.75 million from 1,517 screens. Conversely, Lionsgate’s action-thriller “The Killer’s Game” featuring Dave Bautista struggled to resonate, debuting at number six with $2.6 million from 2,623 theaters.

In “Speak No Evil,” James McAvoy and Mackenzie Davis take the lead roles. This darkly humorous drama revolves around a couple who extend an invitation to two friends for a tranquil getaway at their picturesque, isolated countryside home. Critics and viewers have generally praised it, boosting its chances of spreading through word of mouth. Additionally, the movie debuted in 73 international markets, earning $9.3 million, and globally opening with an impressive total of $20.8 million.

Given that “Speak No Evil” was produced with a budget of $15 million, it’s expected to perform well during its theatrical release. However, this year has been relatively uneventful for horror movies, a genre typically known for box office success. While films like Disney’s “Alien: Romulus” ($330 million) and Neon’s “Longlegs” ($103 million) have garnered impressive revenues, other recent horror releases such as Universal’s “Night Swim” ($54 million), Lionsgate’s “Imaginary” ($39 million), and Sony’s “Afraid” ($10 million) have not resonated with audiences.

Of course, Blumhouse is known for responsible budgets, so some of those films may have managed to eke out a profit. But the absence of a major horror hit is stark because 2022 and 2023 were particularly huge for the low-budget house of scares with “Five Nights at Freddy’s” ($292 million), “Insidious 5” ($189 million), “Exorcist: Believer” ($136 million) and “M3GAN” ($180 million). In any case, analysts believe Blumhouse will return to form with 2025 sequels including “M3GAN 2.0,” “Black Phone 2” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.”

David A. Gross, head of Franchise Entertainment Research, praises Blumhouse for setting a top-notch standard within their genre. He states that when compared to other companies on a dollar-for-dollar basis, Blumhouse might be the most financially successful production company in the industry during an average year.

In another part of the cinematic world, the eighth weekend release of Disney and Marvel’s superhero sequel “Deadpool & Wolverine,” featuring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, moved down to third place with a box office take of $5.2 million from 3,075 theaters. This R-rated movie has held a spot among the top three films for eight consecutive weeks now, amassing an impressive domestic total of $621.5 million and a global gross of approximately $1.3 billion so far.

In its third week in theatres, Dennis Quaid’s biographical movie “Reagan” earned $2.9 million, placing it among the top five films. So far, the film about the life of ex-president Ronald Reagan has accumulated a total of $23 million.

More to come…

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2024-09-15 17:46