Box Office: ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Topping Charts in Sixth Weekend as ‘Reagan’ and ‘Afraid’ Post Quiet Opening Days

As a seasoned moviegoer with over three decades of cinema-watching under my belt, I must say that the summer box office has become as predictable as a sunrise in the Hollywood Hills. The latest installment of the Marvel juggernaut, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” continues to reign supreme, much like a well-fed tiger in its natural habitat.


During its final weeks, summer tends to grow chillier. Even on its sixth weekend, Disney’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” continues to claim the number one spot in domestic box office rankings. This is happening while theaters are receiving a variety of underperforming new releases, such as Dennis Quaid’s presidential biopic “Reagan” and the horror movie from Blumhouse, titled “Afraid.”

On Friday, Marvel Studios’ production added an additional $3.6 million to its earnings, which is approximately 26% lower than its daily intake a week prior. After briefly losing the top spot to the debut of “Alien: Romulus,” “Deadpool & Wolverine” has been leading for over a month now. It’s expected to surpass $600 million in domestic earnings within the next few days, a feat achieved by only 15 other films before it.

In contrast to “Afraid,” the team-up of superheroes premiered in more theaters (3,003 locations) and earned more on its opening day than the sci-fi thriller. “Afraid” stars John Cho and Katherine Waterston as a couple whose AI-controlled home turns against them. Despite earning $1.3 million during its opening day and previews, this Chris Weitz-directed movie didn’t set any box office records, having been produced on a budget of just $12 million. While these numbers might seem modest, Blumhouse Productions is known for keeping costs low, which means “Afraid” isn’t facing an insurmountable challenge. The film has received negative reviews and a C+ grade from Cinema Score, but that’s fairly typical for a horror movie.

Compared to other movies released over the weekend, “Afraid” appears to be doing relatively well. Critics haven’t shown much interest in reviewing any of the other films as the fall film festival season commences. Lionsgate’s “1992,” starring Tyrese Gibson as a shop owner surviving the L.A. riots, made an estimated $460,000 on its opening day from 875 cinemas. Audiences seem to enjoy it, giving it a grade of A- for Cinema Score, and reviews are generally positive.

Simultaneously, the human trafficking drama “City of Dreams” by Roadside, which boasts executive producers such as Martin Sheen and Vivek Ramaswamy, has earned approximately $290,000 from 774 cinemas. This figure is significantly bolstered by a substantial portion of ticket sales originating from the filmmakers and John Devaney, founder of United Capital and Manor House Films, who distributed one million free tickets to generate interest in the socially relevant film.

Additionally, the space thriller “Slingshot” on Bleecker Street, featuring Laurence Fishburne and Casey Affleck, is earning a more subdued response with a projected revenue of $250 million from 845 theaters. The film, helmed by Mikael Håfström, has garnered average critical reception.

Following its initial unveiling at Cinema Con 2022, “Reagan,” produced by Showbiz Direct, temporarily halted promotions before being transferred to a new banner. Dennis Quaid takes on the role of the actor-turned-president, portraying his fervent anti-communism that was evident during his tenure as SAG head during the blacklist era and continued in the Oval Office. The biopic grossed $2.6 million across Friday and preview screenings from 2,754 locations; it aims to surpass eight figures over the holiday weekend. Directed by Sean McNamara (“Soul Surfer,” “Bratz”), this $25 million production has received negative reviews, but has been well-received by its intended audience (earning an A grade on Cinema Score).

Despite five fresh movies premiering, the majority of the top box office spots are likely to be claimed by films that are already playing (holdovers). Disney’s “Alien: Romulus” is predicted to hold onto the second position after earning $2.2 million on Friday. In its second week of release, 20th Century Studio’s sci-fi sequel has exceeded the $80 million mark in domestic sales and $150 million overseas, thanks to a surprising and strong showing in China.

Sony’s film “It Ends With Us,” starring Blake Lively, is predicted to rank third for the four-day weekend, earning around $9.5 million ($7.3 million for the three-day period). To date, it has brought in over $125 million in North America. In the upcoming weeks, this drama aims to surpass “A Quiet Place: Day One” ($138 million) and enter the top 10 highest-grossing domestic releases of the year.

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2024-08-31 19:16