In hindsight, Ted Sarandos might regret his recent comments about the theatrical movie business last week. Especially after the Box Office gods (and the American ticket-buying public) made an eyebrow-raising statement this past weekend. Not only did Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” smash with another $45 million, down just 6% from its opening weekend, but two new entries also earned over $20 million each. The combined totals led to an overall $146 million weekend. One of the best ever for the end of April, pre- or post-pandemic.
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“Sinners” minuscule 6% drop is top 30 all-time, but in context, it’s even more impressive considering the $48 million figure it’s being compared to. The only films with larger openings with smaller drops were “Avatar’s” 1.8% drop from $77 million in 2009 and “How The Grinch Stole Christmas’” 5.4% fall from $55 million in 2000. Notably, both of those releases were during the Christmas holiday season. The critically acclaimed Michael B. Jordan thriller didn’t even open in the summer months. At publication, “Sinners” is now at $122 million domestic and $161 million worldwide. Those numbers may end up significantly higher on Monday when actuals are revealed. Despite underperforming overseas in general, “Sinners” was down just 15% in its second frame internationally. The Warner Bros. release is still an absolute smash and will likely recoup its production budget by Wednesday.
As noted previously, a huge win for Warner Bros. Entertainment CEOs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca, who were under the gun for greenlighting the $90 million picture (and several other costly moves).
Coming in at no. 2 was the re-release of “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” with $25 million in just 2,775 theaters for an incredible $9,081 per screen. 20 years after its initial 2005 release, “Revenge of the Sith” now stands at $405 million domestic. Overseas, the “Star Wars” flick took in another $17 million, fueling the lifetime worldwide tally to $891 million. This was a big win for Walt Disney Studios and Lucasfilm, who barely spent on marketing for a significantly bigger return than anyone expected.
Right behind “Sith” was Amazon MGM Studios’ “The Accountant 2.” The long-awaited sequel took in $24.4 million in the U.S and $38.2 million worldwide. A very similar debut to the original, “The Accountant,” which earned $24.7 million in 2016. The first movie earned $155 million worldwide off a $44 million budget. The budget for the Gavin O’Connor-directed sequel cost $80 million, so profitability isn’t assured (the A- CinemaScore will help), but it’s a sign that Ben Affleck can still open a movie in 2025.
Moreover, “Minecraft” pulled in another $22.7 million in its fourth frame for a massive $379.9 million domestic and $817 million worldwide. That’s four, count ’em, four movies earning over $20 million.
Theater owners are hopeful the good times continue with Marvel Studios’ “Thunderbolts*” arriving on Friday, “Final Destination: Bloodlines” dropping on May 16, and “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” and “Lilo & Stitch” releasing over Memorial Day weekend.
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