For the first time in almost two months, the box office doesn’t belong to blue people.
After seven weeks as the top film in theaters, “Avatar: The Way of Water” was finally ousted from the No. 1 spot by M. Night Shyamalan thriller “Knock at the Cabin” and octogenarian comedy “80 for Brady.” . ,
“Knock at the Cabin,” a home invasion horror film with an apocalyptic riff from James Cameron’s 3-D sci-fi epic, pulled in $14.2 million in ticket sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to studio estimates on Sunday. Got separated Universal Pictures released Dave Bautista as one of four strangers who approach a family vacationing in a rural cabin.
“Knock at the Cabin” opened unlike some of Shyamalan’s recent releases. His last film, 2021’s “Old,” about a beachcomber aging rapidly, launched with $16.9 million and eventually collected $90.1 million worldwide. His 2019 film “Glass”, the third installment in the director’s “Unbreakable” trilogy, opened with $40.3 million to gross $247 million globally. Every other film directed by Shyamalan has opened higher than “Knock at the Cabin”.
But “Knock at the Cabin” is still Shyamalan’s seventh film at No. 1 as director. With a modest budget of $20 million, “Knock at the Cabin” could easily turn a profit. The film, which received mostly positive reviews from critics (68% on Rotten Tomatoes), added another $7 million internationally.
Taking second place was “80 for Brady”, a comedy about four friends (Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Rita Moreno and Sally Field) who travel to the 2017 Super Bowl. It opened with an estimated $12.5 million. Shortly after announcing his retirement from football (again), Tom Brady attended the premiere of the film.
Paramount Pictures employed a unique strategy in releasing “80 for Brady”. While many films have sought to capitalize on high ticket prices through large-format or 3-D screenings or surge pricing, which films such as “The Batman” have tried, Paramount went in another direction on “80 for Brady”. gone. The studio partnered with exhibitors including the largest series to play “80 for Brady” at matinee prices to help entice its largely older audience. (Half the ticket buyers were over the age of 55.)
It started working. At a time when comedies have struggled mightily in theaters, “80 for Brady” (with a production budget of $28 million) was one of the best openings for a live-action comedy in years. The pricing discount will continue for the remainder of the film.
“Avatar: The Way of Water” slipped to third place in its eighth weekend with $10.8 million domestically. The film’s No. 1 streak matches the run of 2009’s “Avatar”. In the last four decades, only Cameron and those two of his “Titanic” (1997) appearances have had such a sustained reign at the box office.
“The Way of Water” continues to perform particularly strongly overseas, where its weekend take of $27.9 million brings its worldwide total to $2.17 billion. This places it as the fourth biggest grosser of all time; Cameron — with the two “Avatar” movies and “Titanic” — now accounts for three of the top four.
“BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas” took in $5.1 million to come in fifth. The BTS concert film is drawn from their October 2022 performance in Busan, South Korea – a farewell concert ahead of the group’s two-year hiatus. It opened at 1,111 locations.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday in US and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Knocking on the Cabin,” $14.2 million.
2. “80 for Brady,” $12.5 million.
3. “Avatar: The Way to Water,” $10.8 million.
4. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” $8 million.
5. “BTS: Still Coming to the Movies,” $5.1 million.
6. “A Man Called Otto,” $4.2 million.
7. “M3gan,” $3.8 million.
8. “Missing,” $3.7 million.
9. “The Chosen One Season 3 Finale,” $3.6 million.
10. “Pathan,” $2.8 million.
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