It was a quiet weekend at North American movie theaters, by Sony㽶Ƶֱs 㽶ƵֱThe Garfield Movie,㽶Ƶֱ Warner Bros.㽶Ƶֱ 㽶Ƶֱ 㽶Ƶֱ and a slew of holdovers. Flipping the script , the animated orange cat crept ahead of the wasteland warrior in their second outing.
㽶Ƶֱ 㽶Ƶֱ earned a chart-topping $14 million in ticket sales while 㽶ƵֱFuriosa㽶Ƶֱ settled into third place in a close race with 㽶ƵֱIF,㽶Ƶֱ according to studio estimates on Sunday. Both 㽶ƵֱIF㽶Ƶֱ and 㽶ƵֱFuriosa㽶Ƶֱ are estimated to have earned $10.8 million, with 㽶ƵֱIF㽶Ƶֱ getting the slight edge.
㽶ƵֱGarfield㽶Ƶֱ fell only 42% in its second weekend in North America. It also topped the global box office adding $27 million from international territories, bringing its running worldwide to $152.2 million. The animated pic featuring the voice of Chris Pratt will essentially have the market to itself until 㽶ƵֱInside Out 2㽶Ƶֱ arrives on June 14.
㽶ƵֱFuriosa,㽶Ƶֱ meanwhile, fell 59% from its first weekend, adding just under $10.8 million from 3,864 locations in the U.S. and Canada. That puts its running domestic total at $49.7 million and its global sum at $114.4 million against a $168 million production budget.
There were several new releases that opened on over 1,000 screens this weekend: Sony/Crunchyroll㽶Ƶֱs anime 㽶ƵֱHaikyu!! The Dumpster Battle㽶Ƶֱ; IFC㽶Ƶֱs horror 㽶ƵֱIn a Violent Nature㽶Ƶֱ; Roadside Attractions㽶Ƶֱ Diane Keaton-Alfre Woodard-Kathy Bates comedy 㽶ƵֱSummer Camp㽶Ƶֱ; And Bleecker Street㽶Ƶֱs father-son drama 㽶ƵֱEzra.㽶Ƶֱ None managed to crack the top five, however.
Disney also released the well-reviewed 㽶Ƶֱ ,㽶Ƶֱ starring Daisy Ridley as the first woman to swim the English Channel, but did not report its ticket sales. Likewise, Richard Linklater㽶Ƶֱs 㽶Ƶֱ 㽶Ƶֱ is currently playing in select theaters around the country before it comes to streaming next week, but Netflix does not release box office numbers.
Second place went to Paramount㽶Ƶֱs 㽶Ƶֱ ,㽶Ƶֱ with $10.8 million in its third weekend. starring Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming has now made over $80.4 million domestically and $138 million worldwide. Disney/20th Century Studios㽶Ƶֱ 㽶Ƶֱ 㽶Ƶֱ landed in fourth place in its fourth weekend with $8.8 million. It has now made $140 million domestically and $337.1 million globally.
And the Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt action-comedy 㽶Ƶֱ 㽶Ƶֱ which is currently available to purchase at home, rounded out the top five with $4.2 million, bringing its domestic total to $80.3 million. Globally, the Universal release has made $157.9 million.
㽶ƵֱHaikyu!! The Dumpster Battle,㽶Ƶֱ based on the Japanese high school volleyball series, made an estimated $3.5 million from 1,119 locations. The slasher 㽶ƵֱIn a Violent Nature㽶Ƶֱ opened to $2.2 million from 1,426 locations (a massive release for IFC Films and Shudder). And, 㽶ƵֱEzra,㽶Ƶֱ about a stand-up comedian (Bobby Cannavale) and his autistic son, earned $1.2 million from 1,320 screens.
The 2024 box office is struggling compared to both last year (down 23.9%) and pre-pandemic standards (down 42.2% from 2019 and 46.4% from 2018), according to data from Comscore. On this weekend last year, 㽶ƵֱSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse㽶Ƶֱ opened to $120.7 million while 㽶ƵֱThe Little Mermaid㽶Ƶֱ was still pulling in over $41.4 million in its second weekend. This year has yet to have any film open to over $100 million domestically.
While 㽶ƵֱBarbie㽶Ƶֱ and 㽶ƵֱOppenheimer㽶Ƶֱ had yet to storm theaters at this point last year, there had been several substantial hits including 㽶ƵֱThe Super Mario Bros. Movie㽶Ƶֱ ($1.36 billion global total), 㽶ƵֱGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3㽶Ƶֱ ($845.5 million) and 㽶ƵֱFast X㽶Ƶֱ ($704.7 million).
㽶ƵֱIt should come as no surprise given the nature of this year㽶Ƶֱs trajectory that we are running this far behind,㽶Ƶֱ said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. 㽶ƵֱI understand why people are concerned about where this year is going, but it㽶Ƶֱs never too late to get things running again.㽶Ƶֱ
㽶ƵֱIt㽶Ƶֱs a momentum business,㽶Ƶֱ he added. 㽶ƵֱThe attention right now is focused on what will be the big movie to get the summer moving in the right direction.㽶Ƶֱ
That could arrive in the form of 㽶ƵֱInside Out 2,㽶Ƶֱ which could open to over $85 million according to early projections, and propel other juggernauts like 㽶ƵֱDespicable Me 4㽶Ƶֱ (July 3) and 㽶ƵֱDeadpool & Wolverine㽶Ƶֱ (July 26).
Dergarabedian also noted that absent a big superhero movie, it㽶Ƶֱs the family-oriented films that have been resonating recently. They might not open to the biggest numbers, but as 㽶ƵֱIF㽶Ƶֱ and 㽶ƵֱThe Gafield Movie㽶Ƶֱ have proven, they have staying power.
The top-grossing movie of this year remains 㽶Ƶֱ ,㽶Ƶֱ which Warner Bros. released in early March and has made over $711 million globally. Its domestic take of $282.1 million represents 10.5% of the overall box office for 2024.
㽶ƵֱDune㽶Ƶֱ filmmaker Denis Villeneuve over the weekend said that he was 㽶Ƶֱdisappointed to still be number one㽶Ƶֱ while at the where he was collecting an award.
㽶ƵֱI hope soon that there will be other successes at the box office,㽶Ƶֱ . 㽶ƵֱI hope sooner or later that this summer box office will be much better.㽶Ƶֱ
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 㽶ƵֱThe Garfield Movie,㽶Ƶֱ $14 million.
2. 㽶ƵֱIF,㽶Ƶֱ $10.8 million.
3. 㽶ƵֱFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga,㽶Ƶֱ $10.8 million.
4. 㽶ƵֱKingdom of the Planet of the Apes,㽶Ƶֱ $8.8 million.
5. 㽶ƵֱThe Fall Guy,㽶Ƶֱ $4.2 million.
6. 㽶ƵֱThe Strangers: Chapter 1,㽶Ƶֱ $3.6 million.
7. 㽶ƵֱHaikyu!! The Dumpster Battle,㽶Ƶֱ $3.5 million.
8. 㽶ƵֱIn a Violent Nature,㽶Ƶֱ $2.1 million.
9. 㽶ƵֱEzra,㽶Ƶֱ $1.2 million.
10. 㽶ƵֱSight,㽶Ƶֱ $1.1 million.
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