The domestic box office charts were dominated by horror films, and this weekend saw the start of an Oscar candidate. The Palme d'Or winner "Anora" received the best per-theater average in more than a year, while "Smile 2" and "Terrifier 3" were the main draws for general moviegoers in North America during their first and second weekends, respectively.
According to studio estimates on Sunday, "Smile 2" was the big newcomer, grabbing first place with a better than predicted $23 million. Parker Finn made a comeback to write and helm the follow-up to his first supernatural horror film, Smile. The film was originally scheduled for streaming, but Paramount changed course and released it in theaters in the fall of 2022. Despite having a $17 million budget, "Smile" made almost $217 million at the box office, making it a sleeper blockbuster.
A little larger budget and an early commitment to theaters were given to the sequel, which starred Naomi Scott as a pop sensation. It debuted somewhat better than the first's $22 million, and it was shown on 3,619 screens.
With $10.1 million in its fourth weekend, Universal and DreamWorks Animation's "The Wild Robot" came in second, surpassing $100 million in North America. Family movies usually last a long time in theaters, especially ones with as good reviews as "The Wild Robot." Some have theorized that this weekend's surge was caused by teens purchasing tickets for the PG-rated family movie and then sneaking into the unrated "Terrifier 3" instead. In any case, actual ticket buyers are enjoying Damien Leone's demon clown film, which only cost $2 million to make. It increased its total to $36.2 million by an estimated $9.3 million.
According to Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore's senior media analyst, "rumors like that are PR gold." "That movie is really popular right now, and there's no better proof of that."
Only the failure of "Joker: Folie à Deux" allowed for the No. 1 openings for "Smile 2" this weekend and "Terrifier 3" last. In its third weekend, that high-budget follow-up maintained its downward trajectory, dropping 69% to make $2.2 million, bringing its domestic total to $56.4 million.
"Beetlejuice," a better-performing film from Warner Bros., took fourth place in its seventh weekend with an extra $5 million, bringing its domestic total to $284 million. This weekend, Michael Keaton's other movie, the father-daughter comedy "Goodrich," opened with just $600,000 from 1,055 venues.
The romantic tearjerker "We Live In Time," which debuted on five screens last weekend and has already spread to 985 locations, rounded out the top five. Over the weekend, the A24 release, which starred Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, brought in $4.2 million. Exit surveys showed that 70% of the audience was female and 85% of the audience was under 35. Next weekend, the highly regarded movie will be shown in more locations.
Sean Baker's "Anora," which debuted in six venues in New York and Los Angeles and brought in an estimated $630,000, was one of the major highlights of the weekend. The average of $105,000 per theater is the highest since the $142,000 average for "Asteroid City" last summer. Mikey Madison plays a New York sex worker who develops feelings for the son of a Russian oligarch in the Neon film, which was a Cannes hit and is probably going to be an Oscar contender.
"Anora's" performance is a hopeful indication that viewers would continue to seek out arty, adult entertainment after weeks of buzzy films," including "Piece by Piece," "Saturday Night," and "The Apprentice," and would-be award hopefuls.
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"For moviegoers, there’s a lot on offer with something in every type of movie in every category," Dergarabedian stated. "With an excellent mix of big and small films, I think we're going to have a really strong home stretch."
A number of re-releases by The Walt Disney Company also created a stir. With $1.1 million, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" placed in the top 10, and "Hocus Pocus" brought in $841,000.
The papal thriller "Conclave" and "Venom: The Last Dance," a major studio comic book film, will compete for viewers' attention next weekend.
Comscore estimates that cinemas in the United States and Canada will sell tickets from Friday through Sunday. On Monday, the final domestic numbers will be made public.
1. Smile 2,” $23 million
2. "The Wild Robot" $10.1 million
3. “Terrifier 3,” $9.3 million
"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice," $5 million
5. "We Live In Time," $4.2 million
6. "Folie à Deux: Joker," $2.2 million
7. "Piece by Piece," $2.1 million
8. “Transformers One,” $2 million
9. "Night of Saturday," $1.8 million
10. “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” $1.1 million
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