It’s great to — finally— see this momentum at the summer box office
There are a few hits currently playing in theaters, “Inside Out 2,” “A Quiet Place: Day One,” “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” and now we can add another one.
Universal/Illumination’s “Despicable Me 4” grossed $122 million in just five days. The “Minions” are a brand, and they play like gangbusters with family audiences. This franchise is critic-proof, no bad reviews will prevent kids (and adult fans) from going to see it.
This also means that “Inside Out 2” was finally dethroned from the #1 spot, and yet it still grossed a healthy $45M over the 5-day holiday weekend. The film currently sits at $1.2B worldwide, which includes a $533M domestic total.
The other new release this weekend, A24 and Ti West’s “MaXXXine,” grossed around $7M, which is a franchise record. It could have probably made more if the reviews were better — West’s film is the weakest of the three in his franchise trilogy.
Meanwhile, “A Quiet Place Day One” will hit $100 million domestically on Monday evening. Paramount’s 30-day theatrical window rule will have it available on VOD July 28th, but people are still going to see it, no doubt due to word of mouth.
What to make of Kevin Costner’s “Horizon,” down 50% in its second weekend, with a two-week total of $22 million. The film cost $110M to produce and has a sequel coming out next month. Much like “The Bikeriders,” which is also approaching $20 million, VOD is just around the corner for Costner’s film. ‘
I haven’t written much about Magnolia’s “Thelma.” The June Squibb starring “action” crowd pleaser, boosted by good reviews, has made $7M so far. It’s a nice little film, with some implausible plot points, but it’s extremely likable due to 94-year-old Squibb’s endearing performance. Some are even saying Squibb could get Oscar nominated for the role — I wouldn’t complain if it happens.