We’re keeping a close eye on how well the latest Marvel extravaganza, “Thunderbolts,” will be doing this weekend at the box office. With every MCU release, there’s added evidence that “superhero fatigue” might very well be a real thing.
On Thursday, the film earned $11M in previews, that’s $1M less than what “Captain America: Brave New World” did in February. However, “Thunderbolts” has better reviews than ‘Brave New World,’ so maybe word of mouth will give it some needed legs over the weekend. For the time being, we’re looking at a $75M opening by Sunday evening.
UPDATE: Variety says that with a production budget of $180M, and around $100 million spent on marketing, “Thunderbolts” will need some momentum to break even.
Meanwhile, Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” which just received an IMAX 70mm re-release is projected to earn $35M in its third week in theaters, reflecting only a 20% decline from the previous weekend’s earnings. The film is an unstoppable freight train, and could very well hit the $175M domestic mark by Sunday.
The ‘Smile’ franchise has a new director. David Bruckner, who made “The Night House” and the 2022 “Hellraiser” reboot, has been hired to direct “Smile 3” for Paramount.