It’s been a minute since we have had four new releases to ponder, but that’s the situation this weekend as theaters continue to open their doors. The ninth pic in the Saw franchise Spiral, Angelina Jolie’s thriller Those Who Wish Me Dead, the Zack Snyder directed zombie fest Army of the Dead, and tech suspense flick Profile all open on Friday. My detailed prediction posts on the quartet can be found here:
https://toddmthatcher.com/2021/05/05/spiral-box-office-prediction/
https://toddmthatcher.com/2021/05/06/those-who-wish-me-dead-box-office-prediction/
https://toddmthatcher.com/2021/05/07/army-of-the-dead-box-office-prediction/
https://toddmthatcher.com/2021/05/07/profile-box-office-prediction/
Spiral should have no trouble scoring a #1 premiere. The question is: what kinda Saw bucks are we talking? I think this could certainly over perform (word of mouth is decent), but my estimate puts it in line with the last entry in the series – 2017’s Jigsaw.
The runner-up slot should go to Ms. Jolie and her joint venture with Warner Bros/HBO Max. However, unlike the recent Godzilla vs. Kong and Mortal Kombat, a start north of $10 million (and certainly $20 million) seems unlikely.
Blogger’s Note: Dead prediction downgraded to $3.8 million
Jason Statham’s Wrath of Man should fall to third after its opening met expectations (more on that below). I anticipate his latest action tale to lose a bit more than half its audience.
Here’s where things get a little interesting. Army of the Dead is the first Netflix release to open on a fairly wide screen count (at least 600). If that holds, the potential for a $2-$3 million haul is feasible. It could even do more. What’s unknown at this juncture is whether the streaming giant will actually report its grosses. They haven’t in the past in their limited theatrical runs, but we are venturing into new territory. With this question unanswered, I’ll be doing a top five that includes Army and one that does not.
As for Profile, it’s hitting a large 2000 screens. Yet I suspect its low profile and my predicted $1.2 million forecast could prevent it from making the top five in either scenario.
And with that, here’s my two versions of this weekend’s top five:
1. Spiral
Predicted Gross: $16.1 million
2. Wrath of Man
Predicted Gross: $3.9 million
3. Those Who Wish Me Dead
Predicted Gross: $3.8 million
4. Army of the Dead
Predicted Gross: $2.5 million
5. Raya and the Last Dragon
Predicted Gross: $1.4 million
***If no Army grosses, Raya would move up to #4 and I’ll say Demon Slayer is fifth with $1.3 million
Box Office Results (May 7-9)
As mentioned, Wrath of Man took the pole position and met expectations with $8.3 million. How much did it meet them? It certainly met mine as my projection was $8.3 million!
Demon Slayer dropped to second with $2.7 million, on par with my $2.9 million estimate. Its three-week tally is $39 million.
Also in its third frame, Mortal Kombat was third with $2.4 million compared to my $2.7 million take. Overall gross stands at $37 million.
Godzilla vs. Kong was fourth with $1.9 million (I said $2 million). The monster mash continues to inch toward the century mark at $93 million.
Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon flew off with another $1.9 million. I incorrectly had it outside the top five. It has earned $43 million.
Finally, the Billy Crystal/Tiffany Haddish dramedy Here Today showed zero staying power as it opened in seventh with $1 million. I was a bit more generous at $1.5 million.
And that does it for now, folks! Until next time…
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