After the worst box office weekend of 2023, Hollywood hopes to rebound with a quartet of new releases. We have sci-fi action pic The Creator from Gareth Edwards, the return of Jigsaw in Saw X, animated canine sequel PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, and the wide expansion of the GameStop stock dramedy Dumb Money. My detailed prediction posts on all of them can be accessed here:
The newcomers should manage to populate the 1-4 slots. The Creator seems poised for #1 though I’m projecting it’ll fall under $20 million for a so-so high teens start.
As for the runner-up position, it could be either of the sequels. The Saw franchise seems to have run out of steam in recent years. My low double digits estimate means a third place start as I see PAW getting into the low teens.
Dumb Money has done fair business in limited release and the expansion might mean mid single digits for fourth position. The lone holdover in the top five should be unlikely three-week champ The Nun II.
Here’s how I see it shaking out:
1. The Creator
Predicted Gross: $17.9 million
2. PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie
Predicted Gross: $16.3 million
3. Saw X
Predicted Gross: $15.7 million
4. Dumb Money
Predicted Gross: $5.5 million
5. The Nun II
Predicted Gross: $4.7 million
Box Office Results (September 22-24)
Neither Hercule Poirot last weekend nor Jason Statham and Sylvester Stallone could dethrone The Nun II from a third weekend atop the charts. The horror sequel edged Expend4bles with $8.5 million, a little above my $7.5 million take. The three-week total is $69 million.
Expend4bles was a huge disappointment in second with only $8 million compared to my $12.8 million prediction. The nine year break between sequels probably didn’t help, but I would’ve thought it could at least hit $10 million.
A Haunting in Venice had a scary 56% drop for third in its sophomore frame with $6.3 million. I was a bit more generous at $7.2 million. The ten-day tally is a weak $25 million.
The Equalizer 3 was fourth with $4.9 million, on target with my $4.7 million forecast for $81 million overall.
Barbie rounded out the top five with $3.2 million (I said $3.1 million) for a 2023 best $630 million in ten weeks.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 was sixth with $3 million. I went with $2.6 million and the romantic comedy threequel has grossed $23 million after three weeks.
That’s all for now, folks! Until next time…