Meg 2: The Trench Box Office Prediction

Keeping up with the summer 2023 traditions of dropping the The from its title (Haunted Mansion) and being a follow-up to a 2018 predecessor (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Insidious: The Red Door, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One), Meg 2: The Trench is in theaters on August 4th. Ben Wheatley takes over directorial duties from Jon Turteltaub with Jason Statham reprising his role as a battler of giant ocean creatures. Costars include Wu Jing, Sophia Cai, Page Kennedy, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Skyler Samuels, and Cliff Curtis.

Five summers ago, The Meg premiered in August and easily exceeded expectations. Despite so-so reviews, audiences were ready for a shark fix. It opened with $45 million and an eventual $145 million domestic haul. When factoring in bountiful international earnings, The Meg made more than half a billion.

Warner Bros is probably banking on overseas cash for profitability. I’m not sure stateside crowds are exactly chomping at the bit for this sequel. While it should do respectable biz, it may lose some of its demographic to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. I’m expecting that to have a stronger opening than this. The Trench might be lucky to take in $30 or even $25 million.

Meg 2: The Trench opening weekend prediction: $24.5 million

For my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem prediction, click here:

Rambo: Last Blood Box Office Prediction

Sylvester Stallone returns to his second most popular signature role for the fifth time next weekend in Rambo: Last Blood. Arriving 37 years after First Blood, the pic finds the aging vet battling a Mexican drug cartel after they kidnap a friend’s daughter. Adrian Grunberg directs with Paz Vega, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, and Adriana Barraza among the costars.

It’s been nearly 12 years since the character graced the silver screen and Rambo earned $18.2 million for starters back in early 2008. Since then, Stallone had a resurgence with his Rocky character with Creed and its sequel. His increased visibility and a nostalgia factor could help this outperform part 4.

To hit the best debut of the franchise, this would need to top the $20.1 million made by 1985’s Rambo: First Blood Part II. Worth noting is that its number is not adjusted for inflation.

There is some competition in the form of Brad Pitt’s Ad Astra, but I’ll say Blood gets the better of it and barely manages to set that unadjusted record.

Rambo: Last Blood opening weekend prediction: $20.4 million

For my Ad Astra prediction, click here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2019/09/11/ad-astra-box-office-prediction/

For my Downton Abbey prediction, click here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2019/09/13/downton-abbey-box-office-prediction/