Deadline’s Most Valuable Blockbuster tournament is back. While studios during Covid wildly embraced the theatrical day-and-date model when cinemas were closed, they soon realized there’s nothing more profitable than a theatrical release and the downstreams that come with it. If anything, theatrical is the advertisement for a movie’s longevity in subsequent home entertainment windows. Entering
Blumhouse
More tweaking to this year’s film schedule continues with Blumhouse/Universal‘s James McAvoy thriller, Speak No Evil, going from Aug. 9 to Sept. 13, where an untitled Blumhouse movie already has dibs. Speak No Evil, which we are hearing very hot things about, moves away from Liongate’s feature take of videogame, Borderlands, and MGM’s Flint Strong
There’s always been a demand for horror in the New Year, and Universal, Blumhouse and Atomic Monster are meeting that this weekend with Night Swim which made $1.45M in previews at 2,750 theaters from showtimes that began at 5PM. The PG-13 movie isn’t expected to be M3GAN, the early PG-13 horror doll hit from last
The phenomenon that is Universal/Blumhouse’s Five Nights at Freddy’s is currently looking at a global opening of $130M. Fazbear and crew are playing in 64 international box office markets where they are expected to reach $52M through Sunday. The worldwide number reps the biggest horror opening of the year and the biggest global debut ever
Lots of release dates changes and additions as the theatrical release schedule take a turn due to the ongoing actors strike. Universal Pictures has staked out June 27, 2025 for The Black Phone 2. The first movie, released during the summer 2022 as moviegoers were coming back to cinemas from the pandemic, was a surprise
EXCLUSIVE: Here’s an eyebrow raiser in the wake of a zany box office season turned upside down by the actors strike, and ruled by Taylor Swift: Universal/Blumhouse‘s feature take of videogame, Five Nights at Freddy’s, is shaping up for an opening around $40M. That would be the second-best opening at the fall box office YTD
Universal/Blumhouse/Morgan Creek’s The Exorcist: Believer will continue horror’s head-spinning roll at the autumn box office with a $30M-$36M domestic start at 3,600 locations. Currently, the R-rated reboot/sequel is trending demo-wise like The Nun 2, which saw a $32.6M opening, meaning it’s great with the 18-34 demographic, Hispanic and Latino audiences as well as older guys.
With this weekend’s grosses, Sony/Screen Gems/Stage 6 Films/Blumhouse’s Insidious: The Red Door has become the biggest horror movie of the year globally at $182.5M, edging M3GAN’s worldwide cume of $180.8M. The current frame was worth $2.5M from 59 overseas markets for an international cume of $101.8M. The Insidious franchise has now earned over $735M worldwide. Already last frame, the Patrick
When it comes to horror movies at the box office, Sony resurrected its track record this past weekend with the opening of Blumhouse/Stage 6 Films’ fifthquel, Insidious: The Red Door which had a $32.65M domestic opening, $64M Worldwide debut. On the domestic front, that’s the second best horror opening for Sony after 2004’s The Grudge
After working together on the combined half billion-plus grossing hits, Split and Glass, James McAvoy and Blumhouse are reteaming for a remake of Danish thriller, Speak No Evil. James Watkins (The Woman in Black) will direct from his script. Universal has set a theatrical release of Aug. 9, 2024. In the original 2022 movie, a
Universal Pictures, Atomic Monster and Blumhouse’s Night Swim is now opening on Jan. 5, 2024 instead of Jan. 19. That first weekend of the New Year is a highly coveted spot for horror movies. That’s where Blumhouse/Universal’s M3GAN opened to $30.4M and went on to gross $95M. Night Swim logline: No running. No diving. No
In a turnabout, China is handing out release dates for Hollywood movies at a clip these days — and with a fair bit of notice. Yesterday, we learned that Paramount/eOne’s Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves will go day-and-date on March 31, and today comes news that Universal/Blumhouse/Atomic Monster’s hit M3GAN has been granted a
EXCLUSIVE: James Wan has been labeled by fans for being responsible for killer doll movies, specifically his Conjuring franchise spinoff, Annabelle. “It’s funny, I really hadn’t done that yet,” says the horror auteur. And that was his prime reason to create M3GAN with screenwriter Akela Cooper. “In my previous doll movies — they don’t kill
FRIDAY PM: For an early January weekend falling after New Year’s Day and before MLK, it’s sure not sleepy. Some adult films may have a hard time working at the box office as moviegoing comes out of the pandemic, but you can bet the house on horror films. Universal has a vibrant No. 2 winner
John Cho and Katherine Waterston will headline Sony–Blumhouse-Depth of Field’s They Listen, directed by Chris Weitz. A theatrical release of Aug. 25, 2023 has been set; it’s the only wide release that weekend. You’ll remember the Cho thriller Searching debuted in late summer and was a microbudget hit grossing over $26M stateside, and north of
NBC Universal chief Jeff Shell was coy yet clearly jazzed today about the possible merger of prolific horror producers Jason Blum and James Wan’s respective companies — Blumhouse and Atomic Monster – saying “I can’t confirm it,” but, “If that should happen, we are going to be in an absolutely impregnable position.” He spoke at the UBS media conference today. The two
The Universal/Blumhouse/Atomic Monster genre film M3GAN is hitting screens a week earlier than its original MLK weekend date, and now will be released January 6. The pic from director Gerard Johnstone and producers James Wan and Jason Blum moves onto a date where there’s Sony’s untitled True Haunting movie, and away from New Line’s House
EXCLUSIVE: Momentum Pictures has acquired distribution rights in the US, Canada, and UK to Soft & Quiet, the debut feature from filmmaker Beth de Araújo which made its world premiere at SXSW. The film, produced by Blumhouse and Second Grade Teacher, earned gripping reviews out the Austin, TX event, near 90%. The pic will be released
Universal’s release of Blumhouse, Miramax and Trancas’ Halloween Ends saw a Thursday night of $5.4M from 3,200 theaters. Showtimes began at 5PM. That figure is +11% from last year’s Halloween Kills‘ previews which were $4.85M. The third Halloween movie from David Gordon Green in a subset trilogy within the franchise is set to make around
After great reviews at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes after its world premiere at Fantastic Fest and a great response to the trailer at CinemaCon, Universal is moving Blumhouse’s Scott Derrickson directed feature from Jan. 28, 2022 to Feb. 4, 2022. The following weekend is the Valentine’s Day-Presidents Day stretch which is an ideal period for Black
Universal joins Disney and 20th Century Studios in planning a theatrical release schedule for 2024, however, the studio didn’t name any titles. The only hardcore titles that has been dated in 2024 is Warner Bros./Village Roadshow’s Mad Max spinoff Furiosa on May 24, Memorial Day weekend, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and 20th Century
EXCLUSIVE: The Purge franchise architect James DeMonaco has crafted a personal film, which is an ode to cinema, based in his hometown of Staten Island, entitled This Is the Night and the Blumhouse release has a one-week theatrical run starting this Friday, Sept. 17 at Angelika’s Village East in New York City before hitting PVOD on Sept. 21 via
Universal will be releasing the Blumhouse/Miramax movie Halloween Kills in theaters and on Peacock on Oct. 15. The release date stays the same, the distribution pattern changes up. Why is Uni doing this in the wake of moviegoers’ great return to theaters for Disney/Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings, that pic having cleared $106M?
Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions have selected Jan. 28, 2022 for the release of Scott Derrickson’s next movie The Black Phone. Uni already had the date on hold for a Blumhouse title, and this is the one. The Black Phone is currently the only wide release on that date, coming in the wake of Sony/Marvel’s Morbius on Jan. 21.
In a snap, Universal was ready to backfill July 2 today with its long-awaited Blumhouse sequel The Forever Purge with the news of Paramount/Skydance’s Top Gun: Maverick leaving the Fourth of July weekend for Nov. 19. The last two Purge movies, 2018’s The First Purge and 2016’s Purge: Election Year played the July 4th corridor. The Forever Purge moves up from July 9. The
SATURDAY AM UPDATE: Universal/Blumhouse’s genre body swap comedy Freaky, starring Vince Vaughn, took in $1.45M yesterday, including Thursday night previews ~$200K, on what looks to be a $4M opening at 2,472 theaters. Universal, the only major Hollywood studio putting out consistent fresh wide product during the pandemic, can claim a three-week streak at No. 1 between
Blumhouse has entered into a three-picture deal with sought-after British director Rob Savage, which the studio will finance and partner with the filmmaker to produce. Savage will be collaborating with the same team behind Host, including producer Douglas Cox; writers Jed Shepherd & Gemma Hurley; and editor Breanna Rangott. “We’ve been tracking Rob’s work for
Universal will be releasing Blumhouse’s Freaky on Nov. 13. The black horror comedy, directed by writer-director Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day, the Paranormal Activity franchise) follows a teenage girl who switches bodies with a relentless serial killer, The Butcher. Kathryn Newton of Blockers and HBO’s Big Little Lies stars as 17-year old Millie alongside Vince Vaughn who plays the
Universal is moving a group of Blumhouse titles deeper into the theatrical release calendar including Miramax-Trancas International co-productions Halloween Kills and its sequel Halloween Ends, and The Forever Purge. In addition, MGM-Bron Creative-Monkeypaw’s Candyman is moving three weeks later. David Gordon Green’s Halloween Kills, which is in post, moves from Oct. 16 to Friday, Oct. 15, 2021 which is where
Universal and Blumhouse are taking their Kevin Bacon–Amanda Seyfried psychological thriller You Should Have Left straight into homes on Friday, June 19 for a North America PVOD release. The pic was directed by Jurassic Park and Mission: Impossible scribe David Koepp which he adapted from the German novel by Daniel Kehlmann. Bacon and Seyfried star as a couple seeking