Here’s how Thursday went down at the box office: Deadpool & Wolverine grossed an awesome $18M, easily a R-rated record for a non-preview Thursday. M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap earned $2.2M, the best previews the director has had post Covid besting Old ($1.5M) and Knock at the Cabin ($1.45M), while Sony’s Harold and the Purple Crayon, as expected, is nothing to write home about at $725K.
Deadpool & Wolverine ends its first week at $298.5M, which is 35% ahead of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s first week ($220.6M) and +29% ahead of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ first week ($230.8M). Both of those movies respectively ended their domestic runs at $453.8M and $411.3M. As we mentioned, weekend 2 is wild for the Marvel Studios/Disney Ryan Reynolds-Hugh Jackman movie with a take of $84M-$100M. D&W‘s second Thursday is -53% of its $38.5M Thursday previews a week ago.
As for Trap, as good as Thursday was, there’s still a notion that the Shyamalan fans showed up, and it’s all downhill from there. The hope was for a $15M-$20M opening. Off the immediate critical reviews of 44% Rotten on Rotten Tomatoes (the studio did not screen the film for press and critics) and Screen Engine/Comscore PostTrak exits of 2 1/2 stars and 63%, it doesn’t look like the Josh Hartnett creepy dad movie is going to make it there. Previews played in 3,000 theaters starting at 3PM.
Tracking firm Quorum disagreed earlier this AM, saying, “While awareness has been on the soft side for Trap, interest has been very high. At 54%, Trap has the 6th highest level of interest among all films being tracked by The Quorum, ahead of films like Moana 2, Wicked and Gladiator 2. Projected opening: $20M-$23M.” Whoa.
Interesting to note that Trap‘s preview cash is a tad ahead of Shyamalan’s comeback movie from 2016, which did $2M before a $14.6M Friday and $40M weekend. However, that pic overperformed as moviegoers learned that it was connected to the filmmaker’s 2000 movie Unbreakable, not to mention it had 78% certified fresh Rotten Tomatoes reviews and a B+ grade.
Shyamalan’s Old opened at a time when moviegoers were just getting adjusted to returning to cinemas post Covid, seeing a $6.8M Friday, and a 3-day of $16.8M. The Philly director’s Knock at the Cabin turned in a $5.4M Friday and a $14.1M opening.
Harold & The Purple Crayon‘s previews started at 2PM at 2,745 locations. The pic’s previews are just under Sony’s film reviewer and audience lambasted 2017 late summer animated movie, The Emoji Movie which posted a $900K Thursday night before overperforming to a $10M Friday and $24.5M opening. Harold & The Purple Crayon‘s PostTrak exits were 3 stars with general audiences, 3 1/2 stars with parents and better with kids under 12 at four stars. Age breakdown for the kids were 47% between 10-12, 42% 7-9, and 11% under 7 years old. Outlook for Harry: single digits opening.
Thursday’s top 5 for regular pics in release:
1.) Deadpool & Wolverine (Dis) 4,210 theaters, Thu $18M (-7% from Wednesday), Wk $298.5M/Wk 1
2.) Twisters (Uni) 4,170 theaters, Thu $3.8M (-10%), Wk $53.2M, Total $172.9M/Wk 2
3.) Despicable Me 4 (Uni) 3,610 theaters, Thu $2.3M (-14%), Wk $25.9M, Total $302.7M/Wk 4
4.) Inside Out 2 (Dis) 3,150 theaters, Thu $1.3M (-14%), Wk $15M, Total $620.1M/Wk 7
5.) Longlegs (NEON) 2,732 theaters, Thu $871K (-12%), Wk $10.9M, Total $62.8M/Wk 3