Weekend box office at $37 million, just short of 2022 low before Avatar: The Way Of Water sucks the air

What happens if there are no big theatrical releases and it’s the holiday season when we come out of the pandemic? Well, you get what is estimated to be the second lowest box office weekend of the year $37.2 million. We’ll see if Saturday night’s business is so bad that this weekend will be the lowest of 2022 and that of Jan. 28-30, when all movies earned $34.87 million, according to Comscore.

The top picture this weekend is of course Disney/Marvel’s fifth relaunch Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which is appreciated 11 million dollars. Yesterday, the $2.8 million Ryan Coogler film broke through four centuries with a running total of $401.55 millionwith a lead of 5%. Doctor Strange in the multiverse of madness more than 29 days.

Also with 20th Century Studios/Disneys Avatar: the way of water ready to do all the business with a potential $200 million opening next weekend, no one wants to waste the marketing dollars gambling on it, especially if movie attendance doesn’t pick up again until after Christmas, when there are no holiday distractions and kids around break.

You’ll remember that Disney made the mistake of opening Steven Spielberg’s a year ago West side story the second weekend in December Spider-Man: No Way Home, and none came, resulting in $10.5 million in box office earnings over 3 days. No studio was willing to risk a wide release this weekend after seeing how it went.

However, in pre-pandemic times, family movies flourished before the year-end titans on the second weekend of December. Jumanji: The Next Level, which previously opened to $59 million Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker$177.3 million as of December 2019 and 2018 Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, which opened to $35.3 million for Warner Bros/DC Aquarius. Solid family stocks in the recent pre-Covid era seem to be a breakthrough. Currently, the majors have no major releases booked for next year on December 1st or 8th. Next year’s year-end Christmas movie is Warner Bros/DC Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

This weekend, on the small side: a moderate expansion from Focus Features’ Michael Showalter, directed by Michael Showalter Devastation warning, based on the book by Michael Ausiello, wants to make the top 10 $700,000 after a $230,000 Friday in 783 theaters (+777). PostTrak performs well: 91% of participants are 58% male, 45% ages 18-34, 66% White, 15% Latino and Hispanic, 2% Black, and 17% Asian/Other. On the second weekend of the picture, it seems to land $803,000.

Despite no sound on the broad side, A24s Brendan Fraser drama directed by Darren Aronofsky The whale on its way to the best theatrical average of 2022 and fired the studios Everything, everywhere, all at once ($50,000 per theater) with $60,000or $360,000 for three days in six theaters in NYC and LA. This gives hope for prestigious Oscar dramas. Despite only a 67% Rotten Tomatoes rating, Fraser is excited for a Best Actor spot after the picture’s fall film festival tour. We hear a great number from New York’s Lincoln Square, Angelika, Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn and Burbank, Grove and Century City in LA.

searchlight rich in light, Directed by Sam Mendes and based on the life of the Oscar winner’s mother, it was hailed by critics at 47% Rotten and isn’t doing strong numbers from what I hear. Booked up to 110 pages, the film flickered $67,000 yesterday for what becomes one $177,600 Opening.

Weekend Top 5:

1.) Wakanda forever It’s 3.725 (-130) Theatre, Fri $2.8 million (-37%), 3 days 11 million dollars (-37%), Total $409.7 million/ week 5

2.) violent night Uni 3,723 cinemas (+41), Fri $2.4 million (-50%) 3 days 8 million dollars (-40%), Total $26.4 million/week 2

3.) strange world It’s 3,560 (-614) Theatre, Fri $787,000 (-28%) 3 days $3.6 million (-29%)Total $30.4 million /week 3

4.) The menu Zee 2,710 (-100) cinemas Fri $825,000 (-21%) 3 days $2.8 million (-18%) Overall $29.1 million/week 4

5.) mission Sony 3,458 theaters (+53) for $600,000 3 days $1.9 million (-28%) Overall $16.8 million/week 3