Blink Twice’ is top new title with $14m opening
Original storytelling (Blink Twice) triumphed over existing IP (The Crow) as the two new wide releases faced off at cinemas worldwide – although neither film exactly achieved box office glory.
Amazon MGM Studios’ Blink Twice landed in fifth place in Comscore’s worldwide box office chart, behind four veteran titles (see below), having opened with an estimated $14.0m, comprising $7.3m in North America and $6.7m in 73 international markets via distribution partner Warner Bros.
UK/Ireland led the international pack with an estimated $971,000, ahead of France ($621,000), Australia ($558,000), Mexico ($440,000) and Netherlands ($399,000).
Zoe Kravitz makes her directing debut with the psychological thriller, which sees Naomi Ackie’s cocktail waitress discovering the dark secrets of a private island belonging to a tech billionaire (Channing Tatum) when invited to join him and friends for a party vacation.
On background, Warner Bros offered comparisons to a range of films in different international markets, including The Menu, Midsommar, Last Night In Soho and Promising Young Woman. Other possible comp titles – less flattering to Blink Twice’s box office so far – could be Get Out and Don’t Worry Darling.
‘The Crow’ flaps to weak $8m debut
Landing three places lower than Blink Twice in the worldwide box office chart is Lionsgate/FilmNation’s The Crow – debuting with an estimated $4.6m in North America and $3.8m across 44 international markets via a range of international partners. Those numbers combine to deliver an $8.4m opening. Screen International did not receive a box office breakdown of international territories on the title.
The Crow is billed as a new adaptation of the James O’Barr 1989 comic book series, rather than as a remake of Alex Proyas’s 1994 film, which yielded three further films in the franchise (achieving variable degrees of theatrical release globally).
The original The Crow grossed $50.7m in North America. Comprehensive international box office on the title is not available, but UK/Ireland delivered £2.9m ($3.8m at today’s exchange rate) according to Comscore historical data. Despite benefit of three decades of ticket price inflation, this new version of The Crow – directed by Rupert Sanders and starring Bill Skarsgard and FKA Twigs – looks set to fall short of the original at the box office.
‘Alien: Romulus’ leads in static late-summer chart
The final full weekend of August sees a quartet of titles – Alien: Romulus, Deadpool & Wolverine, It Ends With Us and Despicable Me 4 – stay firm at the top of global box office, resisting the challenge of new-release titles.
From Disney’s 20th Century Studios, Alien: Romulus held at the top spot with an estimated $57.8m for the second session, taking the total after two weekends to $225.4m. International ($152.8m) is now more than double North America ($72.6m).
Genre films tend to burn out relatively quickly at the box office, and sequels similarly see strong openings followed by rapid declines, so horror/sci-fi franchise entry Alien: Romulus is a prime candidate for speedy decay. In that context, the film’s 61% drop from the opening weekend number in North America is hardly unexpected, and Disney should be happy with a 35% decline in international markets, buoyed by a particularly strong hold (-25%) in China.
China is way out in front among international markets, with $73.3m to date, ahead of UK/Ireland ($10.7m), South Korea ($9.7m) and France ($7.0m).
Alien: Romulus is already 94% of the way to matching the $240.9m lifetime box office of the previous film in the franchise, 2017’s Alien: Covenant. It is also 86% of the way to matching the box office of notable 2024 horror sequel A Quiet Place: Day One (currently $261m).
Remaining in second place globally, Marvel/Disney’s Deadpool & Wolverine has now reached $1.211bn globally, overtaking Captain America: Civil War ($1.155bn) to become the eighth-biggest film of all time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It will soon overtake seventh-placed Iron Man 3 ($1.215bn) – although these figures are not adjusted for inflation.
Remaining in third place globally, Columbia Pictures/Wayfarer Studios’ It Ends With Us has now reached a highly profitable $242.6m, with international ($121.8m) overtaking North America ($120.8m). The weekend saw new market Italy open with an estimated $1.2m. UK/Ireland is the hero international market with $20.5m to date, ahead of Australia ($11.8m) and Mexico ($10.8m).
Universal/Illumination’s Despicable Me 4 holds steady in fourth place, and has now reached $885.4m worldwide, having begun its global rollout in early markets on June 20. The film was boosted at the weekend by its estimated $6.9m debut in Italy, and an estimated $770,000 launch in Greece. Despicable Me 4 enjoyed a 19% rise on the previous weekend in UK/Ireland, boosted by a very strong rainy Saturday (up 44% week on week). Cume in the territory is now $53.8m, not far behind top international market China ($55.0m). Next come Mexico ($44.5m), Germany ($35.9m) and France ($30.7m).
‘Coraline’ rerelease hits $38m
Laika Studios animation Coraline confirmed its status as the year’s top rerelease with an estimated $7.7m second-weekend box office globally, taking the total after 11 days to $38.0m for this 15th-anniversary reissue. Fathom Events leads with $24.7m for North America, with Trafalgar Releasing’s international rollout in 22 markets so far delivering $13.4m.
The original 2009 release of Coraline via Focus Features and Universal generated $124.6m, so the rerelease has already dekivered more than 30% of that number. Thanks to intervening rereleases in North America by Fathom, the global total for Coraline now stands at $170m.
Trafalgar has more international markets yet to come for Coraline, notably in France, where release was delayed because of the Paris Olympic Games.
‘Inside Out 2’ hits $1bn outside North America
The weekend saw Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out 2 become the first animation to hit $1bn at the international box office (ie outside North America). International total is now $1.003bn, and globally it’s $1.649bn. The film ranked sixth at the worldwide box office at the weekend (with an estimated $11.2m), an impressive hold in the chart considering Inside Out 2 is now in its 11th week of release.
Inside Out 2 remains in 10th place in the all-time worldwide box office chart, and is now breathing down the neck of ninth-placed The Lion King ($1.663bn, 2019), with a $14m gap between the two films.
source screendaily