With “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” (Lionsgate), Gerard Butler displayed his bona fides as some of the dependable attracts for motion releases. Opening at #1 with $15.5 million, it got here in just a little forward of projections and led #2 “Mufasa: The Lion King” (Disney).
A routine sequel exceeding expectations is nice information early within the yr. It barely improved on the unique’s January 2018 opening (at maybe 20 p.c decrease ticket costs). The primary one had sufficient phrase of mouth to triple its first weekend and gross $45 million; the $40 million sequel has an opportunity to repeat that.
That stated, the 2018 movie was #3 for its weekend. Final yr, this weekend had two debuts — “Imply Women” and “The Beekeeper” — each of which grossed greater than “Pantera.”
The calendar is a major issue. In a few years, together with 2023, the second weekend in January is forward of the Martin Luther King Birthday, a four-day vacation that encourages the primary wave of main releases (because it does subsequent week, led by “Wolf Man” from Common).
Subsequent weekend additionally coincides with the Oscar nominations. Initially set for January 17 and now delayed to January 19 as a result of horrific and ongoing Los Angeles fires, it additionally disrupts the plans of many distributors who need to capitalize on hoped-for nods. A number of contenders already expanded this week. As anticipated, one of the best outcomes are from “The Brutalist” (A24), which simply missed the highest 10 in solely 66 theaters. It grossed almost $1.4 million, per theater over $20,000.
At about $77 million, the weekend is down 23 p.c from final yr however sturdy vacation holdovers imply 2025 is 22 p.c over 2024. Aside from “Musafa,” these embrace “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” (Paramount) #3 with $11 million, “Nosferatu” (Focus) fourth with $6.8 million, and “Moana 2” (Disney) #5 including one other $6.5 million. The late-year output was sturdy throughout the board, with #7 “Depraved” (Common) and “Moana 2” over $400 million. That makes up for lots of weak spot amongst new releases.
“Nosferatu” (now at a stunning $81 million) dropped 48 p.c, an honest maintain for a horror title in its third weekend. Two different high-end December 25 releases held higher. #6 “A Full Unknown” (Searchlight) did $5 million, off 39 p.c, $50 million to this point. “#8 “Babygirl” (A24) fell solely 31 p.c, $3.1 million and $21.7 million complete.
New this week and within the high 10 are #9 “Sport Changer” (Shloka), a Telugu-language Indian movie with $1.9 million in 800 theaters, and “The Final Showgirl” (Roadside Points of interest) tenth with $1,533,000 in 870. The latter opened proper after Pamela Anderson and Jamie Lee Curtis scored SAG nominations, a lift for the under-$2 million budgeted drama. It is without doubt one of the movies hoping to get an Oscars enhance.
A number of different movies positioned themselves this weekend to trip the awards wave. Mike Leigh’s “Arduous Truths” (Bleecker Road), with Marianne Jean-Baptiste a uncommon triple finest actress winner from the New York/Los Angeles/Nationwide Society of Movie Critics, had a modest begin with $166,000 in 22 theaters. “Nickel Boys” (Amazon MGM), which might see a major enhance forward, went to 26 theaters.
Two Paramount platform releases had weak expansions. “September 5” did $60,000 in 20. “Higher Man” managed solely $1.05 million in 1,587. Pedro Almodovar’s “The Room Subsequent Door” reported $256,000 in its first vast enlargement. “Stream” (Janus/Sideshow), getting main awards consideration, added $303,000 with doubling its theaters and is now over $3 million.
Regardless of the fires in Los Angeles, “Extraordinarily Distinctive Dynamic” (Strand) opened to a startling $37,000 on the Laemmle NoHo 7, not a regular platform location. With great grassroots and creative advertising and marketing concentrating on Asian-American and homosexual audiences, the self-described microbudget Meta-Asian-stoner-coming of age-bromantic dramedy about two pals making an attempt to make a film clicked. It’s the theater’s best-ever weekend gross.
Prime 10
1. Den of Thieves 2: Pantera (Lionsgate) Cinemascore: B+; Metacritic: 59; Est. price range: $40 million
$15,500,000 in 3,003 theaters; PTA (per theater common): $5,153; Cumulative: $15,500,000
2. Mufasa: The Lion King (Disney) Week 4; Final weekend #1
$13,200,000 (-44%) in 3,620 (-305) theaters; PTA: $3,646; Cumulative: $188,777,000
3. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Paramount) Week 4; Final weekend #2
$11,000,000 (-48%) in 3,582 (-164) theaters; PTA: $; Cumulative: $204,515,000
4. Nosferatu (Focus) Week 3; Final weekend #3
$6,800,000 (-48%) in 3,082 (-50) theaters; PTA: $2,206; Cumulative: $81,807,000
5. Moana 2 (Disney) Week 7; Final weekend #4
$6,500,000 (-48%) in 3,170 (-175) theaters; PTA: $2,050; Cumulative: $434,855,000
6. A Full Unknown (Searchlight) Week 3; Final weekend #6
$5,000,000 (-39%) in 2,815 (-20) theaters; PTA: $1,776; Cumulative: $50,848,000
7. Depraved (Common) Week 7; Final weekend #5; additionally on PVOD
$5,000,000 (-50%) in 2,967 (-120) theaters; PTA: $1,685; Cumulative: $458,900,000
8. Babygirl (A24) Week 3; Final weekend #7
$3,098,000 (-31%) in 1,887 (-277) theaters; PTA: $1,642; Cumulative: $21,738,000
9. Sport Changer (Shloka) NEW – Est. price range: $5 million
$1,895,000 in 800 theaters; PTA: $2,394; Cumulative: $1,895,000
10. The Final Showgirl (Roadside Points of interest) NEW – Metacritic: 66; Est. price range: $2,000,000
$1,533,000 in 870 theaters; PTA: $1,762; Cumulative: $1,533,000
‘Arduous Truths’
Different specialised/unbiased titles
Movies (restricted, expansions of restricted) are listed by week in launch, beginning with these opened this week; after the primary three weeks, solely movies with grosses over $5,000 are listed. Metacritic scores and preliminary movie festivals recorded when accessible.
OPENING (platform)
Arduous Truths (Bleecker Road) NEW – Metacritic: 88; Festivals embrace: Toronto, New York 2024
$165,625 in 22 theaters; PTA: $7,528
Extraordinarily Distinctive Dynamic (Strand) NEW – Festivals embrace: Sonoma 2024
$37,000 in 1 theater; PTA: $37,000
Hazard (Emphatic/RBL) NEW – Festivals embrace: Woodstock 2024
$27,600 in 24 theaters; PTA: $1,150
HOLDOVERS
The Damned (Vertical) Week 2
$186,000 in 563 (-169) theaters; PTA: $330; Cumulative: $1,255,000
The Fireplace Inside (Amazon MGM) Week 3
$307,998 in 1,010 (-1,022) theaters; PTA: $301; Cumulative: $7,861,000
Higher Man (Paramount) Week 3
$1,050,000 in 1,587 (+1,581) theaters; PTA: $; Cumulative: $1,150,000
Vermiglio (Sideshow/Janus) Week 3
$29,700 in 19 (+16) theaters; PTA: $1,563; Cumulative: $69,691
The Brutalist (Neon) Week 4
$1,388,000 in 66 (+58) theaters; PTA: $20,408; Cumulative: $2,742,000
The Room Subsequent Door (Sony Footage Classics) Week 4
$255,985 in 44 (+38) theaters; Cumulative: $598,714
The Depend of Monte Cristo (Goldwyn) Week 4
$105,000 in 93(no change) theaters; Cumulative: $445,325
Nickel Boys (MGM Amazon) Week 5
$112,219 in 26 (+8) theaters; Cumulative: $578,297
September 5 (Paramount) Week 5
$60,000 in 20 (+7) theaters; Cumulative: $374,000
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Neon) Week 7
$31,000 in 19 (-1) theaters; Cumulative: $363,442
Stream (Janus/Sideshow) Week 8; additionally on PVOD
$303,400 in 200 (+73) theaters; Cumulative: $3,008,000
All We Think about as Mild (Janus/Sideshow) Week 9
$52,600 in 51 (+7) theaters; Cumulative: $843,861
A Actual Ache (Searchlight) Week 11; additionally on PVOD
$118,000 in 70 (-35) theaters; Cumulative: $8,029,000
Conclave (Focus) Week 12; additionally on PVOD and streaming
$60,000 in 68 (+12) theaters; Cumulative: $31,504,000
Anora (Neon) Week 13; additionally on PVOD
$90,000 in 111 (+6) theaters; Cumulative: $14,554,000