WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON: Early figures and take the 3-day and 5-day with a grain of salt as projections are always off at this point in a Thanksgiving stretch. Disney/Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is leading today with $9.5M, even with yesterday and a $50M Wednesday through Sunday outlook. However, Strange World, as we thought, it falling below its $30M projection with $23M-$27M. Including previews, today looks like around $4.5M to $5M for that animated movie. Encanto last year had an opening day of $7.6M. Apparently, Strange World closed the gap on early matinees with Encanto, and hopefully that momentum continues.
Sony and Black Label Media’s Devotion at 3,405 theaters is seeing $1.7M today with $9M-$10M for the 5-day, ranking third. Searchlight’s has an estimated $1M for Wednesday for $6M-$8M over 5-days.
At this minute, I’m hearing erratic reports about Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Some have it ahead of all the frosh adult counterprogramming in presales, while others do not.
WEDNESDAY AM: It’s not like people weren’t going to the cinema yesterday as we head toward Thanksgiving: Disney/Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever made $9.5M at 4,258 theaters on Tuesday propelling the Ryan Coogler-directed sequel past the the three century mark with $303.7M, making it the 7th film to pass that threshold this year after Top Gun: Maverick, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Jurassic World: Dominion, Minions: The Rise of Gru, The Batman and Thor: Love and Thunder.
However, there really wasn’t any excitement last night to see previews of Disney Animation’s Strange World, which as we told you doesn’t look so good for the holiday stretch. Off previews that started at 6pm, Strange World only did $800K, which is arguably the lowest for a Disney Thanksgiving theatrical release in the era of movie theaters holding early previews. That’s close to half of what Encanto did in its Tuesday preview a year ago with $1.5M, and that’s when there were more pandemic fears among moviegoers. A $30M+ five-day start for Strange World at 4,174 theaters is what we figured, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if it’s lower as the weekend belongs for a third time to Wakanda Forever, which is now apt to do $50M+ over Wednesday to Sunday. Audience score on Strange World is currently low on Rotten Tomatoes at 62%, but only from 50 reviews.
Wakanda Forever‘s Tuesday, +36% over Monday, reps its third highest weekday (outside Friday) after its first Monday and Tuesday which respectively did $11.1M and $12.6M.
Searchlight’s The Menu was second yesterday with $1.3M at 3,228 venues, +26% over Monday for a running five-day total of $11.3M at 3,211. While A24’s Midsommar –a good genre comp here for Menu– took a different trajectory, opening on a Wednesday in July, the Mark Mylod directed Anya Taylor Joy movie here is 4% of the Ari Aster movie in its first five days.
Fathom Events and Angel Studios’ The Chosen: Season 3 posted $1.02M, -19% from Monday for a running total of $11M.
New Line/DC’s Black Adam was fourth on Tuesday with $690K at 3,372 locations, +17% for a running total of $158.3M. The Dwayne Johnson movie is available to own digital for $24.99 or for 48-hour rental via PVOD for $19.99. On Jan. 3, the movie hits DVD, Blu-Ray and 4K.
In 5th was Universal’s George Clooney and Julia Roberts romantic comedy, Ticket to Paradise, which made $490K at 3,268 theaters, +22% from Monday for a running total of $62.4M. The pic is already available to watch on PVOD.
The Sony distributed Black Label Media war movie Devotion made $615K at 2,982 theaters which started showtimes at 6PM. That figure is above the Thursday previews figure for Focus Features’ BlacKKKlansman which did $600K before seeing a $3.6M Friday, and $10.8M opening, however, that was a very different time of year, that being late summer pre-pandemic 2018. The Jonathan Majors-Glen Powell movie is expected to see $7M-$8M over five days.
United Artists Releasing’s wide expansion previews of Bones and All did $345K as it heads to 2,700 theatres today. Through five days, apart from previews, the Luca Guadagnino directed genre pic has made $146,7K from five theaters in NYC and LA. A single digits five-day take is expected.