Horror movies lead box office with "Smile 2", "Terrifier 3" success
Date
10/21/2024 4:48:23 AM
(MENAFN) Horror movies dominated the domestic box office this weekend, with “Smile 2” making a strong debut and “Terrifier 3” continuing to draw audiences in its second week. “Smile 2” secured the top spot, grossing an impressive USD23 million in its opening weekend, surpassing expectations. Directed by Parker Finn, who also helmed the original “Smile,” this sequel features Naomi Scott as a pop star and benefits from a higher budget and a theatrical release from the outset. Its opening performance edged past the first film's USD22 million debut, which had originally been released in fall 2022 after a successful pivot from streaming.
In second place was Universal and DreamWorks Animation's “The Wild Robot,” which earned USD10.1 million in its fourth weekend, pushing its North American total past the USD100 million mark. Family films tend to enjoy longevity in theaters, especially well-received ones like “The Wild Robot.” Some speculate that it may have seen an uptick in viewership from teens purchasing tickets to the PG-rated film before sneaking into the unclassified “Terrifier 3.” The demon clown film added an estimated USD9.3 million to its total, now at USD36.2 million, after costing only USD2 million to produce.
The success of “Smile 2” and “Terrifier 3” can be attributed, in part, to the underperformance of “Joker: Folie à Deux,” which saw a substantial 69 percent drop in its third weekend, grossing just USD2.2 million for a cumulative total of USD56.4 million. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. had more success with “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” which landed in fourth place this weekend, bringing in an additional USD5 million for a domestic total of USD284 million. Additionally, Michael Keaton's new father-daughter dramedy “Goodrich” opened to a disappointing USD600,000 from 1,055 locations.
Completing the top five was the romantic drama “We Live In Time,” which expanded to 985 theaters after debuting on only five screens last weekend. Starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, the A24 release garnered USD4.2 million over the weekend, appealing primarily to a younger audience, with 85 percent of viewers under 35 and 70 percent female, according to exit polls. The film received positive reviews and is set for further expansion in the coming weekend.
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