Box Office Recap: May 12-14, 2023
Guardians of the Galaxy scores back-to-back wins at the box office over Mother’s Day weekend.
This past Mother’s Day weekend offered no surprises, as Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 won the box office crown for a second straight weekend with a $60+ million sophomore frame performance. Meanwhile, the weekend saw a slew of openings with the rom-com Book Club: The Next Chapter leading the pack with a $6 million debut. Elsewhere, on the milestone lookout, the modestly budgeted Evil Dead Rise continued its strong run by surpassing the $100 million plateau.
Finishing again in first place, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 earned a sophomore weekend run of $60.5 million domestically. This marks a comfortable fall of -48.9% from its opening weekend frame, earning an impressive per-theater average of $13,595 at 4,450 locations. So far, the newest entry of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has earned $213.2 million domestically. Overseas, the superhero film brought in $262.5 million, pushing its total worldwide performance to $475.7 million against a reported production budget of $250 million.
Looking ahead, it’s safe to say that Vol. 3’s run atop the box office will end with Universal’s Fast X opening this weekend. That said, the film was able to do what it was supposed to by capitalizing on the one competition free weekend it had before the upcoming Fast & Furious sequel’s release. While it still has a bit more to go before it starts earning profit for Marvel, the studio can be pleased in knowing Vol. 3 didn’t receive the precipitous, near 70%, sophomore weekend fall its last film, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania received, which should bode well for its overall theatrical run.
In the runner-up spot, Universal’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie continued its dominating run. The hit animated adventure, which is based on the iconic Nintendo video game, dropped -29.9% and brought in $13.0 million over its sixth weekend in release, earning a per-theater average of $3,421 at 3,800 locations. This pushes its total domestic run to $536.0 million. Internationally, the film brought in $674.5 million to help push its total worldwide performance to $1.21 billion against a reported production budget of $100 million.
Landing in third place, Focus Features’s Book Club: The Next Chapter debuted with $6.5 million domestically, falling just short of its pre-release expectations of $7-10 million. The rom-com sequel to 2018’s Book Club premiered in 3,508 theaters, earning a per-theater average of $1,852. While critics were mixed in their reception, audiences gave it a solid “B” CinemaScore. Internationally, the film added another $3.1 million to its earnings for a global cume of $9.6 million against a reported production budget of $20 million.
In fourth place, Warner Bros.’s Evil Dead Rise made $3.7 million over its fourth weekend weekend in release, pushing its total domestic performance to $60.2 million. Internationally, the horror sequel from the iconic Evil Dead series has brought in $61.0 million. Altogether, the film has finally crossed the $100 million threshold worldwide with $121.2 million against a reported production budget of $19 million.
Rounding out the top five, Lionsgate’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. earned $2.5 million domestically over its third weekend in release. This marks a -23.0% drop from its prior weekend frame, earning a per-theater average of $1,057 at 2,365 locations. So far, the coming-of-age dramedy has earned $16.5 million domestically against a reported production budget of $30 million.
Outside the top five, in sixth place, Ketchup Entertainment’s Hypnotic debuted with $2.4 million domestically. The sci-fi action thriller, which is directed by Robert Rodriguez and stars Academy Award winner Ben Affleck, opened in 2,118 theaters, earning a per-theater average of $1,111. Both critic and audience responses were mixed, with the latter giving the film a lukewarm “C+” CinemaScore. This also marks the lowest opening weekend of both Rodriguez and Affleck’s careers, with many pointing to the lack of marketing by the studio as the possible cause. Though no international earnings have been reported yet, given the film’s lackluster domestic opening, it appears that help from the overseas markets won’t be enough to recoup its reported $65 million production budget.
Outside the top ten, in eleventh place, Sony’s Knights of the Zodiac opened with $535.0k domestically. The fantasy action film, which is based on the popular Japanese magna series Saint Seiya, debuted in 586 theaters, earning a per-theater average of $912. The film has already earned $4.5 million internationally, following its April release in Japan, for a global cume of $5.0 million against a reported production budget of $60 million.
In thirteenth place, IFC Films’s BlackBerry opened with $473.0k domestically. The biographical dramedy, which is based on the rise and fall of the BlackBerry smartphones, debuted in 450 locations, earning a per-theater average of $1,051. While it is certainly a quiet opening, the film has received strong praise from both critics and audiences, which could lead to it receiving a modest box office boost through word-of-mouth should IFC Films choose to expand its release.
Last of the new releases, in fourteenth place, Roadside Attractions’s Fool’s Paradise earned a debut of $443.1k domestically. The satirical comedy, which marks the directorial debut of Charlie Day and stars Day, Ken Jeon, Kate Beckinsale and the late Ray Liotta in one of his final appearances, opened in 784 theaters, earning a per-theater average of $565.
Opening this weekend, Universal Pictures will debut the highly anticipated Fast & Furious sequel, Fast X starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jason Statham, Jason Momoa and Academy Award winners Charlize Theron, Brie Larson, Rita Moreno and Helen Mirren.
* Total worldwide gross listed in parenthesis.
1) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – $60.5 million, Week 2 ($475.7 million)
2) The Super Mario Bros. Movie – $13.0 million, Week 6 ($1.21 billion)
3) Book Club: The Next Chapter – $6.5 million, Week 1 ($9.6 million)
4) Evil Dead Rise – $3.7 million, Week 4 ($121.2 million)
5) Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. – $2.5 million, Week 3 ($16.5 million)
6) Hypnotic – $2.4 million, Week 1 ($2.4 million)
7) John Wick: Chapter 4 – $1.9 million, Week 8 ($419.8 million)
8) Love Again – $1.6 million, Week 2 ($7.6 million)
9) Air – $768.0k, Week 6 ($86.3 million)
10) Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – $741.0k, Week 7 ($203.8 million)
About Post Author
