Box Office Weekend: A Slow Debut for New Releases
Date: October 2023
This past weekend marked the wide release of five new films in North America, including ambitious projects from renowned directors and studios. However, despite the star power and diversity of genres, the box office performance was disappointing, projecting to be the lowest-grossing weekend of the year with an estimated total of around $54 million.
Novocaine Leads Weekend Earnings
The film “Novocaine,” featuring Jack Quaid as a character who cannot feel pain, took the top spot, earning approximately $8.7 million from 3,365 theaters. Released by Paramount Pictures, this film had a preview showing the week before, which contributed to its total. Critics responded positively, giving it an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while audience reactions were good but slightly more restrained, reflected in a 4/5 score on PostTrak and a B CinemaScore. Its international take was an additional $1.8 million, bringing the global total for the weekend to $10.5 million.
Close Competitors: Mickey 17 and Black Bag
In a tightly contested weekend, Bong Joon Ho’s “Mickey 17” and Steven Soderbergh’s “Black Bag” trailed closely behind, each earning about $7.5 million. “Mickey 17,” starring Robert Pattinson, maintained a wider release in 3,807 theaters but faced a 60% dip from its opening weekend, accumulating a domestic total of $33.3 million and a worldwide total of $90.5 million against a production budget of $118 million.
“Black Bag,” featuring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender, opened in 2,705 theaters and garnered strong critical acclaim with a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes, attracting a largely male audience aged over 35, who made up 59% of ticket buyers.
Other New Releases
Additional premieres included “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie,” which managed to earn $3.2 million across 2,827 theaters and was initially slated for a streaming release. Meanwhile, the faith-based film “The Last Supper” brought in $2.8 million from 1,575 theaters.
Notably, “Opus,” a film from A24 starring Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich, debuted with a modest $1 million from 1,764 screens, underlining a lukewarm reception following its Sundance Film Festival premiere.
Box Office Trends and Insights
After a promising start to the year, the box office has seen a downturn, with many weekends failing to surpass the $60 million mark. Overall, year-to-date sales remain approximately 5% below previous statistics. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, commented, “It’s a momentum business… good news is we probably won’t see the 50s again until August.” He anticipates a rebound with upcoming releases, such as “Snow White,” set to attract audiences next weekend.
Top 10 Movies by Domestic Box Office
- Novocaine – $8.7 million
- Mickey 17 – $7.5 million
- Black Bag – $7.5 million
- Captain America: Brave New World – $5.5 million
- The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie – $3.2 million
- The Last Supper – $2.8 million
- Paddington in Peru – $2.8 million
- Dog Man – $2.5 million
- The Monkey – $2.5 million
- Last Breath – $2.3 million
This article restructures the original content, offering a clear, concise overview of the box office weekend while retaining essential details and ensuring a professional tone. Each headline and section delineates specific information for improved readability and engagement.
