NEW YORK — On a quiet weekend in film theaters, whereas a lot of Hollywood’s consideration was on the wildfires that continue to rage in Los Angeles, Lionsgate’s “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” debuted atop the field workplace with $15.5 million, in keeping with studio estimates Sunday.
Mid-January is usually a gradual moviegoing interval, and that was barely exacerbated by the closures of about 10 theaters in Los Angeles, the nation’s high box-office market.
A sequel to the Gerard Butler 2018 heist thriller, “Den of Thieves 2” carried out equally to the unique. The primary installment, launched by STX, opened with $15.2 million seven years in the past. O’Shea Jackson Jr. co-stars within the sequel, which debuted in 3,008 North American theaters.
Butler’s movies have gotten one thing of a daily characteristic in January. He additionally starred in “Plane,” which managed $32.1 million after launching on Jan. 13 in 2023.
“Den of Thieves 2,” made for about $40 million, was a bit extra pricey to make. Audiences preferred it nicely sufficient, giving it a “B+” CinemaScore. Evaluations (58% contemporary on Rotten Tomatoes) weren’t notably good. However it counted as Lionsgate’s first No.1 opening since “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” in November 2023.
Additionally coming into large launch over the weekend was the Robbie Williams movie “Better Man,” one of many extra audacious spins on the music biopic in recent times. Somewhat than going the extra custom routes of Elton John (“Rocketman”) or Elvis Presley (“Elvis”), the British popstar is portrayed by a CGI chimpanzee in Michael Gracey’s movie.
The Paramount Footage launch, produced for $110 million and purchased by Paramount for $25 million, didn’t catch on significantly better than Williams’ earlier forays into the USA. It tanked, with $1.1 million in ticket gross sales from 1,291 areas. Gracey’s earlier characteristic, 2017’s “The Greatest Showman” ($459 million worldwide), fared much better in theaters. Evaluations, nevertheless, have been superb for “Higher Man.”
It was bested by “The Last Showgirl,” the Las Vegas drama starring Pamela Anderson. The Roadside Sights launch expanded to 870 theaters and picked up $1.5 million.
Additionally outdoing “Higher Man” was Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist.” Coming off winning best drama at the Golden Globes, the A24 postwar epic grossed a hefty $1.4 million from simply 68 areas. It expands wider within the coming weeks.
The weekend’s lion share of enterprise went to vacation holdovers, together with “Mufasa: The Lion King,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” “Nosferatu” and “Moana 2.”
In its fourth week of launch, Barry Jenkins “Mufasa” continued to do nicely, including $13.2 million to deliver its whole to $539.7 million worldwide. Additionally on its fourth weekend, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” padded its $384.8 million world whole with $11 million. Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu,” the shock hit of the Christmas interval, collected $6.8 million in ticket gross sales, bringing the vampire story to $81.1 million domestically.
The Walt Disney Co.’s “Moana 2,” in its seventh week of launch, added $6.5 million to deliver its world tally to $989.8 million. Within the coming days, it should develop into the third Disney movie launched in 2024 to notch $1 billion, becoming a member of “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool and Wolverine.”
Remaining home figures will likely be launched Monday. Estimated ticket gross sales for Friday via Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, in keeping with Comscore:
1. “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera,” $15.5 million.
2. “Mufasa: The Lion King,” $13.2 million.
3. “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” $11 million.
4. “Nosferatu,” $6.8 million.
5. “Moana 2,” $6.5 million.
6. “A Full Unknown,” $5 million.
7. “Depraved,” $5 million.
8. “Babygirl,” $3.1 million.
9. “Sport Changer,” $1.9 million.
10. “The Final Showgirl,” $1.5 million.
