Box Office Success For “Halloween Ends”, But Reignited The Controversy Over Streaming Services
According to studio figures released on Sunday, the slasher film, which was billed as the decisive confrontation between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers, brought in $41.3 million from ticket sales at 3,901 theatres across North America. It made more money than its rumored $20 to $30 million production budget, making it the first movie to debut with more than $40 million since “Nope” did it in July.
Some analysts predicted that “Halloween Ends” would open to between $50 and $55 million in its first weekend. The first film in the trilogy of “Halloween” films, “Halloween Kills,” which was directed by David Gordon Green, had a day-and-date release last year and nevertheless made $49 million in its first weekend.
In contrast, Green’s first “Halloween” opened to $76.2 million in 2018. However, that was prior to the pandemic, a limited theatrical release, and the eagerly awaited return of a cherished franchise with positive reviews. His later “Halloween” movies, however, caused more disagreement among critics and fans.
The day-and-date model was tested again, but Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian believes that this is a mandate in favor of the movie theater. Although they had the opportunity, the audience decided to travel to the theatre rather than watch it at home.”
In the second year of the pandemic, many studios tried out day-and-date releases to varying degrees of success, but by 2022, most had switched back to the more conventional theatrical-first releases, particularly for their most valuable brands and franchises.” Nevertheless, it led to a self-described “rant” from director Christopher Landon, who tweeted this past weekend that he believed his horror picture “Freaky” had been harmed by its simultaneous release in cinemas and online in November 2020. “We got hosed,” Landon wrote on Twitter. “Stop doing this. Please. It doesn’t work. Studios: stop gambling with filmmakers and their movies to try and prop up your nascent streaming services.”
Peacock is somewhat smaller than many of its streaming competitors, with 13 million paid members estimated at the end of July. According to Dergarabedian, it’s unusual to see two R-rated horror films at the top of the box office charts. Studios also rarely share specific streaming data, making it difficult to determine exactly how much money was left on the table with the release.
With another solid weekend, “Smile,” the Paramount original thriller, managed to defy horror movie odds, increasing its domestic total to $71.2 million after three weeks. “Amsterdam” completed the top five in weekend two with $2.9 million.
Director Chinonye Chukwu’s fact-based depiction of Emmett Till’s mother’s search for justice, United Artists Releasing’s Mamie Till-Mobley movie “TILL,” which is currently in limited release, got off to a great start with $240,940 from only 16 locations.
Erik Lomis, president of distribution for UAR said, “Hats off to producers Barbara Broccoli, Keith Beauchamp, and Whoopi Goldberg who fought to get this movie made for decades.” This past weekend, the movie played in both “smart-house” and commercial settings, drawing an audience that was incredibly broad and cross-generational.
“Tár,’ a Focus Features film “Tár,” a hotly anticipated Oscar contender, opened in 36 cinemas this weekend and made another $360,000. It will continue to grow over the next two weeks.” Comscore’s projections for Friday through Sunday theatre attendance in the United States and Canada:
- “Halloween Ends,” $41.3 million.
- “Smile,” $12.4 million.
- “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile,” $7.4 million.
- “The Woman King,” $3.7 million.
- “Amsterdam,” $2.9 million.
- “Don’t Worry Darling,” $2.2 million.
- “Barbarian,” $1.4 million.
- “Bros,” $920,000.
- “Terrifier 2,” $850,000.
- “Top Gun: Maverick,” $685,000.
