It’s the reign of horror pics at the box office. Delivering more laughs than scares, Paramount’s Scary Movie surpassed expectations to secure a global opening of US$105.5 million, marking a record start for the 25-year-old franchise.
The latest instalment overtook the previous benchmark held by 2006’s Scary Movie 4, which debuted to US$49.7 million at the domestic box office (not adjusted for inflation). In comparison, the former collected US$55 million from North American theatres in its opening weekend, putting it on track to turn a profit against a US$30 million budget. Alongside the return of original creators, the Wayans Brothers, the R-rated parody also brings back franchise stars Anna Faris and Regina Hall, continuing its tradition of poking fun at pop culture.
In second place is Masters of the Universe, Travis Knight’s live-action adaptation of the Mattel toy line. The nostalgia didn’t have enough power to draw in crowds, with the film’s global box-office earnings of US$54 million standing at half of Scary Movie‘s — an underwhelming opening for a movie with a production budget of almost US$200 million. Starring Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam / He-Man, it follows the hero as he finds his way back to Eternia, which is under siege by the villainous Skeletor (Jared Leto). Other classic characters include Teela (Camila Mendes), Duncan / Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), and Evil-Lyn (Alison Brie).
Backrooms, meanwhile, is carrying its momentum into its sophomore weekend. After scoring the highest opening ever for an original horror pic, making Kane Parsons the youngest director to earn the No. 1 spot to date, it landed in third with another US$5 million domestically and has now racked up US$135 million in North America and US$212.6 million globally. The low-budget Obsession, the third horror film in the top five, ranked No. 4 with US$25.6 million domestically in its fourth weekend and will soon pass the US$200 million global mark.
Fathom Entertainment’s The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act rounded out the top five, earning US$19.4 million across 2,221 theatres in North America. Unfortunately, the Force wasn’t strong with Disney’s Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, which registered a 60 percent drop after it opened to a new franchise low. The spin-off now sits at US$293 million globally.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
HSALS
Natalie
Kevin Low
