In a surprising turn of events, the previously reigning film, ‘The Flash,’ experienced a significant drop, allowing other films to claim the top spots at the domestic box office this weekend. Two animated movies, Sony’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ and Disney’s ‘Elemental,’ engaged in a closely contested race, ultimately securing the first and second positions. However, the rankings may change tomorrow once the final numbers are reported, indicating the shifting dynamics of this summer’s movie season. These results highlight the fact that family-oriented audiences are currently underrepresented, and relying solely on established franchises is no longer sufficient.
Presently, ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ is estimated to have reclaimed the top spot after two weeks of fluctuating rankings. Despite a successful debut, the film spent the following two weeks at second and third place, overshadowed by the releases of ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ and ‘The Flash.’ However, with the decline of those movies, ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ swung back into the lead with $19.3 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its total domestic earnings to $317 million. Last week, the film surpassed the $500 million milestone globally.
‘Elemental’ faced skepticism after its underwhelming $29 million opening, the second-lowest debut in Pixar’s history. Nevertheless, the movie displayed signs of resilience by experiencing only a modest 39% decline this weekend, securing second place with $18.5 million. The film has now accumulated $65 million domestically. While it is unlikely to match the box office success of past Pixar hits or even some of the studio’s less successful endeavors, it will still achieve a reasonably respectable total by the end of its run.
DC’s ‘The Flash,’ narrowly clinching the third spot, suffered one of the steepest second-weekend drops for a superhero film (73%), generating $15.3 million. Even after ten days in theaters, the movie has not crossed the $100 million mark domestically and faces challenges worldwide. Warner Bros., already grappling with disappointments from ‘Black Adam’ and ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods,’ had hoped ‘The Flash’ would reverse their fortunes. However, it seems that the film, once touted as one of the greatest superhero movies ever made, will not be the catalyst for a turnaround. At this point, all one can do is leave the past behind and focus on the rebooted DC Universe spearheaded by co-CEO James Gunn.
A new release, Sony’s ‘No Hard Feelings,’ claimed the fourth position after leading the box office on Friday. The film stands out as one of the rare R-rated studio comedies to receive a proper theatrical release in the post-pandemic era. Starring Jennifer Lawrence as a millennial woman hired to pretend to be in a relationship with an introverted young man, ‘No Hard Feelings’ impressed with a debut weekend earning of $15.1 million across over 3,200 theaters.
In the fifth spot, ‘Rise of the Beasts,’ another blockbuster with a $200 million budget, failed to perform as expected. The sixth installment in the long-running action franchise only managed to gross $11.6 million in its third weekend, bringing its total domestic earnings to $122 million. Globally, the film crossed the $300 million mark this week. While it is likely to surpass its direct predecessor, ‘Bumblebee,’ which earned $127 million domestically, Paramount may need to reassess its ambitious plans for the franchise’s future if ‘Rise of the Beasts’ fails to surpass the $465 million global earnings of that film.
Ending on a positive note, Wes Anderson’s latest film, ‘Asteroid City,’ expanded nationwide this weekend following its impressive performance in limited release a week ago. The film grossed $9 million from a little over 1,600 domestic theaters, positioning it as one of Anderson’s most successful box office endeavors. For more updates, watch our interview with ‘Asteroid City’ stars Scarlett Johansson and Jason Schwartzman below, and stay tuned to FilmSweep.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about box office performance
Q: What film reclaimed the top spot at the domestic box office?
A: “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” reclaimed the top spot at the domestic box office after two weeks of fluctuating rankings.
Q: How did “The Flash” perform at the box office?
A: “The Flash” experienced a significant drop in its second weekend, registering one of the worst second-weekend drops for a superhero movie. It generated $15.3 million and has not yet crossed the $100 million mark domestically.
Q: Which movies secured the top two spots at the box office?
A: Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and Disney’s “Elemental” claimed the top two spots at the box office in a closely contested race.
Q: How did “Elemental” perform at the box office?
A: “Elemental” faced initial skepticism with a weak $29 million debut, but it showed signs of resilience by only declining 39% in its second weekend. It secured second place with $18.5 million and has accumulated $65 million domestically.
Q: Which studio faced back-to-back flops at the box office?
A: Warner Bros. experienced disappointments with “Black Adam” and “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” and hoped “The Flash” would turn their fortunes around. However, “The Flash” is also struggling at the box office, further adding to the studio’s challenges.
Q: What is the performance of the film “No Hard Feelings”?
A: “No Hard Feelings” had a promising debut weekend, earning $15.1 million and claiming the fourth spot at the box office. The film stands out as one of the rare R-rated studio comedies to receive a proper theatrical release in the post-pandemic era.
Q: How did “Rise of the Beasts” perform at the box office?
A: “Rise of the Beasts,” the sixth film in a long-running action franchise, fell short of expectations. It grossed $11.6 million in its third weekend, bringing its total domestic earnings to $122 million.
Q: How did Wes Anderson’s film “Asteroid City” fare at the box office?
A: “Asteroid City” expanded nationwide after a successful limited release. It grossed $9 million in its latest weekend, positioning it as one of Wes Anderson’s best-performing films at the domestic box office.
More about box office performance
- Box Office Mojo: Get detailed box office performance data and rankings.
- Collider: Stay updated with the latest news and updates from the film industry.
- FilmSweep: Find more updates and information on the film industry.
- IMDb: Access comprehensive information about movies, including box office figures and ratings.
- Warner Bros.: Learn more about Warner Bros. movies and their upcoming releases.
- Sony Pictures: Explore Sony Pictures’ film releases and updates.
- Disney: Stay informed about Disney’s movie releases and news.
