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The weekend box office saw major releases from Warner Bros. (NASDAQ:WBD) and Disney (NYSE:DIS) driving significant earnings, with standout performances from both high-profile sequels and new releases.
Warner Bros.’ (NASDAQ:WBD) Weapons, a highly anticipated R-rated horror film directed by Zach Cregger, exceeded expectations with a stellar debut of $42.5 million in 3,202 theaters, according to studio estimated compiled by Comscore.
The film’s impressive opening helped Warner Bros. (WBD) secure its seventh #1 opening of the year, raking in a global total of $70 million after an additional $27.5 million from international markets. Starring Josh Brolin and Alden Ehrenreich, Weapons delivers a chilling tale of a mysterious disappearance in a small town, keeping audiences on edge with its dark narrative.
Meanwhile, Disney’s (NYSE:DIS) Freakier Friday topped the charts in second place with a respectable $29.0 million opening from 3,975 theaters. The PG-rated comedy, a sequel to the beloved 2003 remake, continues the story of Tess and Anna Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan) as they navigate family challenges after a magical identity swap.
With an estimated global opening of $44.5 million, the film is still awaiting releases in Korea, Japan and select Asian markets.
In other notable debuts, Angel Studios’ Sketch opened in 2,006 theaters, earning $2.5 million. The film follows the story of a young girl whose drawings come to life with unpredictable consequences.
Meanwhile, Vertical Entertainment’s My Mother’s Wedding, starring Kristin Scott Thomas, opened to $432,000 in 402 theaters, while Magnolia Pictures’ documentary It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley brought in $400,000 across 125 theaters.
On the indie front, Cartuna’s Boys Go to Jupiter had an impressive debut at New York’s IFC Center, grossing $15,000 in its opening weekend, setting the highest per-theater average for an animated film this year. The film is slated to expand to major cities next weekend, building on its success at the Tribeca Festival.
Among domestic holdovers, The Fantastic Four: First Steps from Marvel Studios (DIS) took the third spot with a strong $15.5 million, bringing its domestic total to $230.4 million. Universal’s (NASDAQ:CMCSA) The Bad Guys 2 continued to perform solidly, grossing $10.4 million in its second week, while Paramount’s (NASDAQ:PARA) The Naked Gun landed in the fifth spot with $8.375 million in its second weekend.
In IMAX (NYSE:IMAX) highlights, Weapons delivered a robust $8.1 million in global IMAX box office earnings, accounting for 15% of the film’s domestic total from just 410 screens. Looking ahead, the box office continues to heat up with the release of The Grateful Dead Movie in IMAX and the upcoming release of WAR 2, the latest installment in the Spy Universe.