OCEAN’S EIGHT (Village Roadshow/Warners) wasn’t expected to be a blockbuster, and its reported production budget of $70M was in keeping with that, although the A-level Warners marketing campaign will raise the price. It’s performing at the high end of expectations with a $15.9M Friday (including $4M from Thursday night) according to preliminary numbers at Deadline. It could reach $43M for the weekend, about 10% above the current high opening for the Ocean‘s franchise, $39.2M for 2004’s Twelve (without adjustment for inflation). The Ocean’s movies, aimed at an older audience than action blockbusters, have fairly good multiples off their openings, and although the more heavily female audience of Eight may affect things, it could get above $125M in the US, and will hope to see $350M worldwide, enough for a tidy profit, if not quite the equal of the jewels stolen in the film.
The 2-3-4 slots for the weekend are likely to be close. HEREDITARY (A24) had the biggest Friday of the trio with $5.6M, but audiences tend to have limited tolerance for art-house horror, and the weekend may end up around $14M. A $35M US total would at least break even on relatively low costs.
SOLO (Lucasfilm/Disney) continued to fade, down 51% on its 3rd Friday to $4M for a likely $14M weekend, as it crawls to $200M in the US. DEADPOOL 2 (20th) is holding a bit better in its 4th weekend, down 46% to $3.6M on Friday with a $13M weekend ahead, as it continues to head toward $300M in the US.
On its 7th weekend, AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (Marvel/Disney) had the best Friday-to-Friday hold in the Top 10, down 35% to $1.8M for a $7M weekend, with a potential $670M end point in the US.
ADRIFT (H Brothers/STX) was all too aptly named with a 64% plunge on its 2nd Friday to $1.5M, with a $5M weekend ahead, and a US total that won’t get much beyond $30M, probably below breakeven despite limited costs.
BOOK CLUB (Endeavor Content/Paramount) continued to be buoyant, down 37% on its 4th Friday to $1.3M, on its way to a $4M weekend and $65M in the US, enough to move a sequel into the range of possibility if it appeals to audiences overseas.
HOTEL ARTEMIS (Global Road) found no guests with $1.1M on Friday and a weekend that may not be much over $2.5M.
The bottom fell out of UPGRADE (Blumhouse/BH Tilt/Universal), down 67% from last Friday to $550K, for a weekend that won’t see $2M and a US total that may peter out at $12M (supposedly profitable on ultra-low costs).
In limited release, HEARTS BEAT LOUD (Gunpowder & Sky) may have an OK $20K weekend per-theatre average at 4. WON’T YOU BE NY NEIGHBOR (Focus/Universal) is off to a soft start with a potential $6K weekend average at 29. AMERICAN ANIMALS (Orchard/MoviePass) expanded to 45 with a mild $3500 average.
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