Articles

April 11, 2021
 

US/Worldwide Weekend Box Office – 4.11.2021

 

OPENINGS:  The only new arrival in wide US release was the woebegone VOYAGERS (Lionsgate), which got a minimal push from its studio and opened at a low $1.4M, fated for $5M or so in the US.

The major new international opening was MORTAL KOMBAT (Warners), which brought in $10.7M from 17 territories.  It opens in the US (in theatres and on HBO Max) on April 23.

HOLDOVERS:  The market was dominated again by GODZILLA VS KONG (Warners, also on HBO Max) at $13.4M, the 58% Weekend 2 drop expected of an action blockbuster (Kong: Skull Island fell 54% in its 2nd weekend, and Godzilla: King of the Monsters crashed by 68%).  Godzilla vs Kong is now the highest grossing US release since the pandemic began, with $69.5M compared to the $57.9M for Tenet, and it has a clear shot at $100M domestically.  Overseas, it’s at $288.3M after a $24.1M weekend, and with most of Europe still to open, it should pass Tenet‘s $305.2M internationally as well.  Beyond all that, while HBO Max data is harder to parse (the parent company will provide new subscriber information later this month), indications are that the film has driven a sizable number of members to the service, which seems to validate the Warners day and date release strategy.  While Warners has said it will return to theatrical-only releases in 2022, this kind of result has to give the entire industry pause.

With no meaningful new releases in theatres, other holdovers were quite stable.  NOBODY (Universal), in its final weekend before VOD release, dipped 12% to $2.7M, and might reach $25M in the US.  Overseas, it has $13.2M after a $2.4M weekend in 12 markets.

THE UNHOLY (Screen Gems/Sony) dropped 24% to $2.4M in its 2nd weekend, on its way to perhaps $15M in the US.  It’s had a negligible foreign release thus far with about $200K earned.

RAYA & THE LAST DRAGON (Disney, also on Disney+) gained 5% to $2.1M in its 6th weekend, on track to pass $40M in the US.  It also has $54.8M overseas.

TOM & JERRY (Warners) was down 21% to $1.1M in its 7th weekend and might get to $45M in the US, with $53.8M overseas.

The Christian-themed THE GIRL WHO BELIEVED IN MIRACLES (Atlas) increased its theatre count by about 30% and rose 6% to $600K, chasing $5M in the US.

NEXT WEEKEND:  There are no scheduled wide releases.

 



About the Author

Mitch Salem
MITCH SALEM has worked on the business side of the entertainment industry for 20 years, as a senior business affairs executive and attorney for such companies as NBC, ABC, USA, Syfy, Bravo, and BermanBraun Productions, and before that, at the NY law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges. During all that, he has more or less constantly been going to the movies and watching TV, and writing about both since the 1980s. His film reviews also currently appear on screened.com and the-burg.com. In addition, he is co-writer of an episode of the television series "Felicity."