Two terrifying clowns will battle for the top spot at the weekend box office. “Terrifier 3” and “Joker: Folie à Deux” are set to compete for first place on the domestic charts.
Ticket sales for the “Joker” sequel are expected to drop by 60% to 65% in its second weekend, bringing in around $13 to $15 million. However, experts think it could be worse, with a possible 70% to 75% drop, meaning earnings could fall to $9 to $11 million. The movie had a poor start, earning only $37.6 million last weekend, hurt by bad reviews and negative word-of-mouth.
With these projections, “Terrifier 3” could surprise everyone by coming out on top. The third movie in the “Terrifier” series is expected to earn between $10 million and $13 million from 2,514 theaters during its opening weekend. This would be a big success for the low-budget, ultra-violent horror film.
Advertisement Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “The Wild Robot” is also competing for the No. 1 spot. The well-reviewed family movie is expected to add $12 to $13 million in its third weekend, bringing its total to $65.4 million in the U.S. and $102 million worldwide so far.
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The first “Terrifier” was not very well-known, earning only $123,957 when it opened and finishing with $419,000 worldwide in 2016. However, the 2022 sequel, “Terrifier 2,” surprised everyone by becoming a hit. Despite its gruesome scenes and limited promotion, it made $805,000 in its debut and ended up earning $10 million in the U.S. and $15.7 million globally.
The third movie, again directed by Damien Leone, features the evil clown, Art, terrorizing a small town. Although he usually strikes at Halloween, this time he waits until Christmas. “Terrifier 3” has received surprisingly good reviews for a horror film, scoring 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. Iconic Releasing is distributing it, and the film hasn’t received a rating from the Motion Picture Association yet.
“Joker: Folie à Deux” has seen a surprising downfall, especially after the huge success of the first film in 2019. The original “Joker” made $1.07 billion with a budget of around $60 million, leading to big profits. The sequel, however, has a much larger budget of $200 million, due to high payments for director Todd Phillips and stars Joaquin Phoenix (who returns as Arthur Fleck) and Lady Gaga (playing Harleen Quinzel). To break even, “Folie à Deux” needs to earn at least $450 million, according to sources familiar with the movie’s finances.
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At the domestic box office, a few new releases are expected to earn less than $10 million.
Sony’s “Saturday Night,” a film about the first-ever broadcast of “Saturday Night Live,” is set to make $3.5 to $5 million from 2,300 theaters this weekend. The movie, which has a budget of $30 million and is directed by Jason Reitman, has already made $629,000 after two weekends in limited release.
“Piece By Piece,” a documentary about Pharrell Williams‘ life told through Lego animation, aims to earn $5 to $7 million from 1,851 theaters. Focus Features is releasing the $16 million film, directed by Morgan Neville, who also made the well-known Mr. Rogers documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” and “20 Feet From Stardom.”
“The Apprentice,” a biographical drama where Sebastian Stan plays a young Donald Trump, is expected to earn between $1 to $3 million from 1,740 theaters. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and was picked up by Briarcliff Entertainment. The movie focuses on Trump’s early business career and his connection with New York prosecutor Roy Cohn, played by Jeremy Strong. Trump has criticized the movie, calling it “pure fiction” and threatening legal action.
Source: Variety