School reared its homework-rising head, or everyone is on vacation; this past weekend was the worst of the summer.
Bullet Train remained at the top of the box office, dropping 55% in its second weekend with a $13.4 million yield. That drop stands practically tied with director David Leitch’s Hobbs and Shaw feature back in the summer of 2019. The running domestic total of $54.4 million is relatively low for a star-ensemble cast featuring Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, and Aaron-Taylor Johnson. Fortunately, it made quite the hit overseas with $60 million, putting it at $114.5 globally. At this rate, we can expect it to triple its budget (minus China and Russia), but this isn’t any World War Z/Once Upon a Time in Hollywood glory. This weekend marks the first time since the second weekend of February when Death on the Nile opened to a quiet $12.3 million, and Marry Me didn’t crank past $10 million.
DC League of Super Pets earned $7.2 million (38% drop) this weekend and should be past $60 million domestically by Monday night. So, it has disappointed for a significant animated release, but the recent bad news of Warner Brothers/HBO Max projects has cut a lot of momentum for the company. Maybe it is a blessing in disguise that Black Adam didn’t release until October. I’m sure many will be fine witnessing a viewing from their homesteads once it drops on PVOD.
Top Gun: Maverick slayed the competition and returned to a top-5 position this weekend with $7.15 million. That puts it $6 million domestically behind Avengers: Infinity War, which it will pass by next weekend to become the sixth-highest earning feature in the U.S./Canada. With $1.377 billion worldwide, odds could be on its side to try to walk past Avengers: Age of Ultron‘s $1.405 billion. Tom Cruise is the genuine winner of the 2022 box office year (until Black Panther 2 and Avatar 2 have their taste of glory).
Nope and Thor: Love and Thunder tied for fourth place with $5.3 million, with the former opening overseas and the latter passing $325 million domestic. Jordan Peele’s latest feature needs some solid legs for the fall season before it gets to PVOD. Thor 4 has sold more tickets than its predecessor in North America, so it’s a win. But, once again, another reminder that not every non-Avengers film has to gross $1 billion to be deemed a success (heck, it would perplex this writer if Ant-Man 3 could do so).
The Black Phone finished with $150 million globally on an $18 million budget, Dominion will end slightly under $1 billion, and Minions: Rise of Gru will get a push from China to push it up the ranks. Where the Crawdads Sing earned $4 million in its fifth weekend and $72.2 domestically, success for an old-school hit. And A24’s Bodies Bodies Bodies made $3.25 million in a semi-wide release.
Next weekend, Idris Elba’s Beast drops into town with a chance at making $10-15 million.
