Tom Cruise has been on a roll as of late, cementing himself as one of this generation’s last bona fide stars regarding drawing power and IP. Some will be worrisome as his latest Mission Impossible outing, Dead Reckoning – Part 1, did not blossom over the standard weekend expectations with only $56.2 million. Remember, this anticipated installment launched on a Wednesday rather than a Friday, so yours indeed would contend it would’ve skyrocketed further past its predecessors regarding opening weekends and legs. Also, opening earlier would skew analysts’ perceptions. With stellar reviews and an “A” from CinemaScore, Cruise’s latest following should have no issues running along. It is already at $235 million globally but will need to make some severe legs to cover its near-$300 million budget.
The mounting pressure comes with an already overstuffed month of gargantuan July releases, as the dual release of Oppenheimer/Barbie this coming weekend will come with a select end of consequences. Should you choose this admission ticket mission, there will be ramifications for numbers. Legs would hopefully get it to around $600-650 million based on the past track record of this series, with the hope it doesn’t collapse in the face of next weekend’s two biggies.
Speaking of inflated budgets, Indiana Jones and the Dial of the Destiny is no longer a crowd favorite in the midst of a generally positive consensus. The 56% drop in its third weekend (pulling in $12 million) means that Harrison Ford can no longer rely on this IP or the administrative folks at Disney. Passing $300 million globally means nothing in the face of a near-$300 million budget, and no Disney+ shenanigans can offset the losses. Much like The Flash (which has earned less domestically than 2011’s Green Lantern), this is another bust in a juggling array of them.
Sound of Freedom, one of the summer’s biggest surprises, has earned $27 million in its second weekend (while adding 313 more theaters and jumping up 37%). It will pass $100 million domestically later this week, proving that folks still want to understand the dark forces embedded in our country’s sins and how we must be on the lookout for our children. Religious or not, it’s a win for Angel Studios. Insidious: The Red Door took in $13 million (61% drop) in its second weekend and has passed $122.6 million worldwide. The Patrick Wilson directorial debut may not be a film of the year, but it has slaughtered its budget, ensuring a clean-cut victory for horror.
Despite a massive budget, Elemental has been legging out superbly, earning $8.7 million in its fifth weekend. Could it finally leg out to an admirable number to put Disney at ease over the future of Pixar? Never say never. Currently, the feature is at $311.6 million worldwide. It would not be far-fetched if it could reach $350 million worldwide, but ask us again after Barbie drops this weekend.
In other news, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts took in $3.42 million in its sixth weekend, No Hard Feelings is reaching $80 million worldwide by the end of tomorrow, Joy Ride has passed $10 million, and The Little Mermaid will top $550 million later this week. And, The Super Mario Bros. Movie will wrap up its run with $1.35 billion worldwide.
Next weekend sees the release of Oppenheimer, Barbie, and Cobweb.
