NEW YORK — During a quiet weekend at the cinemas, it was a big part of Hollywood’s attention The fires that continue to occur in Los AngelesLionsgate’s “Den of Thieves 2: Panther” opened atop the box office with $15.5 million, according to studio estimates on Sunday.
Mid-January is usually a slow period for movies, which was exacerbated slightly by the closing of about 10 theaters in Los Angeles, the country’s top box office market.
“Den of Thieves 2” is a sequel to Gerard Butler 2018 heist thriller that was similar to the original. The first installment released by STX opened to $15.2 million seven years ago. O’Shea Jackson Jr. stars in the sequel, which opened in 3,008 North American theaters.
Butler’s films are becoming a regular feature in January. He also starred “Airplane”, It managed $32.1 million after IPO on January 13, 2023.
“Den of Thieves 2,” which grossed about $40 million, was a bit more expensive to make. Audiences liked it enough, giving it a “B+” CinemaScore. Reviews (58% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) weren’t particularly good. But it was Lionsgate’s first No. 1 release since then “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” in November 2023.
The weekend also included a wide release “Better Man” by Robbie Williams one of the boldest musical biopic twists of recent years. Instead of going the traditional route of Elton John (“Rocketman”) or Elvis Presley (“Elvis”), the British pop star is portrayed by a CGI chimpanzee in Michael Gracey’s film.
The Paramount Pictures release, produced for $110 million and acquired by Paramount for $25 million, did not fare much better than Williams’ previous shows in the United States. It dropped to $1.1 million in sales from 1,291 locations. Prequel to Gracey, 2017 “The Greatest Showman” ($459 million worldwide), fared much better in theaters. The reviews, however, have been very good for “Better Man”.
He was defeated “The Last Showgirl”, Las Vegas drama starring Pamela Anderson. Roadside Attractions premiered in 870 theaters and grossed $1.5 million.
It was also about surpassing “Better Man.” “The Brutalist” by Brady Corbet. going out won best drama at the Golden GlobesThe post-war epic A24 grossed a whopping $1.4 million from 68 locations. It is more extensive in the coming weeks.
Most of the weekend business was for the holiday season, including “Mufasa: The Lion King,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” “Nosferatu” and “Moana 2.”
In the fourth week of the premiere, Barry Jenkins “Mufasa” remains strong, adding $13.2 million to bring its worldwide total to $539.7 million. Also on the fourth weekend, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” It has completed a total of $384.8 million with $11 million. “Nosferatu” by Robert Eggers The surprise Christmas hit grossed $6.8 million in ticket sales, bringing the vampire tale to $81.1 million.
by Walt Disney Co “Moana 2”, in its seventh week of release, it added $6.5 million to bring its global tally to $989.8 million. In the coming days, it will become the third Disney film to hit $1 billion in 2024, joining “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool and Wolverine.”
The final data will be given on Monday. According to Comscore, estimated Friday-Sunday ticket sales at theaters in the U.S. and Canada:
1. “Den of Thieves 2: Panther,” $15.5 million.
2. “Mufasa: The Lion King,” $13.2 million.
3. “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” $11 million.
4. “Nosferatu,” $6.8 million.
5. “Moana 2,” $6.5 million.
6. “A Complete Unknown,” $5 million.
7. “Wicked,” $5 million.
8. “Babygirl,” $3.1 million.
9. “Game Changer,” $1.9 million.
10. “The Last Showgirl,” $1.5 million.
