The Super Mario Bros and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: This past weekend saw the release of a number of new films, spanning from a comedy about a trip to Italy starring Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Diane Keaton, and Mary Steenburgen to a suspense film starring Ben Affleck. However, Marvel and Mario reclaimed the top two positions.
The second weekend of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” in North American theatres generated $60.5 million, according to studio estimates released on Sunday. It is uncommon for massive superhero films, which are typically front-loaded and experience second-weekend drops of 60% or more, to experience a decline of 49% from their opening weekend.
It provides an answer to the “superhero fatigue” question posed by some last weekend, as it is the smallest drop in Marvel ticket sales since the outbreak began. Globally, “Vol. 3” has now grossed approximately $528,8 million, including $91,9 million from international screenings.
Return to the Box Office as Huge Hits
“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” came in second place with $13 million in its sixth weekend and nearly $536 million in American box office receipts. Since Mario’s arrival, parents with young children have had few alternatives at the theatre, resulting in repeat viewings and its continued dominance at the box office, where it is still showing at 3,800 domestic locations.
It is valued at $1.2 billion globally. As celebrity Lord in “Guardians” and the voice of Mario, Chris Pratt has starred in blockbuster films, sparking debates over the relative importance of celebrity power versus brand power. New films of varying genres and quality debuted in wide and limited releases over the course of a particularly active weekend.
According to Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, “the second weekend in May is historically very significant” because it functions as a transitional period between a major summer opener (“Guardians 3”) and the subsequent major blockbuster (“Fast X”). “Everyone in the industry knew Guardians of the Galaxy would dominate the weekend, but it opened the door for many films that hit that sweet spot between two behemoths,”
“Book Club: The Next Chapter” topped the rankings with $6.5 million from 3,508 locations and grossing $6.5 million. Focus Features released the sequel over the Mother’s Day weekend, and the cast, along with director Bill Holderman and his co-writer Erin Simms, are all returning.
It is anticipated that the $20 million production will benefit from Mother’s Day and have a respectable carryover, as audiences were primarily female (77%), Caucasian (59%) and over 45 (66%) years old. Typically, elderly audiences leave slowly on opening weekend. In 2018, the premiere weekend of the first film grossed $13.5 million before grossing over $104 million.
The Super Mario Bros and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Meanwhile, “Hypnotic” by Robert Rodriguez is a box office failure. The mystery film starring Affleck as a detective whose daughter has gone missing reportedly cost $65 million. It earned only $2.4 million over the weekend from 2,118 locations due to poor reviews (32% on Rotten Tomatoes) and a lack of marketing from the distributor, Ketchup Entertainment.
The anime-inspired “Knights of the Zodiac,” which grossed only $535,000 from 586 theatres, and Charlie Day’s Hollywood comedy “Fool’s Paradise,” which earned $443,140 from 784 theatres, were additional mid-tier films that failed to make a significant impact.
The critically acclaimed film “BlackBerry,” starring Glenn Howerton and Jay Baruchel and depicting the rise and fall of the popular smartphone, opened with $473,00 from 450 theatres. In addition, Sony Pictures Classics released the Yogi Berra documentary “It Ain’t Over” in 99 theatres, generating $106,000.
Dergarabedian noted that a number of independent films had respectable per-theater averages this weekend, including “Monica” from IFC ($26,500 from two theatres) and “The Starling Girl” from Bleecker Street ($27,736 from four theatres). According to Dergarabedian, there are many alternatives for moviegoers today.
There was also considerable competition on home screens, including a Michael J. Fox documentary on Apple TV+ and the Jennifer Lopez action film “The Mother” on Netflix. After six weeks in theatres, “Air,” which debuted on Prime Video, remains in the top ten.
- “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3,” $60.5 million.
- “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” $13 million.
- “Book Club: The Next Chapter,” $6.5 million.
- “Evil Dead Rise,” $3.7 million.
- “God, Are You There? “My Name Is Margaret.” $2.5 million.
- “Hypnotic,” 2.4 million dollars.
- “John Wick: Chapter 4,” $1.9 million.
- “Love Once Again,” $1.6 million.
- “Air,” $875,357.
- 400,00 for Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves.
