After a Presidents Day frame that was the second-best post-Covid with $144.4 million (after last year’s $155.3M), the box office is contracting this weekend before revving up again for Paramount/Spyglass’ Scream 7. Currently, it’s a battle for No. 1 between the second sessions of Sony Pictures Animation’s GOAT (off 50%) and Warner Bros’ Wuthering Heights (off 55%-60%), both seeing around $14M.
That said, as we’ve said all along, it won’t be shocking if GOAT chews off Heathcliff and Cathy’s bloomers: A total of 16% of K-12 schools are still on winter break on Friday, and last Sunday and Monday, the horned, basketball-playing animal prevailed over the R-rated period steamy romance title.
Through Tuesday, Wuthering Heights is up to $41M domestic, while GOAT counts $38M.
Lionsgate this weekend opens Kingdom Story’s faith-based sequel I Can Only Imagine 2, expected to do $8M-$10M on 3,000 screens. The original 2018 movie was a surprise hit, released by Lionsgate sister label Roadside Attractions and opening to $17.1M off a $7M production cost and legging out to a holy $83M-plus at the domestic B.O. Could the sequel overperform? Absolutely, and when the faith-based love something, they’re in cinema pews.
Pic stars John Michael Finley, Milo Ventimiglia, Sophie Skelton, Arielle Kebbel, Sammy Dell, with Trace Adkins and Dennis Quaid. The sequel brings Bart Millard’s MercyMe story full circle as he faces the challenges of fatherhood, faith, and keeping hope alive through life’s hardest moments. The movie was co-directed by Andrew Erwin and Brent McCorkle, and written McCorkle. Ventimiglia plays Tim Timmons, who joins the band for their biggest tour yet and forms an unlikely friendship with Bart. It’s a bond that forces Bart to look at his own life. The movie is based on the true story behind the hit single “Even If.” Previews in North America start Thursday at 2 p.m.
Amazon MGM Studios’ second weekend of the feature take of Don Winslow’s Crime 101 should be down 50% for $7.3M. Pic’s five-day cume is $17.4M.
A24 has the StudioCanal-financed psychological thriller How to Make a Killing starring Glen Powell and Margaret Qualley, from filmmaker John Patton Ford. It’s going in 1,600 theaters and is eyeing low-single digits; A24 took U.S. for under mid-single digits. Reviews not so good right now at 57% rotten on Rotten Tomatoes. Pic’s blurb: Disowned at birth by his obscenely wealthy family, blue-collar Becket Redfellow will stop at nothing to reclaim his inheritance, no matter how many relatives stand in his way.
A24 held a special L.A. screening and reception at the Grove on Valentine’s Day. Previews start at 4 p.m. for the R-rated movie.
20th Century Studios is going limited with New Regency’s Gavin Polone-directed genre movie Psycho Killer, which is looking at $2M at 1,100 theaters from a targeted campaign. The movie follows a police officer who tracks a killer after her husband, a highway patrolman, becomes one of his victims. Movie stars Georgina Campbell, who starred in New Regency’s sleeper Barbarian from Zach Cregger. Psycho Killer also stars Jamie Preston Rogers, Grace Dove, Logan Miller and Malcolm McDowell. Producers are Roy Lee, Matt Berenson, Andrew Kevin Walker and Arnon Milchan. Previews begin at 2 p.m. Thursday.
English (US) ·