‘Deadpool’ and ‘Alien’ Lead Charts, ‘Blink Twice’ Has Quiet Opening

This weekend was relatively quiet for new releases at the North American box office, with established hits continuing to dominate the charts.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” reclaimed the top spot in its fifth weekend, generating $18.3 million. The film’s international earnings have now surpassed $1.2 billion. Disney, which owns 20th Century Studios, once again secured the top two positions with “Alien: Romulus” following closely behind. This latest installment of the long-standing franchise earned $16.2 million in its second weekend.

“Inside Out 2” also maintained its presence, adding $2.1 million to its domestic tally in its 11th weekend, bringing its global earnings to over $1.6 billion.

“This marks a significant comeback for Disney,” commented Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore. “Last year and during the pandemic, Disney almost fell off the radar. They’ve rebounded with several billion-dollar films already this year, and with ‘Moana 2’ on the horizon, it’s a fantastic year for Disney.”

On the other hand, the romantic drama “It Ends With Us” continued to perform well, securing the third spot for the second consecutive weekend with $11.9 million. Starring Blake Lively and directed by Justin Baldoni, the Sony film has amassed $242.6 million globally on a modest $25 million budget.

The influx of new releases struggled amidst the competition, leading to what Dergarabedian termed as “box office déjà vu.” Familiar films overshadowed the newcomers, making it difficult for them to gain traction. However, the upcoming Labor Day holiday may help these new titles as word-of-mouth spreads and more people visit theaters.

Among the new releases, “Blink Twice,” directed by Zoë Kravitz and starring Channing Tatum, opened modestly with $7.3 million, claiming fourth place. This Amazon MGM Studios thriller follows Tatum’s character, tech magnate Slater King, as he takes two women to his private island, only for sinister events to unfold. The film’s budget was reportedly $20 million. Reviews have been mixed, with audiences giving it a B- CinemaScore, but it holds a 79% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Rounding out the top five was “The Forge,” a faith-focused coming-of-age film about a young man’s journey through Christianity. The film debuted with $6.6 million and earned an impressive A+ CinemaScore. It was released by Affirm Films, Sony’s faith-based banner.

Other new releases failed to break into the top five. “The Crow,” a Lionsgate film and a remake of the 1994 classic, debuted with $4.6 million, trailing behind “Twisters” and “Coraline.” “Twisters” earned $6.2 million in its sixth week, while “Coraline,” re-released for its 15th anniversary, brought in an additional $5.1 million in its second weekend.

Lionsgate also struggled with “Borderlands,” an adaptation of the popular video game, which grossed $15.2 million over three weekends against a hefty $120 million budget.

Completing the list of top-performing films were “Despicable Me 4” and “Inside Out 2,” which secured the ninth and tenth spots, with $4.4 million and $2.1 million, respectively. Notably, “Inside Out 2” has remained on the charts for 11 weeks and continues to be the top-earning animated film of all time globally.

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, as reported by Comscore. Final domestic figures will be available on Monday:

1. “Deadpool & Wolverine,” $18.3 million.

2. “Alien: Romulus,” $16.2 million.

3. “It Ends With Us,” $11.9 million.

4. “Blink Twice,” $7.3 million.

5. “The Forge,” $6.6 million.

6. “Twisters,” $6.2 million.

7. “Coraline,” $5.1 million.

8. “The Crow,” $4.6 million.

9. “Despicable Me 4,” $4.4 million.

10. “Inside Out 2,” $2.1 million.

Source: Associated Press