‘Longlegs’ Stuns with $22M+ Opening; ‘Sing Sing’ Sees Robust Platform Debut

This weekend was expected to be a brief pause between the major openings of “Despicable Me 4” (Universal) and the duo of “Twisters” (Universal) and “Deadpool and Wolverine” (Disney) in the upcoming weeks. This prediction was partially accurate, but not entirely as anticipated.

“Longlegs” (Neon) and “Fly Me to the Moon” (Sony) were forecasted to take the second and third spots this weekend with combined earnings of $30 million-$35 million. That aspect came true with “Longlegs” landing in second place with $22.6 million and “Fly Me to the Moon” initially logging $10 million, finding itself in the fifth spot. Both results were unexpected.

The surprise success story, “Longlegs,” outshined expectations by grossing over $22 million in its first weekend, outperforming almost all previous Neon films except “Parasite” and “I, Tonya.” For a film with a total budget under $10 million, this is a monumental achievement. It’s also noteworthy given that it was released on the 25th anniversary of “The Blair Witch Project,” a film that broke records for the found-footage horror genre.

Although not as strong as “Blair Witch’s” adjusted opening week gross of over $60 million, “Longlegs” still made a significant impact, mainly due to Neon’s smart marketing strategy that capitalized on a less competitive weekend. Impressively, Saturday’s earnings surpassed Friday’s, indicating good word-of-mouth despite its C+ Cinemascore.

Conversely, “Fly Me to the Moon” significantly underperformed despite its hefty $100 million production budget. Even with an A- Cinemascore, it failed to gain momentum throughout the weekend, showing lower earnings on Saturday compared to Friday. This is a concerning trend for Apple’s theatrical releases, especially with several more lined up, including the highly anticipated “F1” through Warner Bros. next summer.

The standout of the weekend was “Despicable Me 4,” which brought in nearly $45 million, almost double that of any other film. With a commendable 40 percent drop in its second weekend, the franchise now anticipates worldwide grosses exceeding $5 billion, surpassing all other animated franchises unadjusted for inflation.

“Inside Out 2” (Disney) followed closely, maintaining a strong hold with a 32 percent decline and a total of nearly $573 million. This film remains a strong contender to potentially surpass “Barbie’s” $636 million from last year. Meanwhile, “A Quiet Place: Day One” (Paramount) secured the fourth spot, withstanding competition from “Longlegs” and earning almost $12 million.

Overall, five films managed to gross $10 million or more this weekend, a healthy indicator for the box office. The total box office came to about $127 million, slightly down from $140 million last year, but year-to-date figures have shown improvement, now only down 16 percent from 2023.

A rare summer awards contender, “Sing Sing” (A24), opened with a decent $137,000 in four theaters, indicating a slow but strategic rollout. Expecting strong word of mouth, its expansion has been delayed until August, avoiding the upcoming blockbuster competition. This prison-set film, featuring Colman Domingo, could gain substantial traction over time.

Several other limited releases also had noteworthy openings. “National Anthem” (LD/Variance) gathered $42,400 in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles. Exclusive New York screenings of documentaries “Eno” and “America’s Burning” brought in $14,446 and $11,325, respectively. “Water Brother: The Sid Abbruzzi Story” saw an impressive $12,699 from a two-day run in Newport, Rhode Island, with more shows scheduled for mid-week.

Expanding on a larger scale, Baltasar Kormákur’s “Touch” (Focus) earned a modest $470,000 in 316 theaters, while “Dandelion” (IFC) could only manage $65,000 in 446 locations.

For reference, the top performers of the weekend included “Despicable Me 4,” “Longlegs,” and “Inside Out 2.” The sixth week of “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” saw a 34 percent drop, earning $4.4 million, while “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” collected $2.44 million in its third week.

Also making the list were “MaXXXine,” which dropped 69 percent in its second week, and the newly released “Indian 2” and “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot.”

The figures reflect a vibrant weekend at the movies, providing a mixed yet promising outlook on the box office trends as we move further into the summer season.

Source: Universal, Disney, Sony, and A24