‘Quiet Place’ Prequel Opens to $53M, Bollywood Surpasses ‘Horizon’

“Inside Out 2” continues to perform strongly three weeks into its release, grossing an impressive $57.4 million this weekend. Close behind is Paramount’s “A Quiet Place: Day One” with an estimated $53 million. This performance mirrors last July when “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” debuted with similar robust numbers. It’s a rare occurrence, often due to distributors strategically spacing out major releases.

Paramount’s decision to launch its prequel just after Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” seemed savvy. The Pixar sequel, unexpectedly strong, has amassed $469 million domestically in only 17 days. This resurgence of summer blockbusters underscores an optimism we haven’t seen in years.

Over a month, three films have opened to over $50 million. With “Despicable Me 4” opening on Wednesday, we might witness four films crossing that threshold in five weeks. Despite this promising trend, it’s worth noting that last year saw five such openings within a similar timeframe, though some, like “The Flash” at $55 million, were considered underwhelming.

However, many recent releases like “Day One” ($67 million budget) and “Bad Boys” ($100 million budget) are more financially modest compared to costly disappointments. Studios are now reaping real profits, which contrasts significantly with high-budget underperformers like “The Flash.”

Despite competition from “Despicable Me 4,” “Inside Out 2” is projected to achieve over $600 million domestically, potentially outperforming last year’s top release, “Barbie” ($636 million).

Meanwhile, “Day One” has exceeded expectations. Initially projected around $40 million, it has surpassed such estimates and set a franchise record for its opening weekend, benefiting from premium ticket prices and strategic summer placement.

“Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” in its fourth week, holds its own at the #4 spot, gathering $10 million and a cumulative of $165 million, on par with its predecessor at the same stage.

However, not all releases are faring well. Kevin Costner’s “Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1” managed only $11 million, hindered by a B- Cinemascore rating. With its significant investment and an upcoming sequel, this underperformance raises concerns about its financial viability.

Internationally, the Indian market thrived, with the Telugu-language epic “Kalki 2898 AD” grossing $11 million in its debut weekend across 1,234 theaters—a remarkable $8,890 per-theater average. Similarly, the Punjabi-language “Jatt & Juliet 3” grossed $1.5 million from just 143 theaters, boasting an over $10,500 average per theater. This is starkly competitive compared to “Horizon,” which averaged $2,683 from 4,100 theaters.

In the specialized film sector, results were mixed. Catherine Breillat’s acclaimed “Last Summer” shone with a $30,000 debut in just three theaters, while “Thelma” continued its steady climb, reaching a cumulative $5.1 million. However, films like “The Bikeriders” saw sharp declines, dropping 66% in its second weekend despite a respectable start.

Despite a strong start for Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness” in limited release, its expansion to 490 theaters yielded a modest $1.5 million, enough to surpass Costner but still below expectations when compared to Lanthimos’ more successful prior films.

Sony’s Crunchyroll faced tepid results with “Blue Lock The Movie — Episode Nagi,” grossing just over $1 million from 857 theaters. Other releases like “Daddio,” featuring Sean Penn and Dakota Johnson, and “Janet Planet,” also underperformed significantly.

Overall, the weekend’s box office totaled around $153 million, an increase from last year’s $128 million, though the year-to-date box office remains down by 19%.

Source: Particle News, Illumination, Vyjayanthi Movies