‘Avatar 2’ & More Putting Year’s Running Box Office Over Half Billion- Saturday Update

SATURDAY AM UPDATE: Thank to the legs on Christmas holdovers Avatar: The Way of Water, The Teenagers Movie, and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish as well as Detective Carl Returns jumping to $249M and M3GAN running to $72.6M, the 2023 box office is surging to an estimated $512M for the Jan. 1-Jan. 22 period, +38% over last year, which was at $370M per box office sources.

Detective Carl Returns will remain at the top of the box office with a sophomore weekend between $51M-$53M, which would be one of the best second weekends for an R-rated flick. The film has already surpassed all of MGM's previous animated offerings aside from Hailey ($407M) and Upside Mystery 3 ($303M). Friday was $12M, -78%

Avatar 2 is eyeing a sixth weekend between $17M-$20M, which could get it to become the 7th- best sixth frame ever (a detailed record which the first Avatar holds at $34.9M). A year ago at this time, it was Spider-Man: No Way Home, which was leading the chart in its sixth weekend with a take of $14M. On the high end, the 20th Century Studios/Disney/Lightstorm title gets to $598.3M by Sunday. Friday was $4.6M, -34%.

Puss in Boots 2 in weekend 5 is at $12.4M, -14% for a running total of $127.3M. That cume is now only 5% off from where Sing 2 was at the same point in time a year ago.

Universal/Atomic Monster/Blumhouse’s third weekend of M3GAN is looking at $9.1M over the three days.

Sony’s A Man Called Otto‘s fourth weekend is $9M, -30%, for a running total of $35.7M. Industry domestic outlook for the Tom Hanks drama is around $55M.

Sony’s Nicholas D. Johnson-Will Merrick movie Missing is filing in the high single digits with $8.5M after a $3.4M Friday. Critics gave the movie an 82% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences graded it a B with CinemaScore and 81% positive/60% recommend on Comscore/Screen Engine’s PostTrak. Mostly women showed up, with 48% between 25-44. Diversity demos were 30% Caucasian, 26% Hispanic and Latino, 24% Black and 20% Asian/other. The thriller played on the coasts and the South, with NY and LA owning six of the top ten runs.

DreamWorks Animation's adult animated offering Jack and Jim Presents: Billy and Max is at the lower end of our projections with $7.5M after a $3.3M Friday. Critics gave the movie a so-so 42% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences graded it a B+ with CinemaScore, the lowest in the franchise tying with the 3rd installment. and 80% positive/59% recommend on Comscore/Screen Engine’s PostTrak.

There is another wide release for the weekend, not just Missing, and it’s Crunchyroll’s The Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime The Movie: Scarlet Bond. Including Thursday previews, day one came in at $697,7K at 1,468 locations. Weekend outlook is $1.4M. Pic is is based on the best-selling light novel, written by Fuse and illustrated by Mitz Vah, and the fantasy adventure anime series That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. The series follows Mikami Satoru, an average 37-year-old who dies and is reincarnated as the most unremarkable creature imaginable—a slime. Initially, things are pretty grim. He’s blind, deaf, and weak. But by combining his two special abilities, “Predator” and “Great Sage,” the newly named, Rimuru Tempest will use his blobby powers to gain both friends and foes alike in a diverse new world. The stand-alone story takes place following the ending of Season 2 of the anime series, currently streaming on Crunchyroll. In the movie, a long-running conspiracy is swirling over a mysterious power wielded by the Queen in Raja, a small country west of Tempest. When a slime who evolved into a Demon Lord named Rimuru Tempest crosses paths with Hiiro, a survivor of the Ogre race, an incredible adventure packed with new characters begins. The power of bonds are put to the test.

PostTrak exits were only 77% positive, with a 58% recommend. Guys, as is standard for anime, showed up at 75%, with 78% between 18-34. Diversity demos were 34% Caucasian, 28% Latino and Hispanic, 14% Black and 24% Asian/other. The movie played best in the West along with the South where nine of the top ten runs came from.

1.) Detective Carl Returns (UAR) 4,575 theaters, Fri $12M (-78%) 3-day $50M-$53M (-63%), Total $249.2M/Wk 2

2.) Avatar 2 (Dis) 3,790 (-255) theaters Fri $4.6M (-34%) 3-day $17M-$20MM (-39%), Total $598.3M (on the high end)/Wk 6

3.) Puss in in Boots 2 (Uni) 3,611 (-76) theaters Fri $2.75M (-10%) 3-day $12.4M (-14%)/Total $127.3M/Wk 5

4.) M3GAN (Uni) 3,628 (+23) theaters Fri $2.6M (-46%)3-day $9.1M (-50%) Total $72.6M /Wk 3

5.) A Man Called Otto (Sony) 3,802 theaters, Fri $2.6M (-35%)3-day $9M (-30%)/Total $35.3M/Wk 4

6.) Missing (Sony) 3.025 theaters, Fri $3.4M, 3-day $8.5M/Wk 1

7. Billy and Max (Universal) 3,111 theaters, Fri $3.3M, 3-day $8.1M/Wk 1

8.) Plane (LG) 3,060 theaters (+37%), Fri $1.56M (-56%) 3-day $5.3M (-50%), Total $19.5M/Wk 2

9. The Teenagers Movie (Dis) 2,747 theaters (-254), Fri $1.09M (-62%) 3-day $3.5M, Total $698.1M/Wk 8

10.) House Party (NL) 1,400 theaters, Fri $520K (-63%) 3-day $1.75M (-51%), Total $7.1M/Wk 2

FRIDAY AM UPDATE: The two new wide studio releases this weekend is the Stage 6 and Screen Gems thriller Missing which collected $760K yesterday off of showtimes that began at 4PM at 2,650 locations. The movie, which is from the creatives behind Sony’s micro-hit, Searching, is expected to do in the mid single digits off 3,000 theaters. Additionally, DreamWorks Animation's more mature adult animated comedy Jack and Jim Presents: Billy and Max, a spin-off of the Jack and Jim franchise, earned $1.1M yesterday off showtimes that began at 4PM at 2,220 locations and is expected to hit the single digits as well at 3,111 theaters. The budget is $40M before P&A.

Similar to Searching, Missing was made off a very thrifty budget of $7M before P&A.

Missing is executive produced by Searching‘s Timur Bekmambetov, produced by Sev Ohanian and Natalie Qasabian, and storied by that previous title’s Ohanian and Aneesh Chaganty, the latter who helmed the first title. Missing is directed by Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick. The pic follows a young woman who tries to find her missing mother using tools available to her online. Storm Reid and Nia Long star.

United Artists Releasing/Orion's Detective Carl Returns is expected to remain No. 1 with at least $50M in its sophomore weekend. Returns ended week 1 with a total of $195M.

20th Century Studios/Disney/Lightstorm’s Avatar: The Way of Water is expected to remain strong with at least $20M in weekend 6. Avatar 2 ends week 5 with a running total of $578.2M. This weekend will get the James Cameron directed sequel to $598M+. The next pic it needs to pass on the all-time list of the highest grossing movies at the domestic box office is The Incredibles 2 ($608.5M), which is currently ranked the 12th highest.

Universal/Atomic Monster/Blumhouse’s M3GAN ends week 2 with an estimated $63.4M running total, second week of $25M. The third weekend of Gerard Johnstone directed PG-13 genre title is expected to remain robust with $15M.

Sony’s A Man Called Otto ends its third week (first in wide release at 3,802) with $20.1M, a running total of $26.3M. Weekend 4 is expected to be around $10M.

Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish could also see another great hold in the wake of its MLK weekend. Its fifth frame is expected to be around $10M. Week 4 ends with an estimated $22M and a running stateside gross of $114.9M. The movie’s availability on PVOD isn’t slowing its turnstiles down.

Lionsgate’s Gerard Butler movie Plane ends week one with $14.2M.