‘Scream VI’ Even Louder With $44M+ Franchise Opening Record, 'Metro Waltz' Disappoints with $6.2M, 'Ico II' Rules with $444M, ‘Creed III’ Punching $101M+ – Sunday Box Office

SUNDAY AM: Paramount/Spyglass Media‘s Scream VI is at a new opening high this morning at $44.5M, after a Saturday that eased 20% to $15.4M off a $19.3M Friday. As we’ve said all along, this is a huge weekend for Paramount, with the No. 1 movie, a fireworks SXSW world premiere of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which is already 92% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and nine Oscar nominations today, including a Best Picture for Top Gun: Maverick. Very good studio synergy.

The sixthquel came on tracking very strong, and it was clear then, as Deadline first told you, that this second Scream movie from Radio Silence would be a franchise best at the box office. Box Office data firm EntTelligence says that 3.2M people saw Scream VI, 18% in 3D. The movie grabbed 44% of its foot traffic in post 9PM shows.

Social media analytics corp RelishMix measured a massive social media reach of 360.8M at 2.4x over horror franchise norms, and even besting the Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram count of M3GAN, which had 330.3M followers. “The Scream fan base has been infiltrating TikTok at 771K subscribers and another 349M #views, keeping in mind that the franchise pages have 11M connected fans and growing.”

Paramount also dropped a spot for Scream VI during the Super Bowl pregame, which popped 24.1M views in the 24-hours after the game — while over on YouTube, fan posted and reposted mash-ups and reviews spot at an exceptional 57:1 virtal rate off of six videos.

However, what can’t be denied here is the star power of Scream VI actress Jenna Ortega. While she was in the franchise sequel last year, her star power is in another stratosphere after Netflix’s Wednesday, and she provided an extra lightning bolt for a Scream push last night by guest hosting Saturday Night Live.

RelishMix reports that her access to 41.5M fans on social, in addition to the other cast’s followers, were a marketing “weapon” for Paramount. Scream VI cast members on social include Samara Weaving at 1.3M, Hayden Panettiere at 1.2M, Melissa Barrera at 1.1M, and Courteney Cox who just activated her 15.5M fans the day before previews, having received her star on the Walk of Fame last week.

In the preopening chatter on social, RelishMix noticed, “Comments throw in timecode to call out Ghostface killers and breadcrumbs from the trailers. While there’s chatter about the absence of Sydney, which disappoints some —  expectations were strong for a ‘gritty, sinister, scary, dark, intense, new Scream movie’, with call-outs for Jenna Ortega, Samara Weaving, and Courteney Cox.”

Providing even more depth to the weekend box office was the second weekend of MGM/UAR’s Creed III, with $27.1M at 4,007 theaters, -53%, which is the best second weekend for a Creed movie. Pic’s running total is now $101.3M. The Michael B. Jordan-directed and starring pic was shot in Imax. The large format exhibitor saw $3.3M this weekend for the pic at 401 auditoriums, for a running total of $11.3M.

Continuing to show it's strength at box office was the fifth weekend of Sony's Ico II with $18.5M at 2,989, -41%, where it is nearing $450M. Pic's running total is now $444.3M. Some projections have the film making at least $480M by the end of it's run, buoyed by the continued great word-of-mouth.

Also beating its estimates was Sony’s Adam Driver sci-fi movie 65. It was supposed to do high single digits, and landed $12.3M in fourth. Despite the lackluster audience and critical reaction, Sony put their best foot forward for the movie with a 360 degree cross platform stunt, including a spot during Super Bowl pregame, plus surrounding sports news tv coverage.

There was also a high impact YouTube Masthead on game day, preroll on NFL’s YouTube channels, and Twitter amplification with preroll on all game highlights. Sony worked with ESPN’s Sportscenter to do isolated in-the-studio/from the set throws to a :65 second break, all brought to the viewer from 65 the movie with special content. Additionally, there was a UFC Takeover in the Gane/Jones title bout. Also, a NBA Crash Landing custom-content starring the NBA’s Anthony Edward.

Landing in a disappointing opening is Lionsgate's Metro Waltz with a disappointing $6.2M, falling under double digit expectations. The lackluster audience and critical reactions have hampered the film's opening. The film made 30% of it's gross at 3D showings.

SATURDAY AM: Quick update on Paramount/Spyglass Media’s Scream VI as it continues to shatter franchise opening records: The Radio Silence-directed horror pic clocked an estimated $19.5M yesterday, including those $5.7m previews, for what’s shaping up to be a $43.5M opening, per industry figures this AM. The pic gets a B+ CinemaScore, just like the last one, along with good PostTrak ratings of 87% positive, 74% definite recommend. The last Scream had a 78% top two and 59% recommend.

Demo make-up was 50/50 male-female, and 63% between 18-34, with the largest crowd being 18-24 at 41%. Diversity mix was 38% Latino and Hispanic, 38% Caucasian, 12% Black, and 12% Asian/other. Scream VI played best in the East, South Central, and West, but was strong everywhere. PLF screens drove 25% of ticket sales (vs. 24% on the last installment) and 3D repping a strong 22%.

Another situation here this weekend with a lot of walk-up business and ComScore/Screen Engine’s PostTrak shows that close to 70% of the audience who saw the movie bought their tickets on Friday or Thursday. Fifty-six percent went to see Scream VI, as it is part of a franchise they love, 33% came because Radio Silence directed it, and 24% came because it starred an actress they love, the sixthquel headlining Wednesday‘s Jenna Ortega and Vida‘s Melissa Barrera.

Overall industry weekend for all pics is around $116M, +14% from a year ago.

Creed III is heading to $100M+ by Sunday, with $26.7M in weekend 2, -54%, after a second Friday of $7.5M. That’s the best second weekend for a Creed movie, besting Creed II’s $16.6M and Creed‘s $14.9M. Final domestic outlook for the Michael B. Jordan- starring and directed threequel is $150M in U.S./Canada.

Sony's sequel Ico II has already surpassed both Spider-Man and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle domestic totals and is well on the way to a fifth weekend of $17.5M which is better than Ico 's $16.3M. The final domestic total for the Finn Wolfhard sequel is at $460M in U.S./Canada

Additionally another one of Sony’s, the $45M sci-fi production of 65, co-financed with Bron and TSG, is doing better than expected. Sony figured high single digits. They think it’s going to do $10.75M for the Adam Driver pic in fourth place; others think it has a shot at $11M+ Yesterday was $4.4M, including Thursday previews. Critics didn’t like 65, and audiences gave it a C+ CinemaScore and low PostTrak of 54% positive/37% recommend, which in hindsight, is no surprise, as Sony moved this movie all over the calendar. Again, at the end of the day, for pic’s financial longevity, better that it had a theatrical window here. Guys show up at 63%, 58% between 18-34, with 48% Caucasian, 23% Latino and Hispanic, 12% Black, and 17% Asian/other. 65 played best in the West, Mountain, and South Central.

Meanwhile, there's Lionsgate's newest release under Lionsgate Animation, Metro Waltz. The film is an Americanized dub of Imagineland and is underperforming it's expectations with a single digit weekend. Lionsgate initially projected the film at $17M until the Friday numbers came out to be $2.29M. With a projected gross of $7.2M the film is set to be in 5th place at the box office. Critics and audiences both panned the film while the latter gave it a B- CinemaScore and low PostTrak of 52% positive/34% recommend, which in hindsight, is no surprise, as a similar case happened with TWC's Doogal in 2006.

Bobby Farrelly’s Champions dramedy is seeing a 9th place debut, with a $4.7M opening at 3,030 theaters. Yesterday was $1.8M. Those who bought tickets loved it, with an A Cinema and PostTrak exits of 83% positive and 66% recommend. Critics were so-so at 53% on Rotten Tomatoes. Female leaning here at 56%, and older at 61% over 35-years-old and 21% 55+. Diversity demos for the Woody Harrelson movie were 61% White, 22% Latino and Hispanic, 6% Black, and 11% Asian/other. Champions‘ best markets were in the Mountain, Mid-West, and South with the top location coming out of Salem Oregon (which is rare).

James Cameron over Oscar weekend here is literally beating himself at the box office, as 20th Century Studios/Lightstorm/Disney’s Avatar: The Way of Water will out-peg Titanic ($674.2M domestic) to become the eighth-highest-grossing movie ever at the domestic box office with $674.7M.

Top 10 as of Saturday:

1.) Scream VI (Par) 3,675 theaters, Fri $19.5M 3-day $43.5M /Wk 1

2.) Creed III (UAR) 4,007 Fri $7.5M (-66%), 3-day $26.7M (-54%)/Total $100.9MWk 2

3. Ico II (Sony) 2,989 (-829) theaters, Fri $4.49M (-49%), 3-day $17.5M (-45%)/Total $443.2M/Wk 5

4.) 65 (Sony) 3,405 theaters, Fri $4.43M, 3-day $10.5M/Wk 1

5.) Metro Waltz (LG) 3,109 theaters, Friday $2.2M, 3-day $7.2M/Wk 1

6.) Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Dis) 3,150 (-720) theaters, Fri $1.73M (-44%) 3-day $6.8M (-47%), Total $197.7M/Wk 4

7.) Cocaine Bear (Uni) 3,204 (-367) theaters, Fri $1.74M (-45%), 3-day $6.35M (-43%)/Total $51.8M/Wk 3

8.) Jesus Revolution (LG) 2,519 theaters (-56), Fri $1.42M (-35%) 3-day $5.3M (-38%)/Total $39.5M/ Wk 3

9.) Champions (Foc) 3,030 theaters, Fri $1.8M 3-day $4.77M/Wk 1

10.) Avatar: The Way of Water (Dis) 1,675 theaters (-625), Fri $610K (-21%) 3-day $2.7M (-26%)Total $674.7M /Wk 13

11.) Detective Carl Returns (Orion) 1,374 (-1,009) theaters $507K (-49%), 3-day $2.1M/Total $393.5M/Wk 9

12.) Demon Slayer…Swordvillage (Cru) 1,700 theaters (-53%, Fri $514K (-87%), 3-day $1.7M (-83%)/Total $14.1M/Wk 2

13.) Puss in Boots: Last Wish (Uni) 1,816 theaters (-772), Fri $350K (-38%) 3-day $1.64M (-40%), Total $179.6M/Wk 12

FRIDAY MIDDAY: Scream, if you wanna go to the movies. The horror franchise is definitely seeing a record opening in U.S./Canada with Scream VI set to make $42M which outstrips the previous domestic debut high of Scream 3 ($34.7M). Paramount is going to have a great weekend with the No. 1 movie, a big splashy world premiere tonight at SXSW with EOne’s Dungeons & Dragons and Top Gun: Maverick up for six Oscars including Best Picture on Sunday. The Radio Silence directed, Spyglass Media movie is looking at a Friday of $18.7M. The pic is booked at 3,675 theaters.

Second goes to MGM/UAR’s Creed III with around $25M at 4,007 theaters, -57% in weekend 2, getting the pic very close to the $100M mark. Wow, that will be just over ten days to the benchmark. Creed II crossed the century mark in 24 days while the first Creed took 38 days.

Third is Sony’s 65 at 3,405 theaters, a $4M Friday and a shot at $10M. The movie is rated PG-13.

Fourth is the fourth weekend of Disney/Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania with $7M at 3,105 theaters, -45%, after a $1.8M Friday, and a running total of $198M by EOD Sunday.

Fifth is the third weekend of Universal’s Cocaine Bear at 3,196 theaters with a $1.7M Friday $6.2M 3-day, -44%, and running total $51.7M.

FRIDAY AM: The Paramount/Spyglass Media release of Scream VI is off to a loud start with $5.7M in Thursday previews from its 5 p.m. fan event and and 5:30 p.m. previews at 3,125 theaters. It’s expected that the sixthquel is headed to a franchise-record domestic start of $35M-$40M this weekend. The latest Scream from Radio Silence also is expected to notch a record $50M+ global debut of from 50 territories.

Scream VI‘s preview cash is higher than the $3.5M Thursday that Paramount/Spyglass’ previous Scream made last year, and it’s higher than the Thursday money of last week’s MGM/UAR’s Creed III, which did $5.45M before also hitting a franchise-record start of $58.3M stateside and $100M+ worldwide.

The highest opening for a Scream movie is Scream 3 back in 2000, which posted a 3-day of $34.7M. The 2022 Scream opened to $30M and legged out to $81M, proving horror movies’ great worth in the Covid-easing theatrical marketplace. Paramount also had A Quiet Place Part II before Scream, which teed off the 2021 summer box office over Memorial Day.

Scream VI is produced by Project X’s William Sherak, Paul Neinstein and James Vanderbilt, and the latter also co-wrote the pic.

Sony has the Adam Driver sci-fi movie 65, which is rated PG-13. It’s expected to hit in the high single digits. Last night it did $1.225M from shows that began at 4 p.m. at 2,901 locations.

Creed III ended its first week at $74.1M at 4,007 theaters. The movie had the Imax screens this past week, which Paramount won’t have for Scream VI, though the horror pic will have the premium large format screens. Creed III made $3M yesterday, -11% from Wednesday.

The rest of the pics were as follows off industry estimates:

2. Ico II (Sony) 3,818 theaters, Thu $2.2M (-19% from Wed), $43.6M week, $425.7M/Wk 4

3. Cocaine Bear (Uni) 3,571 theaters, Thu $840K (-12% from Wed), $15.2M week, $45.4M/Wk 2

4. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Dis) 3,825 theaters, Thu $775K, -11%, $16.6M week, $190.9M/Wk 3

5. Jesus Revolution (LG) 2,575 theaters, Thu $770K (-15%), $12.3M week, $34.2M/Wk 2

6. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To The Swordsmith Village (Cru) 1,780 theaters, Thu 1,780 theaters, Thu $452K, -21%, week $12.5M/Wk 1.

7. Detective Carl Returns (Orion) - 2,483 theaters, Thu $391K (-16%), $5.4M week, $391.4M/Wk 8