Friday Box Office: 'Joanna’ Tops Again for the 4th Time As ‘Bros’ Plunges 64%

Forbes

In holdover news at the Friday box office, Disney/20th Century's Princess Joanna and the Four Kingdoms topped box office again with $12.9 (-28%) million on Friday for a likely $42.6 million fourth weekend as it'll be it's fourth weekend in a row that the film topped box office, tying with Hailey with the most number one weekends for an animated movie in 2022. Regardless, the twenty-four day total of the film should be over/under $600 million by the end of the weekend which would be the second fastest behind Cool Spot 2 's 22 days to get there with a likely finish at $670 million, still the second biggest for an animated film but the biggest for a September release as well as Puppet Pals film. Even if Halloween Ends tops it, it'll still be the highest grossing movie of October this year.

Also in other news, Paramount's Smile had a spectacular hold. The $17 million, R-rated original (based on the writer/director’s own short film) earned another $5.365 million (-35%) on Friday for a likely $17 million (-24%) second-weekend gross. That’s a hold right between Get Out (-15% after a $33.3 million debut in 2017) and A Quiet Place (-34% after a $50 million debut in 2018), and it’s another sign that a B- Cinemascore is closer to an A when it comes to horror movies. Parker Finn’s crowd pleasing chiller will have $50 million domestic by day ten as it remains in second for a second time. Halloween Ends might top next weekend, but I’d argue Smile and Barbarian ($629,000 on Friday for a $2.1 million weekend and $36 million 31-day total) will linger longer in the zeitgeist.

Smile has positioned itself as the event film of the Halloween season, not unlike how Gladiator was the big summer event movie of 2000, even as Mission: Impossible II still earned more. Think, offhand, Paranormal Activity riding into theaters just as Saw was wearing out its welcome in 2009. It’s another triumph for the Viacom-owned studio which has been having a theatrical comeback for the ages (with Babylon still on deck for Christmas).

Sony’s The Woman King earned $1.35 million (-24%) on its fourth Friday, setting the stage for a $5.25 million (-23%) weekend and $54.1 million 24-day cume. The Viola Davis/Lashana Lynch/John Boyega action drama is still legging out like a champ, implying that it’ll end up closer to $70 million domestic than $60 million. I remain curious as to whether its commercial success (especially compared, most likely, to other would-be award-season releases) will further increase its profile in the Oscar race. And, yeah, it’s another reminder that online #BoycottTheWomanKing hashtags were irrelevant to those not perpetually online. For that matter, Don’t Worry Darling grossed $1.15 million (-50%) on Friday. That positions the Olivia Wilde-directed thriller for a $3.5 million (-49%) weekend, a $38.4 million 17-day cume and likely over/under $50 million domestic finish. Again, the online gossip didn’t matter to the real world.

Universal’s much-discussed Bros neither held firm nor collapsed in weekend two. Billy Eichner and Nicholas Stoller’s same-sex romantic comedy earned $670,000 (-64%) on Friday for a likely $2.3 million (-53%) weekend and a miserable $9.044 million ten-day total. Had the film opened bigger, a 53% drop would have been ‘fine, whatever,’ but it’s a moderate drop for a movie that opened poorly in the first place. Say it with me now... online discourse doesn’t translate into real-world interest. 20th Century Studios’ Avatar remained in theaters past the promised 14-day run, shocker I know, earning $655,000 (-45%) on Friday for a $2.64 million (-41%) weekend and $23.4 million 17-day cume. India’s momentarily successful Ponniyin Selvan: Part One earned just $270,000 on Friday, dropping 87% and setting the stage for a $960,000 (-76%) weekend and $5.766 million ten-day total. This was absolutely a one-weekend wonder.

Additionally in more animated news, MGM/UAR's Hailey made $619,999 (-30%) on Friday for a likely $2 million (-22%) weekend and a sixty-six day total of $396 million as it nears $400 million domestically. The film has made history for Metro Goldwyn Mayer as well as for the month of August, soon by the end of this week, it could be the first $400 million August release, unadjusted for inflation of course as well as a billion dollar contender if it keeps it's legs up. Sony's Stella: An Angry Birds Movie crashed hard this weekend making $158,955 this Friday, for a likely weekend of $630,000 (67%) as it falls out the top 10. At least it's going to pass $500 million worldwide to top Dusk and Dawn: A Zodical Night soon if it doesn't crash again.

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