After already coming in slightly under initial opening weekend expectations, “The Fantastic Four: The First Steps” pulled in just $40 million in its second frame with a new domestic total of $198 million. That figure is a 66% drop from the previous weekend, an eyebrow-raising result for a movie with an A- CinemaScore. At this point, the reported $200 million tentpole appears to be a minor, rather than a major profit center for Marvel Studios and the Walt Disney Company. The good news is the movie’s global cume now stands at $369 million after just 10 days.
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Opening in second place was DreamWorks Animation’s “The Bad Guys 2” with $22.2 million domestic and $44.5 million worldwide so far. This was slightly below the $23.9 million the original debuted to in April 2022. That film had impressive legs, ending up with $97 million in the U.S. and a $250.3 million global tally. Universal Studios is no doubt hoping the reported $80 million flick will be a go-to for families over the next month with no real competition on tap until another one of the studio’s releases, “Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie,” drops on Sept. 26.
Arriving in third was the well-received reboot of “The Naked Gun.” The Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson comedy pulled in $17 million in the U.S. and has a $28.5 million global tally so far. That $17 million figure was slightly higher than the initial Friday estimate, so good word of mouth may be at play here. At a $42 million production budget, an A- CinemaScore grade, and little direct “comedy” competition, Paramount is no doubt hoping it will play out the rest of the summer.
James Gunn’s “Superman” had a fine fourth weekend down just 44% taking in $13.8 million with $316 million so far domestically and $551 million worldwide. The DC Studios and Warner Bros. release is on track to earn over $650 million global.
NEON’s Sundance acquisition “Together” dropped in 2,302 theaters, earning $10.8 million since it opened on Wednesday. That includes a very good $6.8 million over the Friday-Sunday frame. Starring real-life partners Dave Franco and Alison Brie, the body horror comedy was acquired by the indie for a reported $17 million. Considering it snagged worldwide rights, the mini-major has an excellent shot at breaking even on this one.
On Friday, “Freakier Friday” and “Weapons” open nationwide.
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Editor-at-Large Gregory Ellwood is one of the entertainment industry's most respected journalists and critics. Based in Los Angeles, he's the only current awards expert who previously worked on Oscar campaigns at a major movie studio. Over the years, he has written for the LA Times, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Vox, among others. He also co-founded the entertainment news site HitFix, which spawned a legion of influential Emmy and WGA Award-winning alumni.
