A slew of new films debuted across North American cinemas this weekend, including a high-profile spy thriller directed by Steven Soderbergh, an A24 suspense film, a Looney Tunes feature, and a unique action-comedy starring Jack Quaid from “The Boys.” Despite this variety, the box office performance was underwhelming, with projections suggesting the weekend to be the year’s lowest in revenue, reaching approximately $54 million in total ticket sales.
Leading the box office was “Novocaine,” which garnered $8.7 million, slightly under predictions, as per studio estimates on Sunday. Paramount Pictures brought this film featuring Quaid as a man unable to feel pain to 3,365 venues across the region. The earnings also account for advanced screenings from the prior weekend.
Directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, the R-rated “Novocaine” received favorable reviews, attaining an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audience feedback was moderately positive, reflected in a 4-star PostTrak rating and a B from CinemaScore. Internationally, it made an additional $1.8 million across 19 markets, raising its weekend total to $10.5 million.
Close behind were Bong Joon Ho and Robert Pattinson’s sci-fi film “Mickey 17” and the espionage movie “Black Bag,” both reporting $7.5 million in earnings. “Mickey 17,” playing in 3,807 theaters, experienced a sharp 60% decline from its initial weekend, accumulating $33.3 million domestically and $90.5 million globally against its $118 million production cost.
“Black Bag,” Soderbergh’s critically acclaimed release featuring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender, premiered across 2,705 theaters, securing the third spot. The film, distributed by Focus Features, attracted a predominantly male (56%) and mature (59% over the age of 35) audience, receiving a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a B from CinemaScore as well.
Among the other new releases were “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie,” an animated film starring Porky Pig and Daffy Duck initially targeted for streaming, and the faith-themed “The Last Supper.” “The Day the Earth Blew Up,” represented by Ketchup Entertainment, made $3.2 million from 2,827 entries. Meanwhile, Pinnacle Peak Pictures’ “The Last Supper” earned $2.8 million from 1,575 theaters. Both fell behind Disney and Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World,” which generated $5.5 million in its fifth week.
A24’s recent release, “Opus,” failed to break into the top 10, amassing an estimated $1 million from 1,764 venues. The film, featuring Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich, revolves around a legendary pop star’s unexpected return and premiered with mixed reviews at Sundance. It marks the debut of writer-director Mark Anthony Green.
After promising early-year results that saw a 22% rise, several consecutive lackluster weekends did not exceed $60 million, leaving the domestic box office at a 5% lag. “It’s a momentum business,” stated Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s senior media analyst, adding that he anticipates a rise in activity with the release of “Snow White” the following weekend.
The list of the top 10 movies by domestic box office takes into account the estimated ticket sales tallied from Friday through Sunday in the U.S. and Canada according to Comscore. The top-ranking films are:
1. “Novocaine,” $8.7 million.
2. “Mickey 17,” $7.5 million.
3. “Black Bag,” $7.5 million.
4. “Captain America: Brave New World,” $5.5 million.
5. “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie,” $3.2 million.
6. “The Last Supper,” $2.8 million.
7. “Paddington in Peru,” $2.8 million.
8. “Dog Man,” $2.5 million.
9. “The Monkey,” $2.5 million.
10. “Last Breath,” $2.3 million.
