“Black Adam” conquered the box office again in its second weekend in theaters.
The comic book adventure, starring Dwayne Johnson as a baddie who promises to change the “hierarchy of power” in the DC universe, collected $27.7 million between Friday and Sunday, a standard (for a superhero movie) 59% decline from its opening weekend. So far, the movie has generated $111 million in domestic ticket sales and $250 million globally.
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It didn’t take much for “Black Adam” to dominate at the box office since only one new movie, Lionsgate’s supernatural thriller “Prey for the Devil,” opened in North America. The PG-13 horror movie debuted in line with expectations, notching third place with $7 million from 2,980 locations.
“Ticket to Paradise,” a romantic comedy with Julia Roberts and George Clooney, landed at the No. 2 spot with $10 million, dropping just 39% in its second weekend. The film has grossed $33.7 million to date, a solid result given the current challenges facing theatrical rom-coms. It’s amassed another $85 million at the international box office, pushing its worldwide tally to $119 million.
It’s fitting for Halloween weekend that four movies in the top five were horror. Paramount’s R-rated thriller “Smile” took fourth place with $5 million from 3,221 venues, pushing ticket sales to an impressive $92 million. At No. 5, “Halloween Ends” added $3.8 million from 3,419 theaters in its third outing for a domestic tally to $60 million.
Elsewhere at the box office, the buzzy slasher film “Terrifier 2″ continued to surprise, collecting $1.8 million from 1,550 cinemas over the weekend. The independent movie, which is distributed by Bloody Disgusting, is already wildly profitable since it has grossed $7.63 million on its $250,000 budget.
Two arthouse movies, “Tár” and “Till,” expanded nationwide to middling results. In sixth place, the well-reviewed “Till” generated $2.8 million from 2,058 locations, boosting its North American total to $3.6 million.
David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, believes the emotional drama, featuring Danielle Deadwyler as the mother of Emmett Till, could enjoy a long run at the box office if it stays in the awards conversation.
“While these movies do not open huge, they can take hold and go on long runs, generating very good domestic multiples, particularly if they start landing on best-10 lists and accumulating awards, which this film seems destined to do,” Gross says.
The same goes for “Tár,” which couldn’t crack the top 10 despite glowing reviews. The movie, directed by Todd Field and starring Cate Blanchett as a world-famous conductor embroiled in a controversy of her own making, collected $1.02 million from 1,087 theaters, translating to $938 per location. So far, “Tár” has grossed $2.5 million to date.
Several high-profile movies kicked off in limited release, including James Grey’s semi-autobiographical “Armageddon Time” and the timely abortion drama “Call Jane” with Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver.
“Armageddon Time,” an R-rated drama with Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong, earned $72,000 from six theaters in New York and Los Angeles, translating to a decent $12,000 per theater. Focus Features, which is releasing the film, will continue to expand its footprint in the coming weeks.
“Call Jane,” from Roadside Attractions, collapsed with $240,755 from 1,070 screens — resulting in a dismal $225 per location.
“’Call Jane’ is about one woman’s fight to control her healthcare, and we remain incredibly proud to be releasing it at this crucial moment,” says Roadside Attractions co-president Howard Cohen. “With strong reviews and amazing performances by Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, and Wunmi Mosaku, we are hopeful people will discover it in the rest of its theatrical run, as well as via digital and streaming.”
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