Movie Revenue: 'Fantastic Four' Suffers 66% Slump in Second Weekend, 'The Naked Gun' Earns $17 Million in Debut
In the world of cinema, the summer season continues to thrive, with revenues reaching $3 billion from May through early August. However, the box office landscape is a mixed bag, with some films exceeding expectations and others falling short of their potential.
"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" Struggles
Despite a strong debut of $118 million domestically and $100 million internationally, Marvel's latest offering, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, has faced a disappointing second weekend. The film's steep second-weekend drop of about 66% domestically, higher than analyst expectations of a 55-60% decline, has raised concerns about its overall legs and long-term profitability in theaters.
The film, which has been praised by both critics and audiences, has generated $198 million domestically and $368 million globally so far. However, it has one of the steeper second-weekend drops for Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe, leaving industry observers labeling its performance as underwhelming or disappointing relative to expectations for a major MCU launch.
"The Bad Guys 2" Holds Steady
On a brighter note, "The Bad Guys 2" opened to $23 million, directly even with the first film. The animated sequel, which follows a group of reformed criminals who relapse for one final con job, enjoyed the strongest start among new releases with $22.8 million. Despite a hefty 66% drop from its opening weekend, the film has managed to secure a global total of $44.5 million so far.
"The Naked Gun" Makes a Splash
Akiva Schaffer of the Lonely Island fame directed "The Naked Gun", a comedy starring Liam Neeson as bumbling L.A. detective Frank Drebin Jr. The film debuted to $17 million from 3,344 theaters and was embraced by audiences with an "A" grade on CinemaScore exit polls. With a budget of $42 million, the film is poised to make a significant impact in the comedy genre.
"Together" Finds Success
Neon shelled out $17 million to buy "Together" at Sundance, marking one of the richest deals in the festival's history. The film, starring real-life husband and wife Dave Franco and Alison Brie, landed in sixth place with $6.8 million over the traditional weekend.
Box Office Performance Comparison
While "The Bad Guys 2" and "The Naked Gun" have found success, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" faces the challenge of proving profitability and reinvigorating the MCU heading into future key releases. The box office performance of Marvel's Fantastic Four: First Steps is deemed disappointing primarily because of its steep second-weekend drop, despite a strong opening weekend and positive reception.
On the other hand, the box office is 9.5% ahead of last year but 23% behind 2019. "Jurassic World Rebirth" rounded out the top five with $8.4 million in its fifth weekend of release, indicating a steady performance in the market. The summer box office performance is still about a $1 billion away from the $4 billion benchmark.
As the summer season winds down, industry watchers predict a solid home stretch, with Paul Dergarabedian predicting a solid home stretch of the summer. The upcoming releases will be crucial in determining the final box office performance for the season.
"The box office performance of movies like 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' and 'entertainment' such as movies and TV shows are under scrutiny, with the former facing criticism due to its steep second-weekend drop despite a strong opening weekend."
"In contrast, animated sequels like 'The Bad Guys 2' and upcoming comedies such as 'The Naked Gun' have displayed stronger Box Office performance, maintaining audience engagement and contributing to the overall health of the entertainment industry."
