The Nun 2 continued its winning streak for the third consecutive weekend, securing the #1 spot with an impressive $8.4 million at the box office. This horror sequel has emerged as the reigning champion in the post-Labor Day period this year, with a 42% drop from the previous weekend, indicating its staying power over the coming weeks.
Over the course of 17 days, The Nun 2 has amassed an impressive $69.2 million in domestic earnings, and projections suggest it will ultimately conclude its run with around $84 million in the domestic market and a global total of $220 million.
In stark contrast, Expend4bles found itself in the embarrassing #2 place with a lackluster $8.3 million in earnings. This latest addition to the Expendables series is, in all probability, the franchise’s swan song. Sylvester Stallone once again assembles a band of outcasts, heavily armed and ready to serve as the world’s last line of defense.
However, as most critics have rightly pointed out, distinguishing the plot among the four Expendables movies is a challenging task. Based on these disappointing results, it’s evident to even the casual observer that this once-vibrant franchise is now on its last legs.
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Let’s just take a quick look at the financial history of the Expendables movie franchise. It all began with the release of Expendables on August 12, 2010. This action-packed film, rated R, received mixed reviews from critics with a 41% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but the audience enjoyed it more with a 64% approval rating. The movie had a strong opening weekend, raking in $34.8 million. Over its domestic run, it accumulated $103.1 million and went on to make a significant impact worldwide, grossing $274.5 million. With a production budget of $80 million, it boasted a healthy gross-to-budget ratio of 3.4.
Two years later, Expendables 2 hit theaters on August 17, 2012. Like its predecessor, it was rated R and had a balanced rating of 67% from critics and audiences alike on Rotten Tomatoes. The opening weekend brought in $28.6 million, and the film eventually earned $85.1 million domestically and an impressive $315.0 million worldwide. The production budget for this sequel was $100 million, resulting in a gross-to-budget ratio of 3.2.
However, things took a turn with Expendables 3, released on August 14, 2014. This time, the movie was rated PG-13, receiving less favorable reviews from critics at 31%, though audiences gave it a slightly better score of 48% on Rotten Tomatoes. The opening weekend revenue dropped to $15.9 million, and its domestic earnings reached $39.3 million. It fared better on the global stage, accumulating a total of $214.7 million worldwide. The production budget remained at $100 million, resulting in a lower gross-to-budget ratio of 2.1.
Fast forward to September 22, 2023, when Expend4bles arrived in theaters. Returning to its R-rated roots, this latest installment faced harsh criticism from critics, with a dismal 15% rating, but it found more favor among audiences with a 71% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The opening weekend was disappointing, bringing in just $8.3 million, making it the weakest start in the franchise. The production budget, however, remained consistent at $100 million.
20th Century’s A Haunting In Venice slipped down to the #3 spot at the box office, earning $6.3 million, though it marked a notable 56% decrease compared to the previous weekend. The Kenneth Branagh whodunit, based on an Agatha Christie novel, had initially missed the top spot in its opening weekend and has now accumulated $25.4 million over the course of ten days, a figure strikingly similar to Death On The Nile, which had earned $25.3 million at the same point in its run. Notably, the film’s marketing strategy had chosen to downplay its roots as a Christie novel in favor of positioning it as a supernatural horror flick, aiming to attract a broader audience. However, it appears that neither camp was particularly enticed, despite the film earning a respectable 76% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the best-received of Branagh’s Christie adaptations.
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Meanwhile, The Equalizer 3 slid down to the #4 spot, securing $4.7 million, a modest drop of just 35% from the previous weekend. This installment in the Equalizer series appears to be following a similar box office trajectory as its predecessors, with the possibility of surpassing Equalizer 2‘s $102.1 million domestic gross from 2018.
Taking the #5 spot at the box office for the third consecutive weekend, Barbie continued to dazzle audiences, amassing an impressive $3.2 million in earnings. This marked only a slight 16% decline from the previous weekend, pushing Barbie’s domestic earnings to an impressive $630.5 million over the course of ten weeks. It’s worth noting that the film enjoyed a resurgence on IMAX screens, capitalizing on the absence of substantial competition for the large-format experience at the time. Director Greta Gerwig herself championed the IMAX presentation, asserting that if viewers had relished Barbie on standard cinema screens previously, they would find the IMAX format even more captivating.
In its third week, Focus’ My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 took the #6 spot and earned $3 million while experiencing a 37% decrease in box office earnings.
Securing the #7 spot during its opening weekend, Neon’s It Lives Inside takes viewers on a hair-raising journey. This unsettling story revolves around an Indian-American teenager confronting a malevolent spirit that has possessed one of their classmates. The film first saw the light of day at SXSW 2023, where it received a mix of reviews, setting the stage for its intriguing cinematic debut.
Sony’s Dumb Money made an impressive leap from its previous eight theaters, expanding its reach to 616 screens and landing in the #8 spot at the box office, raking in $2.5 million.
Taking the #9 spot and slipping from #7, Warner Bros.’ Blue Beetle, now in its sixth week at the box office, earned $1.8 million, and experienced a 28% decrease in ticket sales.
Meanwhile, both Universal’s Oppenheimer and Paramount’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, tied for the #10 spot, earning $1.6 million each and experienced respective decreases of 22% and 20%.
The Top 10
1. The Nun II (WB) Week 3; Last weekend #1
$8,400,000 (-42%) in 3,536 (-207) theaters; PTA (per theater average): $2,376; Cumulative: $69,222,000
2. Expend4bles (Liongate) NEW – Cinemascore: B-; Metacritic: 29; Est. budget: $100 million
$8,300,000 in 3,518 theaters; PTA: (per theater average): $2,359; Cumulative: $8,300,000
3. A Haunting in Venice (Disney) Week 2; Last weekend #2
$6,300,000 (-56%) in 3,305 (no change) theaters; PTA: $1,215; Cumulative: $25,353,000
4. The Equalizer 3 (Sony) Week 4; Last weekend #3
$4,725,000 (-35%) in 3,270 (-258) theaters; PTA: $1,445; Cumulative: $81,261,000
5. Barbie (Warner Bros.) Week 10; Last weekend #6; also on PVOD
$3,200,000 (-19%) in 2,634 (-378) theaters; PTA: $1,215; Cumulative: $630,450,000
6. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (Focus) Week 3; Last weekend #4
$3,000,000 (-37%) in 3,078 (-600) theaters; PTA: $975; Cumulative: $23,800,000
7. It Lives Inside (Neon) NEW – Metacritic: 50
$2,630,000 in 1,985 theaters; PTA: $1,312; Cumulative: $2,630,000
8. Dumb Money (Sony) Week 2; Last weekend #20
$2,500,000 (+1,031%) in 616 (+608) theaters; PTA: $4,058; Cumulative: $2,810,000
9. Blue Beetle (Warner Bros.) Week 6; Last week #7
$1,810,000 (-28%) in 1,953 (-433) theaters; PTA: $1,910; Cumulative: $69,823,000
10. (tie) Oppenheimer (Universal) Week 10; Last weekend #9
$1,630,000 (-22%) in 1,459 (-340) theaters; PTA: $1,117; Cumulative: $321,213,000
10. (tie) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount) Week 8; Last weekend #10; also on PVOD
$1,625,000 (-20%) in 1,751 (-315) theaters; PTA: $928; Cumulative: $116,261,000
This past weekend marked the fifth consecutive week of dwindling box office numbers, as all movies collectively garnered a total of $51.7 million across theaters in the United States and Canada. It’s a noteworthy dip from the previous year, as during this very weekend last year, the box office boasted a considerably more robust $63.0 million in earnings. This was largely propelled by the impressive $19.4 million debut of Don’t Worry Darling.
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