Universal rules box office with F9, Purge and Baby

box office
(Universal rules box office)

Universal dominated the box office this weekend without a challenger. Combined, F9, The Forever Purge, and Boss Baby: Family Business are estimated to earn $65 million between Friday and Monday, pushing the overall box office gross total for the weekend past to $88 million.

For Universal, it’s clearly a big weekend as it became the first studio in 16 years to take the top 3 spots on the box office charts in a single weekend. This is the first weekend since March 2020 that three movies grossed over $10 million. The Fourth of July results could also mean signs of bigger things to come for the film industry.

A Quiet Place Part II (Paramount) is now in its sixth week and now at $144 million. It earned $4.2 million this weekend, more than double the first entry in the same period. That reflects the terrific reaction to the sequel as well as an increase in audience return since the film opened.

Of course, theaters had to compete with holiday activities and streaming competition including home service premieres of The Tomorrow Man with Chris Pratt (Amazon), No Sudden Move from Steven Soderbergh (HBO Max), Fear City Part One 1994 and America the Movie (Netflix), plus Peacock’s Baby as well as Searchlight’s Summer of Soul (Hulu). That alternative will exist (at $29.99 on Disney+) for Black Widow next week as well.

The Top Ten

1. F9 (Universal) Week 2; Last weekend #1

$24,000,000 (-66%) in 4,203 theaters (+24); PTA: $5,710; Cumulative: $117,104,000

2. The Boss Baby: Family Business (Universal) NEW – Cinemascore: A; Metacritic: 39; Est. budget: $82 million; also available on the Peacock TV

$17,300,000 in 3,644 theaters; PTA: $4,764; Cumulative: $17,300,000

3. The Forever Purge (Universal) NEW – Cinemascore: B-; Metacritic: 54; Est. budget: $18 million

$12,700,000 in 3,051 theaters; PTA: $4,179; Cumulative: $12,700,000

4. A Quiet Place Part II (Paramount) Week 6; Last weekend #2

$4,225,000 (-32%) in 2,826 theaters (-298); PTA: $1,495; Cumulative: $144,437,000

5. The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (Lionsgate) Week 3; Last weekend #3

$3,000,000 (-38%) in 2,582 theaters (-779); PTA: $1,162; Cumulative: $31,878,000

6. Cruella (Disney) Week 6; Last weekend #5; also available on Premium on Demand

$2,556,000 (-33%) in 2,380 theaters (-440); PTA: $1,074; Cumulative: $76,595,000

7. Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (Sony) Week 4; Last weekend #4

$2,250,000 (-53%) in 2,954 theaters (-377); PTA: $762; Cumulative: $34,416,000

8. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (Warner Bros.) Week 5; Last weekend #6; also available (through Sunday) on HBO Max

$1,290,000 (-57%) in 1,716 theaters (-952); PTA: $752; Cumulative: $62,226,000

9. In the Heights (Warner Bros.) Week 4; Last weekend #7; also available on HBO Max

$1,275,000 (-43%) in 1,405 theaters (-998); PTA: $907; Cumulative: $26,887,000

10. Zola (A24) NEW –  Cinemascore: 75; Est. budget: $5 million

$1,230,000 in 1,468 theaters; PTA: $838; Cumulative: $2,028,000

Additional specialized/limited/independent releases:

Summer of Soul (Searchlight) Week 2; also available on Hulu

$650,000 in 752 theaters (+750); PTA: $838; Cumulative: $650,000

I Carry You With Me (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 3

$23,117 in 24 theaters (+20); Cumulative: $46,667

Werewolves Within (IFC) Week 3; also available on VOD

$115,250 in 209 theaters (-61); Cumulative: $473,067

The Sparks Brothers (Focus) Week 3

$24,000 in 130 theaters (-404); Cumulative: $614,920

12 Mighty Orphans (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 4

$255,561 in 338 theaters (-682); Cumulative: $2,841,000

Queen Bees (Gravitas Ventures) Week 4; also on Premium VOD

$82,670 in 170 theaters; Cumulative: $1,523,000


REELated: Black Widow: What say the critics?


Even though box office numbers are lower than they were at the same time of year in 2019, it is abundantly clear that cinephiles are returning to the theaters in droves after a long and arduous break caused by the global pandemic.

box office
(Universal rules box office)

Universal dominated the box office this weekend without a challenger. Combined, F9, The Forever Purge, and Boss Baby: Family Business are estimated to earn $65 million between Friday and Monday, pushing the overall box office gross total for the weekend past to $88 million.

For Universal, it’s clearly a big weekend as it became the first studio in 16 years to take the top 3 spots on the box office charts in a single weekend. This is the first weekend since March 2020 that three movies grossed over $10 million. The Fourth of July results could also mean signs of bigger things to come for the film industry.

A Quiet Place Part II (Paramount) is now in its sixth week and now at $144 million. It earned $4.2 million this weekend, more than double the first entry in the same period. That reflects the terrific reaction to the sequel as well as an increase in audience return since the film opened.

Of course, theaters had to compete with holiday activities and streaming competition including home service premieres of The Tomorrow Man with Chris Pratt (Amazon), No Sudden Move from Steven Soderbergh (HBO Max), Fear City Part One 1994 and America the Movie (Netflix), plus Peacock’s Baby as well as Searchlight’s Summer of Soul (Hulu). That alternative will exist (at $29.99 on Disney+) for Black Widow next week as well.

The Top Ten

1. F9 (Universal) Week 2; Last weekend #1

$24,000,000 (-66%) in 4,203 theaters (+24); PTA: $5,710; Cumulative: $117,104,000

2. The Boss Baby: Family Business (Universal) NEW – Cinemascore: A; Metacritic: 39; Est. budget: $82 million; also available on the Peacock TV

$17,300,000 in 3,644 theaters; PTA: $4,764; Cumulative: $17,300,000

3. The Forever Purge (Universal) NEW – Cinemascore: B-; Metacritic: 54; Est. budget: $18 million

$12,700,000 in 3,051 theaters; PTA: $4,179; Cumulative: $12,700,000

4. A Quiet Place Part II (Paramount) Week 6; Last weekend #2

$4,225,000 (-32%) in 2,826 theaters (-298); PTA: $1,495; Cumulative: $144,437,000

5. The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (Lionsgate) Week 3; Last weekend #3

$3,000,000 (-38%) in 2,582 theaters (-779); PTA: $1,162; Cumulative: $31,878,000

6. Cruella (Disney) Week 6; Last weekend #5; also available on Premium on Demand

$2,556,000 (-33%) in 2,380 theaters (-440); PTA: $1,074; Cumulative: $76,595,000

7. Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (Sony) Week 4; Last weekend #4

$2,250,000 (-53%) in 2,954 theaters (-377); PTA: $762; Cumulative: $34,416,000

8. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (Warner Bros.) Week 5; Last weekend #6; also available (through Sunday) on HBO Max

$1,290,000 (-57%) in 1,716 theaters (-952); PTA: $752; Cumulative: $62,226,000

9. In the Heights (Warner Bros.) Week 4; Last weekend #7; also available on HBO Max

$1,275,000 (-43%) in 1,405 theaters (-998); PTA: $907; Cumulative: $26,887,000

10. Zola (A24) NEW –  Cinemascore: 75; Est. budget: $5 million

$1,230,000 in 1,468 theaters; PTA: $838; Cumulative: $2,028,000

Additional specialized/limited/independent releases:

Summer of Soul (Searchlight) Week 2; also available on Hulu

$650,000 in 752 theaters (+750); PTA: $838; Cumulative: $650,000

I Carry You With Me (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 3

$23,117 in 24 theaters (+20); Cumulative: $46,667

Werewolves Within (IFC) Week 3; also available on VOD

$115,250 in 209 theaters (-61); Cumulative: $473,067

The Sparks Brothers (Focus) Week 3

$24,000 in 130 theaters (-404); Cumulative: $614,920

12 Mighty Orphans (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 4

$255,561 in 338 theaters (-682); Cumulative: $2,841,000

Queen Bees (Gravitas Ventures) Week 4; also on Premium VOD

$82,670 in 170 theaters; Cumulative: $1,523,000


REELated: Black Widow: What say the critics?


Even though box office numbers are lower than they were at the same time of year in 2019, it is abundantly clear that cinephiles are returning to the theaters in droves after a long and arduous break caused by the global pandemic.