UPDATED, FRIDAY PM: Sony’s GOAT and Warner Bros/MRC’s Wuthering Heights are currently fighting for No. 1 on what’s suppose to be a slow weekend with $12 million-$14 million apiece. Wuthering Heights will win its second Friday with $4M today at 3,682 theaters, compared with GOAT‘s $3M at 3,863, but Saturday matinees are in favor of the horned one.
On the high-end, the 10-day cumes are looking like just under $60M for the Emerald Fennell feature take of the Emily Brontë classic, while the Sony Pictures Animation movie is looking at $55.2M. As we mentioned, there’s about 16% of K-12 schools still on winter break today, per Comscore.
Lionsgate/Kingdom Story’s I Can Only Imagine 2 is seeing $3.75M today (including $1.8M in previews) at 3,105 locations. The range is still $8M-$10M in third. Still no Rotten Tomatoes reviews or audience scores reported.
Amazon MGM Studios’ second frame of Crime 101 could see $1.7M in its second Friday for a $5M-$6M second weekend and potentially near $25M running cume by EOD Sunday.
In fifth is the fourth weekend of 20th Century Studios’ Send Help at 2,800 sites, with $1M today and $3.7M (off 58%) for the weekend, which would mean a running cume by Sunday of $54.7M.
Outside the top five are A24’s Glen Powell dark comedy How to Make a Killing at 1,625 theaters with around $1.6M today (including last night’s previews) and around $3M for the three days. The StudioCanal pic was financed for a net $15M, with A24 taking U.S. for under $5M. Reviews on RT are at 48% Rotten.
20th Century Studios’ horror movie Psycho Killer is DOA with everyone, with a 0% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 34% with moviegoers. The pic is seeing around $700,000 today (including $250K previews) and around $2M for the weekend at 1,100 sites.
A year ago, the post-Presidents Day weekend came in at $78M, per Box Office Mojo. This weekend is gonna be lower. Again, what a difference a Marvel movie makes, even if it was a lackluster one (read, last year’s Captain America: Brave New World).
PREVIOUSLY, FRIDAY AM: Lionsgate and Kingdom Story’s I Can Only Imagine 2 is off to a solid start for a faith-based movie with $1.8 million previews. Note that $1.3M of that came from early-access screenings on Valentine’s Day, with another $475,000 from last night.
‘I Can Only Imagine 2’
That all-in preview figure is higher than the $1.3M previews of the 2018 original, which had been forecasted to perform in the single digits then wowed with a $17.1M opening and a great 4.9x multiple — good for a final $83.4M domestic off a great A+ Cinemascore. No reviews or Rotten Tomatoes audience scores yet for part two here, which stars Milo Ventimiglia. Forecast is $8M-$10M in 3,105 theaters, but it won’t be a surprise if the picture does more.
In the Andrew Erwin- and Brent Mccorkle-directed sequel, the lead singer of MercyMe, Bart Millard, faces a personal crisis at the peak of his success. As his world unravels, he struggles with his beliefs and inner demons while seeking a path through adversity
Posting a great number last night was Trafalgar’s release of the Prime Original Man on the Run, the Morgan Neville-directed documentary about Paul and Linda McCartney post-Beatles during the Wings era. The pic posted $501K at 421 sites.
‘Psycho Killer’
After the busy Presidents Day weekend, I Can Only Imagine 2 is the only major studio release bowing that can do any substantial business. A24 has the 1,600-theater release of the StudioCanal-financed How to Make a Killing with Glen Powell, and Disney is releasing New Regency’s Psycho Killer from director Gavin Polone in 1,100 theaters. Both of those titles are expected to file in the low-single digits. Psycho Killer‘s previews, we hear, were around $250K, but no audience or critic scores yet on RT. Reviews are sour on How to Make a Killing at 51% Rotten.
The rest of the week’s grosses are as follows:
1.) Wuthering Heights (WB) 3,682 theaters, Wk $45.8M/Wk 1
2.) Goat (Sony) 3,863 theaters Wk $41.2M/Wk 1
3.) Crime 101 (Sony) 3,161 theaters, Wk $18.9M/Wk 1
4.) Send Help (20th) 2,975 theaters, Wk $12.1M (-7%), Total $51M/Wk 3
5.) Solo Mio (Angel) 3,000 theaters, Wk $8.7M (-17%), Total $19.2M/Wk 2