Disney / 20th Century Studios’ New mutants got an early jump over the weekend yesterday, earning $ 750K in a pandemic marketplace where only 62% of all cinemas are open.
Studios have often said that sample figures are not perfect indicators of the weekend’s box office. I beg for difference: It was more predictable in pre-pandemic times. Now we do not know what to expect. One of the reasons why Disney is leading with this film when theaters reopen is because research shows that audiences 18-34 are more open and enthusiastic about returning to cinemas. The poll of Atom Tickets indicates that 40% of moviegoers are comfortable going straight back to theaters. A reminder of why it’s hard to draw conclusions about how the 3-day will eventually turn out is because high-top theaters in California, New York, New Jersey, Arizona (in part), North Carolina, Michigan, Maryland, and New Mexico remain along with the Seattle, Miami, Portland, and Philadelphia metro areas. That said, New mutants plays on those drive-ins that are open in those areas. Last night, the Josh Boone-directed Marvel pic played the Rose Bowl pop-up drive-in in Pasadena, CA.
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Some of the Thursday night comps that Disney is looking for New mutants include 20s Stuber ($ 750K, $ 8.2M opening), Aviron’s Strangers: Prey at Night ($ 610K, $ 10.4M), 20’s Bad times at the El Royale ($ 575K, $ 7.1M), 20’s The Darkest Minds ($ 550K, $ 5.8M) ‘Entertainment Studios’ 47 meters down: without cage ($ 500K, $ 8.4M), and 20s Underwater ($ 500K, $ 7M). The weekend estimate for New mutants is $ 8M- $ 10M.
It’s the first notable Thursday night preview for a major studio film reported since the weekend of March 13-15, the last time all major circuses were open, and the last time domestic weekend box office was fully reported before the pandemic shutdown . On the evening of March 12, Sony’s Blood chains posted $ 1.2 million (before breaking $ 9.1 million during an opening weekend) of previews starting at 5pm on 2,631 screens; Lionsgate’s I still live had $ 780K (also a $ 9.1M opening) on 2,600 sites plus Imax previews; while Universal / Blumhouse’s The hunt made $ 435K on 2,200 theaters of showtimes starting at 7pm (translated into a $ 5.3M opening). And that was all in a weekend when the sentiment of the movie gang rattled about coronavirus jitters.
Disney’s Searchlight also foresaw Armando Iannucci’s The personal history of David Copperfield last night, but we’ll see if they report. The period comedy with PG rating has been booked at 1,360 theaters and is hoping for at least $ 700K.
Canada has Warner Bros. ‘ Tenet at 300+ locations. We heard that afternoons were great yesterday, however the studio is not fit to report until next week when they roll these figures into the US opening. The film is being launched in 40 offshore markets with a view to a $ 25M international BO launch. The Christopher Nolan film in South Korea made $ 2M in the first two days + previews release on its way to a $ 6M- $ 7M weekend, which is when theaters do not close due to emerging COVID-19 cases.
United artists have released Bill & Ted Face of Music in 1,007 theaters, while Picturehouse’s Roman Catholic film is based on faith Fatima in 215 pages. Both are on PVOD and play independent theaters, not the big chains.
