'Predator: Badlands' set a franchise record with $80 million globally on its debut, becoming the biggest opening in the series, while 'One Battle After Another' nears $200 million worldwide, marking a career high for director Paul Thomas Anderson. The success of 'Badlands' is attributed to positive reviews, word-of-mouth, and its PG-13 rating broadening its audience, signaling a strong box office recovery.
Predator: Badlands debuts with a record $40 million domestically, surpassing previous franchise openings and revitalizing box office interest, with strong international performance and positive reviews boosting its success.
‘The Conjuring: Last Rites,’ a horror sequel, exceeded expectations by earning approximately $83 million in the US and Canada over the weekend, setting a new box office record for the series and contributing to a strong worldwide total of $187 million, highlighting successful franchise management and marketing strategies.
'The Conjuring: Last Rites' debuted to a record-breaking $83 million in the US, becoming the highest opening for the franchise and the best start this year for a horror movie, with a global total of $187 million. The film's success, driven by strong word-of-mouth and pent-up demand, marks a significant rebound for Warner Bros. and the horror genre.
‘Ne Zha 2,’ the highest-grossing Chinese animated film with over $2 billion globally, opens in U.S. theaters with an English dub featuring Michelle Yeoh, receiving positive reviews and highlighting Chinese mythology and animation artistry.
Alex Garland's latest film "Civil War" sets a new record for A24 with the biggest opening weekend, earning $25.7 million in North America. The movie, featuring Kirsten Dunst as a photojournalist navigating a divided America in the midst of a second civil war, surpassed A24's previous record-holder "Hereditary." Despite its $50 million production budget, the film received positive reviews, with GameSpot giving it a 9/10 rating. Following the release, Garland plans to shift from directing to writing films for others to direct.
Taylor Swift's concert film "The Eras Tour" has become the highest-grossing concert and documentary film in box office history, earning over $261.6 million globally. The film's non-traditional release through a partnership with AMC Theatres allowed Swift to receive a significant portion of ticket sales. Following its success in theaters, the film was also released for streaming. Swift's tour is set to resume in February, with performances scheduled around the world throughout the year.
Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's film "The Boy & the Heron" has become the first original anime film to lead a box office weekend in North America, earning $12.8 million. With a global take of $97 million, the film's success can be attributed to the lack of new releases and the rise of Japanese films in North American screenings. Additionally, "Godzilla Minus One" and "Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" continue to perform well at the box office. Looking ahead, upcoming releases include "Aquaman 2," "Wonka," and Netflix's "Rebel Moon."
Christopher Nolan's film "Oppenheimer" has broken another box office record, becoming the third highest-grossing release of 2023 and the fourth highest-grossing IMAX release of all time internationally. The movie, starring Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., and Emily Blunt, made an additional $550k during its re-release in IMAX cinemas, bringing its total earnings at the IMAX global box office to $184 million. "Oppenheimer" was shot using high-resolution IMAX 70mm film cameras and has been praised as a monumental achievement in grown-up filmmaking.
Taylor Swift's concert film, "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour," has become the highest-grossing concert film in the United States, earning $92.8 million during its opening weekend. The film surpassed the previous record held by "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never." Fans flocked to theaters to experience the concert film, with many dressing up and participating in the concert-like atmosphere. Some viewers even reported hearing the singing from other movies playing in nearby theaters. While some audience behavior was disruptive, Taylor Swift and AMC Theatres encouraged dancing and singing during the show.
Taylor Swift's concert film, "Eras Tour," has broken presales records at AMC Theatres, with $26 million worth of tickets sold in a single day, surpassing the previous record held by "Spider-Man: No Way Home." The film achieved this feat within three hours of ticket availability, prompting AMC to add extra showtimes. As movie theaters recover from the pandemic, the ongoing Hollywood strikes and studio negotiations impasse may lead to a potential shortage of films in the coming year. AMC is acting as the distributor for the Eras Tour film, marking a new line of business for the theater chain.
Rajinikanth's film "Jailer" along with Sunny Deol's "Gadar 2," Akshay Kumar's "OMG 2," and Chiranjeevi's "Bhola Shankar" have collectively set a new all-time box office record for the Indian cinema industry, grossing INR3.9 billion ($47 million) over the Aug. 11-13 weekend. This weekend also saw the highest combined admissions in the last 10 years, with 21 million people attending theaters. The success of these films has injected new energy into the industry, with audiences responding positively to mainstream storytelling.
Rajinikanth's "Jailer," Sunny Deol's "Gadar 2," Akshay Kumar's "OMG 2," and Chiranjeevi's "Bhola Shankar" have collectively set a new all-time box office record for the Indian cinema industry. The weekend gross box office of INR3.9 billion ($47 million) is the highest in Indian cinema history, with 21 million admissions, the highest in the last 10 years. These films have garnered significant earnings within a few days of release, contributing to the resurgence of the Indian box office after a slow start in 2023.
Christopher Nolan's film "Oppenheimer" has surpassed $500 million at the box office, making it the highest grossing movie set during World War II. The R-rated film has also become the highest grossing R-rated movie of 2023 and the fastest Universal R-rated film to reach $200 million domestically. Despite its long running time and subject matter, "Oppenheimer" has maintained its position as the No. 3 movie in both domestic and international box offices. The success of the film highlights the power of great filmmaking and unexpected success.
AMC Theaters achieved its highest one-week admissions revenue in its 130-year history, driven by the success of the dual-blockbuster opening weekend of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer." The two movies have collectively earned $1 billion at the global box office in just two weeks. This record-breaking week comes after a summer of sluggish ticket sales, and the success of these films has revitalized the movie theater industry. AMC Chairman and CEO Adam Aron credited the moviegoing audience for their enthusiasm and willingness to return to theaters. The films' popularity has continued into their second weekend, with Barbie remaining at the top of the box office. The success of these movies is particularly impressive considering the ongoing strikes in the entertainment industry, which have disrupted film production and promotional activities. AMC Theaters also noted the positive impact of other releases, such as "Haunted Mansion" and Tom Cruise's latest "Mission Impossible" film, on ticket sales.
