‘Fantastic Beasts 3’ Tumbles 67% As ‘Batman’ Suffers HBO Max Hit

In holdover news for the weekend, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 placed second with $15.225 million (-48%) in weekend three, bringing its 17-day total to $145.8 million. That’s right behind Uncharted ($145.9 million) and Sonic the Hedgehog ($148 million) among video game movies, so it’ll zoom past that milestone (and become the first video game movie to top $150 million) in a matter of days. It’s still looking like an over/under $185 million domestic finish, which would be a “breakout sequel”-worthy 25% upswing. Once it gets past $155 million, it’ll be behind just Tomb Raider ($131 million in 2001/$212 million adjusted) among video game movies in inflation-adjusted domestic earnings. I don’t have overseas updates yet, but the film has surely passed $255 million worldwide, hopefully setting the stage for a “triple your $110 million budget” global finish.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald plunged 67% in weekend two, which is frankly on par with later Harry Potter sequels that opened to a lot more money in their respective opening weekends. The Wizarding World prequel threequel earned $14 million to bring its ten-day domestic total to $67.127 million. Barring a miracle, the third Eddie Redmayne-led period-piece fantasy won’t crack $100 million domestic. However, it held well overseas with $38 million (-44%) for a new $216 million foreign cume and a $280 million worldwide total. The $200 million budgeted (partially thanks to Covid overruns) might still end with a face-saving $400 million global cume, but $375 million seems more likely. Regardless, especially with most narrative strands wrapped up like a bow, I can’t imagine this proposed five-part franchise hasn’t retroactively become a trilogy.

Once again, A24’s sleeper smash Everything, Everywhere All At Once continued to fill me with false hope and unrealistic expectations for the future of Covid-era theatrical. Forget that “normal rate of descent” I discussed on Friday, this one earned another $5.425 million (-12%!) for a new $26.9 million 31-day cume. It will pass $30 million domestic by next Sunday and could (emphasis on “could”) end up over $40 million by the end. The Michelle Yeoh/Ke Huy Quan/Stephanie Hsu/James Hong action-comedy will be A24’s fourth biggest film in a day or three (all due respect to The Witch and Moonlight) and might threaten Hereditary ($44 million), Lady Bird ($49 million) and Uncut Gems ($50 million). Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s $25 million multiverse fantasy would be a huge hit with these grosses in non-Covid times, let alone now.

Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum’s The Lost City e earned $4.37 million (-30%) in weekend five. That’ll give the $70 million original an $85.3 million 31-day total and a likely path to a $100 million-plus domestic total. That’s especially true with an upcoming summer with almost nothing explicitly aimed at adult women. I don’t know what Paramount is doing right after doing so much so wrong for the last six years, with Top Gun: Maverick opening next month, but I hope Brian Robbins can continue what Jim Gianopulos started. Sony’s Father Stu earned $3.325 million (-38%) in weekend two for a $13.9 million 12-day total. Ambulance will earn $1.81 million (-55%) for a $19.2 million 17-day total. You can atone for your sins by forking over $20 when this Michael Bay gem arrives on PVOD later this week.

Morbius will earn $2.25 million (-52%) in weekend four for a $69 million domestic and $156 million worldwide cume. Even on a $75 million budget, that’s a whiff. In better Sony news, Uncharted has $393 million worldwide. Finally, The Batman lost 731 theaters and grossed $1.5 million (-60%). It’s still a massive hit with $368 million domestic and $759 million worldwide. However, the loss of theaters, the deluge of competition on all sides and the debut on HBO Max this past Monday all contributed to the big drop. If this continues it may buck the trend we’ve seen since A Quiet Place part II whereby a hit film arriving “early” on PVOD and/or streaming doesn’t impact the theatrical box office. I’m inclined to argue a combination of the three versus entirely blaming HBO Max, but we’ll see.