Infinity War’ As ‘Minions 2’ Bombs In China

In holdover news at the Friday box office, Sony’s Bullet Train earned another $2.2 million (-43%) for a likely $7.7 million weekend and $68.685 million 17-day total. Once again, it’s pulling legs on par with Hobbs & Shaw which closed out the summer back in 2019. That Fast and Furious spin-off earned 1.3x its respective $133.78 million 17-day total, which would give the Brad Pitt-starring actioner around $90 million domestic by the end. That would be tied with its $90 million budget, meaning the difference between commercial success and (in raw theatrical at least) commercial failure would be decided by overseas earnings. If it plays like Hobbs & Shaw (not even counting China and Russia) and triples its domestic gross worldwide, then it’s a hit. Otherwise, well, that’s what Netflix paying big bucks for that first-pay TV window is for.

Meanwhile, Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick earned another $1.55 million (-22%) to push its domestic cume to $679 million. That puts it above the $678.815 million lifetime cume of Avengers: Infinity War to become the sixth-biggest domestic grosser of all time. It’ll earn $5.44 million (-23%) in weekend 12 for a new $683 million domestic cume. Even a normal rate of descent from this point would give it $693 million, so getting past Black Panther’s $700 million cume will be less mission: impossible and more mission: difficult. For this film, even with its digital PVOD release on Tuesday, ‘mission: difficult’ should be a walk in the park. Likewise, it should be close to, if not already past, the $1.405 billion global gross of Avengers: Age of Ultron to become the second biggest ‘part two’ sequel ever behind Frozen II ($1.45 billion).

Warner Bros. Discovery’s DC League of Super Pets, which really should have been just called DC Super Pets, earned $1.4 million (29%) on its fourth Friday. That sets the stage for a likely $4.98 million (-29%) weekend and $66.7 million 24-day total. It remains the last animated film of note until Walt Disney’s Strange World in late November. An $80 million finish is not out of the question for the $90 million animated comedy. Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder earned $1.07 million (-28%) on Friday for a likely $3.81 million (-29%) weekend and $332 million domestic cume. It too is benefiting from the last kid-friendly tentpole until, in its case, Black Adam on October 21. For all the “Thor 4 is a bomb!” nonsense, it’ll pass the $333-$336 million likes of Guardians of the Galaxy, Aquaman, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Joker and Spider-Man 3.

Universal and Monkeypaw’s Nope earned another $1.03 million (-35%) on Friday for a $3.58 million (-33%) weekend and $113.8 million 31-day total. Universal and Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru earned $920,000 (-35%) on Friday for a $3.26 million (-35%) weekend and $349.8 million domestic cume. The $80 million prequel/sequel should pass $800 million worldwide this weekend, even as it’s only going to gross around $10 million in China this weekend (compared to $64 million for Despicable Me 3). A closer-to-North America release probably would have helped, but once again Universal can treat China as a bonus rather than a do-or-die territory. Sony’s sleeper hit Where the Crawdads Sing earned $900,000 (-27%) on Friday for a likely $3 million (-26%) weekend and $77.575 million 38-day domestic cume. Once again, the summer’s only ‘big’ movie for women is legging out accordingly.

A24’s Bodies Bodies Bodies, which was mostly in the news due to a stupid critic/celebrity spat, expanded to 2,541 theaters in its third weekend. Stars generally shouldn’t trash critics over their negative reviews, but that Amandla Stenberg did so via DM and not all over Twitter should have been considered a sign of comparative respect. The Generation Z-targeted whodunnit earned $727,735 (+112%) on Friday for a $2.34 million (-25%) weekend and $7.37 million 17-day cume. That means at least Bodies Bodies Bodies will likely match the $11 million cume of X from earlier this year. WBD’s Elvis earned $550,000 (-27%) on Friday for a $1.62 million (-37%) weekend and $144.5 million cume. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial grossed just $78,000 (-84%) in its second Friday for a $250,000 (-77%) weekend and mere $439 million lifetime total. Tough break for Steven Spielberg; here’s hoping The Fabelmans gives him a much-needed comeback.