‘Smile’ Tops With Mere 22% Drop As ‘Ticket To Paradise’ Passes $60 Million Overseas

In holdover box office news, Paramount’sPARA
PARA
Smile topped the box office for the second time in a row. More importantly, the $17 million, R-rated original (based on Parker Finn’s short film) earned another $17.6 million, dropping just 22% and bringing its ten-day domestic cume to $49.895 million. That’s a hold right between Get Out (-15% after a $33.3 million debut in 2017) and A Quiet Place (-34% after a $50 million debut in 2018). Apples and oranges, but the much-loved Gore Verbinski-directed remake of The Ring earned $15 million on its opening weekend in just 1,981 theaters. The DreamWorks release added 653 theaters in weekend two and jumped 23% for an $18.5 million second weekend, with no Fri-Sun frames below $10 million until weekend six. I’m not saying that’ll happen here (Halloween Ends and Black Adam may have something to say about that), but that I’m even reminded of it is very encouraging.

The hold is another sign that a B- Cinemascore is closer to an A regarding horror. Halloween Ends will surely top next weekend, but Smile and Barbarian (a $2.1 million weekend and $36 million 31-day total after a mere 26% drop) may linger longer in the zeitgeist. Smile, intended as a Paramount+ premiere until strong test screening results changed its fate, has positioned itself as the event film of the Halloween season. Think Gladiator becoming the big summer event movie of 2000 even as Mission: Impossible II still earned more or Paranormal Activity riding into theaters just as Saw was wearing out its welcome in 2009. With $89 million worldwide, it’s another triumph for the Viacom-owned studio which has been having a theatrical comeback for the ages (with Babylon still on deck for Christmas). It’s another win for horror, which has been almost single-handedly keeping theaters alive amid the Covid-era recovery in between tentpoles.

Universal’s Ticket to Paradise continued to kick butt overseas before its October 21 domestic debut. The Ol Parker-directed George Clooney/Julia Roberts/Kaitlyn Dever rom-com, about two divorced parents who team up to sabotage their daughter’s wedding (and presumably fall back into love/lust), expanded into 16 international markets and brought its cume past $60 million. Since the film cost around $60 million, it’s well on its way to being a theatrical hit. It has opened in 74 markets thus far, nabbing opening weekends over/under $1 million in France, Mexico and Italy, and is overall tracking ahead of The Lost City, House of Gucci and Last Christmas. Universal has been trying all year to keep the live-action comedy (one sans actual action/adventure, all due respect to The Lost City) alive as a viable theatrical sub-genre. After relative whiffs (Marry Me, Easter Sunday and Bros), it would be oddly comforting if they pulled it off on the fourth try.

Sony’s The Woman King earned $5.3 million (-23%) weekend for a $54 million 24-day domestic cume. The Viola Davis/Lashana Lynch/John Boyega action drama is still legging out like a champ, implying that it’ll end up closer to $70 million domestic than $60 million. I remain curious as to whether its commercial success (especially compared, most likely, to other would-be award-season releases) will further increase its profile in the Oscar race. And, yes, it’s another reminder that online #BoycottTheWomanKing hashtags were irrelevant to those not perpetually online. For that matter, Don’t Worry Darling grossed $3.43 million (-50%) in its third weekend. That positions the Olivia Wilde-directed thriller for a $38.4 million 17-day cume and likely over/under $50 million domestic and $85 million worldwide finish. Again, the online gossip didn’t matter to the real world.

Universal’s much-discussed but little-seen Bros collapsed in weekend two. Billy Eichner and Nicholas Stoller’s same-sex romantic comedy earned $2.15 million (-56%) weekend for a miserable $8.9 million ten-day total. Say it with me now… online discourse doesn’t translate into real-world interest. 20th Century Studios’ Avatar grossed $2.5 million (-42%) in weekend three for a $23.4 million domestic and $72 million worldwide ($130 million counting China in early 2021) total. That brings its lifetime domestic total to $784 million. India’s momentarily successful Ponniyin Selvan: Part One earned just $940,000 (-77%) weekend for a $5.746 million ten-day total. This was absolutely a one-weekend wonder, which is neither surprising nor concerning. Finally, thanks to both Ponniyin Selvan and Terrifier 2 ($1 million in 850 theaters over the Fri-Sun frame), Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick fell out of the top ten in weekend 20. It grossed $800,000 (-33%) over the weekend for a new $714.5 million domestic cume.