Box Office Report: ‘Challengers’ Takes It… Game, Set, Match

Box Office analysis is provided by Daniel Garris of BoxOfficeReport.com.

Weekend Box Office Report: April 26th, 2024 to April 28st, 2024

As had been widely expected, Amazon MGM Studios' Challengers took first place at the domestic box office this weekend with a debut of $15.01 million. The Luca Guadagnino directed R-rated sports romance starring Zendaya, Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist opened right in line with consensus expectations, which had tended to range from $13 million to $17 million heading into the weekend. The opening weekend performance of Challengers came in just ahead of last year's $14.46 million opening weekend of Air (from Amazon Studios) and 2021's $14.42 million opening weekend of House of Gucci (from MGM), though it should be noted that the three-day opening weekends for each of those films were deflated somewhat as a result of Wednesday midweek openings. Challengers is performing very well for a film directed by Guadagnino, as the film will soon surpass the $18.10 million final total gross of 2017's Call Me By Your Name to become Guadagnino's highest grossing film domestically. There is no doubt that Zendaya helped drive the opening weekend performance of Challengers and the film's very strong critical reviews look to have helped out at the box office as well. Challengers grossed an estimated $1.2 million from domestic IMAX screens, which represented 8.0 percent of this weekend's overall domestic gross. While it's true that the opening weekend performance of Challengers left something to be desired with the film's price-tag in mind, much like we've seen with recent films from Apple, theatrical expectations for Amazon MGM Studios releases (after Amazon's purchase of MGM) aren't as high as they typically would be thanks to the presence of Amazon Prime Video.

Challengers started out with $6.26 million on Friday (which included an estimated $1.9 million from Thursday preview shows that began at 4PM and from early access Monday shows), declined 20.8 percent on Saturday to take in $4.96 million and decreased an encouraging 23.4 percent on Sunday to gross $3.80 million. Although the film's B+ rating on CinemaScore isn't quite as strong as the film's critical reviews, it still suggests that Challengers is going over fairly well with audiences (as does the film's Sunday hold). Challengers skewed very heavily towards younger adults, as 41 percent of the film's audience was in the 18 – 24 demo and 35 percent of the film's audience was in the 25 – 34 demo (leading to 76 percent of the film's audience being in the 18 – 34 demo). The audience breakdown for Challengers also skewed 58 percent female and 42 percent male. Going forward, Challengers will have potential to hold up well, especially on weekdays. Internationally, where Challengers is being handled by Warner Bros., the film grossed $9.3 million this weekend from 52 international markets. That places the international total for Challengers at $10.3 million and the film's early global total at $25.3 million. Totals by international market for Challengers through Sunday include $2.0 million in the United Kingdom, $1.5 million in Italy, $1.4 million in Australia, $1.1 million in France, $0.69 million in Mexico and $0.64 million in Germany.

Lionsgate's Unsung Hero debuted in second place this weekend with $7.73 million. The Richard Ramsey and Joel Smallbone directed drama about the Smallbone musical family opened towards the higher end of its modest expectations. Unsung Hero, which is targeted towards faith-based audiences, opened a bit higher than the $6.16 million start of Lionsgate's Ordinary Angels back in February, which was also aimed at faith-based audiences. Thus far in 2024, Lionsgate has now had five films open in the range of $6 million to $10 million (the other three films being Imaginary, Arthur the King and last weekend's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare). Unsung Hero grossed $3.62 million on Friday (which included a relatively significant $1.67 million from early access Wednesday shows and traditional Thursday preview shows that began at 6PM), declined a sharp, but understandable 35.6 percent on Saturday to gross $2.33 million and decreased by just 23.9 percent on Sunday to gross $1.78 million. Unsung Hero looks to be going over especially well with moviegoers, as the film received a perfect A+ rating on CinemaScore. Strong word of mouth should be able to help out Unsung Hero at least somewhat going forward.

Warner Bros. and Legendary's Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire took third place this weekend with $7.22 million. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire held up very well this weekend by declining just 24.6 percent. Good word of mouth, the film holding onto a high percentage of its average showtimes per location from last weekend and this weekend providing moviegoers a chance to catch Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (or catch it again) before the start of the summer movie season next weekend, are factors that all contributed towards this weekend's strong hold for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Through 31 days, the domestic total for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire stands at $181.70 million. This weekend also saw Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire pass the $500 million global mark. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire grossed $16.3 million from 78 international markets this weekend. That brings the film's international total to $339.7 million and global haul to $521.4 million. Totals by international market for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire through Sunday include $125.8 million in China, $32.1 million in Mexico, $16.9 million in the United Kingdom, $14.7 million in India, $11.6 million in Australia, $9.3 million in France, $9.0 million in Indonesia, $7.9 million in Brazil, $7.4 million in Taiwan and $6.5 million in Spain.

After leading the box office each of the past two weekends, A24's Civil War took fourth place this weekend with $7.00 million. While Civil War was down three spots from last weekend, the film nonetheless stabilized nicely this weekend by declining 37.6 percent from last weekend (especially given that Civil War lost the remainder of its IMAX screens and showtimes this weekend). Civil War passed the $50 million domestic mark this weekend and has grossed $56.19 million through 17 days of domestic release. Civil War has already surpassed the $50.02 million final domestic gross of 2019's Uncut Gems to become the second highest grossing film ever for A24 domestically (behind only the $77.17 million total gross of 2022's Everything Everywhere All At Once).

In their respective second weekends of release, Universal's Abigail placed in fifth with $5.20 million and Lionsgate's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare followed in sixth place with $3.84 million. Abigail declined a sizable, but encouraging 49.5 percent from last weekend's debut, while The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare was down by a sharp, and less encouraging 56.9 percent. Respective ten-day domestic totals stand at $18.74 million for Abigail and at $15.43 million for The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Although The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare has had a slightly better performance than Abigail with regard to pre-release expectations, in addition to out-grossing The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Abigail has had the better performance of the two films with their respective price-tags in mind.

In other box office news, this weekend saw Warner Bros. and Legendary's Dune: Part Two pass the $700 million global mark and Universal and DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda 4 pass the $500 million global mark. Kung Fu Panda 4 grossed $3.60 million domestically and $11.8 million internationally this weekend (from 82 international markets). Kung Fu Panda 4 has grossed $185.05 million domestically and $318.7 million internationally, for a global total of $503.7 million. Dune: Part Two grossed $2.04 million domestically and $2.7 million internationally this weekend (from 65 international markets). To date, Dune: Part Two has grossed $279.80 million domestically and $424.5 million internationally for a global take of $704.3 million.

This weekend also saw Universal's The Fall Guy begin its international run with $8.4 million from 38 select (mostly smaller) international markets. International debuts for The Fall Guy this weekend included $2.8 million in Australia, $0.96 million in Spain and $0.58 million in the Netherlands. In addition to opening domestically this coming Friday (in an estimated 3,700+ locations), The Fall Guy will open in additional international markets throughout the coming week, including Germany on Tuesday (April 30), France, Italy and South Korea on Wednesday (May 1), Brazil and Mexico on Thursday (May 2), and the United Kingdom on Friday (May 3). The Fall Guy was directed by David Leitch and stars Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt.

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