Box Office Report: ‘Meg 2’ Swims Past Poor Reviews To Second Place Behind Powerhouse ‘Barbie’

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

Weekend Estimates Update - August 4h, 2023 to August 6th, 2023:

Warner Bros.'s Barbie took in an estimated $53.00 million this weekend to easily lead the domestic box office for a third consecutive frame. That represented a solid 43.0 percent decline from last weekend, which was nearly on par with last weekend's 42.6 percent decline. While in the bigger picture Barbie had a nice hold and strong overall performance this weekend, it does look like Paramount's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and fellow Warner Bros. release Meg 2: The Trench both entering the marketplace did help prevent Barbie from having an even stronger percentage hold this weekend. Barbie registered the eleventh largest unadjusted third weekend gross of all-time and the largest unadjusted third weekend gross ever for Warner Bros. After zooming past the $400 million domestic mark on Thursday, Barbie has grossed $459.38 million through Sunday (after just 17 days of domestic release). Barbie is currently the second highest grossing release of 2023 domestically thus far and at this point looks to have a very strong chance of eventually passing the $574.19 million current domestic total of The Super Mario Bros. Movie to move into first place among 2023 releases. Next weekend, Barbie and holdovers in general will be helped out by Universal's The Last Voyage of the Demeter being the only new release entering the marketplace.

This weekend also saw Barbie surpass the $1 billion global mark. Barbie grossed an estimated $74.0 million internationally this weekend from 69 international markets, which brings the film's international total to $572.1 million and current global haul to a massive $1.031 billion. Barbie is also currently the second largest release of 2023 thus far globally (once again, behind only The Super Mario Bros. Movie). Totals for Barbie by international market through Sunday include $87.9 million in the United Kingdom, $48.9 million in Mexico, $41.1 million in Australia, $39.5 million in Brazil, $33.7 million in Germany, $31.7 million in China, $29.1 million in France, $27.9 million in Italy, $26.0 million in Spain, $13.0 million in Argentina, $12.4 million in the Netherlands and $10.8 million in Poland.

Warner Bros. also claimed second place this weekend as the studio's Meg 2: The Trench started out with an estimated $30.0 million. Meg 2: The Trench opened on the very high end of consensus expectations, which had ranged anywhere from $20 million to $30 million heading into the weekend. Meg 2: The Trench opened well below the $45.40 million start of The Meg back in August of 2018, but obviously Meg 2: The Trench wasn't expected to come close to matching the opening of The Meg domestically. There was some thought that the largely poor critical reviews for Meg 2: The Trench would have a negative impact on this weekend's box office performance, but thus far the film appears to be largely critic proof. Meg 2: The Trench looks to be going over somewhat better with audiences, as the film received a modest B- rating on CinemaScore.

Meg 2: The Trench was far stronger internationally this weekend with an estimated $112.0 million start from 75 international markets. That places the film's global launch at $142.0 million. Meg 2: The Trench, which was produced in part by CMC Pictures from China, took in $53.3 million from China this weekend. Additional estimated debuts for Meg 2: The Trench by international market included $7.6 million in Mexico, $5.1 million in the United Kingdom, $4.5 million in France, $3.4 million in Germany, $3.4 million in Spain, $2.6 million in Italy, $2.3 million in Indonesia, $2.2 million in Malaysia, $2.1 million in Australia and $1.8 million in India.

After taking second place each of the past two weekends, Universal's Oppenheimer finished closely behind Meg 2: The Trench in third this weekend with an estimated $28.70 million. Oppenheimer declined a very solid 38.6 percent from last weekend, as the film continues to be helped out by strong word of mouth and by continuing to play on IMAX screens. Oppenheimer grossed an estimated $9.0 million from domestic IMAX screens this weekend, which brings the film's domestic IMAX total to $64.6 million (representing 28.3 percent of the film's total domestic gross). Oppenheimer passed the $200 million domestic mark on Friday and the film's 17-day domestic total through Sunday stands at $228.57 million. Oppenheimer could be in store for an especially strong hold next weekend given the limited amount of new competition and that Oppenheimer will remain on IMAX screens next weekend.

Internationally, Oppenheimer continued to impress this weekend with an estimated $52.8 million from 78 international markets. That brings the film's international total past the $300 million international mark with $324.4 million internationally and the film's global total past the $500 million global mark with $552.9 million globally. Totals for Oppenheimer by international market through Sunday include $50.3 million in the United Kingdom, $28.3 million in Germany, $24.2 million in France, $18.2 million in Australia, $16.1 million in India, $14.5 million in Mexico, $13.7 million in Spain, $11.3 million in the Netherlands, $10.1 million in Saudi Arabia and $9.6 million in Brazil. Oppenheimer grossed an estimated $9.2 million from international IMAX screens this weekend. Through Sunday, Oppenheimer has grossed $49.6 million from international IMAX screens for a global IMAX total of $114.2 million (which currently ranks Oppenheimer as the eighth highest grossing film ever in IMAX globally).

Over the three-day weekend, Paramount's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem finished in the same neighborhood as both Meg 2: The Trench and Oppenheimer, with an estimated fourth place start of $28.00 million. Since the film's launch on Wednesday, Teenage Mutant: Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem has grossed a healthy $43.07 million through five days (including previews). Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem performed in line with expectations and was off to a good start with the film's price-tag in mind (which is significantly less expensive than usual for a high-profile computer animated film). Teenage Mutant: Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem was somewhat front-loaded towards its midweek performance, especially when taking into account the film's especially strong critical reviews. Teenage Mutant: Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem also looks to be going over extremely well with initial audiences, as the film received a strong A rating on CinemaScore. Going forward, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem should benefit from its strong critical reviews, strong word of mouth and from the lack of new competition for family audiences throughout August and most of September. Internationally, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem started out with an estimated $8.5 million from 24 select international audiences, including a $5.0 million start in the United Kingdom. The film's global haul stands at $51.6 million.

After a so-so third place start last weekend, Disney's Haunted Mansion had a tough second weekend by declining a sharp 62.7 percent to place in fifth with an estimated $8.97 million. The ten-day domestic total for Haunted Mansion stands at just $42.02 million. Audiences just don't look to be excited about Haunted Mansion and it also appears that the film took significant hits from both Meg 2: The Trench and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem this weekend. Internationally, Haunted Mansion grossed an estimated $4.2 million from 37 international markets this weekend. Respective totals for Haunted Mansion stand at $17.6 million internationally and at $59.6 million globally.

As for some of this weekend's other holdovers, Angel Studios' Sound of Freedom, Paramount's Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One and A24's Talk to Me were fairly bunched together for places sixth through eighth. Sound of Freedom lost a bit of momentum this weekend by declining 45.1 percent to take sixth with $7.03 million, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One decreased a solid, but not exceptional 39.3 percent to follow in seventh with $6.45 million and the well-received Talk to Me held up very nicely in its second weekend by declining 39.9 percent to place in eighth with $6.27 million. Respective total domestic grosses stand at $163.47 million for Sound of Freedom through 34 days, at $151.00 million for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One through 26 days and at a promising $22.14 million for Talk to Me through 10 days.

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