Box Office Report: ‘The Marvels’ Garners Lackluster Earnings, Leads The Box Office

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

Weekend Estimates Update - November 10th, 2023 to November 12th, 2023:

Disney and Marvel's The Marvels led the way at the box office this weekend with a lackluster estimated start of $47.0 million. The Marvels delivered the lowest opening weekend ever for a film within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a mark which previously belonged to Universal's The Incredible Hulk with $55.41 million (way back in June of 2008). Prior to The Marvels, the lowest debut for an MCU film released by Disney had been the $57.23 million start of Ant-Man back in July of 2015. This weekend's slow start for The Marvels didn't come as a surprise, as heading into the weekend consensus expectations for the film had tended to range from $40 million to $60 million. There just was never that much excitement for The Marvels to begin with (especially for a follow-up to a film as successful as 2019's Captain Marvel) and the film's trailers and overall marketing campaign clearly never caught on. The Marvels was directed by Nia DaCosta and stars Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani and Samuel L. Jackson.

The Marvels didn't come close to matching the $153.43 million start of Captain Marvel, but obviously The Marvels hadn't been expected to. Captain Marvel received significant boosts at the box office from both the film being the last MCU release prior to Avengers: Endgame and by the film representing the first solo female-led MCU film; factors which The Marvels didn't benefit from. At this point, the MCU also looks to have taken a clear hit to its overall popularity, especially after a number of the recent Phase Four / Phase Five installments haven't gone over as well with audiences as earlier MCU films. Relativity speaking, The Marvels doesn't look to be going over that well with audiences either, as the film received a B rating on CinemaScore (which is low by the lofty standards for MCU films on CinemaScore). Currently, there is only one MCU theatrical film scheduled for release by Disney in 2024: the highly anticipated Untitled Deadpool Sequel (Deadpool 3) on July 26, which will play a significant role in the MCU attempting to rebound at the box office going forward. Three Sony Marvel films (Madame Web, Kraven the Hunter and the upcoming Untitled Venom Sequel) are also currently scheduled for release in 2024.

The Marvels started out with $21.50 million on Friday (which included an estimated $6.6 million from Thursday preview shows that began at 6PM), declined 28.8 percent on Saturday to gross $15.30 million and is estimated to decrease 33.3 percent on Sunday to gross $10.20 million. Front-loading towards Friday for The Marvels (and the marketplace in general) was increased this weekend from Veterans Day being celebrated on Friday this year. When it comes to the audience that showed up this weekend, according to Disney The Marvels actually skewed 61 percent male and 67 percent over the age of 25. In comparison, the opening weekend audience breakdown for Captain Marvel skewed 55 percent male and 63 percent over the age of 25. With those comparisons in mind, The Marvels experienced audience erosion among all demographics in comparison to Captain Marvel. Critical response to The Marvels has been similar to the apparent audience reception for the film, as critical reviews have been mixed (more so positive than negative on the average). The Marvels grossed an estimated $4.4 million from domestic IMAX screens this weekend, which represented 9.4 percent of this weekend's overall domestic gross. All premium formats (including IMAX) represented 45 percent of the opening weekend gross for The Marvels. Next weekend The Marvels will lose its IMAX screens to Lionsgate's The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.

Internationally, The Marvels debuted with an estimated $63.3 million from 51 international markets. That places the global launch for the film at $110.3 million. Estimated international debuts for The Marvels by international market include $11.7 million in China, $4.3 million in the United Kingdom, $3.7 million in Indonesia, $3.5 million in South Korea, $3.1 million in France, $3.0 million in Mexico, $2.3 million in Germany, $2.2 million in Japan, $2.1 million in Australia, $2.0 million in Italy, $1.8 million in Brazil and $1.8 million in the Philippines. The Marvels grossed an estimated $5.6 million from international IMAX screens, including $2.0 million from international IMAX screens in China. That places the global IMAX launch for The Marvels at $10.0 million.

After leading the box office each of the past two weekends, Universal and Blumhouse's Five Nights at Freddy's placed in second this weekend with an estimated $9.00 million. That was a 52.6 percent decline from last weekend, which represented significant (and somewhat surprising) stabilization following last weekend's 76.2 percent second weekend fall. The underwhelming start of The Marvels (especially among younger moviegoers) and Veterans Day falling on Friday no doubt contributed towards this weekend's hold for Five Nights at Freddy's, but strong word of mouth (especially among the film's younger target audience) may be starting to kick in now as well. Five Fights at Freddy's being driven in large part by fans of the video game series may also be contributing to holds for the film being somewhat more unpredictable than usual thus far. Five Nights at Freddy's has grossed a very impressive $127.21 million through 17 days of release, as the film currently ranks as the fourth highest grossing film ever for Blumhouse domestically and as the seventh highest grossing video game based film of all-time domestically.

Internationally, Five Nights at Freddy's grossed an estimated $15.4 million this weekend from 76 international markets. That brings the film's international total to $124.7 million and current global haul to $251.9 million. This weekend saw Five Nights at Freddy's debut with an estimated $3.7 million in France. Additional totals for totals for Five Nights at Freddy's by international market through Sunday include $19.5 million in Mexico, $11.9 million in the United Kingdom, $9.2 million in Brazil, $7.8 million in Australia, $6.5 million in Spain, $5.6 million in Germany, $5.2 million in Italy, $4.8 million in Argentina, $3.8 million in Poland and $3.4 million in Chile. Five Nights at Freddy's will open in South Korea this Wednesday (November 15).

AMC Theatres Distribution's release of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour concert film placed in third with an estimated $5.90 million. After last weekend's exceptional hold, Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour concert film went back to experiencing a more typical hold this weekend, as the concert film declined a sizable 56.7 percent. With that said, Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour concert film playing in 756 fewer locations this weekend than last weekend no doubt contributed to this weekend's percentage decline. In the bigger picture, Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour concert film continues to impress with $172.55 million domestically through twenty days of total release (over the span of five weeks). It has been announced that Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour concert film will remain in domestic theatres next weekend. Internationally, Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour concert film added an estimated $2.5 million this weekend from 53 international territories. Respective totals for Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour concert film stand at $68.4 million internationally and at $240.9 million globally.

Upon receiving another significant expansion this weekend, A24's Priscilla decreased a very slim 4.9 percent from last weekend to place in fourth with an estimated $4.79 million. Priscilla had a very nice hold for a film expanding from semi-wide to wide release. In addition to going over well with critics, the strength of this weekend's hold points towards Priscilla also going over well with audiences. After ten days of wide release (and an additional week of platform release), Priscilla has grossed a promising $12.73 million. The Sofia Coppola directed film about Priscilla Presley and Elvis Presley will look to continue to hold up well throughout the holidays and awards season.

Fellow critical favorite Killers of the Flower Moon followed closely behind in fifth place with an estimated $4.65 million. The Paramount and Apple release declined 32.3 percent from last weekend, which represented a very solid hold, especially since the film lost its IMAX screens to The Marvels this weekend. The 24-day domestic total for the expensive Killers of the Flower Moon stands at $59.94 million. Internationally, Killers of the Flower Moon grossed an estimated $6.0 million this weekend from 65 international markets. That brings the international total for the Martin Scorsese directed film to $77.2 million and the film's current global haul to $137.1 million.

Another of this year's awards season hopefuls, Focus's The Holdovers, had an impressive expansion into moderate / semi-wide release this weekend with an estimated $3.20 million from just 778 locations. That gave the film a healthy per-location average of $4,113 for the frame and was good enough for sixth place among all films this weekend. The Holdovers was directed by Alexander Payne and stars Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Dominic Sessa. The film represents the first time Payne and Giamatti have worked together again since 2004's Sideways. Critical reviews for The Holdovers have been especially strong. The Holdovers also looks to be going over very well with audiences, as the film received a strong A rating on CinemaScore. Next weekend The Holdovers is scheduled to receive a smaller expansion and will be playing in an estimated 1,000 locations.

Meanwhile, Sony and AFFIRM's Journey to Bethlehem debuted in seventh place with a modest estimated start of just $2.43 million. Faith-based audiences weren't interested in the Adam Anders directed Nativity themed musical, at least not on opening weekend. Journey to Bethlehem does look to be going over well with those who saw the film this weekend, as the film received a healthy A- rating on CinemaScore. Christmas themed films released in November also tend to hold up well in the lead-up to Christmas, though it may prove difficult for Journey to Bethlehem to hold onto locations and showtimes for long given this weekend's start and the number of new wide releases entering the marketplace over the next month.

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