Box Office Report: Threequalizer Rules The Roost

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

Weekend Estimates Update - September 1st, 2023 to September 3rd, 2023:

Sony's The Equalizer 3 debuted in first place at the domestic box office this weekend with an estimated three-day start of $34.50 million. The film's four-day estimate for the Labor Day weekend holiday frame is currently $42.00 million. That represents the second largest Labor Day weekend start of all-time (behind only 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings). The Antoine Fuqua directed sequel starring Denzel Washington had a three-day opening in the same neighborhood as both 2014's The Equalizer ($34.14 million) and 2018's The Equalizer 2 ($36.01 million). Heading into the weekend, there was some thought that opening over a four-day frame would lead to a slightly lower three-day opening for The Equalizer 3, but the film ultimately opened a bit higher than had been expected, as four-day expectations for The Equalizer had tended to range from $35 million to $40 million. The Equalizer 3 was helped out this weekend by opening in more locations than each of its predecessors did (3,965 locations in comparison to 3,236 locations for The Equalizer and 3,388 locations for The Equalizer 2) and by receiving the strongest critical reviews of the three Equalizer films. For the four-day frame The Equalizer 3 grossed an estimated $3.4 million from domestic IMAX screens (which represented 8.1 percent of the film's overall domestic start).

The Equalizer 3 started out with $13.11 million on Friday (which included an estimated $3.8 million from Thursday preview shows that began at 3PM), declined 15.0 percent on Saturday to gross $11.15 million, is estimated to decrease 8.1 percent on Sunday to gross $10.25 million and estimated to decline 26.8 percent on Sunday to take in $7.50 million. In addition to going over well with critics, The Equalizer 3 looks to be going over very well with audiences after receiving a strong A rating on CinemaScore. Internationally, The Equalizer 3 started out with an estimated $26.1 million from 49 international markets. That places the global launch for The Equalizer 3 at $60.6 million through Sunday. Estimated debuts for The Equalizer 3 by international market included $3.5 million in the United Kingdom, $2.8 million in France, $2.4 million in Germany, $2.3 million in Australia, $1.7 million in Spain, $1.6 million in Saudi Arabia, $1.5 million in the U.A.E. and $1.1 million in Indonesia. The Equalizer will open in a handful of larger international markets in October, including Mexico (October 5), Brazil (also October 5), Japan (October 6) and South Korea (October 26).

Warner Bros.'s Barbie took second place with an estimated $10.63 million over the three-day frame. Barbie has now claimed second place for each of the past three weekends. Barbie declined 29.7 percent from last weekend, which represented one of this weekend's stronger percentage holds among wide releases. Barbie passed the $600 million domestic mark this weekend and through Sunday the 45-day domestic total for Barbie stands at $609.51 million. That moves Barbie into thirteenth place on the all-time domestic list, just ahead of the $608.58 million final domestic gross of 2018's Incredibles 2. The official four-day weekend studio estimate for Barbie will be released on Monday morning.

Barbie has now passed Universal's The Super Mario Bros. Movie to become the highest grossing release of 2023 globally. Barbie grossed an estimated $13.2 million from 75 international markets this weekend, which brings the film's international total to $771.5 million and global haul to a massive $1.381 billion. Totals for Barbie by international market through Sunday include $119.5 million in the United Kingdom, $54.9 million in Germany, $54.7 million in Australia, $54.2 million in Mexico, $46.8 million in France, $43.6 million in Brazil, $35.7 million in Spain, $35.2 million in Italy, $35.1 million in China, $20.3 million in the Netherlands, $15.3 million in Argentina and $14.6 million in Poland.

Fellow Warner Bros. release Blue Beetle held steady in third place with an estimated $7.27 million over the three-day frame. Blue Beetle declined 40.2 percent from last weekend, which was a solid hold, especially since last Sunday's gross for Blue Beetle was especially inflated by National Cinema Day. Through Sunday the 17-day domestic total for Blue Beetle stands at $56.57 million. That places Blue Beetle on the verge of passing the $57.64 million final domestic gross of this year's Shazam! Fury of the Gods. The official four-day weekend studio estimate for Blue Beetle will be released on Monday morning. Unfortunately, Blue Beetle remained softer internationally this weekend with an estimated $5.0 million from 71 international markets. Respective totals through Sunday for Blue Beetle stand at $45.3 million internationally and at $101.9 million globally. Totals for Blue Beetle by international market through Sunday include $5.8 million in Mexico, $5.5 million in Brazil, $5.1 million in the United Kingdom, $3.7 million in France, $1.8 million in Indonesia and $1.8 million in Spain.

Sony's Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story was down three spots from last weekend's first place debut to place in fourth with an estimated $6.55 million. That was down a very sharp 62.4 percent from last weekend, but it should be reminded that last weekend's performance was inflated by the inclusion of several days of pre-Thursday early access screenings, as well as by National Cinema Day. The current four-day weekend estimate for Gran Turismo is $8.52 million. That brings the eleven-day domestic total for the film to $30.63 million through Monday. Internationally, Gran Turismo grossed an estimated $8.7 million this weekend from 64 international markets. Through Sunday, respective totals for Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story stand at $50.3 million internationally and at $79.0 million globally. The international run for Gran Turismo began two weeks earlier than the film's domestic run.

Universal's Oppenheimer rounded out the weekend's top five with an estimated $5.52 million over the three-day frame. Oppenheimer declined 32.9 percent from last weekend. While a solid hold, it is a bit surprising that Oppenheimer didn't hold up a bit better over Labor Day weekend, especially since the film had one of the weaker National Cinema Day holds of any wide release last Sunday. At the same time, Oppenheimer did have to deal with new competition from The Equalizer 3 and also lost most of its remaining IMAX screens and showtimes to The Equalizer 3. The current four-day weekend estimate for Oppenheimer is $7.24 million, which brings the film's 46-day domestic total to $310.27 million through Monday.

Thanks in part to an estimated $30.3 million five-day start in China, Oppenheimer continued to impress internationally this weekend. Oppenheimer grossed an estimated $49.7 million from 83 international markets this weekend, which brings respective totals for the film to $542.7 million internationally and $851.3 million globally through Sunday. Additional totals for Oppenheimer by international market through Sunday include $70.7 million in the United Kingdom, $45.5 million in Germany, $39.3 million in France, $25.3 million in Australia, $22.2 million in South Korea, $20.8 million in Spain, $19.5 million in Italy, $19.1 million in Mexico and $18.9 million in the Netherlands. Through Monday, Oppenheimer has grossed an estimated $169.5 million from global IMAX screens ($85.5 million domestically, $73.8 million internationally without China and $10.2 million in China).

In their respective fifth weekends of release, Paramount's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem took sixth with an estimated $4.78 million, while Warner Bros.'s Meg 2: The Trench placed in eighth with an estimated $2.94 million. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem declined a solid 34.5 percent from last weekend's performance (which was inflated heavily by National Cinema Day) and Meg 2: The Trench had a solid hold of its own by declining 38.8 percent. Respective domestic totals through Sunday stand at $106.47 million for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem through 33 days and at $78.42 million for Meg 2: The Trench through 31 days. The current four-day weekend estimate for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is $6.30 million (bringing the film's 34-day total to $107.999 million), while the four-day weekend studio estimate for Meg 2: The Trench will be released on Monday morning.

Meg 2: The Trench remained the more impressive of the two films internationally with an estimated $8.5 million this weekend from 77 international markets. Respective totals for Meg 2: The Trench stand at $296.6 million internationally (including $116.5 million from China) and at $375.0 million globally through Sunday. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem grossed an estimated $5.4 million this weekend from 57 international markets. Respective totals for Mutant Mayhem stand at $44.9 million internationally and at $151.4 million globally through Sunday.

MGM and Orion's Bottoms had a nice expansion into moderate / semi-wide release this weekend with respective three-day and four-day estimates of $3.01 million and $3.59 million. Bottoms placed in seventh among all films this weekend over the three-day frame. With a location count of 715 locations this weekend, Bottoms had a solid three-day per-location average of $4,206 (which was the second largest of any film in the top ten this weekend – behind only The Equalizer 3). This weekend's expansion for Bottoms was similar to last year's $3.13 million second weekend expansion for Bodies Bodies Bodies (though Bodies Bodies Bodies went wider in its second weekend with a location count of 1,290). Next weekend Bottoms will be playing in an estimated 1,200 locations. Through Monday, the eleven-day total for Bottoms stands at a promising $4.31 million. The critically acclaimed Emma Seligman directed R-rated teen comedy has been helped out by its strong critical reviews and the film also looks to be going over well with audiences (especially with younger adults in the 18 – 34 demographic).

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