The summer box office is winding down, with Amazon MGM's social thriller “Blink Twice” and Lionsgate's new action film “The Crow” expected to open, with three films left.
But “Blink Twice” is winning the race among new releases, with a total of $2.8 million through Friday and advance screenings from 3,067 locations. It’s not exactly a big hit for the Zoe Kravitz-directed thriller, which stars Naomi Ackie and Channing Tatum and follows a woman who visits a tech billionaire’s private island and uncovers a sinister plot. But the MGM production is carrying a light $20 million production budget — it’s a solid enough start if it can keep up the momentum. Reviews have been positive, though audience polling firm Cinema Score gave it a B (a standard average for a horror film).
Meanwhile, “The Crow” will have to fight hard to make it into the top five after making $2 million on Friday and opening at 2,752 locations. The R-rated new graphic novel adaptation is expected to be Lionsgate’s second consecutive August flop, following the dismal performance of its video game adaptation “Borderlands.”
As with many of its releases, Lionsgate has protected itself financially here; the studio is only responsible for distribution costs after acquiring U.S. rights for about $10 million. But with a production budget of $50 million, “The Crow” clearly doesn’t live up to expectations. Buzz hasn’t been great for the Rupert Sanders-directed film since it first released a trailer, some pretty negative reviews, and a B from Cinema Score — don’t suggest that sentiment could completely shift after its opening weekend.
Meanwhile, “Alien: Romulus” is lagging behind “Deadpool & Wolverine” on the domestic charts. Disney’s sci-fi sequel took in $4.5 million on Friday and is expected to drop about 61 percent in its second weekend. “Romulus” is projected to earn $75 million domestically after its second weekend — a solid result considering its $80 million production budget and strong overseas ticket sales.
Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” looks set to reclaim the top spot in its fifth weekend. The superhero adventure, which added $4.8 million on Friday, has grossed more than $560 million in North America and has now passed “Minions” ($1.159 billion worldwide) to become the 27th highest-grossing film of all time. How far can it go in its final weeks?
Sony is targeting “It Ends With Us” for third place, with an expected $11.8 million in its third weekend. The Blake Lively-starring drama has performed exceptionally well on its $25 million production budget. It will soon overtake “IF” ($111 million) and “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” ($113 million) to become the 11th-highest grossing film in North America this year.
Affirm Films’ “The Forge,” which opened over the weekend, also made $2.4 million from 1,818 locations across Friday and early screenings. It’s a very quiet start for the release from Sony’s Christian distribution banner, but the production’s reported slim budget and Cinema Score of A+ mean it’s sure to get some rave reviews.
