As major studios continue to avoid the shadow of the dark knight, The Batman [TBATM] will once again top the weekend box office for a third time at around $37 million and likely cross $300 million.
Of the four new films opening wide this weekend, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 [JJTKS] will likely perform best due to its pre-existing fanbase. The PG-13 rated animated film is a prequel to a popular anime series. Its distributor Crunchyroll recently merged with Funimation, whose last release My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission opened October 2021 to $6.2 million. Playing in 2500 theaters, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 could gather $7.5 million.
A24 targets horror fans with Ti West’s X [XTW], the weekend’s widest new release at 2865 theaters. The R-rated horror film premiered last weekend to excellent reviews at the SXSW festival. The horror genre has largely been pandemic-proof at the box office. Strong buzz should power X to debut around $5 million.
Also targeting horror fans is Umma [UMMA] starring Sandra Oh, though it’s likely to skew more female with its subject matter and PG-13 rating. With no trailer or promotion until 2 weeks ago, Umma is the latest Stage 6 Films product to be dumped by SPWA. Their last release from October 2021, A Mouthful of Air debuted in 816 theaters with just $131K. Umma may unearth $1 million from 805 locations.
Mark Rylance, Dylan O’Brien and Zoey Deutch star in the R-rated crime thriller The Outfit [OUTFT]. The Focus release has earned rave reviews, but it won’t be enough to attract older moviegoers to return to the theaters. Showing in 1324 theaters, The Outfit could bag $1 million.
That's the whisper from the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): TBATM, JJTKS, XTW, UMMA, OUTFT