Paramount’s horror revival seeks to stop Sony’s runaway hit from earning its fifth No. 1 weekend spot
Omicron has caused a surge in box office revenues, but this Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend’s revenue will only be a fraction of the amount it earned in pre-pandemic times (remember those years?). Paramount will still try to find low-budget horror successes with the return Omicron. “Scream,” the late Wes Craven’s hit ’90s horror series that deconstructed the tropes of the slasher genre — and that could end the month-long reign of “Spider-Man: No Way Home”The box office top charts.
Independent tracking is possible “Scream”Paramount anticipates a smaller opening in the $20 million-range, with earnings of $30-35 millions over the extended holiday weekend. That would put it on target to topple Sony/Marvel’s “Spider-Man,” which earned $33 million over the last three-day weekend — enough for it to pass the domestic total of “Avengers: Infinity War”Join the Top Five Most Grossing Films in U.S. History. Monday was the last day of this week. “No Way Home”A total of $670million in the U.S. and Canada, and $1.53billion worldwide. It is expected to earn $16-19 million over this four-day weekend.
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While “Spider-Man”He is trying to make the first film since 1995. “Black Panther”In 2018, five No. 1 weekends, “Scream”It seems to be poised for the No. 1 spot — despite being the first major post-holiday film to hit theaters at a time when Omicron has pushed COVID-19 infection rates to Highs.
“The fifth “Scream” film — and the first not directed by Craven, who died in 2015, but by the horror filmmaker duo of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett — is expected to see its biggest appeal from Gen X audiences who saw the 1996 original as teens and college students and who sit between the 18-35 demo that has most reliably bought tickets this past year (as seniors mostly stayed home).
A “Scream”Launch in the $30 million range would be comparable with the 2013 debut “Mama,”Another horror movie from “It”Andy Muschietti, director, earned $32 Million over MLK day weekend. Even meeting Paramount’s more conservative expectations would put it above the $21 million five-day opening of Warner Bros.’ “The Matrix Resurrections,”Another revival of an IP in the late 90s that was released during the Omicron surge.
There are key differences, however. “Scream” “Resurrections,”Paramount is releasing the movie, which was released simultaneously on HBO Max. “Scream”Paramount+ will make it available in theaters for 45 days.
While the meta, self reflecting nature of “Matrix Resurrections”Early reviews have been criticized by audiences and critics as polarizing. “Scream”With an 80% Rotten Tomatoes score, they were more favorable. Since hardcore “Scream” fans will come in expecting deconstruction and meta jokes — as well as original series David Arquette, Courteney Cox and Neve Campbell reprising their roles alongside a new generation of teens being hunted by a new Ghostface killer, — they’re more likely to be pleased with the film’s attempts to needle its status as a horror franchise revival and give it stronger word-of-mouth than what “Matrix” had.
Paramount will, of course, release the film “Scream”It was only available in theaters for 45 day before it was made available on Paramount+. While the meta, self-reflecting nature is of “Matrix Resurrections”Early reviews have been criticized by audiences and critics as polarizing. “Scream”were more favorable with a 78% Rotten Tomatoes score. Since hardcore “Scream” fans will come in expecting deconstruction and meta jokes, they’re more likely to be pleased with the film’s attempts to needle its status as a horror franchise revival and give it stronger word-of-mouth than what “Matrix” had.
A smaller release is also available this weekend “Belle,”Mamoru Hosoda directed the Oscar-nominated film. This is Mamoru’s latest anime film. “Mirai.”The story centers on a shy girl who adopts the role of Belle, a popular pop star. She then searches for the identity a dragon avatar who interrupts one of her concerts. GKIDS, an anime distributor, will release the film in nearly twice the number of theaters that were available on Friday. “Mirai”in the U.S.
