Box Office: ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ Opens to $4.5 Million in Thursday Previews

Remember when New York and Los Angeles use to post big figures for the opening of a specialty film at the box office?

SUNDAY AM UPDATE, Refresh for more analysis and chart: Without Paramount’s Top Gun: Maverick in the marketplace, the Thanksgiving box office was much lighter than previous holidays, grossing an estimated $141.3M over 5-days, off 46% from 2019’s pre-pandemic holiday.

J. Kim Murphy administratorWhile this year’s Thanksgiving box office will wind up totaling far less than previous years’ holidays, there were still plenty of viewers to go around between the weekend’s offerings.

After earning $7.5 million on opening day, “Encanto” has added $5.8 million on Thanksgiving Day to bring its total to $13.3 million heading into the weekend. While tracking is difficult at this point, the film appears to be on track to beat pre-release projections of $35-40 million.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaDisney’s “Encanto,” a magical fable that has earned critical raves, led a muted Thanksgiving box office, earning $5.8 million on Thursday and pushing its domestic total to $13.3 million.This holiday is shaping up to be far quieter than past ones, a sign that COVID-19 continues to depress ticket sales in the U.S. despite the widespread availability of boosters and vaccines for younger children.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaDisney’s “Encanto” netted $1.5 million in Tuesday evening previews and MGM’s star-studded crime drama “House of Gucci” brought in $1.3 million ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.“Encanto” is expected to top the box office and generate $40 million over the five-day period, a more muted launch for a Disney holiday offering than previous Thanksgiving debuts from the Mouse House such as “Frozen II” in 2019 ($123,7 million), “Ralph Breaks the Internet” in

While some studios have been concerned about the turnout of families with major movies during the pandemic, and have opted for a hybrid launch in homes simultaneously, Sony’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife began easing those fears last weekend with a $44M start, a third of that business from families. The Jason Reitman-sequel in its second weekend looks to do an estimated $30M-$35M over five days, armed with the power of Imax auditoriums. Afterlife made $4M on Monday and now stands at $48M.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterThe box office ain’t afraid of no ghosts.“Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” a sequel to the sci-fi comedy classic, collected $44 million in its opening weekend, a better-than-expected result.

Prior to the weekend, projections for the film ranged from $27 million to around $35 million, with Sony projecting on the lower end. Instead, the film has opened closer to the $46 million earned by the “Ghostbusters” reboot in 2016.

back in August as Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” is No. 1 with $16.5 million grossed from 4,315 locations and an estimated opening of $40.5 million.

J.

“Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” the latest revival of the “Ghostbusters” ’80s comedy franchise, made $4.5 million in Thursday preview screenings that began at 4 p.m. from 3,450 locations, including IMAX and PLF screens.

In the wake of Sony’s attempt to reboot Ghostbusters in 2016 with a leading female cast, the studio hasn’t given up on the IP and is finally releasing an all-new Jason Reitman-directed sequel Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which they’ve protected for a theatrical release throughout the pandemic.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterSony’s supernatural comedy sequel “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” is aiming to generate $30 million from 4,300 theaters in its domestic box office debut.The final weekend figure could vary slightly, with the studio predicting a three-day tally near $28 million and independent tracking services estimating a start closer to $35 million. In any case, the PG-13 “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” is eyeing a first-place finish on domestic box office charts.

tepid reception last weekend, earning $27.5 million at the box office this weekend for a decent drop of 61% from its $71 million opening.The comic book epic now has a domestic total of $118 million after 10 days, down from the totals reached to this point by its fellow 2021 Marvel films “Black Widow” ($131 million) and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” ($144 million).

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterMarvel’s comic book epic “Eternals” is once again dominating over domestic box office charts.In its second weekend of release, the superhero adventure has collected a leading $27.5 million from 4,090 North American theaters. Through Sunday, “Eternals” crossed the $100 million mark in the U.S.

The comic book epic now has a domestic total of $118 million after 10 days, down from the totals reached to this point by its fellow 2021 Marvel films “Black Widow” ($131 million) and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” ($144 million).

J. Kim Murphy administrator“Eternals” will keep its crown at the domestic box office, as the Marvel entry is projected to repeat as No.

For “Eternals,” which grossed $7.8 million on its second Friday, the early numbers for the weekend are neither the best nor the worst case scenario for the poorest-received film in Marvel Studios history, representing a 62% drop from its $71 million opening weekend as it is now estimated to hold a total of $118 million after 10 days.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterParamount’s family friendly adventure “Clifford the Big Red Dog” pulled in a solid $2.3 million on its first day in theaters.The film, which is playing simultaneously in 3,407 North American cinemas and on the streaming service Paramount Plus, opened on Wednesday to take advantage of the Veterans Day holiday weekend.