Broadway Box Office Climbs To $22M; ‘Take Me Out’ Revival Begins Previews

Refresh for latest…: New blood in the form of Sony’s Jared Leto-fronted Morbius led the global box office this weekend with an $84M debut, while Paramount’s Sonic The Hedgehog 2 got off to a booming $25.5M start from its first 31 offshore markets. Warner Bros/DC also has something to crow about as The Batman topped $700M worldwide.

Morbius” — about a doctor who splices his DNA with a vampire, with predictable results — grossed $17.1 million in the U.S.

J. Kim Murphy They say that a person should never invite a vampire into one’s house, but what about a vampire inviting a person into a movie theater? It seems that a modest amount of viewers are accepting that request, as Columbia Pictures’ “Morbius,” starring Jared Leto, is sinking its teeth into the domestic box office’s top spot with an opening weekend upwards of $38 million from 4,268 locations.That’s a fairly moderate opening figure for a film adapted from Marvel comics.

Such a result would be close to what trackers projected for “Morbius,” having predicted a start in the low $40 million range. Though Sony did have some sunk marketing costs for this film like many 2020 theatrical releases delayed by COVID-19, “Morbius” is significantly cheaper than other Marvel films the studio has released with a reported budget of $75 million.

“Kraven the Hunter” and “Madame Web” films.The studio is projecting that “Morbius” will make $33 million in its opening weekend against a $75 million budget. Independent trackers think it could go beyond that in its opening, perhaps in the $40-44 million range that Sony’s last blockbuster “Uncharted” hit earlier this year.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and Media“Morbius,” Sony’s latest attempt to extend its cinematic universe of Spider-Man villains and heroes, opened to $5.7 million in Thursday previews. The $75 million superhero film is on track to pull in $40 million in its first weekend of release. It’s a sign of just how much moviegoers love comic book fare.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterAre superheroes impenetrable at the box office? Can any ol’ comic book character make a killing on the big screen?Sony’s antihero adventure “Morbius,” starring Jared Leto as Spider-Man’s eventual foe, will attempt to answer those questions when the vampire-infused horror movie opens in 3,600 North American theaters over the weekend.“Morbius” is estimated to sink its teeth into $40 million to $50 million in its first three days of release, according to independent tracking services. Sony, in an attempt to temper expectations around a newer Marvel character, is predicting a start closer to $33 million. Those ticket sales would be roughly in line with the Warner Bros.

Funny Girl arrived on Broadway to a full house last week, selling out its first preview at the August Wilson Theatre.

Naman Ramachandran Warner Bros.’ “The Batman” dominated the U.K. and Ireland box office for the fourth weekend in a row with £1.66 million ($2.1 million), according to numbers released by Comscore.

In a post-shutdown theatrical market where box office success has been defined by films that won the interest of men under 35, “The Lost City” has renewed hope that audiences in other demographics will show up to theaters even during the pandemic when studios offer quality material that isn’t a big blockbuster. It’s also a victory for one of the film’s stars, Channing Tatum, who already drew strong turnout from women last month with his previous film “Dog” and like that title was heavily involved in social media promotion for “The Lost City.” With stars like Tatum and Sandra Bullock in lead roles, Daniel Radcliffe and Brad Pitt in supporting positions and plenty of on-location shooting, “The Lost City” had a much bigger production budget than most romantic comedies with a reported $68-70 million spend and still has work to do to reach theatrical profitability.

The Lost City” led the domestic box office on its premier night Friday.The star-studded flick grossed $11.6 million, according to the IMDB’s Box Office Mojo database.The latest Batman reboot followed with $5.5 million Friday and $317 million cumulatively.Indian epic drama “RRR” also premiered, grossing $5.4 million on its opening night.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaThe rom-com may be showing signs of life.After being written off as a theatrical proposition, Paramount’s “The Lost City” appears to be scoring with audiences. The film, which puts a fresh coat of varnish on “Romancing the Stone” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” earned $2.5 million in Thursday previews.

The first big studio wide release in three weeks, Paramount’s The Lost City, kicked off at 3,400 theaters yesterday at 4PM for a $2.5M take. I understand that number doesn’t include any of the previous weekend Fandango previews or those at the AMC earlier in the week. The movie is expected to hit $25M, but it would not be shocking if it lands in the $30M-range. Rotten Tomatoes reviews are at 75% fresh.

While the female demographic has shown to be one of the more reluctant to return to cinemas during the pandemic, that is set to change this weekend with Paramount’s The Lost City which is eyeing a mid $20M start, possible $30M+ take at 4,228 theaters.

All but six of the current 22 Broadway productions filled more than 90% of their available seats last week, and most of the ones that didn’t hit that mark came close, according to the first detailed box office figures released this season by the Broadway League.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterAfter three weeks atop domestic box office charts, “The Batman” will face competition from a nearly endangered Hollywood species: movie stars.At a time when familiar franchises, not big-name talent, have been dictating commercial success, Paramount is banking on the combined wattage of Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum to lure audiences to “The Lost City,” a screwball romantic comedy that opens in theaters this weekend and harkens back to a genre that has mostly fallen out of favor with moviegoers.Buoyed by strong reviews and A-list actors, including a cameo from Brad Pitt and villainous turn from Daniel Radcliffe, “The Lost City” is expected to earn a promising $20 million in its opening weekend. Those ticket sales would put the film in an extremely close race against “The Batman” for first place.

The Batman” — the latest Hollywood remake of the caped crusader — led the domestic box office, raking in $10.6 million on Friday, according to IMDB’s Box Office Mojo database.Now in its third weekend, the movie has grossed $273.9 million through Friday.Anime “Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie” followed, grossing $5.7 million on its opening night.“Uncharted,” the action flick based on a video game, came next with $2.3 million Friday, bringing its total to $120.1 million.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“The Batman” flew to a worryingly slow start on Friday at the mainland China box office, where Hollywood films have struggled of late and where the latest coronavirus surge is threatening films of all origins.By 3.30pm on its first full day, the Warner Bros. noir had earned a lowly RMB12.1 million, or $1.90 million at prevailing currency rates, according to provisional data from ticketing agency Maoyan.