November 2023 STAGE & SCREEN QUARTERLY 

 

As Marvel puts another number one debut on charts, Disney’s presentation of “The Marvels” opens with $47.0 million in 4,030 theaters for a PTA of $11,663. The film earned $63.3 million internationally for a global debut of $110.3 million In Marvel Studios' “The Marvels,” Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol's estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team up and learn to work in concert to save the universe as 'The Marvels.' 

Sony opened “Journey To Bethlehem” earned $1.025 million on Friday, $774K on Saturday, a projected $626K on Sunday from 2,002 locations for an estimated $2.425 million for opening weekend. A young woman carrying an unimaginable responsibility. A young man torn between love and honor. A jealous king who will stop at nothing to keep his crown. This live-action Christmas musical celebration for the entire family, weaves classic Christmas melodies into new pop songs in a music-infused retelling of the timeless story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus. A unique new entry into the collection of holiday classic movies, this epic Christmas musical is unlike any before it. 

Yash Raj Films opened “Tiger 3” on Saturday for a weekend gross of $2.25 million in 750 locations for a PTA of $3,000. Framed as Enemy No 1, Salman Khan aka Tiger hunts with vengeance to clear his name in Tiger 3! One of India’s biggest superstars to have ever graced the silver screen, Salman Khan is back to reprise his much-loved role as super-agent Tiger aka Avinash Singh Rathore in Yash Raj Films’ Tiger 3! Directed by Maneesh Sharma, Tiger 3 is set to release on the big Diwali holiday window this year. 

IFC Films opened “It’s a Wonderful Knife” in 923 locations to a debut weekend of $605,110 for a PTA of $656. In this R-rated horror comedy, a year after saving her town from a psychotic killer, Winnie Carruthers finds herself in a nightmare parallel universe where without her, things are much, much worse. 

A24 opened Kristoffer Borgli’s “Dream Scenario” launched into theaters with the highest per screen average in the country this weekend and one of the best limited openings of the year. The wildly hilarious and original Nicolas Cage comedy featuring what critics are calling a career best performance as an average man whose life is turned upside down when he starts appearing in everyone’s dreams grossed $215,552 on 6 screens for a PTA of $35,925. The film also had sold out q&a’s this weekend and is already RT Certified Fresh with anticipation from audiences building since the world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this year. The film will have a limited rollout into top markets this weekend in advance of further expansion over Thanksgiving and wider break on 12/1.  

Notable Domestic Holdovers:  

In second place, Universal reports Blumhouse Pictures’ “Five Nights At Freddy’s” now in weekend 3 scared up another $9.0 million in 3,694 locations for a PTA of $2,436 for a domestic cume through Sunday of $127,205,300. Starring Josh Hutcherson (Ultraman, The Hunger Games franchise), Elizabeth Lail (You, Mack & Rita), Piper Rubio (Holly & Ivy, Unstable), Kat Conner Sterling (We Have A Ghost, 9-1-1), with Mary Stuart Masterson (Blindspot, Fried Green Tomatoes) and Matthew Lillard (Good Girls, Scream). Five Nights at Freddy's is directed by Emma Tammi (The Wind, Blood Moon) and is written by Scott Cawthon, Emma Tammi and Seth Cuddeback. The film's iconic animatronic characters will be created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. 

In the third spot in its 5th weekend, “TAYLOR SWIFT / THE ERAS TOUR” (distributed domestically by Variance & AMC) concert film continued inspiring audiences to sing, dance, and smile in theaters around the world, and is projected to earn an estimated $5.9 million domestically Friday to Sunday for a new domestic cume of $172,526,901.  

In 4th, A24 reports Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla,” the acclaimed adaptation of Priscilla Presley’s memoir added 1,002 theaters this weekend grossed $4,792,678 on a nationwide screen count of 2,361 theaters for s PTA of $2,030 and a domestic cume through Sunday of $12,728,840. The film continues to be embraced by a younger female audience (75% under 35 and 65% female) that are responding to the classic American story freshly told from Priscilla’s perspective (who served as an executive producer for the film) by Sofia Coppola’s iconic lens. With outstanding and transformative performances from Caliee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi, the film will continue to expand this week as it sets up for a long theatrical life throughout the Fall. 

Rounding out the Top 5, Paramount reports legendary director Martin Scorsese’s “Killers Of The Flower Moon” now in weekend 4 earned $4.65 million in 3,357 theaters for a PTA of $1,385 and a domestic cume through Sunday of $59,937,384. Based on David Grann's broadly lauded best-selling book, the film is set in 1920s Oklahoma and depicts the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the Reign of Terror. The film features an incredible cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone & Jesse Plemons.  

Notable Expansions:  

In sixth place, Focus Features’ acclaimed release “The Holdovers” directed by Alexander Payne continued its strong and steady roll out this weekend grossing an estimated $3.2 million with a solid per theater average of $4,113 from 778 theaters (+714). The fall festival favorite has grossed $4,274,260 to date as it continues to expand into the holiday season.  The film has an “A” Cinemsore, remains 96% Certified Fresh with an audience score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.  Next weekend the film will expand into approximately 1,000 theaters.  

Other Notable releases:  

“Radical,” the new film starring Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez in his first dramatic starring role from Pantelion Films and Participant, produced by 3Pas Studios now in weekend 2 earned $1.752 million for a domestic cume through Sunday of $5,209,758. Derbez is a global superstar with almost 20m followers on IG, who is known for his comedic roles in films like the smash hit “Instructions Not Included.” “Radical” marks his first leading role in a drama and the success of the film indicates he has a big future in dramatic films. 

Bleecker Street reports “What Happens Later” now in weekend 2 earned $678,438 in 1,450 locations for a PTA of $468 for domestic cyme through Sunday of $2,909,784. Starring, co-written and directed by Meg Ryan, the film tells the story of two ex-lovers, Bill (David Duchovny) and Willa (Meg Ryan) get snowed in at a regional airport overnight. Indefinitely delayed, Willa, a magical thinker, and Bill, a catastrophic one, find themselves just as attracted to and annoyed by one another as they did decades earlier. But as they unpack the riddle of their mutual past and compare their lives to the dreams they once shared, they begin to wonder if their reunion is mere coincidence, or something more enchanted. 

Now in weekend 2, Roadside Attractions’ “The Marsh King’s Daughter” earned $356,850 in 945 locations for a PTA of $378 for a domestic cume through Sunday of $1,605,148. In this tense thriller based on a bestselling novel, Helena, a woman with a secret past, will venture into the wilderness she left behind to confront the most dangerous man she's ever met: her father. She must face her demons and outmaneuver this man who taught her everything she knows about surviving in the wild.