As anticipated, last weekend’s Memorial Day box office champion, Lilo & Stitch, is on track to dominate once again, projecting an impressive revenue of $60-64 million according to Deadline’s preliminary estimates. This outcome was widely expected among industry insiders. However, some box office analysts speculated that Sony’s Karate Kid: Legends might have a chance to secure the second position, potentially surpassing Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Contrary to those predictions, Tom Cruise’s enduring star power remains formidable. His final portrayal of Ethan Hunt is expected to exhibit a stronger hold than anticipated, with a projected decline of about 58% resulting in a robust $27 million in its second weekend.
Despite featuring beloved actors Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan, Karate Kid: Legends is set to open in a distant third place, estimating earnings between $20-21 million. While this figure is respectable for a film with a modest budget, one must question why Sony chose to release it during the competitive summer movie season. Given the film’s modest nature, a fall or winter release might have been more strategic. Additionally, many fans of the Karate Kid franchise, particularly those who enjoyed the Netflix series Cobra Kai, may feel disconnected from this new film, as it does not feature any characters from the series. Nevertheless, the CinemaScore rating of A-minus is commendable, especially considering the mixed reviews it has received.
A24’s latest release, Bring Her Back, is experiencing a lukewarm start, with projections suggesting an opening weekend gross of about $7 to 8 million. However, it could develop into a sleeper hit based on positive word-of-mouth, as indicated by its CinemaScore of B+, which is notably above average for a horror film. This suggests that audiences are responding positively to directors Danny and Michael Philippou’s follow-up to their previous success, Talk to Me. Additionally, Final Destination: Bloodlines is expected to outperform it, with anticipated earnings of $11 million and a total domestic gross of $111 million. Given this success, fans can expect another installment of this popular franchise to hit theaters in the near future.
Stay tuned as we will return tomorrow with a comprehensive box office report detailing all the latest trends and figures!
