1. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice– $26M/$226.8M
In a surprise, Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice won the battle against Optimus Prime and Megatron with $26M. The film also passed the $100M internationally for a total haul of $329M worldwide.
2. Transformers One (review)- $25M
A disappointing start to Paramount’s animated origin story Transformers One, which opened to a $25M domestic debut and $39M globally. This is despite an A-list voice cast led by Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, and Scarlett Johansson, plus strong reviews from critics and audiences over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. The Cinemascore and PostTrek scores of ‘A’ also solidify this as one of the best-received Transformers movies, and yet it doesn’t come close to matching the live-action heights of Michael Bay. On the other hand, it debuted better than 2018’s Bumblebee which only had $21M. Not a good start, and it might be the end of this franchise before it’s even begun.
3. Speak No Evil– $5.9M/$21.4M
4. Never Let Go (review)- $4.5M
We’ve talked about the recent struggles for Lionsgate a lot recently (Imaginary, Borderlands, The Killer’s Game, The Crow, probably Megalopolis this week), and they continued with Never Let Go. The Halle Berry horror film about a mother protecting her two sons from evil in a post-apocalyptic setting, earned just $4.5M and received mediocre reviews overall. Berry has found greater success as a supporting player, but hasn’t led a successful film since The Call in 2013.
5. Deadpool & Wolverine– $3.9M/$627.2M
6. The Substance (review)- $3.1M
Streamer MUBI looks to have scored one of its largest theatrical release wins with The Substance. The wild new body horror from Coralie Fargeat starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid has earned rave reviews critically and from audiences on its way to a $3.1M debut weekend.
7. Am I Racist?– $2.5M/$9M
8. Reagan– $1.6M/$26.5M
9. Jung Kook: I Am Still– $1.4M/2.5M
10. Alien: Romulus– $1.3M/$103.6M
In other new releases: A24 (which has also been having it rough with Sing Sing and The Front Room both disappointing) opened the Sebastian Stan drama A Different Man (review here) into four theaters. The film about a man with Neurofibromatosis who gets a new chance at a normal life but grows jealous of another, earned a whopping $14K per site average in just four locations. A national expansion begins on September 27th.
Music Box Films released the Sundance Award winner In the Summers (review here) at two locations, where it earned just $10K. The coming-of-age drama stars Sasha Calle, Lio Mehiel, and Residente, centering on the eye-opening relationship between two sisters and their estranged father, who they see only during the summer months. A national expansion will follow along with a home release. [BoxOfficeMojo]
