Pantera’ Eyes No. 1 Win With $14M+

SATURDAY AM: Refresh for chart and extra evaluation Lionsgate can relish their No. 1 win in Den of Thieves 2: Pantera this weekend which is now on its method to $15M+ opening, which is about the identical because the 2018 authentic. Let’s hear it for nice relationship. The studio identified for counterprogramming discovered an important launch date on the schedule and maximized it. The outcomes listed below are higher than 3-day of Gerard Butler’s final film with Lionsgate, Airplane ($10.2M 3-day, $11.8M 4-day)

The sequel additionally will get a B+ CinemaScore like the unique with PostTrak exits at a strong 4 stars and a various turnout with 31% Caucasian, 31% Latino and Hispanic, excellent 25% Black and 6% Asian.

A 3rd of the viewers was between 25-34 years previous, which was the biggest demo, whereas, 52% of the viewers was over 35. No Imax on the sequel, however PLFs are driving 31% of the enterprise. Greatest markets are within the South, South Central, West and Midwest with Harkins Estrella Falls main the best way with over $21K up to now.  

Social media universe for Den of Thieves 2: Pantera spanning X, Fb, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, counts 108.4M which is are the neighborhood of STX/Miramax’s The Gents (104M) pre Covid, which opened to $10.6M. The sequel has 50 Cent’s social community, who starred within the first movie and produces right here. He’s activated with 119.3M followers in addition to Butler with 13.1M and O’Shea Jackson at 1.5M. 

Says RelishMix on the chatter, “Convo on Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is working optimistic as many followers of the unique 2018 movie excitedly anticipate the story’s return with viewers discovering similarities in different fashionable crime motion pictures, feedback embody, ‘Simply watched the primary one for the primary time yesterday, was severely impressed. This trailer has Quick and the Livid 8 vibes,’ and, ‘I like theft motion pictures and Den of the Thieves 1 is such an beneath rated film. Massive fan of The City.’ The brand new path for the sequel has piqued the curiosity of many, with followers writing, ‘If Nick actually has swapped sides that is gonna be epic,’ whereas newcomers are being enticed with the trailer: ‘Hmm. Appears good. I didn’t see half one. I’ll verify each of them out when this drops.’”

Formally opening this weekend after an unique Academy run again in December is Roadside Sights’ pick-up of Gia Coppola’s The Final Showgirl starring Pamela Anderson at 870 theaters. The film grossed $620K yesterday for what seems to be to be a $1.35M 3-day.

Paramount’s enlargement of Higher Man, which I’ve just lately discovered they co-financed their pick-up value of $25M — the film is sadly tanking with $1M regardless of notching nice viewers exits (83% on PostTrak, 63% particular suggest). The pic’s lackluster unique launch over the vacation ($3K per theater, yikes) stated all of it regardless of Paramount believing on this film all through pageant season and giving it an awards season push. The pic’s track “Forbidden Highway” getting disqualified by the Academy’s brief checklist didn’t assist. Additionally, an indicator that Higher Man was certain to bomb right here was the truth that it fell on its face in its homeland of the UK with slightly below $5M the place pop star Robbie Williams is thought. If the film was going to work wherever, it was there. I’m advised he isn’t precisely George Michael so far as repute goes over there, and even Geri Halliwell (that’s Ginger Spice for you, the Spice Ladies untrue), therefore no stampede. He’s actually not Harry Kinds on this aspect of the pond. What provoked Paramount execs to purchase this film? Basically, they had been greatly surprised by the story and Michael Gracey’s filmmaking, and knew it was a stretch. The intestine gamble? The prospect that on the very least Higher Man would change into a cult title with dividends within the downstream, notably Paramount+. As well as, Paramount was in enterprise with Gracey on the characteristic take of the Jessica Townsend novel, Nevermoor. On the finish of the day, we will’t solely say that Paramount was irresponsible of their spend. Depart it to a streamer and they’d have blown over $100M for Higher Man with much more draw back.

Regardless of a attain of 101M on social media for the movie, buzz was adverse in response to RelishMix: “There are those that discover the inventive liberty to be pointless and worsening. Primarily, many are shocked there’s a movie being made and centered round Robbie Williams, contemplating his fame is outdated. His irrelevance is making it troublesome for a lot of audiences to care concerning the movie: ‘Why does this exist? Has anybody cared about or heard something from Robbie Williams because the ‘90s?’ Others are extremely distracted by the lead being a monkey, ‘It looks as if an important thought, however I simply can’t take it severely with Cesar from Planet of the Apes because the lead’ and ‘I at all times questioned what would occur if we began working out of concepts for motion pictures, and I feel this simply answered it.’”

Males at 56% largely confirmed up for this film wherein Williams is performed by a CGI monkey with 52% of the viewers over 25, and largest demo being 25-34 at 28%. Variety demos had been 65% Caucasian, 18% Latino and Hispanic, 8% Black, 7% Asian, and a couple of% different. Any money made by Higher Man might be discovered within the West, Mountain and South areas with AMC Disney Springs the best grossing venue within the nation with lower than $3K up to now.

Different notables:

A24’s multi Golden Globe profitable The Brutalist expanded into 68 whole places this weekend (+65 from final week) with some fairly good ticket gross sales. Friday delivered $400K on its method to a 3-day of $1.1M (theater common of $16,1K).  

Amazon MGM Studios’ Nickel Boys expanded in its fifth body to 26 theaters (from final weekend’s eight) together with NYC, LA, DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Nashville, Philly and Toronto with fairly good numbers after a Friday of $34K, 3-day of $107K, and working whole of $573K.

The chart:

Notables
Higher Man (Par) 1,291 (+1,285) theaters, Fri $580K 3-day $1M, Complete $1.1M/Wk 3

Extra….

FRIDAY PM: Lionsgate seems to be to rejoice this weekend with their first No. 1 opening since November 2023’s The Starvation Video games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes with Den of Thieves 2: Pantera which is at present seeing a $14M+ opening with room for upside. You’ll keep in mind the Santa Monica, CA-based studio wasn’t precisely leaping into piles of money final yr in a slate that was ravenous for tentpoles. Friday is $5.5M-$6.5M on Pantera. For Gerard Butler, it reps his first No. 1 opening since August 2019’s Angel Has Fallen ($21.3M). Lionsgate has PLF and movement seats on Den of Thieves 2.

We’ll know because the weekend performs out how dangerous LA is with round a dozen closures; in whole about 84 together with these impacted by winter situations in Texas.

Lionsgate inherited Den of Thieves 2 through their acquisition of eOne (which owned Sierra/Affinity). Their publicity on the $40M sequel after overseas gross sales is $15M with one other mid $20M P&A being spent. Tucker Tooley co-financed the sequel with eOne and oversaw the segue of the title from STX to eOne. The studios has made a reported enterprise out of those meat and potatoes motion dude motion pictures with upside within the PVOD home windows and past. In the event that they weren’t, they wouldn’t be releasing them. Early Display Engine/Comscore PostTrak exits final evening are at 72% optimistic, 3 1/2 stars with 64% males, 79% over 25.

Paramount’s huge break of Higher Man just isn’t trying horny at $1M from 1,291 websites. The studio acquired the Michael Gracey directed film for $25M together with France and Japan territories.

Mufasa crossed the half billion mark on the world field workplace this AM. Moana 2 yesterday clocked $971.1M worldwide, overtaking Despicable Me 4 ($969.1M) because the No. 3 world launch of 2024 and thirteenth highest grossing animated title of all-time.

Remainder of the highest 5 is as follows:

FRIDAY AM: Lionsgate’s Den of Thieves 2: Pantera made $1.35M yesterday from showtimes that started at 6PM, a determine that’s forward of the $950K previews of the unique 2018 film by +42%, however beneath final yr’s different man meat and potatoes film, The Beekeeper which did $2.4M in general previews ($1.5M strictly in its Thursday) on its method to a $16.5M 3-day.

Previews for Den of Thieves 2 are additionally greater than that of Gerard Butler’s Airplane again in January 2023 which did $625K on its method to $3.5M Friday and $10.2M 3-day.

Den of Thieves 2 is anticipated to open between $11M-$13M at 3,008 in what’s a smooth early January body. A part of that has to do with the choices right here, nevertheless, enterprise is definite to be gradual within the No. 1 market of the nation, LA, because of the wildfires. Of 14 cinemas that had been closed, two reopened: The AMC Americana in Glendale and the AMC Topanga 12 in Canoga Park. Prime LA venues AMC Century Metropolis, AMC Burbank and AMC Grove stay open. Den of Thieves 2 may get beat by Mufasa or Sonic the Hedgehog 3 which need to do about the identical.

The earlier film was launched by STX when it was in its full glory. The sequel right here with Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr. returning in addition to director Christian Gudegast, isn’t a part of STX’s output take care of Lionsgate. Overseas gross sales for the sequel had been introduced at Cannes 2019 by Sierra/Affinity. Why a sequel? The primary film overperformed its single digit opening in January 2018 to $15.2M and wound up with $44.9M home and $80.5M worldwide.

Half two sees Massive Nick (Butler) again on the hunt in Europe and shutting in on Donnie (Jackson), who’s embroiled within the treacherous and unpredictable world of diamond thieves and the notorious Panther mafia, as they plot an enormous heist of the world’s largest diamond change. The film was produced and co-financed by Tucker Tooley, and produced by Gerard Butler, Alan Siegel, and Mark Canton.

Deadline’s Pete Hammond enjoyed the sequel, which is 70% contemporary with critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Different choices this weekend embody the 1,200 theater enlargement of Paramount’s biopic about pop star Robbie Williams, Higher Man, which isn’t anticipated to do a lot within the single digits after an unique run that solely put up an –eek–$3K to $4k theater common in its first two weekends.