Running Man Trips & Now You See Me Kinda Does - Week 2

Wow, it just took the second week of the pool for the Holiday Season to lose a little of its spice. Two new films opened, yet one seemed more set-up for success. Its trailer had been playing ad nauseum for months and had the look of being a big blockbuster. The other seemed like an Apple+ movie that someone forgot was an actual theatrical release. Instead, the should’ve-been streamer beat-out the marketing blitz. Whoops.

Now You See Me, Now You Don’t opened to middling $21 million but that was enough to be #1 at the box-office this week. That opening is almost the same as Now You See Me 2’s debut in 2016 which went on to a $65 million total. 

While, the series managed to make Isla Fisher reappear along with her replacement Lizzy Caplin, the biggest heist was Rosamand Pike stealing every scene she was in. Sadly, my wife thought it was a bug and not a feature that Rosamund’s accent was all over the place. I had to mansplain to her that that’s just what South African accents sound like. Anyone who watched Lethal Weapon 2 growing-up would agree.   

On the other side of the theater, people couldn’t run away more if they tried from The Running Man. For a $100 million-plus budgeted film to debut with $16.5 million is a sad sign. 

Did the 21st Century not want a remake of a film they probably didn’t know about? Did fans from the 20th Century reject a non-Arnie-esque version (Three dashes in one word? I’m either rocking this or overdoing it… yup, definitely the first one). Even the 2012 snoozefest, Colin Ferrel remake of Total Recall opened better with $25 million. 

If only Glenn Powell had uttered the same amazing line from the original Running Man (“Here is Sub-Zero, now plain zero!”), then this film would’ve opened with $2000 million, no question.

Meanwhile, all the good buzz in the world couldn’t stop Predator: Badlands from tripping on its own fangs. Dropping 68% from its first week (normal is 40%-50%), the Week 2 take of $12.7 million didn’t inspire much long-term confidence. There is a general “Who Know” about the fourth and fifth spots of this Holiday Blockbuster Pool, but a two-week total of $66 million and a likely less than $100 million stay in theaters isn’t what poolers who picked it were hoping for.  

There may be other films opening this weekend, though there is only one film that matters. Wicked For Good is set to be the biggest 2025 opening since Lilo & Stitch’s $146 million start. Could it even touch Minecraft’s $162 million debut? I’m just glad it’s 20 minutes shorter so I have a better chance to get through in one sitting. My bladder has certainly not been changed for good with all these long movie run times! 

    

The Top Five If Today Was MLK Day:

#1. Predator: Badlands - $66 million 

#2. Now You See Me, Now You Don’t - $21 million

#3. The Running Man - $16.5 million

#4. n/a

#5. n/a