‘Wakanda Forever’ Lives Up To Its Name - Weeks 1 & 2

It’s ironic that I didn’t run a Holiday Blockbuster Pool last year because I didn’t think there were enough movies to choose from. Ironic because looking back, there were a LOT more movies that at least had potential last year. 

We didn’t know a Matrix reboot would take the blue pill. We didn’t know a Steven Spielberg version of West Side Story would hit a flat note. We didn’t know Jared Leto was going to make us ask “What is he doing?!” every moment he’s on screen in House of Gucci. 

In case you didn’t know, the top five last season would’ve been Spider-Man: Far From Home, Eternals, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Sing 2, and Encanto (and, yes, no one would believe you if you told them Sing 2 was a bigger hit than Encanto, but it was… in theaters). 

At the end of the day, not a terrible list. We could’ve totally done a pool last year. Instead, I’m an idiot, and I waited for the season where there’s two mega films and the rest is like debating between The Menu and The Whale. Check, please!

At least Black Panther: Wakanda Forever lived up to its pedigree. Opening with $180 million, Wakanda Forever had the third highest opening since the pandemic (Behind Spidey’s Far From Home’s $250 million and Dr. Strange 2’s $187 million) and the highest November debut in history. Certainly, the loss of Chadwick Boseman and how the weight of his character’s passing is carried throughout the film gave pause to whether fans would return for a more somber Marvel movie. Especially after the subdued Eternals was met with its “meh” reaction last year. Regardless, moviegoers showed they truly want Wakanda forever. 

In its second weekend, Wakanda Forever fell 63% and earned $67.3 million. Overall, the film has now grossed $288 million in 10 days… well, 10 ½ including Thursday night openings. This is almost mirroring how Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness performed in May. That film ended-up totalling $411.3 million over the summer. Is this an indicator of where Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will finish in the holiday season?

Other Week 2 openings (if you call them that) were The Menu and She Said. These are both smaller films with different stories to tell and neither had delusions of being box-office smashes. Still, The Menu opened with $9 million and if you prefer your dinner parties with some macabre on the side, it’s worth checking out. She Said was much more sedated with a $2.5 million debut.  

 

So, as we all know, there are really only TWO movies that could win this pool this season: the two sequels to two of the most successful movies of all-time. They also both have their question marks. Would people want to see a Black Panther film without Chadwick Boseman and do people really want to see Dances With Wolves with blue people again? (By the way, I get that some people may want to go back to Pandora, but only James Cameron could possibly think people want to go back to wearing 3D glasses in movie theaters again. 2009 was sooo 13 years ago!) Black Panther 2 did its job to start strong and we’ll see Avatar 2 can bring it in December.    

The Top Five If Today Was MLK Day:

#1. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - $288 million

#2. The Menu - $9 million

#3. She Said - $2.5 million

#4. n/a

#5. n/a

 

*****

Extra Bonus Section

 

As per the Week 1 tradition (and I guess Week 2 now since I was too busy to get an update out last week), here are my esteemed, extremely well thought-out and perpetually doomed to fail 2022 Holiday Blockbuster prognostications. Remember, I’m the guy who thought Top Gun: Maverick would come in 6th last summer. Genius!

So here’s what I really think will happen...

#1. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Basically, I went for the sequel that’s much more culturally relevant now than one from 2009. The internet broke when this trailer came out over the summer. That wasn’t the same reaction Avatar 2 received. I totally get how Avatar 2 could cash-in on being that generational reboot (like when parents brought their kids to Jurassic World and Star Wars: The Force Awakens), but just don’t feel the same vibe for this one. Maybe that’s why James Cameron wants all the screenings to be in 3D so he can charge an extra $3 per ticket and raise box-office revenue!   

 

#2. Avatar: The Way of Water - See above comments…     

 

#3. Strange World - A Thanksgiving Disney release should be a lock for the Top 5, but family films have been hit and miss at theaters lately. Even last year’s Encanto didn’t “take off” until it hit streaming on Disney+ at Christmas time. Here’s hoping they’ve figured it out and this is more Big Hero 6 than Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile.  

 

#4. Puss In Boots: The Last Wish - And now we just start throwing pasta at the wall to see what sticks. Shrek and Puss are known brands, even if it’s been forever since their last films. I’ll bet on that over original ideas or films aiming to warm critics' hearts instead of earning film-goers' hard-earned dollars. Also, it looks like the only family film released around Christmas time and that’s when Sing 2 sang last year. Com’on, Puss, make it happen, kitty! 

#5. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery - That’s right! I’m so mad at this list of nothing that I’m putting a film here that’s only in theaters a week! It’d be a no-brainer of a top five film if it was doing a regular theatrical release. Maybe it can actually make $75 million in one week and I think that’s still more than a Devotion or Babylon or Fableman’s or Whitney Houston bio-pic can do. Could I be wrong? Yeah, the guy that picked the live-action version of Charlotte’s Web to be #1 in 2006 can be wrong. But I’ve got my tickets to Glass Onion for this Wednesday and I’ll go every day my AMC pass will allow me… Let’s do this thing!!! (I’m so screwed)  

Good luck, everyone!

2022 Holiday Blockbuster List

As always, if I forgot some Oscar-bait film that’ll make three bucks and get 14 Golden Globe nominations, sue me. I’m just listing the contenders here (or at least movies that have a wide release). Let’s get on with it!!! 

November 11

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Most people forget that Black Panther 1 was the highest grossing MCU movie ever until Avengers: Endgame. It was even third-all time behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Avatar until Endgame, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Top Gun: Maverick were released. Wow, those $24 Dolby Cinema seats AMC is charging are really adding up! Anyhow, does this sequel have any chance of climbing back to those original heights or is it like when the Spice Girls named their last album “Forever.” Gulp. 

November 18

The Menu

Anna Taylor Joy and Ralph Fiennes star in this “black comedy horror film” (now, that’s not something you read everyday) where the rich elite are on “the menu” for the staff to kill and torture. I’m pretty sure this is what anyone who’s ever been on Hell’s Kitchen has wanted to do with Gordon Ramsey.  

She Said

A biopic about the reporters who uncovered and victims who came forward to bring down former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. A very important film, much like the movie Spotlight, yet you may not want to pencil this one in for “date night.”    

November 23

Devotion

Another biopic (tis the season). This one deals with two of the Navy’s most famous fighter pilots during the Korean war. One came from a life of privilege and turned down Harvard to serve his country. Another became the first black aircraft carrier pilot and defended a nation that never treated him as an equal. Has the Top Gun revival gotten filmgoers ready for historical aerial dogfighting?

Strange World

Disney is definitely embracing the strange with their latest animated film. A family of explorers travel to someplace that’s like a mixture of Salvador Dali and 1920’s sci-fi comics. Will this get their “theatrical released” films back on track or have families just learned to wait two months to watch it on Disney+?    

Bones and All

I’m not even sure how to describe this one and I’ve seen the trailer before every horror film in the last three months. Think of it as young love meets vampires who are more like cannibals, and they have to decide whether they can forge a savage-less path together or give in to their deadly impulses. Merry Christmas, everybody!

The Fablemans

Usually saying “A Steven Spielberg” film means something, but after last year’s West Side Story flop, it’s hard to tell anymore. Though not technically a “biopic,” it’s a semi-autobiographical story of young Steven as he grew to love movies as a kid. In this case, the name’s been changed to Sammy Fableman. I mean, look, I know Snoopy’s already taken the name Joe Cool, but com’on, Steven. If you could change your name to anything, Sammy Fableman doesn’t even make the top 100!

(Choose This At Your Own Risk!)

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Yes, the sequel to the Top Five film from 2019, however it only has a one week window in 600 theaters before it debuts on Netflix December 23. Could it make enough in one week to make the Top Five this year? That's another mystery for Detective Benoit Blanc to solve, but I’ll let someone choose the movie if they’d like to.   

December 2

Violent Night

People always debate whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie. What if instead of Nakatomi Tower, a group of thieves did a home invasion at a mansion? And, what if instead of an off-duty cop as our only hope, we have the actual Santa Claus played by Hopper from Stranger Things? Well, then you’d have a Christmas movie!  

December 9

The Whale

The tale (tail?) of a morbidly obese man played by Brendan Fraser trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter was a hit at the Cannes festival. Can Darren Arronofsky’s film sell tickets and not just receive praise from critics? 

December 16

Avatar: The Way of Water

It’s only been 13 YEARS since the last Avatar film, so you better get in line now for the third one opening in 2035. You think Wakanda Forever has pressure, Avatar 1 WAS the highest grossing film of all-time when it came out. What could The Way of Water possibly do for an encore?! James Cameron has spent almost as much time on this as Axl Rose did for the Guns N’ Roses album Chinese Democracy. Let’s hope this turns out better for James than it did for Axl. 

December 21

I Wanna Dance With Somebody

I wanna dance with a biopic that loves me! It will be fascinating to see where this Whitney Houston film goes. As joyous and rapturous as her music and artistry was, so sad and low were the pits she fell into. Do we get both sides? Do we want both sides? How will I know if this film really loves me? 

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

This is just the year of way-delayed sequels. The first Puss in Boots film came out in 2011, meaning ten-year old fans then are pounding White Claws at frat parties now. Don’t get me wrong, we could use some more kids films in theaters… Yet is this the film families will flock too over the holidays?

December 23

Babylon

The latest film from the director of Whiplash and La La Land is set in the Hollywood of the 20’s… The 1920’s, that is. With a who’s who cast that includes Brad Pitt, Maggie Robbie, Tobey Maguire and Jean Smart, the trailer promises spectacle, outlandishness, oh… and an over three-hour runtime. Maybe that’s what caused the fall of Babylon?

2022 Summer Blockbuster Pool - Final Report

Hmm, is it still the summer movie pool when movies basically stopped being released after July? I guess we can cut Hollywood some slack considering we didn’t even have a summer season last year. Just a few spatterings of Quiet Place 2, Black Widow, and Jungle Cruise but mostly Escape Room 2’s. 

If nothing else, there were plenty of films that lived-up to their potential and then some this year, so hopefully we’ll get a full slate next year and not only… checking notes… The Flash and Book Club 2. Crap, I’m not going to be able to do a Summer Movie Pool next year either, am I?

Still, though this year may not have offered much besides an A-film and an occasional B-film each weekend, it gave us some reason to sit in an air-conditioned theater and pay $10 for a soda. But ain’t that America, as John Mellencamp would sing.

Let’s roll through the “non-contenders” on our way to Top 5 Films of the Summer…

The “Gave-Up Before They Even Tried” Section:

Both Secret Headquarters and The Man From Toronto were set for a theatrical release this summer and they both debuted on streamers Paramount+ and Netflix respectively (Well, less respectively for Paramount+). Oops!

The “Why Buy The Cow” Section:

Maybe even stranger than the “dumped to streamers” flicks are the films that try to do theatrical and streaming at the same time. Honestly, though, Firestarter and Honk For Jesus would’ve likely floundered even if they’d chosen one path or the other. Stop trying to fail in both lanes!

The “Thanks for Playing” Section (under $50 Million):

Instead of only saying “Every Idris Elba” movie (looking at you Beast and Three Thousand Years of Longing), there’s also room for Paws of Fury, Bob’s Burgers, and Downton Abbey: Whatever The Subtitle Was That I’m Not Going To Bother To Looking Up Because I’ve Already Forgotten. 

The “Something Good, Something Bad, Bit of Both” Section (Under $100 million):

Something was good for The Black Phone and Where the Crawdad Sings as these smaller movies made almost $90 million each! 

Something bad was DC’s League of Super Pets which made almost half of The Lego Batman Movie’s total. As my teenage son said after we watched it, “So that’s what a movie that’s only made for little kids is like.” Oof. Not the return you want to get for paying The Rock and Kevin Hart to voice your film. 

Bit of Both was Bullet Train which made back its budget with its domestic $90 million trip and turned a profit with another $110 million overseas. More importantly, it looked like Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, and Channing Tatum all enjoyed crossing over into each other’s movie’s this year. I just want everyone to have a good time!

The “Floppiest Flop of The Floppy Flops” Section: 

Nothing comes close to Lightyear here. A $200 budgeted sure thing that sure didn’t. At the end of the day, no one knew what this film was and when they did, it wasn’t what they wanted. The fun and zany parts of the Toy Story movies gave you space (no pun intended) for some sad and mopey parts. Lightyear lightspeeded to the latter and there’s no way, not even Disney, could sell us on THIS being the movie that would’ve made Andy want to buy a Buzz Lightyear toy. On the good side, at least there will be a lot of Lightyear toys and merchandise donated to improvised countries and relief areas, just like where the “losing” champion t-shirts are sent after the Super Bowl. 

The “Just Happy Doing Our Own Thing” Section: 

Elvis ($140 million) and Nope ($120 million) may seem like strange bedfellows, yet they were both made by quality filmmakers who were allowed to make the films they wanted to make and they both were hits in their own way. Believe me, when the (kill me now) sixth Transformers film comes out in 2023, I can only hope there’s an Elvis or a Nope film waiting for me in the theater next door.

And with that, because today is Labor Day, it’s time to acknowledge and congratulate the actual Top 5 Films of The 2022 Summer Blockbuster Pool!!!  

#5. Thor: Love and Thunder - $340.5 million

It’s funny how this Thor seemed like a lesser Marvel movie this summer because it made less than Dr. Strange 2, yet it’s still the highest grossing Thor movie of all-time. What more can you do than top what you previously accomplished?! Finishing between Spider-Man: Homecoming and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 on the MCU box-office totals is nothing to sneeze at. And, please, don’t sneeze if you’re Zeus and Thor happens to be wearing a toga nearby. Been there, done that.   

#4. Minions: The Rise of Gru - $359.6 million

While the latest Minions endeavor will wind up a smidge behind the most successful in the franchise, Despicable Me 2, it clearly showed the brand is still alive and Kevin. We have more fart jokes, more slapstick, and more great voice casts (By the way, I’m really starting to think Michelle Yeoh actually is Everything Everywhere All At Once… this is her third movie of the year and she’s got two more coming out before New Year’s Eve!). Besides, keeping the Minions relevant saves parents from having to buy “new” costumes this year when they can hand down their older child’s outfit to younger siblings. Try trying to convince a kid this year to dress-up as Trolls: World Tour… No, thank you!

 

#3. Jurassic World: Dominion - $375.6 million

Dominion may have made more money than the original Jurassic Park though I don’t think it will have theaters packed in a 30-year later re-release like the first Jurassic Park could. The film threw everything and the kitchen stegosaurus to bring back fans new and old and only managed to do about the same as they probably would’ve done without all that hullabaloo. They even tried to redeem Dr. Wu, which makes total sense because sometimes you can’t tell the first few times you kill hundreds of people with genetically created dinosaurs that you’re in the wrong. But this time he did… Bing Pot!

#2. Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - $411.3 million

If it wasn’t for some kooky ace pilot from the 80’s that most people didn’t see coming, this would’ve been your #1 film of the summer. Huge opening weekend, weeks of crappy film releases that couldn’t put a dent in its coffers, and taking a flamethrower to everything they built in nine episodes of WandaVision. Nope, nothing was stopping this film from going all the way to the top! If only it wasn’t for some music from Harold Faltermeyer… 

#1. Top Gun: Maverick - $700.3 million

OK, raise your hand if you thought Top Gun: Maverick was going to finish its theatrical run by passing Black Panther and becoming the 5th highest grossing film in the US all-time? Anyone… Anyone… Bueller? It’s gone beyond comical how well this film has done and how much people have loved it. At the end of a Summer Blockbuster Pool, it’s hard not to just be happy that people can enjoy, as Nicole Kidman once said, “dazzling images on a silver screen” again. Well, she may have only said it once, yet it’s been replayed roughly 47,003 times every time I go to see a film at an AMC theater. Though I may have failed for the 20th time in trying to win the movie pool, “Heartbreak feels good in a place like this.”

The Rise and Fall of Thor; No Hope for Nope - Weeks 10, 11, 12

 By Odin’s beard, Thor: Love and Thunder opened with some lightning. A godly $144.2 million three-day debut (even topping Top Gun: Maverick’s three day start) was second only to the previous Marvel start of Dr. Strange 2’s $187 million. Audiences came out in droves and I became the grown-up waiting to see if kids were going to throw away their Happy Meal toy as those Thor McDonalds figurines were pretty cool. Certainly, this was going to be the film that dominated the rest of the summer!

Then… week two happened. A 68% drop, almost identical to Dr. Strange 2’s tumble, and the thoughts of this film having nothing to worry about went away faster than Chris Hemsworth’s Big Lebowski bod. Sure, a ten-day total of $234 million is a problem every studio wishes they had, yet the trend of these latest string of Marvel movies isn’t what Disney was looking for. This looks like the third movie in a row that they’ll be streaming on Disney+ sooner than anticipated. How is the world going to find all that awesome content of Zombies 3 and the new season of High School Musical: The Series when the first things promoted on the app are Dr. Strange, Lightyear, and Thor?! If I can’t find my Moana Sing-Along because of this, heads are gonna roll!

After months of trailers that hinted at nothing but mysteriousness, Universal started releasing more revealing trailers for the film Nope. As someone already interested in seeing the film, I didn’t need this as I enjoy not knowing everything before going into a theater. My son even said “Each trailer makes it seem like a different movie.” Now that the film’s opened, Universal must’ve been seeing what the tracking (audience anticipation) was for the movie and they needed to boost those numbers.  

Nope opened with a $44.4 million debut. For a regular R-rated horror-film released in the summer, that’s pretty damn amazing. It’s even in-line with what The Conjuring did in 2013. For a follow-up film to Us, the last Jordan Peele written/produced/directed movie which debuted to $71 million three years ago, it’s hard not to see that as a disappointment. Obviously, the goodwill from Get Out dissipated after the confusing Us and people weren’t so quick to get back back in the saddle (pun definitely intended). 

Personally, I prefer interesting to boring, and Nope is interesting (as opposed to Morbius just being boring), yet even right now when I was checking on the spelling of something from the movie, the first 10 news items listed about Nope were all about “This explained,” “What this means,” and “Why this was.” It’s only been five days since the movie was released and these are the main articles about it?! You know what would’ve been a good time to explain all this. Maybe, I don’t know, during the movie? Just a thought. There is a space between over-explaining and not-explaining when it comes to films.

As for the rest of the summer movies, Minions looks like it’s going to hold off Thor but not catch Jurassic World: Dominion. Likewise, the dinos are not going to catch Dr. Strange and no one is catching Top Gun: Maverick. Does this mean our Top 5 is set? Are there no surprises out there? There may only be one Bullet left on that Train unless there are some Super Pets that can help. 

 

The Top Five If Today Was Labor Day:

#1. Top Gun: Maverick - $635.8 million

#2. Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - $411.3 million

#3. Jurassic World: Dominion - $365.7 million

#4. Minions: The Rise of Gru - $298.2 million

#5. Thor: Love & Thunder - $276.7 million

Minions, Elvis, and Phones… Oh My! - Weeks 8 & 9

Tik Tok teenagers, theater owners, and Pharrell Williams were all “Happy” about how well Minions: The Rise of Gru did in its opening weekend. For the actual minions, especially Bob, Stuart, and Kevin, I often feel like they’re living in their own version of The Truman Show. I don’t think Universal Studios lets them know they’re actually starring in a movie. Should we start a campaign to free them? Eh, maybe we’re safer keeping them right where they are. 

Minions: The Rise of Gru dominated the 4th of July holiday weekend with a $123.1 million four-day total ($107 million over the first three days). Their fart guns, freeze rays, and extensive use of goggles (never underestimate the importance of eye safety!) made America reconsider whether we should add yellow to our typically exclusive red, white, and blue celebrations. 

It also ended the notion that streaming had ended the ability for animation/family movies to open well post-pandemic. Up till now, Lightyear had been the highest opening for such a film and yet that seemed like a disappointment for such a “tentpole” movie to only open around $50 million. Sing 2 and Encanto earned around $40 million in their five-day holiday openings (Christmas and Thanksgiving, respectively) and the less said about Disney’s attempt to get families back in theaters during March 2021 with Raya and the Last Dragon the better (an $8.5 million opening… oof!). Now it looks like Minions is sending the same message that Spider-Man: No Way Home sent (and now Top Gun) with their huge numbers… Make a movie people want to see and they’ll show up. Make an Attack of the Killer Tomatoes remake and only I’ll be there.

That said, it’s interesting with all the “success” the media has been spinning about The Rise of Gru, it has still performed a little less than the first Minions movie. In 2015 that film had a $115.7 million three-day total and even with a non-holiday Monday had a four-day $128.7 million debut. Of course, that still puts in on track to top $300 million domestically and be a super successful release. Just don’t act like we’ve not been here before. It’s not our first movie pool! 

In Week 8, there were two very different films released that seemed to both find their audiences. 

Elvis was #1 on the charts again with a $31.2 million opening. It may not have been the Hunka Hunka opening of Bohemian Rhapsody’s $50 million, but well above other recent efforts like Get On Up and Respect. In fact, it may fall right in line with the Walk the Line Johnny Cash bio-pic which opened with $22.3 million in 2005 and finished with $120 million. In its second weekend, Elvis only fell 40% and is already at $71 million after July 4th. While this total may seem like more than what Pressley’s highest grossing film, Viva Las Vegas, did in 1964 with $9.8 millon, when adjusted for inflation that comes out to $132 million. This bio-pic’s going to have to do some work to out-perform peak Ann Margret!

Black Phone was the other wide release and horror/suspense fans answered the call with $23.6 million. The Stephen King-esque story (which I guess makes sense, as it was written by “literally” King’s son) connected with audiences and only dropped 48% in its second weekend (horror films typically have the biggest drop-offs of all film genres). 11 days later, people keep checking the Black Phone to a tune of $49.3 million. Pretty good for a film that only cost $16 million to make. Wish my cell plan only cost that much. 

As for the other films… 

Top Gun: Maverick continues to be THE film of the summer as it was the #2 movie over 4th of July weekend… more than a month after its release! Maverick, Rooster, and the rest have flown-in $570.7 million so far and this trip is definitely taking them past $600 million total. The only film with even an outside shot to soar over Top Gun is Thor: Love and Thunder, and it will need to be THE Spider-Man: No Way Home of that series to accomplish that. Not sure Love and Thunder will be enough. 

Jurassic World: Dominion hasn’t gone extinct yet with a $335.8 million total. While there may not be enough amber in the tank to clone past Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it has enough to potentially hold onto the #3 spot unless Minions or Thor have something to say about that. 

Lightyear looks likely to fall out of our Top 5 orbit after Thor debuts this week. With a $106.4 million three-week total, it might not even pass The Good Dinosaur’s $123.1 million for the lowest grossing Pixar film. To infinity and below?

In summary, it looks like the Minions not only brought about The Rise of Gru, they have also led to The Fall of Downton Abbey. Any poolers convincing themselves that that film was long for this list are certainly in for A New Era… A New Era of pain… and maybe fart guns.

The Top Five If Today Was Labor Day:

#1. Top Gun: Maverick - $570.7 million

#2. Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - $410.6 million

#3. Jurassic World: Dominion - $335.8 million

#4. Minions: The Rise of Gru - $123.1 million

#5. Lightyear - $106.4 million

Jurassic World Roars; Lightyear Opens Lightly - Weeks 6 & 7

It’s almost like Groundhog Day (or Edge of Tomorrow… or Happy Death Day… or Palm Springs…) where dinosaurs roamed on the earth… again!

Yes, Jurassic World: Dominion dominated the box-office with a $145.1 million opening weekend. This was just “good” enough to be $3 million less than the Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom debut in 2018. So, while this may be a mighty number, the publicity stunt of getting all three of the original Jurassic Park cast members worked to the tune of making less money. Uh, congrats?

Speaking of which, I was honestly surprised how much the OG cast played a role in the new movie. I thought they’d be just sitting behind a desk, giving the audience a cameo and a wink as Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard did all the heavy lifting again. (Well, they lift everything the CGI dinosaurs can’t lift. That’s the problem with dinos having really tiny arms!) Instead, the director had them rolling over in cars, spelunking through caves, being attacked by creatures great and small, and the scariest thing of all to do as you get older… climbing a ladder! Take it easy on these guys next time, will ya? I’m pretty sure they’ve earned it.

Jurassic’s success continued in its second weekend as it fell a reasonable 59% and now sits at a plump $250.3 million after 10 days. Sure, not the same level of success as the first Jurassic World had when it had crossed $400 million in 10 days in 2015, but the important part of not having to discount the prices of the Lego sets and toys associated with the film is secure. 

On the other hand, unfortunately, we have our first underwhelming performance of the 2022 Summer Blockbuster Season. I like to live by a simple code of believing if you make a good movie, people will come… or if you make a bad movie, the marketing team can still pull off a respectable opening weekend. It’s always a shock to the system when both codes get broken in the same weekend. 

Case in point, Lightyear barely lifted-off with a $50.6 million opening weekend. Toy Story 4 almost made that on its opening day! Clearly, Buzz was not the character people were hoping would get his/her standalone film. It was Rex all along! That, and maybe when the character people enjoy is a parody of a “real” Space Ranger, watching the “real” Space Ranger say and act out things sincerely isn’t as fun as it sounds in a boardroom. 

With this definitely being a blow to ever getting a Bo-Peep origin story, it’s also a real knock on Disney who hasn’t pulled off an animated theatrical hit since starting Disney+. They’ve certainly had a successful launch of their network (and that’s where Encanto “blew up” after it became available for streaming during the Holidays), yet maybe with families spending $100 a year at home, they’re less likely to spend 100 bucks to go take their family to a movie… especially, if it’ll be on Disney+ just two months later. Let’s just say, as someone who had Lightyear as his #4 projected movie, if Disney can’t find success with their known brands like Toy Story, it seems even less likely for their original animation ideas.     

What we did find was the Father’s Day film of choice was Top Gun: Maverick. The film only dropped 13% from last weekend and almost made as much as the new release Lightyear after a $44.7 million weekend. This flick is almost looking unstoppable now as it’s soared to the top of the 2022 summer box-office charts with $466.8 million. It’s crossing $500 million easy and that’s something no Thor or Minion/Despicable Me movie has ever done… yet :)  

Finally, Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness seems about to tap out as it is, of course, heading to Disney+ streaming this week. It is wrapping-up its theatrical run with $405.3 million which makes it the second most successful MCU movie since Avengers: Endgame after Spider-Man: No Way Home destroyed the universe last December. Not bad for a film that wasn’t even the best multiverse film of the year (That nod easily goes to Everything Everywhere All At Once). Though Disney may be struggling with its animated releases, the force is still certainly strong with the MCU.

The Top Five If Today Was Labor Day:

#1. Top Gun: Maverick - $466.8 million

#2. Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - $405.3 million

#3. Jurassic World: Dominion - $145.1 million

#4. Lightyear - $50.6 million

#5. Downton Abbey: A New Era - $42.2 million

Top Gun’s Jets Don’t Cool Down - Week 5

Before we return back to the Jurassic Age this weekend, let’s take a quick look at what happened last weekend. 

Top Gun: Maverick flew-in another $90 million with a huge second weekend drop of… checking my notes… stroking my chin… banging my head against a wall… 28.9%?!

You remember that bit where I said most “big” openings have a 50-60% drop these days a couple days ago. Yeah, well, just like Tom Cruise’s title character not thinking the rules apply to him, I guess the same could be said about this film. 

It’s like every person over the age of 40 wanted to see the movie, found out it wasn’t Battlefield Earth, and is now flocking to theaters. Meanwhile, I just want the dogfight football scene from the film to become the new overtime rules in the NFL. Who needs a coin flip and a kickoff? You each get the a ball on the 50 yard line and your time starts… NOW!

This incredibly low second weekend drop leaves Top Gun: Maverick with a $295.6 million total over ten days. I know the dinos are coming, but if it’s the dinosaur moviegoers showing up, it may be Top Gun tickets they’re buying.

After a month in the theaters, Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has amassed $388.6 million. What’s stranger still, is while it’s still making money in theaters, Disney+ is going to start streaming it in two weeks. Did Benedict Cumberbatch have something in his contract where his movies can never compete against Elvis? Besides, aren’t most Disney+ subscribers already behind on weekly shows like Obi-Wan, (do I have to finish this) Moon Knight, and now Ms. Marvel? This is certainly not the month Disney+ subscribers have been complaining about not enough new stuff! 

On a side note, mediocre films continued making mediocre money. The Bob’s Burgers Movie and Downton Abbey: A New Era made $4.6 and $3.1 million respectively. Yay?

So, two big heavy hitters are already in theaters, one looks like it’s already heading away, and the biggest beasts that ever walked our planet walk again today. In the immortal words that have been spoken numerous times in all five Jurassic films: run! 

The Top Five If Today Was Labor Day:

#1. Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - $388.6 million

#2. Top Gun: Maverick - $295.6 million

#3. Downton Abbey: A New Era - $35.9 million

#4. The Bob’s Burger Movie - $22.4 million

#5. Firestarter - $8.4 million