Los Angeles (AP) — August has arrived, bringing a blend of horror and humor to the big screen.
Zach Cregger’s much-anticipated horror film, “Weapons”, has made a strong debut, leading the box office with $42.5 million domestically from 3,202 theaters and an impressive $70 million internationally during its opening weekend.
This success marked the seventh No. 1 opening for Warner Bros. Pictures this year, making it the studio’s sixth consecutive film to gross over $40 million on its opening weekend.
Following closely is Disney’s “Freakier Friday,” a sequel to the 2003 hit, which earned $29 million in 3,975 North American theaters during its debut. Featuring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, this film presents a unique double body swap involving the mother-daughter duo and Lohan’s teen daughter and soon-to-be stepdaughter.
According to Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore, the films’ successes can be attributed to effective viral marketing strategies and positive chatter on social media. “The top two films couldn’t be more different, which makes this weekend appealing for moviegoers,” he noted, emphasizing the strong audience engagement.
“Weapons” is set in the small town of Maybrook, where 17 children mysteriously leave their homes at 2:17 a.m., leaving their parents bewildered. The film explores the aftermath of this event through horror, paranoia, and touches of existential humor, highly praised with a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Warner Bros. had a slow start this year but found success with films like “A Minecraft Movie,” which opened with $157 million domestically. Their 2022 release, “Barbarian,” though it had a more modest start, similarly captured attention and topped charts.
Top 10 Movies by Domestic Box Office
Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. “Weapons,” $42.5 million.
2. “Freakier Friday,” $29 million.
3. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” $15.5 million.
4. “The Bad Guys 2,” $10.4 million.
5. “The Naked Gun,” $8.4 million.
6. “Superman,” $7.8 million.
7. “Jurassic World Rebirth,” $4.7 million.
8. “F1: The Movie,” $2.9 million.
9. “Together,” $2.6 million.
10. “Sketch,” $2.5 million.
