LISA FRANKENSTEIN opening | TURNING RED re-release | THE CHOSEN SEASON 4 EPISODES 1-3 opening revisited | February 9 to 11, 2024 weekend
Opening weekend box office, charts and commentary
The current weekend: February 9 to 11, 2024
1) Lisa Frankenstein opening
- This is a weak opening for a teen comedy, at below average levels for the genre. The film is a hybrid, with elements of romance, goth and horror, but it leads with humor and it's not connecting. The CinemaScore is a lukewarm B:
These movies have some box office potential in English-speaking foreign markets, but little elsewhere. The cost was only $13m, so the film can get to break-even on ancillary income alone.
2) Turning Red re-release opening
- This is the second of three Pixar films that did not receive a domestic theatrical release during the pandemic, and is getting one now (Soul opened four weeks ago, Luca will open in six weeks).
As with Soul, there's very little business following two years of streaming. The release is functioning as a reminder to audiences trafficking in multiplexes that the big screen is where Pixar movies play:
Turning Red made $20.1m in international markets at the original time of release in March 2022, primarily in Eastern Europe and in smaller Asian markets.
3) The Chosen Season 4 Episodes 1-3 opening revisited
- When this movie opened last weekend, industry estimates put the 3-day weekend at $3.3m. The actual opening number turned out to be $5.94m. Weekend estimates can be off by +/-5%, and occasionally by up to +/-10%, but this was off by -80%. With the updated, actual number in mind…
This was an excellent start for a faith-based sequel. Historically, these series fall off sharply, as Chosen #2 did one year ago. This 3rd episode is holding up very well:
As noted, there are no stars in these films, critics ignore them, they play quickly, and they do not travel overseas, but the stories are earnest and straight-forward. Angel Studios has built a dedicated following for their faith-based lineup. It's impressive and very good for moviegoing.
Overall
- This weekend’s new wide releases are opening to an est. $4.0m and under $1m. That's extremely quiet for any weekend of the year, including Super Bowl weekend.
The BO should wake up next week with the Bob Marley biography and Madame Web/Marvel, both starting on Wednesday, Valentine's Day. There are more episodes of The Chosen over the weekend, as well. Dune 2 cannot come fast enough in three weeks on March 1.