By Chris Kavan - 10/20/21 at 12:04 PM CT
It's a meager update for the ratings bulleting this week, but at least it's a big film. Meanwhile, the box office continues to look strong thanks to Halloween Kills but it turns out deep, emotional historical epics aren't as good of draws these days.
Halloween Kills certainly did so at the box office, slashing its way to a $49.4 million opening. That was enough for the overall box office to hit $100 million in total grosses for the third week in a row - something that hasn't happened for 18 months. It was also the best opening for a film premiering day-and-date on a streaming service (in this case Peacock), easily besting Godzilla vs. Kong's $31.6 million opening in March. While the opening was lower than 2018's Halloween at $76.2 million, it also fared worse with critics (at just 39% on Rotten Tomatoes) and with audiences ("B-" Cinemascore). Taking all that into account, I would say its opening is pretty good. By all accounts this sequel amps up the violence while parting back the story. Not exactly a recipe for success, but a nice treat for Halloween crowds.
In second place No Time to Die fell about 57% (in line with previous Bond films) to bring in $23.8 million and raising its total to $99 million - just a hair say of that $100 million mark (which is has crossed by now). While its domestic numbers continue to be somewhat underwhelming, it is crushing it overseas with a hefty $348.3 million - and that's not even counting China, where it wills till open on October 29th. Even if its domestic numbers don't climb as high as previous entries, its blockbuster international numbers should hopefully be enough to push this one into the black when all the dust has settled.
In third place, Venom: Let There Be Carnage continued to bare its teeth, dipping 48% and adding $16.5 million to its total where it now stands at $168 million. It continues to keep pace with the original film. Overseas, it has a $168.1 million total and stands at a solid $283.7 million worldwide.
In fourth place the animated sequel The Addams Family 2 continued to draw in Halloween-happy families, dropping just over 30% to add in $7 million for a new $42 million total. This one should top out at around $50 million - about half as much as the original film took in but in this day and age, that's actually not such a bad outcome.
In fifth place we find Ridley Scott's historical drama The Last Duel. Despite an impressive cast in Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer and Ben Affleck, the obviously adult-leaning film could only muster a scant $4.8 million opening. This on tope of an 86% Fresh rating and a solid "B+" Cinemascore. Like No Time to Die, but on a much worse scale, older adults just aren't willing to risk going to theaters in droves. It doesn't matter how good your story is or how amazing your actors are - if your audiences isn't willing to show up, you're not going to get good results. It added a likewise small $4.2 million from overseas for a total less than $10 million on a $100 million budget.
Next week we'll find out if Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi epic Dune can bring out a younger crowd while families get another option with the animated Ron's Gone Wrong.
In this week's MPAA Ratings Bulletin we only get one, new wide release - but it's a big one - as we get to return to The Matrix.
I don't think you'll find much argument that The Matrix was a genre-defining film of the 90s, upping the ante for sci-fi as well as technology (remember bullet time - and how it showed up everywhere?). I also don't think you'll have trouble recalling that The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions were considered far inferior to the original. Ask ME however, and while I didn't have as much issue with Reloaded, I absolutely hated how Revolutions ended, so much so I refuse to even acknowledge its existence. So what does that mean for The Matrix Resurrections? I don't know yet, but I'm leaning towards maybe giving it one more shot. What we do know is that Lana Wachowski is returning to direct and two of the major stars in Keanu Reeves as Neo and Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity are also returning. They are joined by a huge and impressive cast with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the new Morpheus along with Christina Ricci, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Jada Pinkett Smith, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Neil Patrick Harris, Daniel Bernhardt, Lambert Wilson and Ellen Hollman among others. The film takes place 20 years after the events of The Matrix Trilogy with Neo once again living a normal life as Thomas A. Anderson - who doesn't even recognize Trinity and is on thriving treatment of blue pills. But when an old friend offers him a red pill once again, he returns to The Matrix and a new story unfolds. Many of the big-name haven't even been reveled in their roles yet, so this one still has plenty of surprises up its sleeves. And it's keeping the tradition alive with an R ratings for violence and some language. Now the only questions is can it right the wrongs and make the series come alive once again.
That is the major film for this week, but you can check out the full MPAA Ratings Bulletin below:
AMERICAN SICARIO
Rated R for violence, pervasive language, drug use and some sexual material.
THE END OF US
Rated R for language and sexual references.
A HOLIDAY CHANCE
Rated PG-13 for some strong language and a suggestive reference.
LAKEWOOD
Rated PG-13 for thematic content and some strong language.
THE LEGEND OF LA LLORONA
Rated R for some violence and language.
THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS
Rated R for violence and some language.
MY HERO ACADAMIA: WORLD HEROES' MISSION
Rated PG-13 for violent material, bloody images and some language. (Both subbed and dubbed versions)
THE NOVICE
Rated R for language, some sexuality and brief disturbing material.
THE PINK CLOUD
Rated R for sexual content/nudity, some language and brief drug use.
WE WILL BE MONSTERS: EPISODE 1
Rated PG-13 for violence.
