By Chris Kavan - 10/27/21 at 12:08 PM CT
Another short and sweet bulletin again, with a single film to discuss but the box office continues to provide plenty of fireworks and it was a good weekend - especially for Timothée Chalamet. Overall, at least the outlook looks better for theaters as we enter a busy fall period.
There was a lot riding on Denis Villeneuve's Dune this weekend. After Bladerunner 2049 proved to be a letdown, Villeneuve decided to tackle a seemingly insurmountable task: adapting Frank Herbert's sci-fi epic into a hit. This has already been tried in 1984 and though David Lynch's enjoys a cult status, it was a dud in its time. But Villeneuve also lined up an impressive cast including the likes of Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Stellan Skarsgård, Josh Brolin, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem. After early reviews offered (mostly) praise, it seemed things were looking up - but the $165 million film still had to impress audiences - not just critics. Despite also being available on HBO Max, Dune opened to a strong $41 million opening, topping most weekend estimates placing in in the $30-$35 million range. Not only that but audiences loved it too - giving it an "A-" Cinemascore to go along with its 82% Fresh rating. A lot of people were wondering if this start was good enough to warrant a sequel and, it turns out, it was as the studio has already greenlit another chapter - which should only mean better returns as those on the fence about just Part 1 of an epic ever being released can now breath a sigh of relief (and hopefully watch it on the big screen). It was also a big hit on IMAX - where it earned $9 million of its total. It has already rolled out international, where it has grossed $180.6 million - for a worldwide total topping $221 million. As always, the question remains as to whether Dune can keep a steady pace in the coming weeks ahead.
Last week's champion, horror sequel Halloween Kills, followed in the footsteps of many a horror film before it by taking a mighty second-week drop of nearly 71%, landing with $14.45 million and a new $73 million total. The overly gory trip down memory lane can only claim $17.8 million from overseas, meaning its worldwide total is still short of $100 million at this point and has a long way to go to even approach the $255 million total of the last Halloween film.
In third place, Daniel Craig's final turn as James Bond in No Time to Die dipped about 49%, adding $12.2 million for a new $120.3 million total. No Time to Die is now part of an elite group as adding in $405 million overseas puts it above $500 million with $525.7 million worldwide. It joins F9 as the only other American film to top that mark this year - and it still has to open in China. That's what I call sending Bond out with a bang.
In fourth place, Venom: Let There Be Carnage took a 43.6% hit, still adding $9.3 million and giving it a new $182 million total. With a $170 million overseas, the film topped $350 million worldwide. We'll see if it can cross $200 million before it reaches the finish line.
Rounding out the top five, the new animated film Ron's Gone Wrong managed to top the other animated film Addams Family 2 with a $7.3 million debut. Still, that was a bit below predictions, which had it sitting at the $10 million or so mark. Featuring the voices of Zach Galifianakis, Olivia Colman, and Ed Helms, the film posits a world where personal robot assistants are all the rage - and what happens when a shy kid gets a defective model. The film earned a great "A" cinemascore and an 80% Fresh rating - but it just looks like it couldn't generate enough interest as family films continue to struggle in this market. With a minimal $10 million overseas, the animated film has earned $17.3 million worldwide.
Outside the top five Wes Anderson's latest star-studded film The French Dispatch opened in just 52 theaters but accrued an impressive $1.34 million - good enough for 9th place. The film, about an American newspaper in a French City, is told in a series of stories and features an expansive cast: Bill Murray, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Timothée Chalamet, Benicio Del Toro, Adrien Brody, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Mathieu Amalric, Owen Wilson, Bob Balaban, Henry Winkler, Tony Revolori and Larry Pine are just the tip of the iceberg. The film had the best per-theater average of the year with $25,938 per-theater, topping Venom: Let There Be Carnage at $21,309. This one looks to expand and I'm interested to see if it makes its way to my neck of the woods as I remain a stalwart Anderson fan.
Next week, Dune will face a pair of horror films in Edgar Wright's trippy Last Night in Soho and the folklore-based Antlers - just in time for Halloween.
On the ratings front, Disney is back with something... adult!? That's right, we're getting into some Deep Water.
What happens when your relationship is on the rocks? Why, just let your wife enjoy some extra-marital affairs to keep that engine running. Director Adrian Lyne returns after a near 20-year absence to show us how Vic Van Allen (Ben Affleck) and wife Melinda (Ana de Armas) try to make this unconventional arrangement play out in Deep Water. Of course, things can't play out all cut-and-dry and, of course, lovers start to turn up dead and our husband becomes the prime suspect. I already know Affeck is good at playing a guy caught up in relationship issues thanks to Gone Girl and Armas is just a good actress all-around and seems like a good fit. The supporting cast includes the likes of Tracy Letts, Lil Rel Howery, Finn Wittrock, Rachel Blanchard, Dash Mihok, Jacob Elordi, Kristen Connolly and Michael Braun - more than a few of which are likely to wind up dead. Sounds like a recipe for success, hopefully when it comes out adults will be more likely to go out. Rated R for sexual content, nudity, language and some violence.
That's the big film for the week, but you can check out the full MPAA Ratings Bulletin below:
CHRISTMAS TAKES FLIGHT
Rated G.
DEADLOCK
Rated R for violence, language throughout and some drug use.
DEEP WATER
Rated R for sexual content, nudity, language and some violence.
THE DEVIL YOU KNOW
Rated R for language throughout, some violence and sexual references.
GREEN LANTERN: BEWARE MY POWER
Rated PG-13 for some strong violence, bloody images and partial nudity.
MUNICH: THE EDGE OF WAR
Rated PG-13 for some strong language, thematic elements, smoking and brief violence.
OFF THE RAILS
Rated R for some language.
SLAYERS
Rated R for bloody violence, and language throughout.
WARHUNT
Rated R for violent content, language and some sexual references.
WHO WE ARE
Rated PG-13 for thematic content, disturbing images, violence and strong language - all involving racism.
