By Chris Kavan - 05/25/22 at 04:01 PM CT
As of right now there has been no MPAA Ratings Bulletin updated for this week - I will update the blog if one comes out. The MPAA Bulletin has been updated - but with no new wide releases, it is once again just a pretty list.
That being said while the weekend brought a double dose of new wide released it was Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness that came out on top for the third-straight time. The latest MCU venture dipped just 47.7% and added $32.3 million to its total, which now stands at an impressive $342.78 million. Even with the threat of Tom Cruise and a new Top Gun on the horizon, Doctor Strange will easily top $350 million by next weekend and should be well on its way to the $375 million mark by then. It has already earned over $100 million above the original Doctor Strange and its international numbers are even better with $461.1 million - and it has topped $800 million worldwide. It sits between Spider-Man: Homecoming ($334.2 million) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ($389.8 million) for the MCU - 12th place on the franchise list. If it can reach $400 million before it ends its run - very likely at this point - it will find itself in the top 10.
In second place, Downton Abbey: A New Era debuted with a $16 million opening. The film follows the further adventures of the upper-crust Crawley family, fresh off hosting the British monarchy - as well as their gossipy servants. While the sequel was a down quite a bit from the $31 million opening of Downton Abbey, it is still a good sign as 50% of the audience was 55 and older - a group that has been hesitant to return to theaters en masse. The film also scored an 85% Fresh rating as well as a solid "A" Cinemascore so it could have a decent run ahead of it with that kind of result. The film opened better overseas with $35.7 million giving it a world wide total just above $51 million,
In third place The Bad Guys continued to bring in family crowds to the tune of $6.14 million - down just 12.7% - leading to a new total of $74.4 million. It should have crossed the $75 million mark by this time as the criminals turned good tale of anthropomorphic fun has proven a hit across the board. With $107.8 million overseas, Bad Guys continues to do good with a global box office of just over $182 million.
In fourth place, Sonic 2 was also a family crowd-pleaser with a $4.09 million weekend - down a mere 12.1% - and giving the hedgehog and crew a new $181.15 million total. The film is running away with an even better international total to the tune of $194 million for a global total now topping $375 million.
The weekend's other new entry, A24's latest horror venture, Men, got off to a bumpy start. Starring Jessie Buckley as a woman who takes a trip to the countryside following the sudden suicide of her abusive husband, she finds the small town populated by some disquieting men (most of whom are played by actor Rory Kinnear) before things turn even more disturbing. Men opened to just $3.29 million and even though critics were receptive - 75% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes - audiences didn't agree, giving the film a low "D+" Cinemascore. It doesn't bode well for the long-term prospects.
Outside the top five things were much better for A24 as Everything Everywhere All at Once took in $3.13 million and topped out at $52.2 million - surpassing Uncut Gems ($50 million) to become the studio's highest-grossing film to date. It also had the lowest drop among films in the top 12 with just a 5.5% dip compared to last weekend.
Next week Tom Cruise returns with a need for speed in Top Gun: Maverick and the animated film Bob's Burgers: The Movie also debuts.
Better late than never - but not much in the way of worthy content. But please check out the MPAA Bulletin below for what is coming in limited or streaming in the near future:
13: THE MUSICAL
Rated PG for some thematic elements and rude humor.
ABANDONED
Rated PG-13 for terror, some violent content, thematic material, and brief strong language.
ACCIDENT MAN 2
Rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language and brief drug use.
BLOWBACK
Rated R for violence, drug use and language.
BRIAN AND CHARLES
Rated PG for language, mild violence and smoking.
DAY SHIFT
Rated R for strong violence and gore and language.
END OF THE ROAD
Rated R for some strong/bloody violence, drug use, sexual content and language.
LITTLE DIXIE
Rated R for strong violence and bloody images, pervasive language, some sexual content and brief nudity.
MAIKA
Rated PG for violence, rude humor, thematic elements, language and brief smoking.
SMILE
Rated R for strong violent content and grisly images and language.
THE SWIMMERS
Rated PG-13 for thematic material, some violence including sexual assault and language.
THE WALK
Rated R for language throughout including racial slurs and some violence.
