By Chris Kavan - 02/08/23 at 11:01 AM CT
While there is a slight improvement in that there is at least one major film to cover, the MPAA is still being quite stingy in their output. At the box office, Avatar: The Way of Water finally gave up its crown after eight weeks in theaters as M. Night Shyamalan enjoyed his fourth-straight film to open on top and 80 for Brady also had a strong opening with BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas finding a spot in the top five with their concert film.
Knock at the Cabin dethroned Way of Water over the weekend with $14.12 million opening, representing the fourth-straight number one opening for director M. Night Shyamalan. The film follows a family on vacation in a remote cabin - Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge and young daughter Kristen Cui. Four strangers - Dave Bautista, Rupert Grint, Nikki Amuka-Bird and Abby Quinn - break in. Armed but calm - the four give them an impossible choice - one must die in order to prevent an impending apocalypse. They won't kill them - the family must make the choice on their own. The thriller has received just enough to earn a Fresh rating - 68%, with many critics focusing on Bautista's performance as a high point. Audiences were split, giving the film just a "C-" Cinemascore, meaning the longevity for this looks questionable at best. Also of note, that $14.12 million is the lowest opening for Shyamalan, coming under the $16.8 million for Old. That film went on to earn $48 million domestic and $90 million global. Knock at the Cabin added in $7 million overseas for a $21.1 million global tally. The silver lining is the film cost just $20 million, so if it can hang on for $40 million or so, it will still be a winner.
In second place, 80 for Brady, which follows some life-long Tom Brady fans - Sally Field, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Lily Tomlin - as they do everything they can to get into the Super Bowl and meet their hero. Brady himself makes an appearance, alongside teammate Rob Gronkowski, and the film is packed with big names: Patton Oswalt, Sara Gilbert, Ron Funches, Harry Hamlin, Jimmy O. Yang, Bob Balaban and Sally Kirkland to name a few. The film opened to a robust $12.7 million and given that films that seem to target women and adults have been struggling post-pandemic (with a few exceptions), that has to be seen as a good sign. Audiences were happy, giving the film an "A-" Cinemascore - and, no surprsise, 68% of said audience were women. Critics weren't as kind, with a 63% just Fresh rating but with Brady announcing his "this time for real" retirement, maybe it will give this one some legs.
Avatar: The Way of Water had to settle for third this time with an $11.33 million weekend (down 29%) for a new domestic total of just under $637 million. It has earned $1.539 billion international, topping Titanic ($1.538 billion) as the third-highest grossing film on that list. Its worldwide total sits at $2.176 billion. Way of Water has fallen behind Top Gun: Maverick in week-to-week comparisons, meaning James Cameron's monster sequel is unlikely to match the $718 million domestic total of that other monster sequel. Still, I would think a finish in the $675-$700 million range is about right and that's still a might accomplishment.
In fourth place, worldwide music phenom BTS scored big on the limited market as their concert film, BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas brought in $8 million from 1,210 for the best per-theater average in the top 20 with a $6,630 per-theater count. The Army showed up in force and with mandatory military service on the horizon for members of the band (Jin, the oldest member has already begun his stint), it may be the last big moment for the band worth billions until 2025 when their combined services are completed. The film also brought in $2.3 million overseas for a worldwide total topping $10 million.
Rounding out the top five, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish dipped 25% for a $7.87 million weekend for a new $151.22 million total, crossing the $150 million mark in the process. With $217.88 million overseas, Last Wish has earned $369.6 million total. I'm thinking $400 million is still possible before it finally leaves theaters but we'll see how close it gets.
Outside the top five: In milestone news, Tom Hanks A Man Called Otto crossed the $50 million mark with a $4.24 million weekend and a new $53 million total. The $50 million film has earned over $83 million worldwide but needs just a bit more push on the domestic front to truly get into the black.
This weekend the Super Bowl means a traditionally low-grossing weekend for Hollywood. The only new wide release is the horror film Consecration but we'll get a double-dose of James Cameron with the re-release of Titanic as hopefully some female-driven counter-programming.
The MPAA Ratings Board is still suffering through some winter blahs, but at least managed a new wide release in their update and it's from one of my favorite directors, Wes Anderson, so at least (for me) it's a bright spot.
Anderson is a unique voice - perhaps an acquired taste, but his films are some of my favorites: The Royal Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel - all hold high spots in my personal list. Anderson looks to continue his streak of art house home runs with Asteroid City. Taking place in 1955, the film takes place at a Junior Stargazer convention set in a fictional American desert town, featuring comedy, drama, romance and a potentially world-changing event. While Anderson is known for his large ensemble casts, Asteroid City really ups the ante - it's a whose who among returning Anderson favorites and exciting new additions. The exhaustive cast: Tom Hanks, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Margot Robbie, Scarlett Johansson, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Sophia Lillis, Bryan Cranston, Maya Hawke, Hong Chau, Steve Carell, Tony Revolori, Rupert Friend, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis and Fisher Stevens. You may think that's just too darn many people, but if anyone can make a cameo feel like an important and meaningful part of the story, it's Anderson, and even if it's a smaller part I guarantee it will still be worth the effort. Asteroid City received R for brief graphic nudity but it intends to appeal the decision.
That's the major film for this week but you can check out the full MPAA Ratings Bulletin below:
ASTEROID CITY
Rated R for brief graphic nudity. (Intends to appeal).
CHUPA
Rated PG for some action, peril and thematic elements.
CORNER OFFICE
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.
THE DEEPEST BREATH
Rated PG for some intense peril, unsettling images and language.
MAN & WITCH: THE DANCE OF A THOUSAND STEPS
Rated PG for some violence, rude and suggestive humor, and mild language.
MY HAPPY ENDING
Rated R for language and brief drug use.
RIGHTEOUS THIEVES
Rated R for language.
SPACE ODDITY
Rated PG-13 for some strong language, suggestive material and thematic elements.
YOU HURT MY FEELINGS
Rated R for language.
