PARAMOUNT’S ‘Scary Movie’ dominated the North American box office with an impressive US$55 million opening weekend, extending an unexpected winning streak for horror films during the peak summer movie season.
The R-rated spoof exceeded expectations, buoyed by strong word-of-mouth, nostalgia and horror appeal.
Its debut marks the biggest opening in the franchise’s 25- year history, surpassing ‘Scary Movie 4’, which earned US$49.7 million in 2006.
The sixth instalment also delivered the series’ strongest global launch, taking US$105.5 million from 53 international markets. Produced on a modest US$30 million budget by Miramax, the film is expected to generate substantial profits.
Industry analyst David A. Gross described the performance as “an outstanding opening for a comedy sequel this far into its series”, noting that it represents a major rebound following the poorly received 2013 instalment, which did not feature franchise stars Anna Faris and Regina Hall.
Meanwhile, Amazon MGM’s ‘Masters of the Universe’ debuted in second place with a disappointing US$29.3 million domestically and US$54 million worldwide.
The fantasy adventure, based on Mattel’s He-Man toy line, reportedly cost nearly US$200 million to produce, excluding marketing expenses.
Gross described the result as a soft opening for a film with franchise ambitions, adding that fantasy properties currently struggle to compete with established superhero brands such as Spider-Man, Deadpool, Wolverine and Superman.
The film’s opening audience was predominantly male, with nearly 40 per cent aged over 45, suggesting that fans of the original 1980s toy line and animated series accounted for much of its early support.
Broader appeal will be needed if the film is to become profitable. In third place, A24’s ‘Backrooms’ collected US$25.9 million in its second weekend despite a steep 70 per cent decline in ticket sales.
The horror hit has now earned US$135 million in North America and US$212.6 million globally, becoming A24’s highestgrossing worldwide release.
‘Obsession’ continued its remarkable run in fourth place with US$25.6 million, falling just seven per cent in its fourth weekend.
The low-budget thriller has amassed US$152.1 million domestically and is expected to surpass US$200 million worldwide this weekend.
Rounding out the top five was Fathom Entertainment’s ‘The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act’, which earned US$19.4 million from 2,221 cinemas. Disney’s ‘Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu’ slipped to sixth place with US$10 million in its third weekend, a 60 per cent drop.
The spin-off has so far generated US$155.8 million in North America and US$293 million globally
