By Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --Moviegoing audiences in North America are not rushing back to the theater just yet and "Mulan" is also faltering in its China release as the global box office slowly comes back online in the COVID-19 era.
In the second major weekend for U.S. and Canadian movie theaters, Christopher Nolan's "Tenet" earned only $6.7 million from 2,910 locations, according to studio estimates Sunday. Warner Bros' sci-fi thriller was viewed as the main litmus test for whether audiences were ready to embrace the theatrical experience again, after nearly six months of shuttered theaters due to the pandemic.
Although it was enough to top the scattershot domestic releases, it also isn't enough to jumpstart the struggling exhibition industry. Warner Bros. has already pushed back its next major release, "Wonder Woman 1984," even further.
The weekend's only major new opener was Sony's PG-13 rom-com "The Broken Hearts Gallery," which earned an estimated $1.1 million from 2,204 North American locations. The film, from first-time writer director Natalie Krinsky and executive produced by Selena Gomez, is about a 20-something gallerist played by Geraldine Viswanathan who creates an art exhibit with souvenirs from her past relationships.
The studio is optimistic about its performance and potential.
"The early numbers are really encouraging," said Adrian Smith, the president of president of Sony Pictures domestic distribution.
Smith noted that the film will have a slow roll out as more theaters continue to open in the U.S.
Roughly two-thirds of the domestic market is open and theaters are operating at limited capacity and with limited showtimes. Two of the country's biggest markets, New York and Los Angeles, remain closed. Other still-closed markets include North Carolina, Michigan, New Mexico and the cities of Seattle and Portland.
Other notable domestic weekend numbers include Disney's "The New Mutants," which added $2.1 million from 2,704 locations in its third weekend and Solstice's Russell Crowe pic "Unhinged," which earned an additional $1.5 million in week four.
"Every week is a bit of a litmus test about how potential moviegoers are feeling about going to the theater," said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore's senior media analyst. "I think audiences are slowly going back."
But, he noted, "you can't apply the norms of how we analyze or report the box office."
Comscore has not even been able to report a traditional "Top 10" chart because of the unusual marketplace which Dergarabedian likened to a "relaunch" or a "reboot" of the movie theater.
The landscape is more encouraging internationally, where "Tenet" this weekend added over $30 million, pushing its global total to $207 million.
But new movies are not enough on their own. In China, The Walt Disney Co.'s "Mulan" had a disappointing debut of only $23.2 million. The low launch nonetheless claimed the film the No. 1 spot in the country where an estimated 91% of theaters are open but limited to 50% capacity. The studio noted that its opening is around the same level as "Cinderella" and "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil."
Globally, "Mulan" has earned $37.6 million to date, although that number is not representative of the total earnings. The live-action epic, which has also been embroiled in controversy over its filming location, is not playing in North American theaters. Instead, it is available for a $29.99 rental on the company's Disney+ service. The streaming earnings were not made available.
But pre-COVID metrics of success and failure are difficult to apply, especially to the first films out of the gates. And, according to Dergarabedian, it might be that way for a while.
"We are not in a traditional marketplace and we are not in a traditional mode of analyses," Dergarabedian said. "It's going to take some time to properly assess the long-term impact of the pandemic."
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More