By Jake Coyle, Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --For the first time in almost two months, the box office doesn't belong to blue people.
After seven weeks as the top film in theaters, "Avatar: The Way of Water" was finally knocked out of the No. 1 spot by the M. Night Shyamalan thriller "Knock at the Cabin" and the octogenarian comedy "80 for Brady."
"Knock at the Cabin," a home invasion horror film with an apocalyptic riff, dethroned James Cameron's 3-D sci-fi epic with $14.2 million in ticket sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Universal Pictures release stars Dave Bautista as one of four strangers who approach a family vacationing in a rural cabin.
The opening for "Knock at the Cabin" came up shy of some of Shyamalan's recent releases. His last film, 2021's "Old," about a beach that rapidly ages those who visit it, launched with $16.9 million and ultimately collected $90.1 million worldwide. His 2019 film "Glass," the third installment in the director's "Unbreakable" trilogy, opened with $40.3 million on its way to grossing $247 million globally. Every other film directed by Shyamalan has opened higher than "Knock at the Cabin."
But "Knock at the Cabin" still marks Shyamalan's seventh film as director to open No. 1. With a modest budget of $20 million, "Knock at the Cabin" should easily turn a profit. The film, which drew mostly positive reviews from critics (68% on Rotten Tomatoes), added another $7 million internationally.
Taking second place was "80 for Brady," a comedy about four friends (Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Rita Moreno and Sally Field) who take a trip to the 2017 Super Bowl. It opened with an estimated $12.5 million. Shortly after announcing his retirement from football (again), Tom Brady attended the film's premiere.
Paramount Pictures employed a unique strategy in releasing "80 for Brady." While many films have sought to capitalize on higher ticket prices through large-format or 3-D screenings or surge pricing, which films like "The Batman" have tried, Paramount went the other direction on "80 for Brady." The studio partnered with exhibitors, including the largest chains, to play "80 for Brady" at matinee prices to help lure its largely older audience. (Half of ticket buyers were over the age of 55.)
It seemed to work. At a time when comedies have struggled mightily in theaters, "80 for Brady" (with a production budget of $28 million) had one of the best openings for a live-action comedy in years. Discount pricing is to continue for the rest of the film's run.
"Avatar: The Way of Water" slide to third with $10.8 million domestically in its eighth weekend. The film's No. 1 streak matched the run of 2009's "Avatar." In the last four decades, only those two by Cameron and his "Titanic" (1997) have had such sustained reigns atop the box office.
"The Way of Water" continues to perform especially strongly overseas, where its $27.9 million this weekend pushed its overall total to $2.17 billion worldwide. That puts it at fourth highest gross of all-time; Cameron — with two "Avatar" films and "Titanic" — now accounts for three of the top four.
"BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas" took in $5.1 million to land in fifth place. The BTS concert film is drawn from their October 2022 performance in Busan, South Korea — a send-off show before the group began a two-year hiatus. It opened in 1,111 locations.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Knock at the Cabin," $14.2 million.
2. "80 for Brady," $12.5 million.
3. "Avatar: The Way of Water," $10.8 million.
4. "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish," $8 million.
5. "BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas," $5.1 million.
6. "A Man Called Otto," $4.2 million.
7. "M3gan," $3.8 million.
8. "Missing," $3.7 million.
9. "The Chosen Season 3 Finale," $3.6 million.
10. "Pathaan," $2.8 million.
Damien Chazelle, Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons On The Return Of “Whiplash” To Theaters After 10 Years
Ten years after " Whiplash " took the film world by storm, Damien Chazelle's breakthrough feature is returning to theaters nationwide Friday.
In 2014, "Whiplash" was the ultimate indie movie Cinderella story — a Sundance discovery made by a 20-something that that would go on to become both a box office hit and an awards darling: It won three Oscars, including for J.K. Simmons ' portrayal of a semi-sadistic and ever quotable jazz ensemble instructor; launched Chazelle's directing career into the A-list stratosphere; and established Miles Teller as a next generation movie star. Now, audiences will get another chance to experience it on the big screen.
Chazelle, Teller and Simmons spoke recently about the re-release, their memories of the 20-day shoot (including when Teller accidentally broke his co-star's rib) and making something with staying power. Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q: What has it been like watching "Whiplash" settle into the culture in the past decade?
CHAZELLE: It's very cool, a little surreal. It doesn't feel like 10 years. It's fun to have a moment like this to relive it a little bit.
SIMMONS: It's sobering to know that I'm 10 years older. It's kind of shocking and kind of awesome that the movie actually holds up. I just saw it a few days ago in Toronto: That's a good piece of cinema.
TELLER: This is the first time I've ever had a movie re-released. I'm still fairly young into my career, but it's an incredible movie. The one thing that's frustrating for me is that people just yell out at me all the time, " not my tempo." So that's stuck around well.
SIMMONS: Maybe if you get the tempo... Read More