Deadpool & Wolverine back on top amid box office disappointments
On the fifth weekend since its premiere, "Deadpool & Wolverine" climbed back to the top of the box office list, surpassing the new releases "The Crow" and "Blink Twice," which underperformed in their debuts. How is the latest "Alien" doing?
As reported by Variety, the thriller directed by Zoë Kravitz, "Blink Twice" (starring Channing Tatum and Christian Slater!) ranked fourth this weekend, earning $7.3 (CAD 9.9) million, while "The Crow" with Bill Skarsgård in the lead role settled in eighth place with $4.6 (CAD 6.2) million in revenue. Last week, we wrote that "Alien: Romulus" was in first place, but it was a short victory. In the last few days, 62% fewer tickets were sold for this franchise installment.
Disappointments
"Blink Twice," enjoying decent reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, earned $6.7 (CAD 9) million in 73 countries. Meanwhile, "The Crow," a new version of the popular comic, which gathered only 20% positive reviews, faces the challenge of recouping its production budget of $50 (CAD 67) million. This is the second financial "miss" for Lionsgate after "Borderlands," a game adaptation with a star-studded cast, which will likely become this year's financial flop. The film's budget was $115 (CAD 155) million, and it didn't even make $40 (CAD 54) million...
Topping the box office again was "Deadpool & Wolverine", generating $18.3 (CAD 24.7) million in its fifth week since release. This success solidified the film as the second highest-grossing title of the year, right after "Inside Out 2". The comic sequel with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman earned $577.2 (CAD 779.5) million in North America and $1.21 (CAD 1.6) billion worldwide, becoming one of the biggest hits in Marvel's history.
A year of losses?
Variety notes that the cinema industry earned almost 14% less this summer than last year and over 25% less than in 2019, the last pre-COVID year. However, there is hope on the horizon to improve these figures. In early September, "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice," a sequel to the Tim Burton hit starring Jenna Ortega, the "Wednesday" Netflix star, hits theatres. Expectations for this title are enormous, with a powerful promotional campaign set to kick off soon.
