It looks like two Frankenstein movies were one too many for moviegoers. While widely expected to underperform for Warner Bros., The Bride is proving to be a box office disaster. Deadline reports that the movie is now only on track for an $8–10 million opening. For a movie that cost at least $90 million, not counting advertising, that’s a disastrous opening. Reviews have been split down the middle (including my own), with many respecting it for being a big swing creatively, while others say it’s just a hodgepodge of other movies (Bonnie & Clyde, Sid & Nancy, Joker).
It doesn’t help that Frankenstein fatigue is very real, with this not even being the only feminist redux of the story in recent years, as Lady Frankenstein also turned out to be a flop. Guillermo del Toro’s own faithful rendition of Frankenstein went straight to Netflix, so it’s hard to judge whether or not audiences would have turned out for that one either. Still, the C+ CinemaScore rating doesn’t lie, making it clear audiences are not enjoying Maggie Gyllenhaal’s film, although I still think somewhere down the line it may become a cult film.
Instead, the box office is being ruled by Pixar’s Hoppers, with it on track for a $40 million opening (exactly what we predicted), which is decent, marking their best opening for an original movie since Coco in 2019. Yet it can’t be denied that this is hardly a blockbuster result for a company that used to routinely set box office records, with it seeming more and more these days that their spell over audiences is evaporating. For Hoppers to be considered a success, a lot will depend on how it does next weekend, but its A CinemaScore rating is a good sign.
Meanwhile, Scream 7 has managed to stab its way into second place, with it looking at only about $18 million, which would mark a disappointing 72% week-to-week decline. Horror movies are always front-loaded, but this is a big drop-off. While these movies still print money, it will be important for the makers of Scream 8 to perhaps be a bit more innovative if they want to keep it going into the double digits.
We’ll be back tomorrow with a full box office roundup.
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