As we predicted earlier this week, Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers is set to lead the box office this weekend, with Deadline reporting that it’s on track for a $15 million opening. While that’s a bit below the $17 million we forecasted for the film, that’s still a decent start for a character-driven drama, with the Zendaya-led film an Amazon-MGM production that’s set for an eventual debut on Prime Video. Indeed, the studio has had a lot more luck with launching their fare theatrically than many of their competitors, with Challengers opening similarly to Air and The Beekeeper, both Amazon-MGM movies whose theatrical success paved the way to big streaming numbers.
It certainly helps that Zendaya’s become a big star in the wake of Dune: Part Two’s blockbuster run this winter. However, whether the $50 million film is ultimately judged to be a box office success depends on how well its word-of-mouth allows it to hold up in the coming weeks. Next weekend sees the release of the first would-be summer blockbuster of the year, The Fall Guy, so hopefully the movie doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.
Sadly, another pretty good new release this weekend is dying, with Boy Kills World only looking like it will open with $1.6 million. It will be outgrossed by the theatrical re-release of Ridley Scott’s Alien, which celebrates its 45th anniversary with a limited theatrical run set to gross $1.8 million this weekend. Not bad for a movie literally everyone has seen, with it undeniably a special experience on the big screen. Meanwhile, the Christian biopic Unsung Hero looks like it will open in second place with $8 million. Last weekend’s new horror release, Abigail, will likely be beaten by Alex Garland’s Civil War, which has become a major word-of-mouth hit in recent weeks, with it passing the $55 million mark by the time the weekend ends.
What are you seeing this weekend? Let us know in the comments.
