No Time To Die: box office update

UPDATE: The estimates for the Indigenous Peoples’ Day holiday and Columbus Day are in and it looks like No Time To Die is going to add about $5-6 million to its weekend total which will put in the $60 million+ range for its opening. That’s around where the film was tracking but all the talk today about No Time To Die’s performance is whether or not it’s as expected or a disappointment. It is one of the bigger openings of 2021 so far but I suspect MGM was expecting a higher result. Comparing Bond Mondays, No Time To Die could come in ahead of Spectre‘s first Monday ($5.3 million) back in 2015, and higher than 2008’s Quantum of Solace ($4.1 million) and 2006’s Casino Royale (3.8 million).

No Time To Die, as expected, took the number one spot at the box office but it did debut slightly below expectations and now we have to determine if Daniel Craig’s swan song as 007 will actually be a hit.

No Time To Die opened to $56 million this weekend which is slightly below the $60 million figure the film was tracking at heading into the weekend. I want to stop short of calling this opening “bad” or “disappointing.” We all knew that Bond films skew older and that target demo is still reluctant to head to the theater during the pandemic. $56 million isn’t a bad start considering all the things working against the film. Not only is there the pandemic, but some of the audience was also indulging in the second weekend of Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and what we’re seeing is that the month of October is crowded and all of these tentpole releases have to settle splitting up the pie. In terms of Bond openings, No Time To Die is the fourth biggest opening at the domestic box office behind Skyfall ($88.3 million), Spectre ($70.4 million), and Quantum of Solace ($67.5 million). The real power of Bond has always been abroad, particularly in the U.K., and the film is performing well on a global scale with a current total of $313.3 million worldwide. With all the delays, No Time To Die has a long way to go to break even so we will have to wait and see how this all plays out in the weeks ahead.

Falling to second is Venom: Let There Be Carnage which grossed $32 million in its second weekend. That’s a 64% drop from its pandemic best $90 million opening but considering it had to face the opening of No Time To Die, I think it’s a pretty solid hold. Some of the films over the summer tumbled between 67-69% and they weren’t facing immediate competition. To date, Venom: Let There Be Carnage has grossed $141.6 million at the domestic box office, and globally, the film has taken in $185.6 million with several more markets left to open in the near future.

Falling to third is The Addams Family 2 with a gross of $10 million. That’s a drop of 42% which isn’t bad considering the film is also available for digital rent at home. The film is clearly appealing to kids and fans of the brand and I’m sure its performance on PVOD has also been pretty successful. The Addams Family 2 has grossed $31.1 million domestically.

In fourth we find Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings with a gross of $4.2 million. Considering it has new competition from No Time To Die and is dealing with the second weekend of Venom: Let There Be Carnage, the 31% decline is rather impressive, especially for a film that has been out for six weeks. Domestically, Shang-Chi has pulled in an impressive $212.4 million and it also brings its global total to $401.6 million, outpacing Marvel’s Black Widow domestically and abroad.

Rounding out the top five is The Many Saints of Newark which grossed $1.4 million. That’s a steep decline of 69% from its soft opening last weekend and it shows that the film is simply not breaking out beyond The Sopranos fanbase. That being said, news of its streaming performance has shown the film has been a hit on HBO Max and it even gave a boost to The Sopranos on the platform. As long as the film is thriving there, I think Warner Bros. will be happy with the outcome overall. To date, The Many Saints of Newark has grossed $7.4 million domestically.

In sixth place we have Free Guy which grossed 1.3 million over the weekend. That’s a drop of 43% but it should be noted that even with increased competition, Free Guy hasn’t seen a decline of close to 50%. The film has performed impressively since its debut in August and continues to be a word of mouth hit. To date, Free Guy has grossed $119.6 million domestically.

A24’s Lamb lands in seventh with $1.079 million from 583 locations. This is a release that isn’t going to appeal to everyone but, having seen the film, it’s definitely worth it if you’re willing to give the film a chance. Not sure what A24’s expectations are for the film but I’m going to call this a decent start.

Falling to eighth is Dear Evan Hansen which grossed $1 million over the weekend. The film continues its quick decline with a drop of 60% as the musical adaptation hasn’t connected with moviegoers outside the fanbase. To date, the film has grossed $13.7 million domestically and it’s not going to come close to matching its meager $27 million budget.

Holding on to the top ten in ninth place is Candyman which grossed $700,000. That’s a decline of 45% and still pretty impressive considering the film is available on PVOD now. To date, Candyman has grossed $60 million domestically against a $25 million budget.

Closing out the top ten is Jungle Cruise which grossed $214,000 in its 11th weekend. It’s a rough decline of 70% but the film has pretty much made all of the money it’s going to make at this point. A sequel is already greenlit and a new franchise is already born for Disney. Domestically, Jungle Cruise has grossed $116.5 million to date.

In overseas box office news, Dune grossed $8.8 million over the weekend from 32 markets. That’s a drop of 41% but it’s still a solid hold as it brings its international total to $117.1 million two weeks before its arrival in the U.S.

What are YOUR thoughts on this weekend’s box office results?