What a bummer! That’s what I thought to myself when I opened this week’s box office report from Rentrak and saw how poorly Masters of the Universe had done (even though I had seen it coming). Despite a massive budget, huge marketing push, and good reviews (read ours here), the film simply wasn’t able to catch on with audiences, making only $29.3 million this weekend and earning a middling B CinemaScore, which suggests moviegoers aren’t especially enthusiastic about it.
What happened?
It’s odd because, on paper, Amazon/MGM did everything right by assembling a solid cast and giving the film an exclusive theatrical release. But, at the end of the day, the audience just wasn’t there. It was primarily an event movie for people who grew up with the cartoon and are likely in their forties now — a demographic that may be less inclined to rush out to theaters on opening weekend.
By contrast, Scary Movie 6 was able to rally at the box office despite horrifyingly bad reviews. The Wayans Bros. have a built-in audience, and in the end, the movie managed to nab a terrific $55 million opening, the best debut the franchise has ever seen. Overseas, it’s proving just as popular, earning another $50 million for a $105 million worldwide opening weekend. That’s huge, especially since no one was sure the franchise would still have international appeal. Kudos to Paramount for giving the Wayans family back the reins of the franchise.
Another interesting battle took place this weekend between the two big breakout movies from YouTubers. Backrooms plunged 68% in its second weekend to $25.9 million. It was nearly overtaken by Curry Barker’s Obsession, which fell only 7% and earned $25.6 million, bringing its domestic total to a massive $152 million. It looks certain to pass $200 million domestically, which is incredible for a horror movie. As for Backrooms, while that drop is steep, don’t feel too bad for director Kane Parsons — it’s already the biggest hit A24 has ever had, so there’s little reason to worry.
Another unexpected entry into the top five this weekend was The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act, which earned $12.7 million, bringing its domestic total to $21 million after strong Thursday previews. The news was far grimmer for The Mandalorian and Grogu, which is sinking like a stone at the box office. It managed only $10 million this weekend for a domestic total of $155 million. It doesn’t have a prayer of reaching $200 million, and it’s increasingly looking like a major flop for Disney, which now seems likely to lose money on the film.
Lionsgate’s Michael continued to pull in big bucks, earning $7.7 million for a mammoth $354 million domestic gross. Meanwhile, Nate Bargatze’s The Breadwinner fell a steep 54% to $3.4 million and a disappointing $13.8 million domestic total, putting it on track to join other stand-up comedian-led box office disappointments such as Easter Sunday and About My Father. The Brendan Fraser-led D-Day drama Pressure failed to hold up, making only $3 million for an $11 million domestic haul. Rounding out the top ten was The Devil Wears Prada 2, which added $2.8 million to bring its domestic total to an impressive $214 million.
Why do you think Masters of the Universe flopped? Let us know in the comments.
| # | MOVIE TITLE | WKND $ | TOTAL $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scary Movie | $55 M | $55 M |
| 2 | Masters of the Universe | $29.3 M | $29.3 M |
| 3 | Backrooms | $25.9 M | $135 M |
| 4 | Obsession | $25.6 M | $152.1 M |
| 5 | The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act | $12.7 M | $21 M |
| 6 | Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu | $10 M | $155 M |
| 7 | Michael | $7.7 M | $354.3 M |
| 8 | The Breadwinner | $3.4 M | $13.8 M |
| 9 | Pressure | $3 M | $11.1 M |
| 10 | The Devil Wears Prada 2 | $2.8 M | $214 M |
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