Indie horror film Terrifier 3 is dominating the domestic box office this weekend, securing a strong opening as major releases like Joker: Folie à Deux face significant setbacks. The third installment of the Terrifier series, distributed by Cineverse and Icon Events, is projected to earn between $16 million and $17 million from 1,988 theaters, comfortably taking the top spot.
DreamWorks Animation and Universal’s The Wild Robot continues to perform well, holding the second position in its third weekend with an estimated $13.9 million from 3,854 locations. Meanwhile, Warner Bros.’ Beetlejuice Beetlejuice remains strong in third place, grossing around $7.2 million to $7.4 million in its sixth weekend, crossing $275 million domestically.
One of the weekend’s biggest surprises comes from Joker: Folie à Deux, which is experiencing an 82% drop in its second weekend, the steepest decline ever for a comic book movie. The Todd Phillips-directed sequel is estimated to bring in just $6.6 million to $6.8 million from 4,102 theaters, falling significantly short of its initial expectations.
Meanwhile, The Apprentice, a biographical film about Donald Trump, is debuting with sluggish numbers. Distributed by Briarcliff, the film is expected to earn around $1.5 million from 1,740 theaters, far below its projected $3 million opening. Despite its slow start, Briarcliff’s Tom Ortenberg remains optimistic, citing a steady growth strategy for the film, which premiered at Cannes and Telluride.
In contrast, Focus Features’ animated biographical documentary Piece by Piece, based on Pharrell Williams and produced in partnership with LEGO, is performing modestly well for a documentary, with an estimated $3.5 million from 1,865 theaters. Similarly, Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night, a tribute to Saturday Night Live, is also expected to earn $3.5 million in its nationwide expansion after a limited release.
Despite several high-profile releases, the overall box office is down 45% compared to the same weekend last year, largely due to the sharp decline of Joker: Folie à Deux and the overall soft marketplace.
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