Box Office Update: Demon Slayer May Hold on to Top Spot, Big Bold Tanks.
Saturday’s results show anime titan Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle still swinging, while Him and A Big Bold Beautiful Journey vie for wallet share.
Peele and Universal’s Him debuted Friday with a decent $6.4 million but could lag behind weekend estimates near $15 million. The weekend fight goes to Demon Slayere, which set a staggering $70 million U.S. debut last frame and is on course to $16 million despite a plunging 77%. The film is already past $419 million worldwide and still growing, and with no competing anime in sight, it still looks to choke the weekend.
But the weekend brought additional setbacks for Sony’s broader slate, with the well-publicized Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell romantic fantasy A Big Bold Beautiful Journey forecasted to end the week with an underwhelming $3.8 million, landing in sixth place. The film tracks a couple as they revisit defining memories, and it marks Robbie’s first lead role since Barbie reignited the box office two years ago. The release drew a B- CinemaScore from ticket buyers and lukewarm notices from critics. Kogonada directed from a Blacklist script by Seth Reiss.
Him fared similarly with mixed reviews. This psychological horror story stars Tyriq Withers as a highly touted NFL quarterback prospect whose career is derailed when he’s blindsided by an assailant, suffering traumatic brain injuries. His road to recovery relies on Marlon Wayans, in the role of the GOAT QB, who offers private training at his estate. The film came from director Justin Tipping and received a C- CinemaScore from audiences.
Rounding out the weekend’s top five are New Line’s The Conjuring: The Last Rites, now in its third weekend and expected to take in about $12.1 million. Coming in at number four is Lionsgate’s The Long Walk, projected to pull in $6.4 million, while Focus’ Downton Abbey: The Finale is close behind with an expected $6.1 million.
