Among a trio of debuts, 20th Century Studios’ Free Guy was the weekend’s winner with $28.4 million, 29% of which came from premium formats, including IMAX and 3D. The strong opening is a testament to the appeal of the film’s star Ryan Reynolds among moviegoers.
Debuting in 4,165 theaters – by far the biggest reach of the three new releases over the weekend – Free Guy performed slightly above expectations, thanks in part to an exclusive theatrical release (the film is slated for a 45-day exclusive theatrical run) in an era where daily streaming releases are increasingly common Encouragingly, the studio reports that Friday-Saturday viewership for the action-comedy was up 24%.
Sony/Columbia’s Don’t Breathe 2 debuted to high expectations, taking second place with $10.6 million, a testament to both its theatrical exclusivity and audience goodwill from the first film, which debuted on 26 .41 million dollars in August 2016 before ending it. The film grossed a substantial $89.22 million domestically on a $10 million budget.
Disney’s Jungle Cruise boasted another strong performance in its third weekend of release, falling just 43% to third place with $9 million. The Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt adventure has proven to be a reliable moneymaker with a total of $82.1 million to date.
Overseas: Protagonist opened with an estimated $22.5 million from 14 countries, including $3.4 million in the UK, $2.9 million in Russia, $1.4 million in Korea, and $1.3 million in Japan. It is slated to open in several other countries next weekend, including Spain and Brazil, with a planned release in China on the horizon, though an exact date is not yet known. Suicide Squad 2 grossed around $17 million in 70 countries, including a $1.9 million opening in Japan, bringing the reboot’s international cume to $75.2 million and a global cume of $118.1 million. The biggest overseas markets to date include Great Britain ($14.9 million), Russia ($7.3 million), France ($4.3 million), Germany ($3.8 million), Korea and Mexico ($3. 5 million dollars).
Universal’s The Fast and the Furious 9 (F9) grossed $8.1 million in 61 territories, including a $1.77 million opening in Taiwan, bringing its international cume to $509.34 million and a worldwide total of 681. 4 million dollars. Jungle Cruise grossed $6.7 million in 49 countries. Its international total now stands at $72.2 million and its total is $154.3 million. To date, the leading markets are Great Britain ($11.7 million), Russia ($7.4 million), Japan ($6 million) and France ($5.1 million).
