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M. Night Shyamalan proved he’s still got it after his newest horror film Old came in first place at the weekend box office with $16.5 million domestically.
The iconic filmmaker’s latest thriller edge out the G.I. Joe prequel Snake Eyes, which only took in a paltry $13.35 million against its considerably higher budget, according to Deadline.
This weekend’s box office haul shrank by 25 percent compared to last week, as some moviegoers opted to stay home amid rising Covid-19 cases nationwide thanks to the quickly spreading Delta variant.
Still got it: M. Night Shyamalan’s horror film Old won at the weekend box office with $16.5 million, while the Henry Golding–starring Snake Eyes disappointed with $13.35 million against a much larger budget; Gael García Bernal and Alex Wolff in Old
Theaters in Los Angeles were forced to abide by LA County’s renewed mask mandate amid rising Covid-19 cases for unvaccinated people, which may have dissuaded some audience members.
Some of the shrinkage at the box office may also be due to the top two movies’ somewhat lackluster CinemaScores ratings, with audiences giving Old a C+ and Snake Eyes a B-.
Both movies also received a mixed set of reviews, with Old earning a 52 percent rating among critics surveyed by Rotten Tomatoes, while Snake Eyes held a 42 percent rotten rating and had trouble shaking the perception that it was a film that no one had been asking for.
Unlike other recent box office champions that were available online on opening day, including Space Jam: A New Legacy and Black Widow, Old is taking a traditional release strategy that will keep it exclusively in theaters for a longer amount of time.
Big reward: Old’s modest box office earnings were against an economical budget, and Shyamalan self-finances his films, meaning he’ll likely make a killing
Not great: Snake Eyes scored a B- CinemaScore and a 42 percent rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Snake Eyes will be available sooner, arriving on Paramount+ in 45 days, but that’s still a longer theatrical window than some recent big-budget movies.
The action origin story, which stars Crazy Rich Asians’ Henry Golding, is likely to plummet at the box office in subsequent weeks, meaning it will be difficult to make back its $88 million budget, which would have been significantly inflated when adding in advertising and publicity costs.
Meanwhile, Old has become a widely memed movie among social media users, which may increase interest and give it some staying power.
Shyamalan is a particularly economical filmmaker whose movie only cost $18 million to make, meaning it will quickly break even.
Old is his lowest performing film to date, but he’ll still make a killing as he self-finances his films, allowing him to keep a significant chunk of the earnings.
Not wanted: The G.I. Joe prequel had trouble beating the perception that it was a film no one asked for in lackluster reviews
Disney and Marvel’s Black Widow rounded out the top three for the weekend with $11.6 million, representing a 55 percent drop since last week.
The movie may have benefited from being in 4,250 theaters, while Old was only picked up by 3,355.
If the openings for Old and Snake Eyes were soft, the floor completely fell out for Space Jam: A New Legacy, which earned $9.56 million.
That represented a stunning 69 percent drop off from its debut last week, when it earned $31 million.
The film was savaged by critics, though it was popular with viewers, many of whom have the option of seeing the movie on HBO Max for no additional charge beyond the subscription price.
Still in the game: Disney and Marvel’s Black Widow rounded out the top three for the weekend with $11.6 million, representing a 55 percent drop since last week
Plummeting: If the openings for Old and Snake Eyes were soft, the floor completely fell out for Space Jam: A New Legacy, which earned $9.56 million
In fifth place at the weekend box office was the Fast & Furious sequel F9, which earned another $4.7 million.
The Vin Diesel–starring action film has earned $163.3 after five weeks in theaters.
The horror sequel Escape Room: Tournament Of Champions earned a respectable $3.4 million in its second week, while Alec Baldwin’s sequel Boss Baby: Family Business came in seventh place.
The computer-animated comedy earned $2.7 million for a $50.1 million total over four weeks.
Going strong: In fifth place at the weekend box office was the Fast & Furious sequel F9, which earned another $4.7 million. The Vin Diesel–starring action film has earned $163.3 after five weeks
Modest: The horror sequel Escape Room: Tournament Of Champions earned a respectable $3.4 million in its second week
Family friendly: Alec Baldwin’s sequel Boss Baby: Family Business came in seventh place. The computer-animated comedy earned $2.7 million for a $50.1 million total over four weeks
Another horror sequel, Forever Purge, took home $2.3 million in its fourth week for $40.3 million total.
A Quiet Place 2, one of the biggest success of the pandemic-era box office, earned another $1.25 million after nine weeks in theaters.
The film is now available for to view for Paramount+ subscribers, meaning it will likely continue to drop off steeply.
Finishing out the top 10 at the weekend box office was a rare documentary entry, Morgan Neville’s controversial Roadrunner.
Creepy: Another horror sequel, Forever Purge, took home $2.3 million in its fourth week for $40.3 million total
Staying power: A Quiet Place 2, one of the biggest success of the pandemic-era box office, earned another $1.25 million after nine weeks in theaters
The film is about the late chef, writer and television host Anthony Bourdain, who died by suicide in France in 2018 while filming an episode of his series Parts Unknown.
The film has courted criticism from some viewers and critics for opting not to interview Bourdain’s girlfriend Asia Argento, despite focusing on their tumultuous relationship at the end of his life.
Some critics also blasted the movie for using an AI-created version of Bourdain’s voice to read private emails, though the film never reveals that its not actually the food expert speaking.
Documentary success: The Anthony Bourdain documentary Roadrunner rounded out the top 10, though it was criticized by some reviews for ethical lapses
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