Football festivities and cold weather across the East Coast and Midwest kept people indoors this Super Bowl weekend, leading to a quiet box office. With no major new releases, Sam Raimi’s survival thriller “Send Help” took the top spot, making $10 million. This was a steep 47% drop from its opening weekend performance of $19.1 million. Meanwhile, the documentary “Melania,” focusing on the former First Lady, fell to ninth place, earning only $2.37 million from 2,003 theaters—a 67% decline.
The Super Bowl is known for slowing box office revenues, and this year was no exception. According to Comscore, the total for the weekend was around $60 million. It’s not the lowest on record—2024’s Super Bowl weekend made just $38.9 million—but it’s far below pre-pandemic numbers, where weekends like this would typically rake in $75 to $85 million.
“Send Help,” which has made $35.8 million in the U.S. and $17.9 million overseas, shows solid word-of-mouth despite a large budget of $40 million. Disney hopes for its continued success through the winter.
On the other hand, “Melania” has grossed $13.35 million domestically, a decent figure for a documentary, but its production and marketing costs of $75 million raise concerns about profitability. Amazon MGM’s head of domestic distribution, Kevin Wilson, stated that the film’s theatrical showing is vital for its overall success, especially since it will eventually be available on Prime Video.
Another film, “Iron Lung,” directed by YouTube star Markiplier, landed in third place with $6.2 million. Despite a 66% drop from its premiere, it has done well overall, grossing $31.2 million against a budget of just $3 million.
Independent films also found a moment to shine. “Solo Mio” came in second with $7.2 million, and “Stray Kids: The Dominate Experience” opened strong with $5.5 million. Paul Dergarabedian from Comscore noted that a lack of major studio competition allows these independent films to stand out and connect with audiences.
The upcoming weekend promises more activity with several new releases, including “Wuthering Heights” and a film produced by Steph Curry, signaling hope for a box office resurgence.
While movie theater owners are optimistic, they have been struggling. Indeed, a rebound in attendance and revenue is crucial to restore the industry after challenging years.
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Melania,Send Help
