Demon Slayer vs. Him: Battle for Box Office Supremacy at $15M-$16M, While ‘Big Bold Beautiful Journey’ Drops to $3M – Saturday AM Recap

After a strong couple of weekends, the September box office has hit a significant drop, down 49% from last weekend to $76.9 million. The competition is tight between Sony/Crunchyroll’s Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle and Universal/Monkeypaw’s Him, both earning around $15 million to $16 million.

Demon Slayer is following classic anime trends, experiencing a steep drop in its second weekend, projected at around 78%. Despite the decline, it’s set to become the highest-grossing anime film in the U.S., and expected to surpass $100 million soon.

On the other hand, Him debuted with $6.47 million on Friday and has received mixed reviews, holding a C- CinemaScore and a low Rotten Tomatoes rating (28% from critics, 58% from audiences). With the NFL games likely impacting its Sunday numbers, it could see a drop of about 37%.

In contrast, the highly-anticipated romance A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, featuring Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell, has underperformed, bringing in only $3.5 million against a $50 million budget. Despite its star power, it suffered from poor reviews (38% on Rotten Tomatoes) and disappointing audience impressions, earning a B- CinemaScore.

Interestingly, the summer release Materialists from A24 showed a strong performance with an $11.3 million opening and positive reviews at 79%. Both it and Big Bold Beautiful Journey received similar audience exit scores of B-.

It appears that films not connected to popular franchises are struggling. Many suggest that A Big Bold Beautiful Journey might have fared better as a specialty film rather than a mainstream release. Despite its issues, it’s not the worst performance for either star, landing between previous modest openings like Babylon and Amsterdam for Robbie, and Seven Psychopaths for Farrell.

Analyzing audience demographics provides some insight into these trends. Him attracted a near-even gender split, while A Big Bold Beautiful Journey drew a larger female audience. Reports show that many viewers came as couples, indicating that romantic films can still gather groups, but only if the film resonates well with them.

Across social media, opinions indicate skepticism toward Big Bold Beautiful Journey. Comments range from critiques of its emotional depth to comparisons with the AI-generated tropes, mirroring sentiments seen in popular media critiques. These reactions highlight the challenge for original content to break through when faced with high expectations.

Despite its challenges, Him has seen demographic diversity in ticket sales, with notable attendance from various ethnic backgrounds. This may signal a shift in audience preferences, as films with unique themes attract wider audiences.

As the box office landscape evolves, understanding viewer preferences and societal trends will be essential for filmmakers aiming to capture audiences. The fluctuations seen now may serve as critical lessons for future releases.

For more statistics on box office performance and trends, check out this recent report from the Motion Picture Association.

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A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle,Him