Weekend Box Office: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Rolls a First Place Opening

Photo Credits: Paramount ("Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves"); Lionsgate ("John Wick: Chapter 4")

Monday Update: Biblical epic His Only Son edged out Scream VI for third place, with $5.50M versus $5.33M. In the original Sunday studio estimates, both films were exactly tied at $5.30M.


Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Paramount’s fantasy action comedy was hardly in the dungeon, debuting with $38.5M in first place.

That’s in line with pre-release industry projections, which were in the $35M-$40M range.

Versus some other comparable fantasy action comedies of recent years, that opening is:

  • -12% below 2022’s Uncharted ($44.0M)
  • +6% above 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle ($36.1M)
  • +26% above 2022’s The Lost City ($30.4M)
  • +27% above this month’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods ($30.1M)
  • +35% above 2021’s Free Guy ($28.3M)

The opening weekend audience for Honor was an estimated 60% male, 61% white, and gave the film an “A-” CinemaScore.

The box office comprised 35% from premium format screenings, including 10% from IMAX.

Honor debuted with $33.0M overseas, for a $71.5M global opening.

Top overseas markets include China ($5.0M though only a fourth-place opening), U.K. ($4.3M), Mexico ($2.4M), Australia ($2.4M), and Germany ($2.0M).

Read Boxoffice PRO’s interview with directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein here:

https://www.boxofficepro.com/a-merrie-olde-goode-time-dungeons-dragons-honor-among-thieves-brings-fantasy-and-comedy-to-the-multiplex/

John Wick: Chapter 4

Last weekend, Lionsgate’s R-rated action thriller starring Keanu Reeves gunned its way to $73.8M start in first place, a franchise high and in line with pre-release industry projections.

Now in its sophomore frame, the film falls -62% to $28.2M and second place.

That’s a steeper sophomore drop than for any other film in the franchise:

  • 2014’s John Wick (-45%)
  • 2017’s John Wick: Chapter Two (-47%)
  • 2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum (-57%)

With $122.8M total through 10 days, Chapter 4 has already far exceeded the totals of both the first ($43.0M) and second installments ($92.0M).

It’s also closing in on Parabellum’s $171.0M total. Through the equivalent point in release, it’s running +21% ahead.

Chapter 4 has now earned $122.0M overseas and $244.8M globally.

That global total far exceeds both the first ($76.0M) and second installments ($171.3M). It’s also currently -25% behind Parabellum’s $327.2M global total.

Top overseas markets for Chapter 4 include the U.K. ($12.2M), Germany ($10.6M), Australia ($8.7M), and France ($4.6M).

Read Boxoffice PRO’s interview with director Chad Stahelski here:

https://www.boxofficepro.com/no-way-back-one-way-out-chad-stahelski-brings-john-wick-back-to-the-post-pandemic-big-screen/

His Only Son

Angel Studios’ faith-based His Only Son debuted with $5.3M, tentatively tied with Scream VI for third place. (Final rankings will be released on Monday afternoon.)

That’s above industry pre-release projections, which were closer to $3M. Versus some other comparable faith-based films of recent years, Son opened:

  • -2% below 2022’s Father Stu ($5.4M)
  • -9% below 2021’s American Underdog ($5.8M)
  • +2% above 2018’s Paul, Apostle of Christ ($5.1M)

Scream VI

Now in its fourth frame, Paramount’s horror sequel falls only -36% to $5.3M, tentatively tied with His Only Son for third place. (Final rankings will be released on Monday afternoon.)

With $98.2M total, the sixth installment has already beaten the third, fourth, and fifth installments, and looks poised to overtake the first two installments later this week or next weekend:

  • +20% and counting above 2022’s fifth installment Scream ($81.6M)
  • 2.57x and counting above 2011’s Scream 4 ($38.1M)
  • +10% and counting above 2000’s Scream 3 ($89.1M)
  • -3% below 1997’s Scream 2 ($101.3M)
  • -4% below 1996’s Scream ($103.0M)

Scream VI has now earned $49.4M overseas and $139.3M globally.

That just slightly exceeds the global total of 2022’s Scream with $138.8M, though it hasn’t yet caught up to the first three installments which all earned in the $160M to $175M range globally.

Top overseas markets to date include France ($7.7M), U.K. ($7.4M), Mexico ($4.5M), and Australia ($4.1M).

Creed III

Now in its fifth frame, the MGM / United Artists Releasing boxing drama declines -39% to $5.0M and fifth place.

With $148.5M, the film has already exceeded the final totals of both its two predecessors:

  • +35% and counting above 2015’s Creed ($109.7M)
  • +28% and counting above 2018’s Creed II ($115.7M)

Creed III has earned $110.0M overseas and $258.6M globally. That’s also already exceeded both of its predecessors:

  • +49% and counting above 2015’s Creed ($173.5M global)
  • +21% and counting above 2018’s Creed II ($213.5M global)

Top overseas totals include France ($16.4M), U.K. ($15.4M), Germany ($10.1M), Mexico ($8.1M), and Italy ($7.2M).

Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Last weekend, in its sophomore frame, Warner Bros.’ superhero sequel fell -69%. That was well below the sophomore drop for 2019’s Shazam (-54%).

It was also steeper than almost every other “DC Extended Universe” installment, though slightly milder than for 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (-69.1%) and 2021’s The Suicide Squad (-71%).

Now in its third frame, Fury falls -49% to $4.7M and sixth place – down a worrying four spots from its second place finish last frame.

With $53.5M total through 17 days, the film is faring poorly against several comparable “DC Extended Universe” superhero titles:

Film

Fury opening

Fury total through same point in release

Trend

2019’s Shazam!

-47%

-55%

Down

2022’s Black Adam

-55%

-61%

Down

2018’s Aquaman

-58%

-79%

Down

2017’s Wonder Woman

-70%

-80%

Down

Fury has now earned $66.0M overseas and $119.6 globally.

It appears certain not to match the $363.5M global total of 2019’s original Shazam! In the worst-case scenario, it might not even reach half of it.

Top overseas totals to date include Mexico ($9.2M), China ($6.0M), and the U.K. (also $6.0M). That China total in particular is only a fraction of the original Shazam’s $43.8M there.

A Thousand and One

Focus Features’ drama debuted with $1.8M in seventh place.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Now in its seventh frame, the Disney / Marvel Studios superhero sequel shrinks -49% to $1.2M and ninth place.

Quantumania’s $212.0M has already exceeded the final domestic total of 2015’s Ant-Man ($180.2M). However, it risks falling short of 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp ($216.6M), an outcome few would have projected pre-release.

Through 45 days, Quantumania is faring poorly versus both the two prior Ant-Man films, plus 2022’s three Marvel Cinematic Universe releases:

Film

Quantumania opening

Quantumania total through same point in release

Trend

2015’s Ant-Man

+85%

+25%

Down

2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp

+39%

+1.7%

Down

2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

-41%

-50%

Down

2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder

-26%

-36%

Down

2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

-43%

-47%

Down

Quantumania looks increasingly to match Ant-Man and the Wasp’s $622.6M global total.

Weekend comparisons

Total box office this weekend came in around $96.5M, which is:

Weekend

Total

This weekend is:

Notes

Last weekend

$116.2M

-16%

John Wick: Chapter 4 led ($73.8M)

Same weekend in 2022

$83.0M

+16%

Morbius led ($39.0M)

Same weekend in 2019

$137.8M

-30%

Dumbo led ($45.9M)

YTD comparisons

Year-to-date box office stands around $1.75B, which is:

Year

YTD total

2023 YTD now:

2023 YTD after last weekend:

Trend

2022

$1.37B

+27.6%

+26.8%

Up

2019

$2.41B

-27.2%

-26.4%

Down

Top distributors

Grouped by parent company, the YTD leaders are:

    1. Disney + 20th Century + Searchlight: $516.1M
    2. Universal + Focus Features: $351.6M
    3. Lionsgate: $212.3M
    4. Paramount: $195.7M
    5. MGM + United Artists: $155.6M
    6. Sony Pictures + Sony Classics: $143.8M
    7. Warner Bros.: $88.6M

Sunday’s Studio Weekend Estimates:

Title  Estimated weekend  % change Locations Location change Average  Total  Weekend Distributor
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves $38,500,000   3,855   $9,987 $38,500,000 1 Paramount
John Wick: Chapter 4 $28,200,000 -62% 3,855   $7,315 $122,868,306 2 Lionsgate
His Only Son $5,300,000   1,920   $2,760 $5,300,000 1 Angel Studios
Scream VI $5,300,000 -36% 3,016 -339 $1,757 $98,228,000 4 Paramount
Creed III $5,007,290 -39% 2,827 -380 $1,771 $148,579,993 5 United Artists
Shazam! Fury of the Gods $4,720,000 -49% 3,451 -620 $1,368 $53,593,049 3 Warner Bros.
A Thousand and One $1,800,000   926   $1,944 $1,800,000 1 Focus Features [Universal]
“65” $1,580,000 -51% 2,113 -673 $748 $30,580,972 4 Sony Pictures
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania $1,230,000 -49% 1,440 -475 $854 $212,023,747 7 Walt Disney
Jesus Revolution $1,000,000 -49% 1,415 -549 $707 $50,898,788 6 Lionsgate
Cocaine Bear $850,000 -59% 1,164 -1,043 $730 $63,758,925 6 Universal
Avatar: The Way of Water $846,000 -38% 675 -260 $1,253 $681,798,437 16 20th Century Studios [Disney]
Champions $700,000 -54% 1,121 -796 $624 $14,951,805 4 Focus Features [Universal]
A Good Person $510,210 -39% 687 157 $743 $1,751,450 2 United Artists
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish $430,000 -50% 807 -500 $533 $184,878,235 15 Universal
Malum $221,738   249   $891 $221,738 1 Welcome Villain Films
Everything Everywhere All At Once $168,507 -61% 253 -354 $666 $77,020,896   A24
The Quiet Girl $92,200 -25% 129 -17 $715 $1,369,880 16 Super LTD
Enys Men $71,200   62   $1,148 $100,000 1 Neon
The Whale $19,054 -53% 49 -40 $389 $17,443,137 17 A24
Tori and Lokita $9,827 -32% 8 6 $1,228 $27,254 2 Janus Films
Violent Night $7,000 -43% 24 -3 $292 $50,050,440 18 Universal
Nam June Paik: Moon Is The Oldest TV $6,623 -38% 1 n/c $6,623 $24,706 2 Greenwich
Photo Credits: Paramount ("Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves"); Lionsgate ("John Wick: Chapter 4")