WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Freaky Finishes At No. 1 Again Over Quiet Pre-Thanksgiving Frame

Photo Credit: Universal Pictures

Freaky, the Universal body swap horror-comedy that topped the box office last weekend, again finished at No. 1 over a quiet pre-Thanksgiving frame that saw a dearth of major new studio releases.

Grossing an estimated $1.2 million in its second weekend, Freaky now sits at $5.6 million after ten days of release. In announcing the results, Universal noted that the theatrical footprint in North America has been reduced from 3,400 to 2,800 screens since last weekend, putting a damper on turnout. Freaky itself lost over 400 screens.

Rising to second place was 101 Studios’ The War With Grandpa, which took in an estimated $733,067 and now has $16.18 million through its seventh weekend of release.

Third and fourth place went to two Focus features titles that previously debuted at No. 1: Let Him Go, which brought in an estimated $710,000, and Come Play, which grossed an estimated $550,000. Both films have brought in $8 million to date.

Finishing in fifth was Disney’s re-release of the 1994 Tim Allen holiday comedy The Santa Clause, which grossed a mild $461,000 on 1,581 screens.

Open Road Films’ Honest Thief took sixth place with an estimated $452,000, bringing the total for the Liam Neeson action film to $13 million.

Gravitas Ventures enjoyed its widest release to date with the Jackie Chan actioner Vanguard, which nonetheless debuted way down in seventh place with an estimated $400,000 from 1,375 screens.

Tristar Pictures’ post WWII drama The Last Vermeer debuted on 912 screens and brought in an estimated $225,000, good enough for ninth place.

Debuting outside the Top 10 was Paramount comedy The Buddy Games, which opened in a slight 401 locations and grossed an estimated $140,000.

OVERSEAS

International grosses for domestic titles were light this weekend. Warner Bros.’ The Witches, which was released directly on HBO Max in North America, grossed an estimated $1.2 million in 23 markets for a total of $15.1 million to date, while the studio’s Tenet brought in another $1.1 million from 53 markets for a total of $299.2 million internationally and $356 million worldwide.

Freaky brought in $1.1 million from 23 markets for a total of $3.7 million to date.


Sunday’s Studio Weekend Estimates (Domestic)

FRI, NOV. 20 – SUN, NOV. 22

WIDE (1000+)

# TITLE WEEKEND   LOCATIONS   AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Freaky $1,220,000 -66% 2,057 -415 $593 $5,592,295 2 Universal Pictures
2 The War With Grandpa $733,067 -44% 1,688 -457 $434 $16,182,660 7 101 Studios
3 Let Him Go $710,000 -59% 1,907 -551 $372 $7,929,300 3 Focus Features
4 Come Play $550,000 -49% 1,364 -602 $403 $8,054,665 4 Focus Features
5 The Santa Clause (2020 re-release) $461,000 1,581 $292 $461,000 1 Walt Disney Pictures
6 Honest Thief $452,000 -42% 1,254 -589 $360 $13,010,569 6 Open Road Films
7 Vanguard $400,000 1,375 $291 $400,000 1 Gravitas Ventures

LIMITED (100 — 999)

# TITLE WEEKEND   LOCATIONS   AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Tenet $360,000 -51% 864 -359 $417 $56,900,000 12 Warner Bros.
2 The Last Vermeer $225,000 912 $247 $225,000 1 Sony Pictures Classics
3 Buddy Games $140,000 401 $349 $140,000 1 Paramount
4 Guardians of the Galaxy (2020 re-release) $136,000 -67% 815 -745 $167 $542,000 2 Disney
5 Fatman $51,266 -53% 177 -82 $290 $192,501 2 Saban Films
6 The New Mutants $41,000 -51% 105 -110 $390 $23,812,361 13 20th Century Studios
7 The Empty Man $31,000 -62% 202 -304 $153 $2,971,461 5 20th Century Studios
8 Ammonite $23,000 -74% 180 -100 $128 $145,088 2 NEON

PLATFORM (1 — 99)

# TITLE WEEKEND   LOCATIONS   AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 The Forgotten Carols $120,300 58 $2,074 $120,300 1 Purdie Distribution
2 2 Hearts $4,000 -77% 54 -94 $74 $1,345,495 6 Freestyle Releasing
Photo Credit: Universal Pictures