Weekend Box Office: Shazam! Fury of the Gods Debuts Well Below Original

Photo Credits: Warner Bros. ("Shazam! Fury of the Gods"); Paramount ("Scream VI"); MGM ("Creed III")

Shazam! Fury of the Gods

The gods didn’t look kindly upon Warner Bros.’ superhero comedy sequel, which debuted in first place with $30.5M but -43% behind its predecessor.

Still, the sequel’s opening was about in line with pre-release industry projections, which were generally in the $25M-$30M range. 

Compared to some other DC Extended Universe titles, Fury opened:

  • -43% below 2019’s original Shazam! ($53.5M)
  • -54% below the last DC Extended Universe movie, 2022’s Black Adam ($67.0M)

Compared to some other similar March sci-fi releases of the past decade, Fury also opened:

  • -27% below 2018’s Ready Player One ($41.7M)
  • -24% below 2017’s Power Rangers ($40.3M)
  • -44% below 2014’s Divergent ($54.6M)
  • -41% below 2015’s Insurgent ($52.2M)
  • +5% above 2016’s Allegiant ($29.0M)
  • -50% below 2017’s Kong: Skull Island ($61.0M)
  • -8% below 2018’s A Wrinkle in Time ($33.1M)

Fury earned a “B+” CinemaScore, lower than the “A” CinemaScore for 2019’s original Shazam! 

The sequel’s opening weekend audience was an estimated 40% younger than 25. That’s an older audience than the original Shazam, whose opening weekend was 45% younger than 25.

The sequel also earned 36% of its opening weekend earnings from premium formats, including IMAX.

Fury opened with $35.0M overseas, -65% below the original Shazam‘s $102M overseas debut.

Fury also opened with a $65.5M global start, -58% below the original’s $158.6M.

The sequel’s top market openings include China ($4.4M), Mexico ($4.0M), and the U.K. ($3.0M).

That China debut in particular is a steep -85% behind the original’s $30.9M Chinese opening.

Scream VI

Last weekend, Paramount’s horror sequel debuted with $44.4M, the franchise’s top opening yet and on the higher end of pre-release industry projections.

Now in its sophomore frame, it falls -61% to $17.5M and second place.

Compared to other openings in the franchise, that sophomore percentage drop is steeper than:

  • 1997’s Scream 2 (-58%)
  • 2000’s Scream 3 (-53%)
  • 2022’s fifth installment Scream (-59%)

However, it’s slightly milder than the drop for 2011’s Scream 4 (-62%).

Versus some other comparable horror titles in the past year or two, it’s also steeper than:

  • 2022’s Smile (-18%)
  • January’s M3GAN (-40%)
  • 2022’s The Black Phone (-48%)
  • 2022’s Nope (-58%)
  • 2021’s A Quiet Place Part II (-59%)

However it’s milder than for 2021’s Halloween Kills (-71%) and 2022’s Halloween Ends (-80%). Both titles debuted day-and-date, simultaneously in cinemas and streaming on Peacock.

Overseas, Scream VI fell -46%, a milder drop than its -61% decline. It now stands at a $40.0M overseas total, for a $116.0M global total. It’s already closing in on the $137.7M global total of 2022’s Scream

Creed III

Last weekend, in its second frame, the MGM / United Artists Releasing boxing drama fell -53%. That sophomore percentage drop was equal to or steeper than that of the last three films in the Creed / Rocky franchise.

Now in its third frame, the the film declines -44% to $15.3M and third place.

The film is holding better than either of its two predecessors:

Film

Creed III opening

Creed III total through last weekend

Creed III total through this weekend

Trend

2015’s Creed

+38%

+57%

+61%

Up

2018’s Creed II

+4%

+25%

+32%

Up

Overseas, the film declined -50% this weekend, a bit steeper than its -44% domestic drop.

The film has now earned $96.6M overseas total, for a $224.3M global total. It’s now surpassed the global totals of both Creed II‘s ($214.2M) and Creed ($173.5M).

The third installment’s top overseas market totals include France ($15.0M), U.K. ($14.1M), and Germany ($9.5M).

65

Last weekend, Sony Pictures’ sci-fi action thriller was closer to “6.5” than “65,” with a $12.3M opening for third place. That was on the higher end of pre-release industry projections, which were closer to $10M.

Now in its sophomore frame, it falls -53% to $5.8M and fourth place.

Compared to other comparable sci-fi or predator-themed action thrillers of recent years, that’s a milder sophomore percentage drop than:

  • 2022’s Beast (-58%)
  • 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections (-64%)
  • 2022’s Moonfall (-70%)

However, it’s steeper than for 2018’s Annihilation (-49%).

65 has now earned $16.4M overseas, for a $38.8M global total.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

The Disney / Marvel Studios superhero sequel is now earning box office numbers as small as its title characters. Now in its fifth weekend, it falls -43% to $4.0M and fifth place.

Due to its steep drops, Quantumania’s $205.8M domestic total is falling fast against comparable MCU titles through the equivalent point in release.

In particular, the film looks poised to imminently fall below its predecessor, 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp — an outcome which few would have predicted pre-release.

Film

Quantumania opening

Quantumania total through this weekend

Trend

2015’s Ant-Man

+85%

+30%

Down

2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp

+39%

+5%

Down

2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

-41%

-49%

Down

2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder

-26%

-34%

Down

2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

-43%

-47%

Down

Quantumania has earned $205.8M domestically and $256.8M overseas, for a $462.6M global total. It’s looking increasingly unlikely that it will match Ant-Man and the Wasp’s $622.6M global total.

Quantumania’s top overseas market totals so far include China ($39.4M), U.K. ($22.7M), Mexico ($17.8M), France ($13.1M), and South Korea ($12.6M).

Champions

Last weekend, Focus Features’ sports comedy debuted with $5.1M in sixth place. That was slightly higher than pre-release industry projections, which were around $4M.

Now in its sophomore frame, it falls -41% to $3.0M and eighth place.

That sophomore weekend percentage drop is steeper than:

  • 2005’s The Ringer (-31%)
  • 2019’s Fighting with my Family (-40%)

Avatar: The Way of Water

20th Century Studios’ sci-fi sequel declined only -27% to $1.9M and ninth place. That’s the #80 biggest fourteenth weekend of all time.

All time, Water has earned the:

Weekend #

All-time ranking

Gross

1

#37

$134.1M

2

#30

$63.3M

3

#3

$67.4M

4

#3

$45.8M

5

#3

$32.8M

6

#7

$20.1M

7

#7

$15.9M

8

#11

$11.3M

9

#24

$7.2M

10

#25

$6.5M

11

#35

$4.8M

12

#49

$3.6M

13

#63

$2.6M

14

#80

$1.9M

With $678.1M domestically, Water now ranks #8 all time, behind only:

  1. 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($936.6M)
  2. 2019’s Avengers: Endgame ($858.3M)
  3. 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home ($814.1M)
  4. 2009’s Avatar ($785.2M)
  5. 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick ($718.7M)
  6. 2018’s Black Panther ($700.4M)
  7. 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War ($678.8M)

That also makes Water the #2 domestic release from 2022 so far, despite only achieving the #5 opening weekend of that year.

Through the equivalent point in release, Water is now running -1.9% behind Maverick and -8.0% behind the original Avatar.

Overseas, Water has earned $1.62B. That’s the #3 overseas total of all time, behind only 2009’s Avatar ($2.13B) and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame ($1.94B).

Globally, Water has earned $2.30B. That’s also the #3 global total of all time, behind only the same two films: 2009’s Avatar ($2.92B) and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame ($2.79B).

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Fresh off its multiple Academy Award wins last Sunday, including Best Picture, A24’s film more than tripled its prior weekend’s gross with $1.24M.

The film also expanded to 2.8x its prior weekend theater count, from 584 to 1,633.

Last weekend, the film also took home Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, a.k.a. “The Daniels”), Best Actress for Michelle Yeoh, Best Supporting Actor for Ke Huy Quan, Best Supporting Actress for Jamie Lee Curtis, 

Weekend comparisons

Total box office this weekend comes in around $89.5M. Compared to the same weekend last frame, last year, and in the last pre-pandemic year of 2019:

Weekend

Total

This weekend is:

Notes

Last weekend

$117.2M

-23%

Scream VI led ($44.4M)

Same weekend in 2022

$83.4M

+7%

The Batman led for a third consecutive frame ($36.7M)

Same weekend in 2019

$139.8M

-36%

Captain Marvel led for a second consecutive frame ($67.9M)

YTD comparisons

Year-to-date box office stands around $1.47B, which is:

Year

YTD total

2023 YTD after last weekend:

2023 YTD now:

Trendline

2022

$1.15B

+31.5%

+27.4%

Down

2019

$2.02B

-26.5%

-27.1%

Down

Top distributors

Grouped by parent company, the YTD leaders are:

    1. Disney + 20th Century + Searchlight ($506.3M)
    2. Universal + Focus Features ($337.5M)
    3. Sony Pictures + Sony Classics ($135.0M)
    4. Paramount ($135.0M)
    5. MGM + United Artists ($133.0M)
    6. Lionsgate ($83.9M)
    7. Warner Bros. ($65.5M)

Sunday’s Studio Weekend Estimates:

Title  Estimated weekend  % change Locations Location change Average  Total  Weekend Distributor
Shazam! Fury of the Gods $30,500,000   4,071   $7,492 $30,500,000 1 Warner Bros.
Scream VI $17,500,000 -61% 3,676 1 $4,761 $76,029,000 2 Paramount
Creed III $15,372,838 -44% 3,477 -530 $4,421 $127,699,974 3 United Artists
“65” $5,800,000 -53% 3,405 n/c $1,703 $22,427,395 2 Sony Pictures
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania $4,071,000 -43% 2,650 -455 $1,536 $205,833,350 5 Walt Disney
Cocaine Bear $3,870,000 -38% 2,687 -517 $1,440 $58,489,070 4 Universal
Jesus Revolution $3,500,000 -32% 2,355 -220 $1,486 $45,539,700 4 Lionsgate
Champions $3,030,000 -41% 3,039 9 $997 $10,589,905 2 Focus Features [Universal]
Avatar: The Way of Water $1,928,000 -27% 1,190 -485 $1,620 $678,114,154 14 20th Century [Disney]
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish $1,510,000 -14% 1,735 -81 $870 $182,594,180 13 Universal
Everything Everywhere All At Once $1,249,408 260% 1,633 1,049 $765 $75,583,702 52 A24
Inside $470,000   357   $1,317 $470,000 1 Focus Features [Universal]
The Quiet Girl $193,000 -51% 234 -10 $825 $962,690 14 Super LTD
Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre $185,000 -85% 435 -1,733 $425 $6,341,049 3 Lionsgate
The Whale $145,230 128% 509 403 $285 $17,233,837 15 A24
A Man Called Otto $87,000 -55% 175 -172 $497 $64,100,017 12 Sony Pictures
80 for Brady $62,000 -70% 168 -199 $369 $39,278,000 7 Paramount
Violent Night $12,000 178% 29 -4 $414 $50,028,305 16 Universal
The Innocent $11,500   1   $11,500 $11,500 1 Janus Films
Emily $7,570 -76% 21 -57 $360 $1,088,762 5 Bleecker Street
Drylongso $5,111   1   $5,111 $5,111   Janus Films
Rodeo $4,984   2   $2,492 $4,984 1 Music Box Films
Photo Credits: Warner Bros. ("Shazam! Fury of the Gods"); Paramount ("Scream VI"); MGM ("Creed III")