- Weekend earnings plummet to $54 million—lowest of 2024
- ‘Novocaine’ claims top spot with $8.7M domestic debut
- ‘Mickey 17’ and ‘Black Bag’ tie at $7.5M
- Family and faith-based films underperform expectations
- A24’s ‘Opus’ flops with $1M opening weekend
The North American box office hit a grim milestone this weekend, scraping together just $54 million in total revenue—the lowest figure since January. Paramount’s action-comedy ‘Novocaine,’ starring Jack Quaid as a pain-proof protagonist, narrowly led the pack with an $8.7 million domestic opening. Despite an 82% Rotten Tomatoes score and early screenings, the film fell short of its $10M projections. Analysts attribute the slump to oversaturation, with five major releases competing for dwindling theatergoers.
Mid-budget films bore the brunt of the downturn. Warner Bros.’ sci-fi sequel ‘Mickey 17,’ featuring Robert Pattinson, hemorrhaged 60% of its opening-week audience, landing at $7.5 million. It now faces an uphill battle to recoup its $118 million budget. Focus Features’ spy thriller ‘Black Bag,’ directed by Steven Soderbergh, mirrored that figure despite stronger reviews. Industry insiders note a troubling pattern: films without franchise ties or mega-budgets increasingly struggle to justify theatrical runs.
The family film sector showed particular weakness. ‘The Day the Earth Blew Up,’ Warner’s Looney Tunes revival, mustered only $3.2 million despite playing in 2,827 theaters—a stark contrast to 2023’s animated hits. Meanwhile, faith-based drama ‘The Last Supper’ proved even secular audiences stayed home, earning $2.8 million. This dual collapse suggests broader audience apathy, with streaming platforms siphoning casual viewers.
Three critical insights emerge from the carnage: First, the ‘Barbenheimer’ effect of 2023 has given way to risk-averse scheduling, with studios crowding similar genres. Second, mid-budget films now require A-list directors like Soderbergh to even secure theatrical distribution. Third, regional data reveals surprising apathy in traditionally reliable markets—the Bible Belt contributed less than 15% to ‘The Last Supper’s’ gross, signaling shifting audience priorities. As Paul Dergarabedian of Comscore notes, all eyes now turn to Disney’s ‘Snow White’ reboot to reignite momentum.
