Robert Eggers’ blood-drenched Viking epic “The Northman” pulled in $1.35 million, the kid-friendly animated film “The Bad Guys” snagged $1.15 million, and the meta Nic Cage comedy “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” scored $835,000 in Thursday night previews.
All three films are opening this weekend at the box-office, buoyed by quite positive reviews all around. “The Bad Guys” is expected to do the best with estimates of it snagging a $21 million opening weekend – not great for a $70 million production but not bad either.
“The Northman” is in a trickier place – it’s slated to earn a projected $12 million in its opening three days and fourth place start. It’s a number that would be excellent for an arthouse film but with its considerable $90 million budget (said to be closer to $70 million after tax credits) it will need strong overseas revenue to help.
“The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” is coming in a little ahead of expectations with a potential $8-9 million haul projected. Its more restrained $30 million budget means distributor Lionsgate should be fairly happy.
All are facing off against the second weekend of “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” with all eyes looking at that film’s drop-off percentage. The third entry in the spin-off franchise took in an underwhelming $43 million last weekend and is expected to battle “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” for second and third place with both on track for $18-20 million each.
Source: Deadline
