“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” topped the domestic box office charts while falling short of initial expectations. Tom Cruise’s latest blockbuster raked in $56.2 million between Friday and Sunday, a lackluster start for a film that cost nearly $300 million before market.
Heading into the weekend, the Paramount and Skydance action-adventure was hoping to set a new franchise record with $60 million or more. Instead, ticket sales landed behind 2018’s ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ ($61 million) and 2000’s ‘Mission: Impossible II’ ($57.8 million), which remain the top openings of the series of 27 years.
More Variety
Comparisons aren’t accurate because “Dead Reckoning Part One” opened on Wednesday rather than Friday. The seventh installment made around $80 million in its first five days of release, more than ‘Fallout’ ($77.5 million) and ‘Mission: Impossible II’ ($78.8 million) earned during their first five days in theaters. With a stellar 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and a brilliant “A” CinemaScore, however, “Dead Reckoning” will likely remain a box office force all summer long.
But right now, it’s pulling similar numbers to Disney’s $300 million-budget “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Fate,” which debuted at $60 million over the traditional weekend and has grossed $84 million during the five-day July 4 holiday frame. “Indiana Jones 5,” which doesn’t enjoy great reviews or very positive ratings, hasn’t shown any staying power; ticket sales are $136 million domestically and $302 million worldwide.
To avoid a similar fate, “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” must have a box office as long and heavy as the film’s title. The film, which finds Cruise’s Teflon agent Ethan Hunt defying death as he soars off a mountain on his motorbike, scales a runaway train and maneuvers a small car through the busy streets of Rome, was incredibly expensive due to COVID related starts and stops and other pandemic safety measures. So there’s a chance that next summer’s sequel, “Dead Reckoning Part Two,” will be cheaper.
Repeat business, along with global box office returns, will be key to saving Cruise’s latest mission. Already, the seventh “Mission: Impossible” is showing strength at the international box office with $155 million, even with its weak debut of $25.4 million in China. That brings its worldwide tally to a respectable $235 million, the franchise’s biggest global debut.
“This [domestic] The opening is about average for an action thriller at this point in its series,” says David A. Gross, who runs film consultancy Franchise Entertainment Research. “Overseas markets are where action movies excel and overseas openings are strong.”
“Mission: Impossible” films tend to attract older audiences, who don’t always show up in force on opening weekend. With good word-of-mouth, ticket buyers might continue to find the film, as was the case with Cruise’s enduring hit “Top Gun: Maverick,” which grossed $1.4 billion in the summer. last.
In the past, installments of “Mission” have demonstrated remarkable longevity at the box office, even with smaller opening weekends. “Fallout,” for example, raised $61 million to start and ended up setting a series record with $791 million worldwide. Additionally, “Mission” films tend to earn around 70% of total ticket sales at the international box office. This should help offset any potential shortcomings in North America.
This is good news as Ethan Hunt prepares to face the phenomenon known as “Barbenheimer”. Next weekend, the latest “Mission” will vie for attention with Christopher Nolan’s dark historical drama “Oppenheimer” and Greta Gerwig’s hot pink “Barbie,” both opening July 21. The unlikely showdown between the two very different films has become an online craze, which has spilled over into the real world with tens of thousands of moviegoers booking double features of “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie.”
“‘MI7’ could also benefit from being at the epicenter of this box office storm as an extremely attractive alternative to the other two films,” says Comscore senior analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “Anyone ‘Cruisenheimer’?”
Elsewhere, the unlikely box office hit “Sound of Freedom” soared to second place on its second release with $25 million from 3,265 theaters, up 25% from last weekend. The faith-based child sex trafficking film has raked in $83 million after two weeks of release. It’s a reminder of the power of the religious public, which has surrendered in force and is seeking to propel the film past $100 million.
Sony’s horror sequel “Insidious: The Red Door,” which led the box office last weekend, fell to No. 3 with $13 million from 3,188 theaters. So far, the film has collected $58 million of its $16 million budget.
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Fate” took fourth place in its third weekend of release, adding $12 million from 3,865 sites. To date, the Harrison Ford-directed tentpole has grossed $145 million in North America and $302 million worldwide.
Disney and Pixar’s “Elemental” rounded out the top five, grossing $8.7 million from 3,235 theaters in its fifth weekend on the big screen. The $200 million family-friendly animated film managed to stay with $125.3 million domestically and $311.7 million worldwide. But, like “Indy 5,” the massive production budget means it has some way to go to really break out of the red in its theatrical run.
In limited release, Searchlight’s mockumentary “Theatre Camp” opened to $270,000 at six theaters in New York and Los Angeles, averaging $45,000 per location. The film, which stars Ben Platt and Molly Gordon as zany drama instructors trying to keep their beloved summer camp going, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews. . Next weekend, Theater Camp will continue its slow expansion to Austin, Chicago, Boston, Denver and San Francisco, among other cities.
The best of variety
Subscribe to the Variety newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click here to read the full article.