Nia DaCosta’sCandymankeeps winning big at the box office race, despite fears of the delta variant scaring away moviegoers. Afteropening up strong last Friday,Candymanheld the first position of the whole weekend with $22.4 million, an impressive mark for a movie that cost only $25 million to produce.
Produced byJordan Peele,Candymanbrings back the Black horror icon that debuted in 1992 on a movie helmed byBernard Rose. Just as in the first movie, the new Candyman uses horror to discuss racism and Black representation in the United States, which helps to bring more than horror fans to theaters. Peele’s last two movies,Get OutandUs, also did a fantastic job using the horror language to discuss social problems. So, having his name attached toCandymanas a producer probably helped with the box office success. Candyman also made another $5.23 million internationally, for a total of $27.6 million.
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Coming out in second place isFree Guy. StarringRyan Reynoldsas a self-aware NPC who must save his digital world, the summer hit keeps strong in its third week, bringing another $13.6 million home in the domestic box office. Contrary to other recent Disney releases,Free Guylaunched exclusively in theaters due to previous deals made by 20th Century Fox before the House of the Mouse bought it. So far,Free Guyhauled $79 million in the U.S. and $179 million globally, and with a box office reduction of only 27% compared to last weekend, it doesn’t seem the movie will stop soon.
In third place on this weekend’s box office comesPaw Patrol. While the movie sold more movie tickets than expected, its box office is a lot more modest than the two first places of the weekend, with $6.6 million added domestically. So far,Paw Patrolhauled $24 million in the U.S. and Canada. Disney has another contender on the weekend’s top five, asJungle Cruiseis still in the race five weeks after its premiere. With $5 million added to the domestic box office,Jungle Cruisereached $100.1 million in the U.S. and Canada and $187 million globally. Rounding up the weekend’s numbers comesDon’t Breathe 2, the sequel to 2016’s horror hit that just added another $2.8 million to its $24.5 million domestic box office.
Even if a simultaneous release on streaming can help viewers to catch the latest blockbusters from the safety of their homes, an exclusive theaters window is still holding much better than a hybrid release. FIlms likeCandyman,Free Guy, andPaw Patrolare opening stronger than predicted and keeping strong several weeks after their release. Considering that highly-anticipated films such asBlack Windowfaced ahuge drop in box officeafter the first week, the latest results might affect how big studios deal with their blockbuster releases moving forward. It’s not a coincidence that Marvel’sShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringswill have a 45-day window of theatrical exclusivity.
KEEP READING:‘Candyman’ Review: Nia DaCosta Crafts a Wry, Ambitious, Occasionally Frustrating Reimagining of the Horror Icon
