The Equalizerfranchise is once again proving thatDenzel Washingtonis quietly one of the last remaining movie stars. Across the span of a decade, the franchise has consistently delivered strong results at the box office, mostly due to Washington’s sustained appeal. The series’ third (and supposedly final) installment —The Equalizer 3— is exceeding expectations with a strong $34 million debut across its opening weekend. The figure will balloon to around $43 million across the four-day extended Labor Day weekend — the second-biggest in history, behindShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
The three-day opening is roughly identical to those posted byThe EqualizerandThe Equalizer 2, which were released in 2014 and 2018, respectively. Each movie in the series has been directed byAntoine Fuqua, who previously worked with Washington onTraining Day, which won him his second acting Oscar. The firstEqualizermovie concluded its domestic run with just over $100 million, and made $192 million worldwide.The Equalizer 2made $102 million domestically, and $190 million worldwide.
The third film received arguably the best reviews of the bunch, and is currently sitting at a “fresh” 76% score on review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes. It also earned a healthy A CinemaScore from opening day audiences, which should work in its favor in the long run, especially as we enter a relatively lean fall season. Collider’sNate Richardcalled the filma “gleefully violent final installment.”
A Host of Holdovers Dominated the Top 5
Staying in second position for the third weekend in a row,Barbieadded around $10 million across the traditional three-day weekend, and is projected to make around $13 million across the extended frame. On Friday, the moviepassed the $600 million markdomestically, and alsoovertookThe Super Mario Bros. Movie’s $1.35 billion lifetime haul to become the year’s biggest film. There’s no telling when it’ll slow down, especially with aplanned IMAX releaseto counter its debut on PVOD this month.
The superhero filmBlue Beetleand the video game adaptationGran Turismoappear to be caught in a tight race for the third spot, withBlue Beetlecurrently pulling ahead. Now in its third weekend, the movie is looking to add another $6.6 million to its tally, taking its running haul to over $55 million.Gran Turismo, on the other hand, is eying $6.5 million across its sophomore frame, and around $8.4 million over the extended weekend. The movie will just about hit $30 million domestically by Monday, which isn’t great despite its relatively lean $60 million reported budget.
The top five was rounded out byChristopher Nolan’sOppenheimer, which became thesecond-biggest R-rated movie in historyjust yesterday. The three-hour biographical thriller is looking to add around $5.3 million this weekend, and roughly $7 million across the extended frame, which will take its running domestic total to just under $310 million. Globally, the film has passedInceptionto become Nolan’s third-biggest release of all time behindThe Dark KnightandThe Dark Knight Rises. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
