After a disappointing couple of weeks forSolo: A Star Wars Story, it’s good news at the box office this weekend for the two biggest new releases. FilmmakerGary Ross’ spinoffOcean’s 8is starting strong with $15.8 million on Friday, targeting an opening weekend in the $41 million range. That would be a franchise best, withOcean’s Twelveholding the previous opening weekend record with $39 million. In fact,Steven Soderbergh’sOcean’strilogy all performed pretty similarly at the box office, althoughOcean’s Thirteenwas the “lowest” with a $36 million debut.
The $41 million opening would easily bestSoloto take the top spot at the box office this weekend, and it’s a strong showing for the A-list heist comedy. When comparing it to another female-led franchise entry likeGhostbusters,Ocean’s 8is about on par—Ghostbustersopened to $46 million domestically, but of course that reboot carried a much heftier budget of $140 million.Ocean’s 8, meanwhile, was made for $70 million so this is certainly a win for Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow. Moreover, the film scored B+ CinemaScore from audiences, so that bodes well for the weeks to come.
On the flip side, while A24’s critically acclaimed horror filmHereditaryis overperforming at the box office, the film earneda D+ CinemaScore. That’s not really a surprise, asHereditaryis absolutely not a film that makes you feel “good” at the end, so imagine a general audience member being asked to fill out a card about whether they liked the movie seconds after the lights came up, in the wake ofthat terrifying ending.
FilmmakerAri Aster’s directorial debut grossed $5.2 million on Friday and is headed for a weekend in the range of $11 million to $13 million, which would mark the highest debut in history for A24. The excellent distributor’s previous record holder was another handsomely crafted horror film,The Witch.
The weekend’s third new release, however, isn’t faring as well.Hotel Artemisboasts a swell ensemble cast and a fun premise, butIron Man 3co-writerDrew Pearce’s feature directorial debut isn’t making much of a mark at the box office. The film earned only an estimated $1.1 million on Friday and could end the weekend with a mere $3 million, which is a tremendous disappointment for Global Road. It’s a shame, too, as by most accounts—including our own Matt Goldberg—the film is a fun pulpy thriller.
Check out the Friday estimates below, and come back tomorrow for the full weekend tally.
$15,800,000
Hereditary
$5,184,265
Solo: A Star Wars Story
$4,042,000
$164,993,474
Deadpool 2
$3,765,000
$268,780,541
Avengers: Infinity War
$1,819,000
$649,716,699
