FRIDAY AFTERNOON: Illumination is looking at another record 3-day as the Universal/Nintendo co-production Super Mario Bros Movie is on its way to a $72M Friday-Sunday, the best second weekend for the animation studio. That’s a 51% ease at 4,371 theaters after a $20M second Friday, -64%. Running total by end of Sunday will be $332.8M.
Previous best second weekend for Illumination belonged to Minions which did $49.2M, -57%.
Second place looks like it’s going to Amazon/Artists Equity/Skydance Sports/Mandalay’s Air which is eyeing a second Friday of $2.4M, -52% — a great hold off the holiday weekend, and 3-day of $8M+, -44%, and running total of $33.5M at 3,507 locations.
Third is currently a dead heat between Universal’s Renfield and Screen Gems’ Pope’s Exorcist, both north of $3M for Friday and just under $8M.
Fifth goes to the fourth weekend of Lionsgate’s John Wick: Chapter 4 at 3,033 theaters with a $2M Friday, -58%, and 3-day of $7M, -52%, with running cume by Sunday of $159.1M.
FRIDAY AM: Five wide releases hit theaters this weekend, but Illumination and Universal’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie will reign supreme with a second weekend, -60% at $58M. The plumbers already have plunged a running stateside total through nine days of $260M, with $300M+ in sight this weekend.
Super Mario Bros grossed $9.4M Thursday at 4,343 locations, -13% from Wednesday’s $10.7M. (Watch the trailer here.)
Two genre films aimed at dudes over 25 are battling it out, one funnier than the other, in the faceoff between Universal’s Nicolas Cage vampire comedy Renfield and Sony/Screen Gems’ The Pope’s Exorcist, starring Russell Crowe.
Renfield did $900K in previews Thursday night to Pope’s Exorcist‘s $850K. Both were projecting $8M-$10M, but Renfield looks to be at the top of that range. At 62% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with critics (82% with moviegoers), the pic is booked at 3,300 theaters, while Pope’s Exorcist is at 3,100 sites, saddled at 48% Rotten (but 86% with audiences).
Renfield follows Dracula’s loyal servant, with Nicholas Hoult in the title role. He’s forced to procure his master Dracula’s (Cage) prey and do his every bidding, no matter how debased. But now, after centuries of servitude, Renfield is ready to see if there’s a life outside the shadow of The Prince of Darkness. If only he can figure out how to end his co-dependency. The film clearly is aimed at those who loved the 1980s cult monster comedy Transylvania 6-5000. Chris McKay directs. (Watch the trailer here.)
Julius Avery directs Crowe as Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican’s leading exorcist, in Pope’s Exorcist, as he investigates the possession of a child and uncovers a conspiracy the Vatican has tried to keep secret.
Sony is handling Crunchyroll’s Makoto Shinkai movie Suzume, booked at 2,150 theaters, plus Imax and PLF theaters. Thursday night at 2,650 sites, the whimsical original anime feature made $680K at 1,925 theaters (starting at 4 p.m.), for what will be a $5M opening weekend.
Bleecker Street has the Toni Collette-Monica Bellucci comedy Mafia Mamma at 2,002 theaters with an eye at a 3-day in the single digits.
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Briarcliff Entertainment has Sweetwater in 1,204 theaters. The pic, directed by Martin Guigui, stars Richard Dreyfuss, Eric Roberts, Cary Elwes and Everett Osborne and follows the story of Hall of Famer, Nat ‘Sweetwater’ Clifton, who made history as the first African American to sign an NBA contract, forever changing how the game of basketball is played.