“Den of Thieves 2” Debuts at No. 1, While “Better Man” Underperforms.

(VOR News) – “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera,” produced by Lionsgate, premiered at the box office with $15.5 million, as per studio estimates provided on Sunday.

This transpired amid a somewhat subdued weekend in cinemas, as a considerable segment of Hollywood’s emphasis was directed towards the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles.

The midpoint of January is generally a subdued period for cinema attendance, and the shutdown of around ten screens in Los Angeles, the nation’s most profitable box office market, exacerbated the issue considerably.

“Den of Thieves 2,” Gerard Butler’s sequel to the 2018 heist thriller, did well.

The initial installment, released by STX seven years prior, generated a gross of $15.2 million on its opening weekend. In the sequel, which premiered in 3,008 theatres in North America, O’Shea Jackson Jr. also delivers a supporting performance.

Films helmed by Butler are increasingly becoming a consistent presence in January. Additionally, he participated in the film “Plane,” released on January 13, 2023, which ultimately grossed $32.1 million.

The production of “Den of Thieves 2,” which incurred approximately $40 million, was somewhat more expensive. It garnered a CinemaScore of “B+” owing to a commendable degree of audience satisfaction. Reviews were predominantly negative, with only 58% deemed fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Nevertheless, it became Lionsgate’s first No. 1 opening since “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” in November 2023. This represents a significant achievement for the organisation.

This weekend, the film “Better Man,” directed by Robbie Williams and regarded as a bold take of the music biopic genre in recent years, was released in theatres.

In Michael Gracey’s film, the British pop star is shown by a computer-generated chimpanzee, contrasting with the traditional methods employed in the films about Elton John (“Rocketman”) and Elvis Presley (“Elvis”).

Although it was developed for $110 million and purchased by Paramount Pictures for $25 million, the release by Paramount Pictures did not do any better than Williams’ previous efforts to penetrate the United States market. The event was a huge flop, generating $1.1 million in ticket sales from 1,291 venues.

Gracey’s prior feature Den of Thieves 2 film, “The Greatest Showman,” released in 2017, Den of Thieves 2 achieved a global gross of $459 million and exhibited a markedly superior theatrical performance. Nevertheless, “Better Man” has garnered significant acclaim from critics.

A Las Vegas production starring Pamela Anderson, titled “The Last Showgirl,” exceeded it in popularity. A total of $1.5 million was garnered from the release of Roadside Attractions, which was disseminated to 870 theatres.

“The Brutalist,” directed by Brady Corbet, also exceeded “Better Man.” After winning the Golden Globe for finest drama, the wartime epic produced by A24 earned a significant $1.4 million from just 68 locations.

The following weeks will see a more significant expansion of The Den of Thieves 2.

The holiday holdovers that generated the highest money over the weekend included “Mufasa: The Lion King,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” “Nosferatu,” and “Moana 2.”

In its fourth week of release, Barry Jenkins’s “Mufasa” performed remarkably, accruing an additional $13.2 million to its total international revenue, now amounting to $539.7 million. Furthermore, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” accrued $11 million, bringing its global total to $384.8 million during its fourth weekend of Den of Thieves 2 release.

The vampire film “Nosferatu,” directed by Robert Eggers, unexpectedly grossed $6.8 million during the Christmas season, resulting in a total domestic income of $81.1 million.

“Moana 2,” produced by The Walt Disney Company and now in its seventh week of distribution, has accrued an additional $6.5 million, elevating its global total to $989.8 million. It will be the third Disney picture produced in 2024 to achieve the $1 billion revenue milestone, including “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool and Wolverine.” This will occur in the forthcoming days.

The final domestic data will be published on Monday. Comscore reports projected ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at theatres in the United States and Canada.

“Den of Thieves 2: Pantera,” the inaugural game. The amount is $15.5 million.

Mufasa: The Lion King II. Totaling $13.2 million.

Furthermore, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” has accrued a total of $11 million.

The movie “Nosferatu” earned $6.8 million.

“Moana 2,” which earned $6.5 million.

“A Complete Unknown” is priced at $5 million.

“Wicked,” which had a budget of $5 million.

“Babygirl,” which generated $3.1 million in revenue.

The term “Game Changer” amounts to $1.9 million in total.

“The Last Showgirl,” sold for $1.5 million.

SOURCE: USN

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