After two straight booming weekends, the North American box office took an unexpected downturn. In one week, ticket sales have decreased by almost half from the previous week. The horror film Him came in second place this week with loads of competition. During its open weekend, it made a stunning estimated $13.5 million. This raises its domestic total to $22.7 million, already crossing its $20 million production budget.
Despite its strong opening, “Him” faced tough competition from another horror film, “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” which managed to attract audiences with an estimated $13 million in its third weekend. The global box office total for “The Conjuring: Last Rites” now stands at an impressive $400 million.
These two unexpected, smart horror films are severe aberrations in the genre. “Weapons” is not only making front page news though, it’s making box office headlines, debuting in the top ten at the box office. Recent project “The Long Walk,” a horror reimagining of a Stephen King tale, has people buzzing. It projects to make about $6.3 million in its second weekend.
Critics have not been particularly charitable toward “Him,” which mustered a paltry 29% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audience reception was significantly lackluster with a C- CinemaScore, indicative of a mismatch between its unusual marketing campaign and audience expectations. Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s head of marketplace trends, noted that “negative reviews can create really strong headwinds for original films with no brand recognition.” This kind of spirit speaks to the struggle of any new property trying to build its own legend in a world already full of them.
“Negative reviews can create really strong headwinds for original films with no brand recognition.” – Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s head of marketplace trends
Though “Him” would encounter a multitude of challenges this year, that didn’t prevent horror movies from having a stellar year. Combined, they dazzled, creating $1.1 billion in domestic box office receipts. This points toward a conclusion that even if certain titles can’t find their footing, the genre as a whole is still bringing in huge audiences.
The weekend’s box office was dinged due to the re-release of Ron Howard’s 1995 classic “Apollo 13.” In 2018, for its 30th anniversary, the film was re-released in 200 theaters. These nostalgia-fueled releases usually siphon significant audience away from newly released films, dragging down their gross and thereby hurting them overall.
Financially, “Him” has gotten off to a strong start. That’s not to say its momentum is safe, as it goes up against deadly competition with far more developed franchises and lauded products. Dergarabedian highlighted that audiences are becoming “selective in what they want to see,” indicating that original stories must work harder to stand out amidst familiar titles.
As the box office landscape continues to evolve, filmmakers and studios must navigate viewer preferences and critical reception to ensure their projects capture the attention they deserve.
