Will “Nobody 2” pack a punch at the box office? Universal’s sequel to the pandemic-era hit “Nobody,” starring Bob Odenkirk as a seemingly mild-mannered dad who actually kicks ass and takes names, is aiming for $10 million to $12 million from 3,200 North American theaters in its opening weekend.
That’s marginally ahead of the original 2021 film, which debuted to $6.8 million at a time when cinemas around the country were just starting to turn the lights back on after COVID. Even with that hobbled moviegoing landscape, “Nobody” managed to power to $27 million domestically and $57 million globally. Then, the first film was popular enough on premium video-on-demand platforms for Universal to greenlight a sequel, in which Odenkirk returns with vengeance. In the follow-up, his character Hutch Mansell takes his family on vacation to the small tourist town of Plummerville and finds himself in the crosshairs of several shady locals. “Nobody 2” was modestly priced at $25 million, just above the first film’s $16 million price tag.
“Nobody 2” won’t have the strength to unseat “Weapons,” which is on its way to sleeper hit status after topping the box office last weekend with $43.5 million. Zach Cregger’s R-rated thriller looks to repeat No. 1 with estimates of $20 million to $22 million in its sophomore outing, a better hold than the average horror movie. That’s because “Weapons” is benefitting from great reviews and solid word-of-mouth. So far the film has generated $71 million globally against a $38 million production budget. It’s the latest in a line of commercial winners for Warner Bros. following “A Minecraft Movie,” “Sinners,” “Final Destination Bloodlines” and “Superman.”
Vying for the No. 2 spot against “Nobody 2” is Disney’s “Freakier Friday” with projections of $10 million to $12 million in its second weekend. The PG film, reuniting Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis as mother and daughter who swap places, has earned $28.5 million in North America and $43 million worldwide after three days of release.
This weekend’s other newcomer, Spike Lee’s crime thriller “Highest 2 Lowest,” will open in limited release on roughly 300 screens. Adapted from Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 Japanese film “High and Low,” the modern-day remake follows a powerful music mogul who is targeted by a ransom plot. Denzel Washington stars in the A24 film, his first collaboration with Lee since 2006’s “Inside Man,” alongside the cast of ASAP Rocky, Jeffrey Wright and Ice Spice. Reviews have been positive, with Variety’s chief film critic Peter Debruge praising Lee for “delivering a soul-searching genre movie that entertains while also sounding the alarm about where the culture could be headed.”
At this point, the overall box office is 7.5% ahead of last year but 23% behind 2019, the last pre-pandemic year, according to Comscore. With summer revenues at $3.2 billion through the middle of August, the movie theater industry’s hopes of hitting the elusive $4 billion mark could be more difficult than many box office watchers predicted at the start of popcorn season. Then again, Hollywood loves a twist ending.
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