The debuts of Austin Butler’s crime thriller “Caught Stealing,” Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman’s comedy “The Roses” and an unrated remake of “The Toxic Avenger” all won’t beat out the fourth weekend of “Weapons” for the top spot at the box office, as the summer season officially winds down over the Labor Day holiday weekend.
Sony Pictures’ “Caught Stealing” will get closest of those three, popping up with a $3.2 million opening day across Friday and previews from 3,578 locations. The Darren Aronofsky-directed New York noir got a lead off with screenings last Saturday, too. It’s now projecting a $9.5 million debut over the four-day holiday frame, coming in short of eight digits. That’s a very muted start for the well-reviewed R-rated original, which carries a $40 million production budget. Audiences are mildly positive, with moviegoer pollster CinemaScore turning in a “B” grade.
Meanwhile, Searchlight Pictures has its own R-rated comedy this weekend with “The Roses,” director Jay Roach’s new adaptation of Warren Adler’s novel “The War of the Roses,” about a moneyed marriage gone deadly sour. Danny DeVito previously helmed a 1989 adaptation, with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner; at $86 million in grosses, it was the 12th-biggest domestic earner of its year.
Times have changed, though, and a comedy like “The Roses” is, more often than not, less of a theatrical draw, even with an ensemble that includes Cumberbatch and Colman, plus Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, Allison Janney and many more. The film earned just $2.4 million from 2,700 locations across Friday and preview screenings and seems headed for fifth place. It’ll hope for a four-day opening north of $7 million. So-so reviews didn’t help, though the public is a bit higher on it with a “B+” grade on Cinema Score.
“Caught Stealing” and “The Roses” may both end up behind Universal’s re-release of “Jaws,” back in theaters to commemorate the Steven Spielberg classic’s 50th anniversary. Five decades on, the big fish can still draw a crowd, with $3 million in 3,200 venues across Friday and previews. The thriller is expecting $9.7 million over the four-day frame, which would give it second on domestic charts. All the more remarkable, “Jaws” is pulling that number after having made a nostalgia play just three years ago too, with a re-release to 1,246 theaters back in 2022.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. and New Line’s ensemble horror original “Weapons” can claim No. 1 once again after being supplanted last week by Netflix’s two-day event release of “KPop Demon Hunters.” (Of course, the theatrical-averse streamer did not care to tout that victory, electing against reporting grosses.)
“Weapons” added another $2.7 million on Friday, down 42% from its daily total a week ago. That puts it on track for another terrific hold, as writer-director Zach Cregger’s R-rated original continues to reap the benefits of great word-of-mouth. Domestic total looks to hit $134 million through Labor Day, and it is closing in on “Final Destination Bloodlines” ($138 million) to become the 12th-highest-grossing North American release of the year.
Disney’s “Freakier Friday” is also sticking around in fourth place nearly a month into its run, adding another $1.7 million on Friday, down 37% from its daily figure a week ago. Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis’ comedy sequel is headed to an $82 million domestic total through Monday.
Further down the charts, Cineverse and Iconic Releasing are opening the unrated “Toxic Avenger” remake in 1,995 venues, finally in theaters nearly two years after premiering at Fantastic Fest in 2023 before struggling to land distribution. The film, which stars Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige and Elijah Wood, earned about $650,000 across Friday and previews and looks to bow outside the top 10.
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