The magic of the box office never fails to amaze! This weekend, the highly anticipated film 'Now You See Me: Now You Don't' pulled off an impressive trick, outperforming the action-packed 'The Running Man'.
The Great Box Office Battle
Lionsgate's latest installment in the 'Now You See Me' franchise, with a reported production cost of $90 million, took the top spot at the North American box office, raking in an impressive $21.3 million. Meanwhile, Paramount's 'The Running Man', despite its star-studded cast and high expectations, landed in second place with $17 million.
But here's where it gets controversial... The success of 'Now You See Me' might be attributed to more than just its captivating magic tricks. Kevin Grayson, Lionsgate's distribution president, revealed that the film's victory was not a sure bet just 10 days ago. However, as ticket sales surged, a close race emerged, and 'Now You See Me' pulled ahead on Saturday morning.
Grayson credits the franchise's enduring appeal and the strategic marketing efforts that positioned the film for success throughout the holiday season.
The Franchise's Magical Appeal
The 'Now You See Me' series, which began in 2013 and continued in 2016, has accumulated an impressive global box office of over $686 million. This third installment, directed by Ruben Fleischer, brings back the beloved 'Four Horsemen' - Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco - and introduces a new generation of magicians, including Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, and Justice Smith. And the magic doesn't stop there, as a fourth film is already in the works!
Reviews for 'Now You See Me: Now You Don't' were mixed, with a 59% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, audience polls through PostTrak revealed a slightly more positive response, with 63% recommending the film. 'The Running Man' received a similar audience score of 58% and both films earned a B+ CinemaScore. But the key difference? Women made up a larger portion of the 'Now You See Me' audience (54%), while only 37% of 'The Running Man' tickets were purchased by women.
The Running Man's Race
'The Running Man', directed and co-written by Edgar Wright, is the second adaptation of Stephen King's novel, originally published in 1982. The first film, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, was released in 1987 and received mixed reviews, earning only $38 million against a $27 million budget. This new version stars Glen Powell, who has proven his box office appeal in romantic comedies like 'Anyone But You' and action films like 'Twisters'.
Paramount Pictures released 'The Running Man' in 3,400 domestic locations and 58 international markets, earning $28.2 million worldwide against a reported $110 million budget.
Other new releases this weekend include 'Keeper', directed by Oz Perkins, which opened to a disappointing $2.5 million and a D+ CinemaScore. However, as an acquisition title for Neon, it's not considered a complete disaster.
The top five films at the box office this weekend were rounded out by 'Predator: Badlands' in third place with $13 million, 'Regretting You' in fourth with $4 million, and 'Black Phone 2' in fifth with $2.7 million. 'Black Phone 2' has now accumulated a domestic total of $74.7 million after five weeks in theaters.
In anticipation of the highly anticipated musical 'Wicked: For Good', Universal Pictures re-released 'Wicked' in over 2,000 theaters, where it made $1.2 million, just missing a spot in the top 10.
The box office is expected to heat up even more with the release of 'Wicked 2' and 'Zootopia 2' before Thanksgiving. Comscore's Paul Dergarabedian predicts that this could be one of the highest-grossing five-day Thanksgiving frames in history.
'After a terrible October, the lowest-grossing in decades, it's just warming up,' Dergarabedian said. 'It's never too late to turn things around and gain momentum.'
So, which film would you choose - the magical 'Now You See Me' or the action-packed 'The Running Man'? And what do you think contributed to the success of 'Now You See Me'? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
