For the first time in almost two months, the box office did not belong to the man in blue.
After seven weeks as the highest-grossing movie in theaters, “Avatar: The Way of Water” finally fell from No. “
“Knock at the Cabin,” a home-invasion horror film with an apocalyptic riff, eclipsed James Cameron’s 3-D sci-fi epic with $14.2 million in ticket sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Universal Pictures release stars Dave Bautista as one of four strangers who approach a family vacationing in a rural cabin.
The opening for “Knock at the Cabin” came up shy of some of Shyamalan’s new releases. His last film, 2021’s “Old,” about a rapidly aging beachgoer, opened with $16.9 million and ended up collecting $90.1 million worldwide. The 2019 film “Glass,” the third installment in the director’s “Unbreakable” trilogy, opened with $40.3 million for a worldwide total of $247 million. Every other film directed by Shyamalan has opened higher than “Knock at the Cabin.”
But “Knock at the Cabin” still marks Shyamalan’s seventh film as director to open No. The film, which attracted mostly positive reviews from critics (68% on Rotten Tomatoes), added another $7 million internationally.
Taking second place is “80 for Brady,” a comedy about four friends (Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Rita Moreno and Sally Field) who take a trip to the 2017 Super Bowl. It opened with an estimated $12.5 million. Shortly after announcing his retirement from football (again), Tom Brady attended the premiere of the film.
Paramount Pictures used a unique strategy to release “80 for Brady.” While many movies try to capitalize on higher ticket prices through large-format or 3-D screenings or inflated prices, which films like “The Batman” tried to do, Paramount went in a different direction in “80 for Brady.” The studio partnered with exhibitors, including the biggest chains, to play “80 for Brady” at matinee prices to lure older audiences. (Half of ticket buyers are over 55 years old.)
It seemed to work. While comedies have struggled in theaters, “80 for Brady” (with a production budget of $28 million) was one of the best openings for a live-action comedy in years. The discounted price will continue for the rest of the movie.
“Avatar: The Way of Water” slid into third with $10.8 million domestically in its eighth weekend. The film’s number 1 record was matched by “Avatar” in 2009. In the last forty years, only two by Cameron and “Titanic” (1997) have reigned at the top of the box office.
“The Way of Water” continues to do especially well overseas, where its $27.9 million this weekend brings its total to $2.17 billion worldwide. That puts him in the top four grosses of all-time; Cameron – with two films “Avatar” and “Titanic” – now occupies three of the top four.
“BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas” earned $5.1 million to land in fifth place. The BTS concert film was filmed from an October 2022 performance in Busan, South Korea – the group’s first post-show before starting a two-year hiatus. It opened in 1,111 locations.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. The final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Beat the Cabin,” $14.2 million.
2. “80 for Brady,” $12.5 million.
3. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” $10.8 million.
4. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” $8 million.
5. “BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas,” $5.1 million.
6. “A Man Called Otto,” $4.2 million.
7. “M3gan,” $3.8 million.
8. “Gone,” $3.7 million.
9. “The Chosen Season 3 Finale,” $3.6 million.
10. “Pathaan,” $2.8 million.
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