411 Box Office Report: The Equalizer 3 Dominates With $34.5 Million Three-Day Start

Denzel Washington roared back to the box office as The Equalizer 3 claimed an easy Labor Day weekend win. The third film in the action-thriller franchise leaped into the top spot with a $34.5 million three-day take and a projected $42 million through Monday. That’s the second-best opening for Labor Day weekend, behind only Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings which scored a $75 million three-day and $92 million four-day weekend back in 2021.

The opening is also at the level of the previous two Equalizer films. The first film opened to $34.1 million in September of 2014, while The Equalizer 2 scored $36 million in July of 2018. It’s a testament to the franchise’s reliability at the box office – as well as Washington’s star power – that the series has yet to lose steam. This has never been a heavily hyped series, but the notion of Washington delivering vigilante justice is one that audiences have been willing to come back for again and again.

It helps that this third film is the most-liked by critics, scoring a 76% aggregated score on Rotten Tomatoes compared to the first’s 61% and the second’s 52%. Audiences are enjoying this one, with a 93% RT audience rating and an A CinemaScore. This suggests word of mouth that should let the film leg out like its predecessors, both of which made it just past $100 million. And with a similar budget to the second ($77 million to Equalizer 2’s $70 million), Sony is likely feeling comfortable here.

It also helps that international grosses started off solidly with $26.1 million, bringing the worldwide total to $60.7 million through Sunday. This one should leg out domestically to around $100 million or so, and will ultimately be profitable with international numbers added in.

Barbie maintained its #2 spot in weekend seven, down 30% to $10.6 million through Sunday and $13 million projected through Monday. The blockbuster is now up to $609.5 million domestically and $1.38 billion worldwide, a massive hit against its $128 million budget. The film’s prospects are looking to end around $630 million domestically.

Blue Beetle continued to hold on solidly as it was down 40% in its third weekend to $7.3 million (and $9 million projected through Monday). The DCEU film has totaled $56.6 million domestically and $101.9 million worldwide. It doesn’t look like it will be able to hit a profit margin against its $120 million budget, but it will easily pass Shazam! Furty of the Gods’ $57.6 million domestic total and likely its $132.2 million worldwide total. A $75 million to $80 million domestic final seems to be the endgame here.

Gran Turismo took a hit in its second weekend as it fell 62% to gross $6.6 million ($8.5 million projected through Monday). The racing drama isn’t in awful shape though, as it now stands at $28.7 million domestically and $79 million worldwide. There’s still a ways to go before it makes profit on its $60 million budget plus marketing, but it should end up okay with a $45 million domestic final and better international returns.

Oppenheimer eased 33% in its seventh weekend to bring in $5.5 million ($7.2 million through Monday). The Christopher Nolan film has reached $308.5 million domestically and $851.3 million worldwide. That officially makes it Nolan’s biggest non-Dark Knight film both domestically and worldwide, surpassing Inception’s $292.6 million here and $825.8 million worldwide. It is looking like it will end its run around $325 million and is a huge money maker for Universal against a $100 million budget.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem was down just 34% in its fifth weekend with $4.8 million. The animated film has now reached $106.5 million domestically and $151.5 million worldwide, with good prospects for profit now that we’re getting more international numbers. It’s likely to finish out in the US with around $120 million domestically and should make a bit of money getting against its $70 million budget.

Coming in at #7 was Bottoms with $3 million, with a projected $3.6 million through Monday. The R-rated comedy with a lot of hype, scoring strong critic reviews at a 95% RT aggregated critic score. Word of mouth was equally good with a 95% RT audience rating. The numbers are quite strong considering that it’s still in limited release at just 715 theaters, up from 10 last weekend.

Bottoms’ ultimate box office potential depends on whether MGM continues to expand the film from here. But this is also a film that was always going to find its profit on home video, something it shouldn’t have a problem doing with a budget of just $11 million. It seems likely to finish out its domestic box office at around $10 million or so and won’t get much international play, an area that has generally been weak for American high school-set films. Regardless, MGM is likely happy with this result.

The Meg 2: The Trench slipped 39% in its fifth weekend to $2.9 million ($4 million through Monday). The shark sequel is now at $78.2 million domestically and an impressive $375.3 million worldwide. It’s a hit for Warner Bros. against a $129 million budget plus marketing and should ends its stateside run at around $85 million.

Strays continued its quick fadeaway, dropping 49% in its third weekend to gross $2.5 million ($3.2 million including Monday projections). The canine comedy is at $20.7 million domestically and $26.2 million worldwide, a money loser against a $45 million production budget. It’s final US gross should be around $25 million.

Talk To Me spent one more week in the top 10, down 30% to $1.8 million (and $2.2 million through Monday). The film is now A24’s top horror domestic-grossing film at $44.1 million, topping Hereditary’s $44.07 million. The film has $58.5 million worldwide and should finish off in the states at around $48 million, a hit against a $4.5 million budget.

Next weekend will be a horror film atop the box office as The Nun 2 arrives in theaters. The Conjuring Universe film is aiming at around $35 million to $40 million. Meanwhile, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 will provide counter-programming at around $10 million.

BOX OFFICE TOP TEN (Three-Day Domestic Numbers)
1. The Equalizer 3 – $34.5 million ($34.5 million total, $60.7 million WW)
2. Barbie – $10.6 million ($609.5 million total, $1.38 billion WW)
3. Blue Beetle – $7.3 million ($56.6 million total, $101.9 million WW)
4. Gran Turismo – $6.6 million ($28.7 million total, $79 million WW)
5. Oppenheimer – $5.5 million ($308.5 million total, $851.3 million WW)
6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – $4.8 million ($106.5 million total, $151.5 million WW)
7. Bottoms – $3 million ($3.7 million total, $3.7 million WW)
8. Meg 2: The Trench – $2.9 million ($78.2 million total, $375 million WW)
9. Strays – $2.5 million ($20.7 million total, $26.2 million WW)
10. Talk To Me – $1.8 million ($44.1 million total, $58.5 million WW)