411 Box Office Report: Insidious: The Red Door Clips Indiana Jones To Take Top Spot

Indiana Jones’s box office reign ended after a week, with Insidious: The Red Door opening strong to take the top spot this weekend. The fifth film in the horror franchise overperformed with a $32.7 million opening, ahead of the $25 million projections coming into the weekend. That marks the second-highest opening for the franchise, behind only Insidious: Chapter Two’s $40.3 million start back in September 2013.

Horror has been hitting pretty frequently at the box office this year, and this film is no exception. Marketing for the film certainly helped, teasing the end of the main franchise’s story. But Insidious has always been a strong performer; the previous entry, The Last Key, opened to $29.6 million in January of 2018.

While critics weren’t kind to The Red Door with a 36% RT aggregated score, they’ve never much liked this franchise. Fan response was fine if not great at a 71% RT audience score and a C+ CinemaScore, the lowest of the franchise to date. Box office legs have never been strong here, but with a budget of just $16 million Sony already has a hit here. The film also grossed $31.4 million overseas for a $64.1 million worldwide start. Domestically the film should finish out at around $65 million to $70 million and that will be more than enough for a tidy profit.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny had a second weekend that was fine but not great, dropping 56% to $26.5 million. That’s an okay hold considering how front-loaded the film had the potential for, though it’s still not good news for Disney considering the low start last weekend. The film now has $121.2 million domestically and $247.9 million worldwide, which looks decent on its face until you remember that the budget was a brutal $300 million. The studio is losing money on this film, with a domestic total that is likely for around $165 million to $170 million.

Coming in at #3 was Angel Studios’ Sound of Freedom, which scored an impressive $18.2 million in its first weekend. The Jim Cavaziel-led thriller based on the life of former government agent-turned-sex trafficking rescuer Tim Ballard came in out of nowhere, playing on the studios’ faith-based slate and bringing in those fans.

Sound of Freedom has scored solid reviews to date, with 76% on Rotten Tomatoes, and like many films of its genre is scoring big with its fanbase. The strategy here tends to be targeted marketing and it paid off; the film has an A+ CinemaScore and a 99% RT audience rating. The movie has $40.2 million since opening on July 4th and while it’s likely to drop hard like most films that cater to the faith-based audience, it’s still a hit against a reported $14.5 million budget.

Elemental is proving to have legs beyond its low opening weekend, as it dropped just 21% in its fourth weekend to $9 million. The Pixar film is fighting hard to minimize its losses as it’s held quite well from weekend to weekend, though losses will still be the end result. The film now has $109.2 million domestically and $251.9 million worldwide against a $200 million budget. At this point the animated flick should be able to make it to $135 million in the US, perhaps higher if it continues to hold on well.

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse is also holding well, down 33% in its sixth weekend to gross $8 million. That brings the animated blockbuster to $357.7 million domestically and $642.3 million worldwide, surpassing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as the top domestic grosser of the summer. (The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which opened in April, remains the year’s top domestic earner at $573.8 million). Across the Spider-Verse is now looking at $380 million or more in the US and is a megahit against its $100 million budget.

Joy Ride underperformed in its opening weekend with a $5.9 million start, below the $8 million to $10 million most expected it to do. The R-rated comedy came in to the weekend with a fair amount of buzz; critics loved the film with a 91% RT aggregated score but it was crowded out by the loaded slate of films available.

On the plus side, the comedy does have decent if not great word of mouth at a B- CinemaScore and an 83% RT audience score. There’s no word on its budget, but it should close out at around $15 million to $16 million domestically.

No Hard Feelings eased 33% in its third weekend to bring in $5.3 million. That’s a solid hold for the R-rated comedy, putting the film at $40.4 million domestically and $67.6 million worldwide to date. It is performing alright against a $45 million budget and should be profitable with a final domestic gross around $55 million.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is another film showing its legs after a low start, as it was down just 32% in its fifth weekend with $5 million. The action sequel is now up to $146.7 million domestically and $407.7 million worldwide against a $195 million budget. It isn’t likely to be profitable, but should close out with around $160 million million stateside.

The Little Mermaid slipped 35% in its seventh weekend to $3.5 million. The live-action adaptation continues its road to $300 million as it now stands at $289 million domestically and $542.1 million. It will bring in a very minor profit for Disney against its $250 million budget but is still a disappointment when all is said and done.

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken dipped 49% in its second weekend, following up its poor start with $2.8 million this frame. The Universal animated film is just being crowded out and has $11.6 million domestically and $26.7 million worldwide. This is going to go down as a money loser for the studio due to its $70 million budget and may reach $18 million domestically.

Next weekend will see Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 take the pole position. The latest film in the blockbuster franchise is targeting around $70 million for the weekend (it opens on Wednesday).

BOX OFFICE TOP TEN (Three-Day Domestic Numbers)
1. Insidious: The Red Door – $32.7 million ($32.7 million domestically, $64.1 million WW)
2. Indiana Jones and the Dial Of Destiny – $26.5 million ($121.2 million total, $247.9 million WW)
3. Sound Of Freedom – $18.2 million ($40.2 million domestically, $40.2 million WW)t
4. Elemental – $9.6 million ($109.2 million total, $251.9 million WW)
5. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – $8 million ($357.7 million total, $642.3 million WW)
6. Joy Ride – $5.9 million ($5.9 million domestically, $5.9 million WW)
7. No Hard Feelings – $5.3 million ($40.4 million total, $67.6 million WW)
8. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts – $5 million ($146.7 million total, $407.7 million WW)
9. The Little Mermaid – $3.5 million ($289 million total, $542.1 million WW)
10. Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken – $2.8 million ($11.6 million total, $26.7 million WW)