411 Box Office Report: Magic Mike’s Last Dance Takes #1 With Quiet Start

It didn’t meet its expectations, but Magic Mike’s Last Dance still grossed enough to win the box office on Super Bowl weekend. The third film in the Channing Tatum franchise grossed $8.2 million to claim #1, missing out on its low teens-predicted opening. That number is the lowest for the franchise, beneath the first film’s $39.1 million start and the second’s $12.9 million opening weekend.

Magic Mike’s Last Dance was originally intended to release on HBO Max, but it was shifted to theatrical as part of the post-Warner Bros. Discovery realignment toward theaters. It didn’t pay off in this case. In complete fairness to the movie, it is opening on a weekend that is one of the weakest of the year; no one does well against the Super Bowl in domestic box office. But add in the fact that the film had little buzz and it was a recipe for failure. It also doesn’t help that it was not particularly loved by critics, with a 43% Rotten Tomatoes aggregated score. Films can of course succeed without critics’ scores, but the older women audience that was targeted here tends to lean more on critic scores. And the audience scores weren’t great either with a 75% on RT.

The film did okay overseas, where it grossed $10.4 million for an $18.6 million worldwide start. But with a $40 million budget plus marketing, this is almost sure to be a money loser. While this franchise has legged out well, Magic Mike’s Last Dance is looking at perhaps $30 million domestically when it’s all said and done.

Avatar: The Way Of Water’s came in at #2 with $6.9 million, down 39% from the previous weekend. The sci-fi blockbuster is now up to $646.9 million domestically and $2.213 billion worldwide. It actually dropped a spot in worldwide gross thanks to a Titanic’s 25th anniversary re-release (more on that in a moment), but it will get back up there shortly. It is obviously a huge hit and should be able to top $660 million domestically.

Speaking of Titanic, the 25th anniversary rerelease grossed $6.4 million to take the #3 spot. The 1997 James Cameron blockbuster pushed its grosses to $665.8 million domestically and $2.216 billion worldwide. It will vanish quickly as rereleases tend to do, but of course this is all extra money for Paramount and so they’re happy with the numbers.

atop the box office ended thanks to Knock At the Cabin, which took the top spot this weekend. M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film claimed the #1 position with $14.2 million, ending The Way of Water’s seven-week run at in the pole position. Knock came in a bit below expectations heading into the weekend, which had predicted a $17 million to $20 million start. It is below Shyamalan’s last film Old, which started with $16.9 million in July of 2021.

80 For Brady held on about as well as could be expected. The sports comedy was off 53% — no surprise considering it was a Super Bowl-based movie facing the Super Bowl as competition – to $6 million in its second weekend. The film is now up to $25 million domestically and should be able to hold on a little better from here on out. It should be able to top $40 million domestically and international grosses will put it into profit against a $28 million budget.

Knock At the Cabin’s followed the typical M. Night Shyamalan pattern as it slipped hard in its second weekend. The cabin in the woods thriller was down 61% to $5.5 million. That puts the film’s grosses at $23.4 million domestically and $36.8 million worldwide, heading for profit against a $20 million production budget plus marketing. It should tollow along to a final domestic total around $35 million or so.

Puss In Boots: The Last Wish was off 30% in its eighth weekend to $5.5 million. The animated sequel has grossed $158.5 million domestically and $393.7 million worldwide. That this film is closing in on $400 million worldwide is a testament to its appeal and week-by-week strength. It is a hit for the studio against its $90 million budget and will top $170 million by the end of its run.

A Man Called Otto was down 38% in its seventh weekend, tallying another $2.6 million. The Tom Hanks-starring dramedy has now totaled $57.4 million domestically and $92.2 million worldwide, pushing toward a potential profit against its $50 million budget. It is still on track to top $63 million domestically, and will be profitable thanks to overseas grosses.

Missing had the best hold in the top 10, down 30% (lower by fractions than Puss In Boots) to $2.6 million in its fourth weekend. The ScreenLife thriller has brought its total to $26.6 million, officially passing the total for Searching. Missing is a hit for Sony Pictures against a budget of just $7 million and should end with around $33 million domestically, with international releases coming next month.

M3GAN was off 38% in its sixth weekend to $2.4 million. The PG-13 horror film is a hit for Universal with $90.9 million domestically and $165.6 million worldwide against a budget of just $12 million. The film should be able to finish out around $95 million.

Plane crept back into the top 10 with $1.2 million, down 46% from last weekend’s numbers. The Gerard Butler action-thriller now stands at $30.8 million domestically and $43 million worldwide, and is either a profit or close to it against a $20 million budget. It will close out domestically with around $33 million.

The box office gets a much-needed jolt next weekend as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania opens, with the MCU film targeting around $110 million for the weekend. Liam Neeson is back as well in the noir thriller Marlowe, which will open in the low single digits.

BOX OFFICE TOP TEN (Three-Day Domestic Numbers)
1. Magic Mike’s Last Dance – $8.2 million ($8.2 million total, $18.6 million WW)
2. Avatar: The Way Of Water – $6.9 million ($646.9 million total, $2.213 billion WW)
3. Titanic – $6.4 million ($665.8 million total, $2.216 billion WW)
4. 80 For Brady – $6 million ($25 million total, $25 million WW)
5. Knock At the Cabin – $5.5 million ($23.4 million total, $36.8 million WW)
6. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish – $5.5 million ($158.5 million total, $393.7 million WW)
7. A Man Called Otto – $2.6 million ($57.4 million total, $92.2 million WW)
8. Missing – $2.6 million ($26.6 million total, $26.6 million WW)
9. M3GAN – $2.4 million ($90.9 million total, $165.6 million WW)
10. Plane – $1.2 million ($30.8 million total, $43 million WW)