411 Box Office Report: The Invitation Leads Quiet Box Office Weekend

It was a slow weekend at the box office, which allowed The Invitation to claim the top spot. The horror film topped the charts for the weekend with a $7 million take, making it the first film since May of last year to top the box office with under $10 million. The last film to do so was Spiral: From the Book of Saw which started with $8.8 million and then led for a second weekend at $4.6 million, all as theaters were still in the early days of pandemic recovery.

The Invitation is an example of a studio – Sony Pictures, in this case – knowing that they could chuck an inexpensive film into a box office dead spot and come out with a win. The strategy paid off; despite poor reviews (a 26% aggregate score on Rotten Tomatoes), chilly fan reception (a 47% RT audience score) and barely any marketing, the film was able to bring in theatergoers just based on the prospect of something new.

While the film’s start was slow and it’s likely to fade away fairly quickly, Sony will still come out a winner here. The film only cost $10 million to produce and the studio skimped on P&A (again, because they knew they could). Add in a scant box office landscape for the next month and The Invitation should be able to get at least $22 million domestically. The film started with $1.6 million overseas for an $8.6 million worldwide total and should be able to find a bit of profit for the studio.

Coming in at #2 was Bullet Train, which was down 30% in its fourth weekend with $5.6 million. The Brad Pitt-starring action film is getting closer to profit, standing at $78.2 million domestically and $173.6 million worldwide against an $80 million budget. The movie is now looking likely to close out at around $90 million domestically and should be able to count as a minor money-maker for Sony.

Beast took at expected hefty fall in its second weekend, down 58% to $4.9 million. The Idris Elba-led action thriller was never expected to be a sleeper hit, but is doing pretty solidly with $20.1 million domestically and $36.2 million worldwide. There’s still a journey to go before it hits breakeven against a $36 million production budget, but it should be able to get there. The domestic total should end up around $32 million.

Top Gun: Maverick continued to stick around in the top four, down just 20% in its 14th weekend with $4.8 million. The legacy sequel has now brought in $691.2 million in the US and $1.422 billion worldwide. It will pass Black Panther to rank #5 among all-time domestic grossers and its endgame is somewhere around $703 million. The budget was $170 million.

As predicted, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero dropped like a rock in its second weekend. The anime film nailed down $4.6 million, down 78% from its opening weekend. That’s heavier than the drops for Dragon Ball Super: Broly (69%), Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (71%), and Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie (75%). Crunchyroll isn’t stressing it though, as the film is easily in a profit point at $30.8 million domestically and $57.2 million worldwide. It should be able to end its run at around $40 million stateside, perhaps a little more.

DC League of Super-Pets eased 56% in its fifth weekend to $4.2 million. The DC animated film is showing some decent legs, something that it needed as it fits its way toward making back its $90 million budget. It stands at $74.1 million domestically and $146.5 million worldwide and should be able to get to $85 million or so in the US.

United Artists’ Three Thousand Years of Longing opened quietly as expected, bringing in just $2.8 million in its opening weekend. The fantasy drama was a bit below the mid-single digits that UA hoped for, and even the hopes were below anything that might approach profit on this $60 million film.

It’s understandable to a degree why the studio spent that much on the movie, which has some good name recognition with stars Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton and a known director in Mad Max’s George Miller. But despite a rapturous reception at Cannes, the film failed to pick up buzz thanks to a merely okay critic reaction (70% on RT).

At this point, unless the film is a big hit overseas there’s no path to profit here. The movie is likely to slip off the charts in short order even considering the box office desert that will be September. $10 million would be a generous estimate for its domestic total.

Minions: Rise of Gru was down 26% from last weekend, bringing in $2.7 million in its ninth weekend. The spinoff sequel is up to $354.8 million domestically and $868.9 million worldwide. It is still looking likely to hit $360 million domestically and is a huge hit for Universal Pictures against an $80 million budget.

Thor: Love & Thunder was off 34% in its eight weekend with $2.7 million. The MCU film is now at $336.6 million domestically and $746.7 million worldwide against a $250 million budget. Marvel is happy with this film’s performance, especially considering that it didn’t open in China. It should end its domestic run around $342 million.

Where the Crawdads Sing held on for a last go in the top 10, down 27% in its seventh weekend to $2.3 million. The drama is now up to $81.9 million domestically and $106.6 million worldwide, a large hit for Sony against a budget of just $24 million. It should be able to make it to $88 million or so by the end of its US run.

Next weekend could easily see Bullet Train or (yes) even Top Gun: Maverick return to the top of the charts, as the new releases are scant. Focus Features’ comedy Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. is looking to start in the low-single digits, and the most interesting thing about the weekend will be the re-releases of Jaws and Spider-Man: No Way Home which could also be competing for the top spot depending on how dire things are.

BOX OFFICE TOP TEN (Three-Day Domestic Numbers)
1. The Invitation – $7 million ($7 million total, $7 million total WW)
2. Bullet Train – $5.6 million ($78.2 million total, $173.6 million WW)
3. Beast – $4.9 million ($20.1 million total, $36.2 million WW)
4. Top Gun: Maverick – $4.8 million ($691.2 million total, $1.422 billion WW)
5. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero – $4.6 million ($30.8 million total, $57.2 million WW)
6. DC League of Super-Pets – $4.2 million ($74.1 million total, $146.5 million WW)
7. Three Thousand Years of Longing – $2.9 million ($2.9 million total, $2.9 million WW)
8. Minions: The Rise of Gru – $2.7 million ($354.8 million total, $868.9 million WW)
9. Thor: Love & Thunder – $2.7 million ($336.6 million total, $746.7 million WW)
10. Where the Crawdads Sing – $2.3 million ($81.9 million total, $106.6 million WW)