Theaters are waiting for “F9” to get business going again
The release of Lionsgate’s “The Hitman’s Bodyguard’s Wife” has done little to slow the decline in overall box office numbers since Memorial Day weekend, taking the No.1 spot at the box office with an $11.6 million weekend total from 3,331 screens and meeting pre-release projections with a $17 million 5-day opening. While reception among critics for the action comedy sequel was poor with a 25% Rotten Tomatoes score, audience reception was decent with a B on CinemaScore and 79% RT audience score. Typical for the genre, audience demographics skewed older and male with 55% men and 66% over 25. Since the release of Paramount’s “A Quiet Place — Part II” and Disney’s “Cruella” at the end of May, overall numbers have dropped 14-18% each weekend as only one June release — Warner Bros.’ “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” — has posted an opening weekend of over $20 million. This weekend, overall grosses fell 18% to an estimated $47 million, leaving theaters to wait for the release of “F9” next weekend to get business going again. But “Quiet Place II” has continued to be a pillar of the recovering box office, taking the No.
