Lionsgate’s highly anticipated spin-off from the John Wick franchise, titled Ballerina and starring Ana de Armas, launched with a modest $10.65 million from Friday and preview screenings across 3,409 theaters. The film is currently projected to make between $25.5 million and $27.5 million for its opening weekend, falling short of earlier forecasts that estimated a debut of around $28 million. This opening day gross marks the second-lowest for the John Wick series, just behind the $10.96 million earned by John Wick: Chapter 2 in 2017.
While some slowdown is expected for Ballerina, given that it serves as a property reset for the R-rated action franchise, the drop-off is noticeable. The series' main star, Keanu Reeves, has taken on a smaller supporting role in this installment, which may have contributed to the lower opening. The original John Wick film debuted as a sleeper hit in 2014, grossing $43 million in North America, and the franchise has grown into a significant box office player, with the fourth entry earning $187 million and becoming the ninth-highest-grossing domestic release of 2023.
Furthermore, Ballerina comes with a hefty production budget of $90 million, which is close to the $100 million cost of Chapter 4. Lionsgate often mitigates financial risk by recouping some production costs through foreign pre-sales, which can limit profit potential.
Despite the lukewarm opening for Ballerina, Lionsgate is committed to expanding the John Wick universe. Plans are already in motion for a fifth mainline entry featuring Reeves, alongside an animated prequel and a spin-off directed by and starring Donnie Yen, who was a standout in Chapter 4.
Reviews for Ballerina have been positive, with audiences responding even more favorably. Moviegoer pollster CinemaScore has awarded the film a solid “A-” grade. It remains to be seen if this positive word-of-mouth will help improve the film's opening weekend numbers.
This weekend, Ballerina will struggle to dethrone Disney's Lilo & Stitch, which is set to secure its third consecutive weekend at the top of the box office. The live-action remake added another $9.3 million on Friday, reflecting a 45% drop from its previous week’s earnings. It is projected to surpass $33 million in its third frame and should cross a $335 million domestic gross by Sunday.
Further down the charts, Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme, distributed by Focus Features, is expanding to 1,678 theaters after a limited opening in New York and Los Angeles. The film earned $2.55 million on Friday and is expected to reach a total of $5.8 million over the weekend. While it ranks sixth, it lags behind the $9 million earned by Anderson's previous film, Asteroid City, during its expansion. Audience reception has been mixed, with a CinemaScore grade of “B-.”
In third place, Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning earned $4 million on Friday, with a weekend projection of $14.8 million, down 45% from its previous outing. This installment is on track to reach $149 million domestically, surpassing the performance of its predecessor, Dead Reckoning, which grossed $139 million, but trailing behind 2018’s Fallout at $161 million.
Additionally, Karate Kid: Legends is in fourth, projecting around $8.7 million for its second weekend, while Final Destination: Bloodlines continues to perform, surpassing $120 million in domestic gross.
In a remarkable achievement, Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, is set to surpass $270 million domestically and will soon overtake Gravity to become the highest-grossing original film in North America in the past 15 years.
Additionally, the shark thriller Dangerous Animals, released under IFC’s horror-focused banner Shudder, opened in 1,636 theaters and grossed around $760,000 on Friday. However, it appears unlikely to break into the top ten.
