As summer draws to a close, the box office landscape is shaping up to be an intriguing one, with the only major studio release this weekend being Universal’s highly anticipated action film, Nobody 2. The film, starring Bob Odenkirk, garnered an impressive $1.3 million from previews on Thursday, debuting in 2,800 theaters starting at 2 p.m.
The production, budgeted at $25 million by 87North, is projected to achieve a strong opening weekend with estimates of over $10 million. In the competitive market, however, it faces robust competition from New Line’s Weapons, which is anticipated to dominate the box office with an estimated $20 million in its second week. Directed by Zach Cregger, Weapons is on track to finish its first week with a remarkable total of $64 million. This figure represents a 17% decrease compared to the first week of Sinners, which earned $77.5 million, yet it significantly surpasses the $49.8 million initial week of the acclaimed film Get Out.
The performance of Weapons in its second weekend will be closely monitored, especially in comparison to past performances of similar films. Sinners experienced a 14% spike in its second Saturday, while Get Out saw a 9% decline. Weapons reported a Thursday gross of $4.06 million, marking a 9% decrease from Wednesday’s take of $4.4 million.
Interestingly, there were no preview screenings for the original Nobody film, as major theaters in New York City and Los Angeles had just reopened two weeks prior due to COVID-19 restrictions. The first installment opened to $6.8 million and ultimately grossed $27.5 million domestically. By comparison, the previews for Nobody 2 align closely with Lionsgate’s Den of Thieves: Pantera, which recorded $1.35 million during its Thursday previews before achieving a $5.7 million Friday and a $15 million opening weekend.
The sequel, Nobody 2, is helmed by Timo Tjahjanto, taking over from Russian director Ilya Naishuller, who directed the first film. The screenplay is penned by Derek Kolstad and Aaron Rabin, building on the characters established in the original film. Early reviews for Nobody 2 are promising, with an 82% approval rating from critics and an impressive 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. These ratings are closely aligned with the first film, which achieved 84% and 94% ratings, respectively.
The rest of the top five films for the week will reveal more about the shifting dynamics of the box office as audiences continue to return to theaters in the wake of the pandemic.
