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“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” grossed $16 million in North American ticket sales on Friday and preview screenings in 4,345 theaters. That almost coincides the $16.6 million its predecessor “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” earned on its opening day in November 2021. Sony’s sci-fi comedy sequel will easily top the domestic charts, though its work isn’t done yet considering its production budget of 100 million dollars.
That’s an increase on the price of “Afterlife,” which cost $75 million before marketing and distribution. That franchise revival nearly tripled its $44 million domestic opening weekend, performing well over the Thanksgiving holiday to finish with $129 million and $204 million worldwide. Similarly, “Frozen Empire” could improve its fortunes with Easter at the end of the month.
Reviews have become more lukewarm compared to the much-received “Afterlife.” Early moviegoers are also a little happier with the franchise now, with audience polling company Cinema Score earning it a B+ grade. (“Afterlife” got an A-.) “Frozen Empire” will face competition next week with the arrival of another “Empire,” in this case a “new” one: “Godzilla X Kong: The New” from Warner Bros. and Legendary . Empire.”
Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard and McKenna Grace return for “Frozen Empire,” and the group heads to a mysteriously frozen Big Apple, where the famous profession of ghost hunting was invented. Original ’80s stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts and William Atherton also reprise their “Ghostbusters” roles. Directed by Gil Kenan.
Also opening this weekend, independent banner Neon will present the horror film “Immaculate” in 2,354 locations. Headlined by Sydney Sweeney and directed by “The Voyeurs” director Michael Mohan, the genre play was financed and produced by Black Bear. Industry competitors project a fourth-place finish for “Immaculate” with around $5 million in the three-day period. It’s not a dazzling debut, but the film was produced on a modest budget. The reviews are positive, while the immediate audience sentiment is not (a C grade on Cinema Score), as is typical for horror.
“Dune: Part Two” seems to remain in second place. Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros.’ The film earned $4.45 million on Friday, just 45% less than the $8 million it earned a week ago. Denis Villeneuve’s sequel will remain strong in its fourth weekend of release, and now seeks to boost its domestic collection above $230 million. “Frozen Empire” (and soon, “Godzilla during the month of March. .
Universal’s “Kung Fu Panda 4” will land in bronze, projecting $14.5 million for the weekend with a drop of just 52%. This is a pretty impressive result considering that “Frozen Empire” is now the new attraction for family audiences. DreamWorks Animation’s sequel will gross $130 million domestically during its first 17 days of release. It will soon surpass the North American total of its predecessor, “Kung Fu Panda 3,” which finished with $143 million in 2016.
Lionsgate’s “Arthur the King” will round out the top five, earning $1.1 million on Friday. The Mark Wahlberg vehicle didn’t impress much upon its debut and is now looking to surpass $14 million in its first 10 days. Considering its modest $19 million production budget, it won’t be so bad in the long run, but the dog’s story is making an unlikely return after his soft debut.