Melania Premiere Leads as ‘Send Help’ Tops Glacial Super Bowl Weekend
Frigid temperatures across the East Coast and Midwest contributed to a sluggish Super Bowl weekend at the box office. The absence of new major releases left Sam Raimi’s thriller “Send Help” in the lead, grossing $10 million from 3,475 North American theaters. This reflects a 47% decline from its debut of $19.1 million.
In contrast, the documentary “Melania” fell to the ninth position, with $2.37 million from 2,003 screens, indicating a significant 67% drop in ticket sales. The Super Bowl traditionally stifles box office revenue, with total earnings reaching about $60 million, according to Comscore. While this isn’t the lowest Super Bowl weekend ever, it lags behind historical figures, where sales typically averaged $75 million to $85 million.
“Send Help” Performance and Impact
“Send Help” has accumulated a domestic total of $35.8 million and $17.9 million internationally, amounting to a global total of $53.7 million. Though horror films traditionally experience steep second-weekend declines, “Send Help,” featuring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien, benefits from positive word-of-mouth. However, Disney has invested $40 million in production, making a sustained box office performance essential.
Challenges for “Melania”
Despite its theatrical performance, “Melania” has grossed $13.35 million domestically after two weeks, a strong showing for a documentary. Yet, its hefty production and marketing costs, totaling $75 million, pose significant challenges. Amazon MGM, the film’s producer, has hinted at a dual distribution strategy, emphasizing both theatrical and streaming releases.
Kevin Wilson, Amazon MGM’s head of domestic theatrical distribution, stated, “This strong theatrical performance validates our holistic distribution strategy.” The company aims to leverage the combined audience interest to drive viewership on Prime Video.
Box Office Rankings
- 1. “Send Help”: $10 million
- 2. “Solo Mio”: $7.2 million from 3,052 theaters
- 3. “Iron Lung”: $6.2 million from 2,930 theaters
- 4. “Stray Kids: The Dominate Experience”: $5.5 million from 1,724 theaters
- 5. “Dracula”: $4.5 million from 2,050 theaters
“Iron Lung,” directed and produced by YouTube creator Markiplier, secured the third spot with $6.2 million, even as it experienced a 66% drop from its debut. The film has garnered approximately $31.2 million overall, greatly exceeding expectations.
Independents Shine During Super Bowl Weekend
Independent films managed to shine during this unusual weekend. “Solo Mio,” starring Kevin James, earned a solid $7.2 million, receiving an “A-” CinemaScore. Meanwhile, the K-pop documentary “Stray Kids: The Dominate Experience” successfully opened to $5.5 million and has also performed well internationally.
As Lionsgate’s “The Strangers: Chapter 3” debuted with only $3.5 million, the future looks promising with five new films set for release. This includes Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of “Wuthering Heights” and a heist thriller featuring prominent stars. Despite weak performances early in the year, industry hopes for a resurgence in box office revenue remain high.
