Box Office Upset: ‘Melania’ Drops to Ninth, ‘Send Help’ Dominates Super Bowl Weekend
This past Super Bowl weekend saw significant box office challenges, attributed to severe weather conditions across the East Coast and Midwest. As a result, movie attendance was low, leading to a disappointing overall revenue for the industry.
Box Office Overview: ‘Send Help’ Dominates
In a weekend with no new major studio releases, the survival thriller “Send Help” secured the top spot at the box office, grossing $10 million from 3,475 North American theaters. This figure marks a 47% drop from its initial $19.1 million debut. Overall, the weekend’s total revenue reached approximately $60 million, considerably lower than pre-pandemic figures.
‘Melania’ Experiences Severe Decline
Meanwhile, the documentary “Melania,” which focuses on the First Lady of the United States, fell dramatically to ninth place. The film earned $2.37 million from 2,003 locations, representing a 67% decline in ticket sales. Despite having amassed $13.35 million domestically over two weeks, the film faces an uphill battle due to its hefty production and marketing costs.
- Production cost: $40 million
- Marketing expenditure: $35 million
- Total domestic earnings: $13.35 million
Amazon MGM’s significant investment in “Melania” has raised questions about their strategy, as such costs are unusual for documentaries. A representative defended the film’s performance, highlighting its potential to create momentum ahead of its streaming release on Prime Video.
Other Box Office Performers
In second place, the romantic comedy “Solo Mio” brought in $7.2 million from 3,052 theaters. The film, featuring Kevin James, received positive feedback from audiences.
The K-pop documentary “Stray Kids: The Dominate Experience” debuted well in fourth place with $5.5 million from 1,724 theaters. Meanwhile, the remake of “Dracula,” directed by Luc Besson, rounded out the top five with $4.5 million from 2,050 theaters.
Newcomers and Additional Insights
Other notable releases included “Iron Lung,” which claimed third place with $6.2 million despite a 66% decline. Markiplier’s film has achieved commercial success, grossing $31.2 million to date.
Additionally, “The Strangers: Chapter 3” debuted at No. 7 with $3.5 million. Although this figure is below expectations compared to previous installments, the franchise remains profitable for Lionsgate due to its overall earnings.
In summary, despite the setback during the Super Bowl weekend, several films managed to perform reasonably well amid challenging circumstances. The fluctuating box office numbers remain reflective of the industry’s current landscape.
