Once upon a time, last weekend would have seen the launch of Dune: Part Two. Instead, it proved to be the slowest yet for Australian cinemas in 2023, with Warner Bros. having moved the Denis Villeneuve sequel to March next year due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.
Numero data puts the top 20 titles last weekend at just $6.8 million, down 36 per cent on the previous.
Despite the lull, Majestic Cinemas CEO Kieren Dell is optimistic the weeks ahead will see a shift.
“We hope and expect it is the calm before the storm with Marvels this week then Hunger Games, Napoleon and Trolls Band Together coming the next four weeks,” he tells IF.
For the most part, last weekend’s top 10 at the box office reads, with only one major new release hitting theatres, that being Roadshow and the Reset Collective’s The Dive, starring Aussie Sophie Lowe. The survival thriller landed at sixth with $166,565 from 226 screens.
Five Nights at Freddy’s was once again the weekend’s no. 1, but slipped 54 per cent in its second frame to $2.8 million. The Universal/Blumhouse horror is now at $10.2 million to date.
In North America, where it was released day-and-date on Peacock, the decline for Freddy’s was a more dramatic 76 per cent. Globally, the film, which had a reported budget of $US20 million, has earned $US217 million.
Paramount’s Killers of the Flower Moon remained at second, drawing $1.098 million in its third weekend to advance to $5.8 million. Just a hair behind was Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which took $1.095 million its fourth, bringing the Trafalgar Releasing concert title to $8.3 million.
As per the previous weekend, no other title crossed the $500,000 mark.
Despite its rocky start, Dumb Money dropped just 15 per cent in its second weekend for Roadshow, with a $336,057 result moving the film to $1.1 million.
Paramount’s PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie actually saw a boost, up 6 per cent in its seventh outing to $234,868, bringing its tally to date to $8.1 million.
Behind The Dive was Disney’s The Creator, which took $155,518 in its sixth frame to advance to $5.4 million.
The Exorcist: Believer has reached $3.4 million for Universal after ringing up $154,641 in its sixth frame, while Paramount’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is at $10.3 million after generating $118,526 in its ninth.
Rounding out the top 10 was Australian animation Scarygirl, which had a strong hold through its second weekend, dipping just 19 per cent to $91,249, moving the Madman film to $241,415.
Two other Australian films made the top 20, Foe, directed by Garth Davis, and Bring Him to Me, directed by Luke Sparke.
Transmission opened Foe on 95 screens for $64,110, or $83,988 with previews, while Rialto debuted Bring Him to Me on 79 screens for $38,841.
Of other Australian films in the top 50, Label doc Mutiny in Heaven: The Birthday Party, which is slowly rolling out across the states, is proving quite the earner. It drew $34,142 from just 11 screens across its second weekend, up 69 per cent, bringing its tally to $106,589.
Madman’s Shayda is now at $301,354 after five weekends in release, having added an extra $7,717.
Australian box office data is via Numero.