“Monkey Man” Swings Ahead of “First Omen” in Previews, But Can It Topple “Godzilla x Kong” at the Box Office?
The battle for the 18-34 demographic’s dollars is heating up at the box office, with three highly anticipated movies vying for the top spot. Universal/Monkeypaw’s Dev Patel action movie “Monkey Man” and 20th Century Studios’ “First Omen” both had a strong start in Thursday night previews, but “Monkey Man” had the edge with $1.4M compared to “First Omen”‘s $725.
“Monkey Man” began its previews at 5PM in 2,750 theaters, while “First Omen” started at 7PM. However, “First Omen” is booked at 3,375 theaters, giving it a slight advantage in terms of screen count. Meanwhile, Legendary and Warner Bros’ “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” has already crossed $100M and is expected to reign supreme in its second weekend with $32M+.
Both “Monkey Man” and “First Omen” are rated R, with reviews settling at 85% certified fresh and 81% fresh, respectively[1]. Comps for “Monkey Man” include Focus Features’ “The Northman” and Universal’s “Violent Night,” both of which had successful opening weekends.
“Monkey Man” was acquired by Universal for under $10M, while “First Omen” cost Disney in the low $30Ms before P&A[1]. It remains to be seen which movie will come out on top, but one thing is for sure – the box office is in for a wild ride.
1.) Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (Leg/WB) 3,948 (+87) theaters, Fri $8.5M (-77%) 3-day $30M (-63%)/Total $133.3M/ Wk 2
2.) Monkey Man (Uni) 3,029 theaters, Fri $4.25M, 3-day $10.5M./Wk 1
3.) Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (Sony) 3,835 (-10) theaters, Fri $2.43M (-56%), 3-day $9.05M (-42%), Total $88.9M/Wk 3
4.) The First Omen (20th/Dis) 3375 theaters, Fri $3.2M, 3-day $8M, Wk 1
5.) Kung Fu Panda 4 (Uni/DWA) 3,398 (-184) theaters, Fri $2.25M (-43%), 3-day $8M (-23%), Total $166.2M/Wk 5
6.) Dune: Part Two (Leg/WB) 2,836 theaters (-300), Fri $2M (-45%), 3-day $6.7M (-40%)/Total $264.4M/Wk 6
7.) Someone Like You (Fath) 1800 theaters, Fri $1.65M, 3-day $3.8M/Wk 1
8.) Arthur the King (LG) 1704 (-821) theaters, Fri $470K (-40%), 3-day $1.67M (-33%), Total $22.3M/Wk 4
9.) Immaculate (NEON) 1,706 (-656) theaters, Fri $470K (-59%), 3-day $1.6M (-51%), Total $14.3M/Wk 3
10.) Wicked Little Letters (SPC) 1,002 (+997) Fri $550K (+1400%), 3 day $1.4M (+1742%), Total $1.5M/Wk 2
