Weekend Box Office: RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ Earns Best Post-Thanksgiving Opening Since 2003’s THE LAST SAMURAI

Courtesy Parkwood Entertainment

#1 = Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé

The AMC Theatres Distribution + Variance Films concert documentary can pay the “bills, bills, bills” with a $21.0M debut.

Renaissance earns first place despite playing in 2,539 theaters, only the #5 widest release this frame.

However, Renaissance does start below several other concert documentaries:

  • -9% below 2009’s posthumous Michael Jackson concert documentary This Is It = $23.2M
  • -28% below 2011’s Justin Bieber: Never Say Never = $29.5M
  • -32% below 2008’s Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert = $31.1M

(Nobody expected Renaissance to open anywhere near October’s record-shattering Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour which debuted with $92.8M.)

Renaissance also earns the best immediate post-Thanksgiving debut since 2003’s The Last Samurai with $24.2M.

The top immediate post-Thanksgiving weekend overall remains 2019’s holdover Frozen II with $35.1M in its third frame.

Unsurprisingly given its newfound competition, Eras falls -76% in its eighth frame, by far its steepest drop so far.

 

Overseas / global

Renaissance opened to a somewhat subdued $6.4M overseas and $27.4M globally, or 23% overseas.

Major markets still to release include Brazil, Italy, and Spain.

For comparison, This Is It opened to $74.2M globally, while Eras Tour began with $123.5M globally.

#2 = The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Last frame, Lionsgate’s dystopian action prequel repeated in first place with a mere -35% sophomore weekend drop.

That was far milder than the sophomore drops for the four original Hunger Games installments, the mildest of which was 2015’s Mockingjay Part 2 = -49%.

Now in its third frame, Songbirds declines -50% to $14.5M and the runner-up slot.

Among Hunger Games films, that’s a milder third weekend drop than:

  • 2013’s Catching Fire = -65%
  • 2014’s Mockingjay Part 1 = -61%
  • 2015’s Mockingjay Part 2 = -64%

However, it’s steeper than for 2012’s The Hunger Games = -43%.

Through 17 days, Songbirds has earned $121.2M. Through the same point in release, that’s:

  • -60% below 2012’s The Hunger Games = $302.4M
  • -63% below 2013’s Catching Fire = $335.8M
  • -53% below 2014’s Mockingjay Part 1 = $258.1M
  • -46% below 2015’s Mockingjay Part 2 = $227.3M

Songbirds is holding better than its opening weekend would have predicted versus all four films, having originally opened:

  • -70% below 2012’s The Hunger Games
  • -71% below 2013’s Catching Fire
  • -63% below 2014’s Mockingjay Part 1
  • -56% below 2015’s Mockingjay Part 2

 

Read Boxoffice PRO’s interview with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes director Francis Lawrence here:

https://www.boxofficepro.com/fading-snow-director-francis-lawrence-on-kindling-the-franchise-with-origin-story-the-hunger-games-the-ballad-of-songbirds-and-snakes/ 

#3 = Godzilla Minus One

Toho International’s Japanese-language monster movie stomps to a $11.0M debut in third place.

Comparisons are few and far between, because nobody realistically expected this to open in the same range as the several English-language Godzilla movies.

It marks the top foreign opening domestically of 2023, overtaking March’s fellow Japanese Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba — To the Swordsmith Village with $10.1M.

#4 = Trolls Band Together

Universal’s animated three-quel drops -57% in its third frame to $7.6M and fourth place.

It’s earned $74.8M through 17 days, or -35% behind 2016’s Trolls through the same point = $116.1M.

 

Overseas / global

Band falls -60% in overseas holdover markets, slightly steeper than its -57% domestic drop.

The top five overseas markets to date are:

  1. U.K.: $18.5M
  2. Germany: $6.6M
  3. Mexico: $6.3M
  4. Brazil: $5.5M
  5. Spain: $4.8M

Major markets still to release include South Korea.

It’s now earned $85.8M overseas and $160.6M globally, or 53% overseas.

The movie is looking unlikely to match 2016’s original Trolls with $343.2M globally, 55% overseas.

#5 = Wish

Last weekend, Disney’s animated musical failed to win the Thanksgiving frame or even come in the top two with a third place start.

Now in its sophomore frame, it falls a steep -62% to $7.4M and fifth place.

That’s a steeper drop than for other Disney animated musicals released on Thanksgiving week, including: 

  • 2016’s Moana = -50%
  • 2021’s Encanto = -52%
  • 2013’s Frozen = -53%
  • 2010’s Tangled = -56%

Through 12 days, Wish has earned $41.9M total. That’s running far behind other Disney animated musicals released on Thanksgiving weeks past:

  • -28% below 2021’s Encanto = $58.3M
  • -56% below 2010’s Tangled = $96.5M
  • -65% below 2016’s Moana = $119.7M
  • -68% below 2013’s Frozen = $134.2M

 

Overseas / global

Wish falls -44% in overseas holdover markets, notably milder than its -62% domestic drop.

Wish has earned $39.6M overseas and $81.6M globally, or 48% overseas.

Wish looks unlikely to even approach the final global totals of:

  • Moana: $629.6M globally, 60% overseas
  • Tangled: $582.4M globally, 65% overseas

The top overseas markets for Wish include:

  1. U.K.: $5.5M
  2. China: $5.3M
  3. France: $4.1M
  4. Mexico: $3.6M
  5. Germany: $3.5M

Major markets still to release include Japan, Italy, Australia, South Korea, and Brazil.

#6 = Napoleon

In its sophomore frame, Sony Pictures and Apple Studios’ historical drama fell a steep -65% to $7.1M. That’s steeper than:

  • Director Ridley Scott’s 2021 House of Gucci = -51%
  • Scott’s fellow 2021 The Last Duel = -57%
  • October’s Killers of the Flower Moon, a comparable historical drama from Apple Studios = -60%

After 12 days, Napoleon has earned $45.7M total. Through the same point in release, that’s:

  • +5% ahead of Killers of the Flower Moon = $43.2M
  • +35% ahead of House of Gucci = $33.8M

 

Overseas / global

Napoleon falls -46% in overseas holdover markets, considerably milder than its -65% domestic drop.

It’s now earned $90.9M overseas and $136.6M globally, or 66% overseas.

The top five overseas markets are:

  1. U.K.: $11.8M
  2. France: $9.9M (the film takes place in France, though it’s received withering reviews there)
  3. Germany: $6.2M
  4. Spain: $6.2M
  5. Italy: $6.1M

Major markets still to release include South Korea.

It will aim to match the global totals of:

  • Killers of the Flower Moon = $154.3M to date, 57% overseas
  • House of Gucci = $147M, 63% overseas

#7 = Animal

Moksha Movies’ Indian foreign-language action drama earned the second-highest domestic Bollywood opening ever with $6.1M.

That ranks behind only January’s Pathaan = $6.8M.

#8 = The Shift

Angel Studios’ faith-based sci-fi opens with $4.35M in eighth place. Compared to other faith-based releases this year, that’s:

  • Less than +1% above September’s The Blind = $4.34M
  • -13% below October’s After Death = $5.0M
  • -20% below March’s His Only Son = $5.5M

#9 = Silent Night

Lionsgate’s dialogue-free R-rated holiday action thriller Silent Night was nearly silent with a $3.0M debut in ninth place. 

#10 = Thanksgiving

Having passed its titular holiday as a marketing tactic, Sony Pictures’ holiday-themed horror Thanksgiving carves out -62% in its third frame to $2.6M and 10th place.

It’s earned $28.3M through 17 days, or -19% below 2022’s Violent Night through the same point = $35.0M.

Sony just announced a sequel to Thanksgiving slated for 2025.


Weekend comparisons

Total box office this weekend comes in around $92.8M.

Here’s how this weekend compares to last weekend, the same weekend last year, and the same weekend in the last pre-pandemic year of 2019:

Weekend

Total

This weekend is:

Leader

Last weekend

$116.0M

-20%

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, second frame = $29.0M

Same weekend in 2022

$52.6M

+76%

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, fourth frame = $17.5M

Same weekend in 2019

$180,855,568

-48%

Frozen II, second frame = $85.9M

 

YTD comparisons

Year-to-date box office stands around $8.26B.

Through the equivalent point, here’s how that compares to last year and the last pre-pandemic year of 2019:

Year

YTD total

2023 YTD now:

After last weekend:

Trend

2022

$6.71B

+23.0%

+22.3%

Up

2019

$10.22B

-19.1%

-18.2%

Down

 

Top distributors

Grouped by parent company, the YTD leaders are:

  1. Disney + 20th Century + Searchlight + Star: $1.86B
  2. Universal + Focus Features: $1.84B
  3. Warner Bros.: $1.15B
  4. Sony Pictures + Sony Classics + Crunchyroll + Affirm: $948.7M
  5. Paramount: $839.7M

Sunday’s Studio Weekend Estimates:

Title  Estimated weekend  % change Locations Location change Average  Total  Weekend Distributor

Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé

$21,000,000   2,539   $8,271 $21,000,000 1 AMC Theatres Distribution + Variance
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes $14,500,000 -50% 3,776   $3,840 $121,243,408 3 Lionsgate
Godzilla Minus One $11,031,954   2,308   $4,780 $11,031,954 1 Toho International
Trolls Band Together $7,600,000 -57% 3,613 -280 $2,104 $74,833,000 3 Universal
Wish $7,412,000 -62% 3,900   $1,901 $41,955,942 2 Disney
Napoleon $7,125,000 -65% 3,500   $2,036 $45,740,000 2 Sony Pictures
Animal $6,140,000   700   $8,771 $6,140,000 1 Moksha Movies
The Shift $4,358,377   2,450   $1,779 $4,358,377 1 Angel Studios
Silent Night $3,000,000   1,870   $1,604 $3,000,000 1 Lionsgate
Thanksgiving $2,630,000 -63% 3,204   $821 $28,377,633 3 Sony Pictures
The Marvels $2,509,000 -60% 3,070   $817 $80,735,186 4 Disney
Dream Scenario $1,689,446 164% 124   $13,625 $3,470,330 4 A24
Saltburn $1,568,244 -16% 1,566   $1,001 $6,235,130 3 MGM / Amazon Studios
The Holdovers $1,150,000 -59% 1,311 -290 $877 $15,074,000 6 Focus Features [Universal]
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour $550,000 -76% 646 -300 $851 $178,831,257 8 AMC Theatres Distribution + Variance
Killers of the Flower Moon $460,000 -58% 420 -347 $1,095 $66,513,005 7 Paramount
Five Nights at Freddy’s $400,000 -77% 717 -1,037 $558 $136,917,570 6 Universal
Priscilla $322,751 -74% 1,063   $304 $20,372,329 6 A24
Radical $271,500 -64% 255 -70 $1,065 $8,248,859 5 Pantelion Films
Next Goal Wins $231,000 -86% 2,240   $103 $6,397,715 3 Searchlight [Disney]
Journey to Bethlehem $190,000 -71% 1,384   $137 $6,150,057 4 Sony Pictures
Eileen $90,521   6   $15,087 $90,521 1 Neon
Anatomy of a Fall $67,000 -27% 72 -5 $931 $3,492,148 8 Neon
Monster $26,545 4% 5 3 $5,309 $63,314 2 Well Go USA
Oppenheimer $20,000 -29% 101 -1 $198 $325,391,000 20 Universal
La Syndicaliste $10,075   1   $10,075 $100,751 1 Kino Lorber
Common Ground $9,250 411% 2   $4,625 $230,200 10 Area 23a
Farewell My Concubine $6,009 187% 2   $3,005 $5,538,649   Miramax
The Disappearance of Shere Hite $5,900 154% 19 17 $311 $27,607 3 IFC Films
Pianoforte $5,500   1   $5,500 $5,500 1 Greenwich
Courtesy Parkwood Entertainment

News Stories