Based on the initial previews on Thursday night, Universal/Monkeypaw's Dev Patel action movie Monkey Man and 20th Century Studios' First Omen are both expected to do well at the box office, each projected to earn over $12 million. Monkey Man had the edge over First Omen in previews, raking in $1.4 million compared to First Omen's $725K. This early performance sets the stage for what could be a competitive weekend at the box office.
Legendary and Warner Bros' Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire continues to dominate at the box office, crossing $100 million and expected to bring in $32 million in its second weekend. The battle for the 18-34 demographic's spending power is evident as all three movies, including Monkey Man and First Omen, compete for the audience's attention and dollars. Monkey Man is set to play at 3,029 venues while First Omen will be shown at 3,375 theaters.
Despite their R ratings, both Monkey Man and First Omen have received positive reviews. Monkey Man has an 85% certified fresh rating, slightly higher than First Omen's 81% fresh rating. These favorable reviews could potentially drive more audiences to theaters to see these action-packed films.
Drawing comparisons to previous films in the same genre, Monkey Man is being compared to Focus Features' The Northman, which had a strong opening weekend after earning $1.35 million in previews. Universal's Violent Night is another comparable film, with a $4.87 million first-day performance and a total of $13.4 million over the weekend. Monkey Man's acquisition cost is under $10 million, making it a potentially profitable venture for Universal.
In a competitive box office landscape, it's important to note the performance of other films in theaters. Sony's Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire continues to perform well in its second weekend, earning $22.1 million. Universal/DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda 4 and Legendary/Warner Bros.' Dune: Part Two also maintain steady box office numbers, showcasing a diverse range of genres for moviegoers to choose from.
As the box office numbers indicate, the spring break season is still in effect with a portion of K-12 schools and colleges off. This could impact box office performance as families and students have more time to visit theaters and catch up on the latest releases. This seasonal trend should be taken into consideration when analyzing box office numbers for upcoming films.
Overall, the box office landscape is competitive and ever-changing, with audiences showing interest in a variety of genres. As Monkey Man, First Omen, and other films continue to vie for audience attention, it will be interesting to see how their box office numbers fare in the coming weeks.