Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Sony's sequel to Jason Reitman's Ghostbusters: Afterlife, had an impressive start with $4.7M from Thursday night previews at 3,561 theaters. This figure is comparable to the previews of the previous installment, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which opened during the pre-Thanksgiving 2021 frame amidst lingering Covid fears. The movie also surpassed the previews of the 2016 all-female Ghostbusters, which grossed $3.4M. Despite these promising numbers, the film will need a significant walk-up audience to achieve the same level of success as its predecessors due to lower pre-sales for some exhibitors.
The Thursday night audience for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire gave the movie a rating of four stars, indicating a positive reception overall. Notably, 55% of the audience was male, with men being more critical of the film compared to women. Men over 25, the largest group in attendance, graded the movie at 79%, while men under 25 were less impressed with a rating of 68%. On the other hand, families with children under 12 were among the most enthusiastic viewers, awarding the film high ratings. Rotten Tomatoes critics rated the film at 45%, while audiences gave it a score of 86%.
Directed by Gil Kenan, the sequel had a production budget of $100M. The success of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is expected to push the five-movie franchise past $1 billion in total earnings. However, there are concerns that the film may underperform, impacting its ability to reach this milestone. Despite this uncertainty, the movie has the potential to become a significant financial success for Sony.
In a competitive box office landscape, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire faced stiff competition from other releases. Legendary/Warner Bros' Dune: Part Two led the way on the night of the previews, while Universal/DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda 4 also performed strongly at the box office. Additionally, Fathom introduced two new releases, including the faith-based documentary “The Ark and the Darkness,” which garnered positive reception from audiences.
As Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire continues its theatrical run, it will be interesting to see how it performs in the coming weeks. The movie's success will depend on word-of-mouth and sustained audience interest. With its strong start and positive audience ratings, the film has the potential to become a hit and solidify its place within the Ghostbusters franchise. Fans and critics alike will be watching closely to see how the movie fares in the weeks ahead as it competes against other new releases.