Labor Day weekend was not kind to the new films in theaters. Two of the higher-profile ones did not even make it into the top 10, getting pushed out by re-releases of a pair of animated films. None of this means the holiday was a dud for the box office, though. It may not have been a record-breaker overall, but the projections would make it the best since 2023. Plus the holdovers at the top of the charts all have stories that continue to evolve in the positive.<\/p>\n
King of the Crop: Spider-Man: Brand New Day Reigns Over Labor Day<\/p>\n
Spider-Man: Brand New Day<\/a> is now just $13 million away from passing Star Wars: The Force Awakens as the highest domestic grosser of all time. Brand New Day also joins No Way Home and the first two Avatars as the last films to remain at No. 1 for six straight weeks. Titanic, The Fugitive, and Home Alone were the only films to achieve that in the \u201890s. No film did it between 1998-2008. Numbers are numbers, though, and $23.5 million over Labor Day weekend puts Brand New Day over $923 million. By next weekend we will be crowning a new champion. Worldwide the film is at $2.4 billion.<\/p>\n Tales of the Top 10: The Odyssey Climbs Back to No. 2, By Any Means Leads All New Releases<\/p>\n Christopher Nolan\u2019s The Odyssey<\/a> just spent its eighth-straight week in the top three. It had the fifth-best eighth weekend of all time with $13 million. Its 45-day total of $584.7 million is now just barely behind Incredibles 2, which had $584.9 million. That Pixar release had an eighth weekend of $4.98 million. The Odyssey is now the 18th-highest grossing first-run domestic release ever, and $600 million is imminent. It needs $620 million to join the top 15, and that is very likely. Can it actually pass Deadpool & Wolverine at this point? That Marvel film was at $621.5 million at this point with an eighth weekend of $5.2 million. That is still a lot of ground to make up. It has already passed D&W globally, now standing with over $1.631 billion, making it one of the top 15 global releases of all time.<\/p>\n The numbers can never be high enough for Coyote vs. Acme<\/a> as far as I am concerned, but some moviegoers are certainly making an effort to make the headlines as positive as they can. An additional $14.5 million over Labor Day weekend puts the film at $37 million after 11 days. A lot of box office watchers are hoping CvA can get to $50 million to at least cover Ketchup\u2019s purchase fee on the film. And that appears to be in the cards, as we look at the path of 2004\u2019s Hero, which opened in this period, had an $8.8 million second weekend, saw itself with $32.5 million after 10 days, and finished with $53.7 million. Coyote vs. Acme is ahead of that pace. But why think so small? C\u2019mon, we can at least beat Space Jam: A New Legacy, can\u2019t we? Get out there, movie lovers!<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Mark Wahlberg has certainly had his share of headliner success over the years, including a couple Transformers and the Ted films plus Lone Survivor and the remakes of Planet of the Apes and The Italian Job, all of which earned over $100 million and then some. Recently, audiences haven\u2019t exactly flocked to his movies. His last three wide releases, Flight Risk, Arthur the King, and Father Stu, have finished with less than $30 million domestic, and his latest looks to make that four in a row. The film in which Wahlberg punches the hell out of racism, By Any Means<\/a>, opened to $7.5 million over the three-day weekend, less than Flight Risk ($11.58 million) and Arthur the King ($7.63 million). It earned $9.3 million total over the holiday. This is Wahlberg\u2019s 32nd\u00a0 headliner since Boogie Nights in 1997. Only 10 of them have proven to be on the Fresh side with critics. By Any Means is part of the other 22 at 55% on the Tomatometer. This is also the fourth of Paramount\u2019s last five releases they have chosen not to screen for the majority of press in this country, if at all.<\/p>\n Insidious: Out of the Further<\/a> continues to add to one of the most impressive returns on investment for any franchise. Another $6.5 million in its third weekend (plus $1.6 million on Monday) puts it at $55.7 million. Every Insidious film has grossed over $50 million, and this one will outgross both the first and third in the series. A domestic finish between $60-65 million is another major win for a film over $100 million worldwide and over $850 million total as a franchise at a cost of just $60 million. Out of the Further has added over $137 million globally to that total.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Casper Kelly\u2019s Buddy<\/a> is having a little Obsession moment of its own, pulling in more this weekend ($5.7 million) than its opening of $5.53 million last week. The Labor Day holiday certainly helps, but even without that, it is a remarkable hold that shows some word of mouth is happening around horror fans. Its 11-day total is at $15.7 million. That\u2019s the second-highest gross for a Sundance premiere this year after Olivia Wilde\u2019s The Invite. Third place goes to Leviticus ($7.2 million). Even wilder, Buddy is now the eighth-highest grossing film in the history of Roadside Attractions. It only needs to hit $24 million to pass Judy for No. 2. The Oscar-winning Manchester by the Sea is their topper with $47.6 million.<\/p>\n It was a pretty impressive weekend for animated re-releases. I sure hope everyone that took their kids to see the 20th Anniversary of Pixar\u2019s Cars<\/a> this weekend had already seen Coyote vs. Acme. Preferences aside, Cars grossed $7.8 million back in 2,900 theaters. Can\u2019t imagine the same kids were going out to see the landmark anime film Akira<\/a>, which is back with a new 4K restoration and made $3.1 million in 787 theaters, just missing the top 10.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The animated dogs and dinos continue to draw families as Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie<\/a> held on for another week with $4.4 million over the holiday weekend, bringing its total to $49.6 million. August remains a month of modest success for animated films rather than full on blockbusters. The third Paw Patrol film, nevertheless, is a certified success with over $130 million globally on a $40 million budget. It\u2019s dino-competition, though, managed to hold on over some other dogs this week as The End of Oak Street<\/a> grossed $4 million over the holiday, bringing its total to $51.7 million domestic.<\/p>\n Ridley Scott\u2019s The Dog Stars<\/a> fell 65% and almost right out of the top 10 to $3.5 million this weekend and has now grossed just $13.8 million. Ridley has had plenty of duds over the years. The Counselor, Legend, The Last Duel, White Squall, Someone to Watch Over Me, A Good Year, and 1492: Conquest of Paradise will all have grossed less. The Last Duel probably does better outside of the pandemic in 2021, but The Dog Stars is going to be on the list after that, with Napoleon, Robin Hood, Kingdom of Heaven, and 1492 among the biggest financial losers of his career.<\/p>\n Beyond the Top 10: Fall 2 and Onslaught Open Low<\/p>\n The first Fall film debuted in Aug. 2022 from Lionsgate, opening to $2.51 million and finishing with $7.24 million. It received a 73% from critics and was recently the subject of the How Did This Get Made podcast. The sequel with a tangential connection to the original, Fall 2: Deadpoint<\/a>, opened this weekend out of the top 10 with $2.8 million over the holiday and a 55% score from critics. Is that setup for a Fall 3 still in the cards?<\/p>\n Adam Wingard is coming off the dual successes of Godzilla vs. Kong (the dubious distinction of the first $100 million domestic grosser of the pandemic) and its follow-up Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which combined grossed over a billion dollars. Wingard is back to his low-budget roots with the $15 million budget of Onslaught<\/a> this weekend. A24 released the film and it scrounged up $1.8 million ($2.3 million through the holiday), way lower than his 2016 Blair Witch reboot ($9.57 million) and 2013 horror film You\u2019re Next ($7 million), both released by Lionsgate. Onslaught is apparently set in the same timeline and universe as his cult 2014 film The Guest, which debuted at Sundance that year and only made $332,890 after Picturehouse released it no wider than 53 theaters.<\/p>\n On The Vine: Practical Magic 2 Hopes to Bewitch Audiences<\/p>\n Next week, Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens in Warner Bros.\u2019 Practical Magic 2<\/a>, which will be the first film to knock Spider-Man: Brand New Day out of its stranglehold on No. 1. Andrew Garfield stars as (surprise!) Robin Hood in Paul Greengrass\u2019 The Uprising<\/a> from Focus Features. Alan Ritchson and Owen Wilson star in the action comedy Runner<\/a> from Angel Studios. Finally, Zachary Levi and Liam Neeson square off in The Fix<\/a> from Briarcliff. See all the upcoming releases here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Full List of Box Office Results: August 4-7<\/p>\n Spider-Man: Brand New Day<\/a> \u2013 $18.1 million (3-day) $23.5 million (4-day estimate); $923.2 million total<\/p>\n The Odyssey<\/a> \u2013 $13.0 million (3-day) $17.3 million (4-day estimate); $589.0 million total<\/p>\n Coyote vs. Acme<\/a> \u2013 $11.3 million (3-day) $14.5 million (4-day estimate); $37 million total<\/p>\n By Any Means<\/a> \u2013 $7.5 million (3-day) $9.3 million (4-day estimate); $9.3 million total<\/p>\n Insidious: Out of the Further<\/a> \u2013 $6.5 million (3-day) $8.1 million (4-day estimate); $55.7 million total<\/p>\n Cars<\/a> (re-release) \u2013 $6.2 million (3-day) $7.8 million (4-day estimate); $7.8 million total<\/p>\n Buddy<\/a> \u2013 $5.7 million (3-day) $7.2 million (4-day estimate); $15.7 million total<\/p>\n Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie<\/a> \u2013 \u00a0$3.3 million (3-day) $4.4 million (4-day estimate); $49.6 million total<\/p>\n The End of Oak Street<\/a> \u2013 $3.1 million (3-day) $4.0 million (4-day estimate); $51.7 million total<\/p>\n The Dog Stars<\/a> \u2013 $2.8 million (3-day) $3.5 million (4-day estimate); $13.8 million total<\/p>\n Erik Childress can be heard each week evaluating box office\u00a0on\u00a0Business First AM<\/a>\u00a0with Angela Miles and his\u00a0Movie Madness Podcast<\/a>. [box office figures via\u00a0Box Office Mojo<\/a>]<\/p>\n Thumbnail image by \u00a9Marvel Entertainment\/\u00a9Columbia Pictures<\/p>\n