After a globe-trotting publicity blitz by star Tom Cruise, launched with a franchise-best $80 million over five days, though it came in shy of industry expectations with a $56.2 million haul over the three-day weekend, according to studio estimates.
The Paramount Pictures debut was boosted by strong overseas sales of $155 million from 70 markets. But while a $235 million worldwide launch marked one of the best global openings of the year, 鈥淒ead Reckoning鈥� couldn鈥檛 approach the high-speed velocity of last summer鈥檚 top film,
鈥淒ead Reckoning Part One,鈥� the seventh film in the 27-year-old series, had been forecast to better the franchise high of the previous installment, 鈥淔allout,鈥� which opened with $61 million domestically in 2018. Instead, it also fell short of the $57.8 million 鈥淢ission: Impossible II鈥� debuted with in 2000.
That puts the film鈥檚 opening-weekend tally very close to which opened in U.S. and Canadian theaters with $82 million over five days and $60 million over the three-day weekend. Paramount and Skydance had higher hopes for the action extravaganza of 鈥淒ead Reckoning,鈥� which cost $290 million to make, not counting marketing expenses.
Those costs were inflated, in part, by the pandemic. 鈥淒ead Reckoning,鈥� directed by Christopher McQuarrie, was among the first major productions shut down by COVID-19. It was preparing to shoot in Italy in March 2020. When the film got back on track, McQuarrie and Cruise helped lead the industry-wide recovery back to film sets 鈥� albeit with some along the way.
Still, 鈥淒ead Reckoning鈥� was hailed as a high point in the franchise. Critics (96% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and fans (an 鈥淎鈥� CinemaScore) alike came away awed by the stunts and chases of the latest 鈥淢ission: Impossible鈥� film. Though the coming competition of 鈥� the much-anticipated debuts of 鈥淏arbie鈥� and 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� 鈥� looms, 鈥淢ission: Impossible鈥� should play well for weeks to come.
鈥淭his is a global franchise. It鈥檚 going gangbusters and its going to play for a long time. Quality always wins in the end,鈥� said Chris Aronson, distribution chief for Paramount.
鈥淒ead Reckoning,鈥� Aronson said, met or exceeded the studio鈥檚 expectations.
鈥淚n international markets, in like-for-like markets, we鈥檙e 15% ahead of 鈥楩allout,鈥� and that鈥檚 taking China out,鈥� added Aronson. 鈥淒omestically, we鈥檙e over 3% ahead of 鈥楩allout鈥� for the first five days. To beat its predecessor is phenomenal, especially in this environment.鈥�
Cruise, the so-called savior of movie theaters last year, traveled tirelessly to again pump life back into a summer box office that鈥檚 been sluggish. After a splashy world premiere in Rome with a red-carpet on the Spanish Steps, Cruise and McQuarrie surprised theaters in Atlanta, Miami, Toronto and Washington D.C. in the days ahead of opening.
鈥淒ead Reckoning鈥� hit theaters at a crucial mid-summer period for Hollywood, and not just because of which began Thursday. 鈥淢ission: Impossible鈥� launched a week before one of the biggest box-office showdowns of the year.
Though 鈥淒ead Reckoning鈥� and 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� have vied for some of the same IMAX screens, each film has publicly endorsed the idea that a rising tide lifts all blockbusters. Cruise and McQuarrie in early July even bought opening-weekend tickets to both 鈥淏arbie鈥� and 鈥淥ppenheimer.鈥� 鈥淏arbie鈥� director Greta Gerwig and 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� filmmaker Christopher Nolan reciprocated with their own gestures of support.
However that trio of films performs over the next few weeks will do a lot to determine the fate of the summer box office.
鈥淭hese are a crucial couple of weeks for the industry starting this weekend,鈥� said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going to be a fun reinvigoration of the box office because we have had a few films underperforming. Really, the summer movie season restarts this week with 鈥楳ission鈥� leading into 鈥楤arbenheimer.鈥欌��
No other new wide release challenged 鈥淢ission: Impossible鈥� over the weekend. Second place went to Angel Studios鈥� faith-based political thriller 鈥淪ound of Freedom鈥� which increased 37% in its second with $27 million. Jim Caveziel stars in the child trafficking drama.
Last week鈥檚 top film, 鈥� 鈥� slid to third with $13 million in its second weekend. 鈥淚ndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny鈥� is dropping quickly with $12 million its third weekend, with a domestical total so far of $145.4 million.
In limited release, opened to $270,000 from six theaters in New York and Los Angeles.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 鈥淢ission: Impossible 鈥� Dead Reckoning Part One,鈥� $56.2 million.
2. 鈥淪ound of Freedom,鈥� $27 million.
3. 鈥淚nsidious: The Red Door,鈥� $13 million.
4. 鈥淚ndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,鈥� $12 million.
5. 鈥淓lemental,鈥� $8.7 million.
6. 鈥淪pider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,鈥� $6.1 million.
7. 鈥淭ransformers: Rise of the Beasts,鈥� $3.4 million.
8. 鈥淣o Hard Feelings,鈥� $3.3 million.
9. 鈥淛oy Ride,鈥� $2.6 million.
10. 鈥淭he Little Mermaid,鈥� $2.4 million.
READ ALSO:
