The horror hit from Universal and Blumhouse Five nights at Freddy’s is leading an alarmingly slow frame at the domestic box office amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.
Originally the controversial tent pole of Denis Villeneuve Dune: part two was supposed to premiere this weekend, but the film was pushed back to 2024 due to the ban on its stars — including Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet — from doing any kind of promotion.
Domestic ticket sales are expected to reach $57 million to $58 million for the film, one of the lowest showings of the year so far.
Five nights at Freddy’s is on pace to earn $17.8 million in its second outing, while crossing the $100 million mark domestically in less than 10 days. It’s no surprise that the photo plummets 78 percent, considering it’s also available on Peacock.
Taylor Swift’s and AMC Theaters’ Taylor Swift: Eras tour sits at No. 2 with a projected value of $11 million to $12 million, while the $15 million concert pic approaches the $165 million mark domestically.
Martin Scorsese’s Oscar candidate Killers of the Flower Moon, from Apple Original Films, is on its way to a third-place finish with a projected $6.5 million for a domestic total of $52 million in its third weekend. Paramount is distributing Murderers on behalf of Apple, which fully financed and commercialized the $200 million epic starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro.
Sofia Coppola’s award winner Priscilla also plays a role this weekend as A24 expands the film nationwide after a promising start at the specialty box office. The film, starring Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla Presley, chronicles the years Presley spent with Elvis Presley, played by Jacob Elordi.
Thanks to the females, Priscilla is expected to gross around $5 million this weekend, good enough to rank fourth and exceed industry expectations.
Mexican comedy-drama Radicalstarring and produced by Eugenio Derbez, looks to round out the top five in North America with an estimated opening of $2.9 million.
The figures will be updated on Sunday morning.
