Title: “Box Office Roundup: The Exorcist: Believer Falls Short of Expectations in an Underwhelming Weekend”
Word Count: 364
In a surprising turn of events, Universal/Blumhouse/Morgan Creek’s highly anticipated horror film, The Exorcist: Believer, failed to meet expectations as it opened to a disappointing $28 million at the box office. Falling short of the 2018 opening success of David Gordon Green’s Halloween, this unexpected underperformance has left industry insiders speculating on the reasons behind the lackluster response.
What makes The Exorcist: Believer’s performance even more intriguing is the fact that the film is part of a franchise rights buy, rather than a standalone production. Contrary to initial assumptions, the multi-movie deal did not come with a hefty price tag of $133 million for each film. Instead, the undisclosed financial terms have piqued the interest of both fans and professionals alike.
Meanwhile, Paramount’s Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie continues to have a steady run at the box office, earning $2.8 million in its second Friday. With a cumulative total of $38.6 million after just ten days, the family-friendly adventure flick is enjoying a healthy reception from audiences.
Lionsgate’s Saw X, the latest installment of the iconic horror franchise, saw a second estimated Friday tally of $2.5 million. Having amassed $33 million in just ten days, it continues to bolster its reputation as a formidable force in the genre.
Not far behind, New Regency/20th Century Studios/Disney’s The Creator projected a second Friday income of $1.5 million. Thus far, the film has generated $24.1 million, adding to its steadily increasing box office figures.
The Nun 2, released under the New Line banner, brought in $750,000 on its fifth Friday, contributing to an impressive overall total of $81 million.
However, despite these individual successes, the combined performance of all movies in the weekend box office is shaping up to be underwhelming, with an estimated total of less than $100 million. This disappointing figure can be attributed to various factors, including pandemic-related cinema restrictions and competition amongst new releases.
As the industry recalibrates and searches for answers to this offbeat weekend, moviegoers can only hope for a revitalized box office in the near future.
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