Receipts: ‘The Exorcist’ Returns to the Big Screen, Forgotten Comedy ‘Last Vegas’ Re-Emerges
Domestic: Universal Picture’s most recent addition to the Exorcist franchise has reached $50 million gross globally, and nearly $34 million domestically, after just one week in theaters. The Exorcist: Believer has garnered scathing reviews from critics and audiences alike, but despite its 22% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film seems to have a place in audience’s hearts. Believer is a sequel to the 50-year-old The Exorcist, and is expected to be followed by a third, The Exorcist: Deceiver, in 2025. Though its opening weekend saw Believer bring in barely $26 million domestically, a relatively low $30 million production budget means that the film is on its way to profitability. Starring Lidya Jewett, Leslie Odom Jr., EJ Bonilla, and Okwui Okpokwasili, the film has added new names to a well-loved franchise, and brought back Ellen Burstyn from the original 1973 flick. With a healthy lineup of horror films releasing this October, Believer has done well for itself, at least financially, amid much competition.
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie reigned supreme this week, sitting at the top spot in the US box office with a $42.8 gross. Well out-performing its predecessor, PAW Patrol: The Movie, The Mighty Movie has an impressive 81% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was produced on an estimated $30 million budget, making its performance impressive and promising for the franchise. The animated feature follows the PAW Patrol dogs as they use their newly acquired superpowers to save their town of Adventure City. When Humdinger and an evil scientist steal the Patrol’s powers to become villains, the dogs must team up for the greater good. PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie features Brice Gonzalez, Taraji P. Henson, Kim Kardashian, Serena Williams, Chris Rock, Marsai Martin, Alan S. Kim, and Lil Rey Howery.
International: Korean romcom Love Reset (30일/30 Days) grossed $4.5 million in its first week of release, a 42% share of the South Korean market. The film, directed by Nam Dae-joong, stars Jung So-min, Kang Ha-neul, and Kim Sun-Young. It follows Jung Yeol, Ha-neul, and Na Ra, So-min, a married couple who decide to pursue separation. One month before the divorce is finalized, the couple gets into a car accident that leaves them both with amnesia, forgetting who each other are when they wake up beside each other in the hospital.
Mexican comedy Sobreviviendo Mis XV has grossed nearly $3 million over its three weeks in theaters. Directed by Chava Cartas, the film stars Gerardo Taracena, Guillermo Villegas, and Verónica Bravo. Sobreviviendo Mis XV follows Danae, whose quinceñera celebration is hampered by her grandmother’s traditional ideals. Danae must organize a quince that is fun for her and her friends while also pleasing her elderly grandmother, bringing clashes over traditionalism and modernity to the fore. With an estimated $3 million production budget, the film will likely become profitable before it leaves theaters.
Streaming: Netflix’s Life of a King has found itself in the global top 10 for the first week, sitting at fourth place with 10.6 million hours viewed. The 2013 film, which stars Cuba Gooding, Jr., has fared poorly with critics, with a 43% on Rotten Tomatoes, but better with audiences at a 66% audience score. Life of a King follows ex-felon Eugene Brown, Gooding, Jr., as he starts a chess club for teens in Washington, DC, after an 18-year prison stint. Dennis Haysbert, Thurston Hill III, and Carlton Byrd also star in the film.
In an unexpected turn of events, the long-forgotten 2013 comedy Last Vegas made it to the top 10 this week, at eighth place with 7.2 million hours watched. The film features big names, starring Morgan Freeman and Robert DeNiro and featuring Michael Douglas and Kevin Kline, but has been largely forgotten in the decade since its release. In the wake of poor critical reception, the film fell out of favor until recently, when it was rediscovered on Netflix. Back in 2013, the film came in third place at the box office, opening to $16 million and eventually grossing $134 million worldwide against a $28 million budget. It remains the highest-grossing release for CBS Films. Last Vegas tells the story of four aging childhood friends who go to Las Vegas for a late-in-life bachelor party. When they make it to Vegas, they discover that the years have changed their friendship and the city in unexpected ways.