Box Office: ‘No Time To Die’ Passes $750M As ‘Dune’ Tops $50M IMAX

In holdover news for the long weekend, Sony’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife earned an additional $24.5 million (-44%) in its second Fri-Sun weekend, which is a hold better than most of the decade’s various big-deal pre-Thanksgiving tentpoles (the Harry Potter sequels, the Twilight films, the Hunger Games sequels, the second Fantastic Beasts movie and Justice League). It’s above the 36% drop for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (from a $75 million debut in 2016) and the 32% drop for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (from a then-record $90 million opening in 2001), but it’s still legging thus far like a general audiences biggie as opposed to a fan-centric offering. It earned $35.4 million over the holiday for an $87.7 million ten-day cume. It has now earned $28 million overseas and $115 million on a $75 million budget.

In more good news for Sony, Venom: Let There Be Carnage opened with $5 million in Australia for an $8.7 million overseas gross (essentially tied with Afterlife’s $8.6 million overseas weekend gross) for a new $260.1 million overseas gross and (along with $2.3 million domestic over the holiday for a new $209.6 million cume) $470 million global total. It’s still looking like a $490 million-$500 million global finish, on a mere $110 million budget, for the Tom Hardy/Woody Harrelson superhero sequel. With a likely $180 million global cume not even counting the several yet-to-open key markets (France, Korea, Russia and Spain next week, Australia on January 1 and Japan on February 4), it has a shot at tripling that $75 million budget. Between Ghostbusters, Venom and (presumably) Spider-Man, Sony is going to play the year-end theatrical savior.

Marvel’s Eternals earned $7.9 million (-29%) in its fourth Fri-Sun weekend for a $11.135 million holiday haul and a new $150.377 million domestic total. It may end up selling fewer tickets than even The Incredible Hulk ($132 million in 2008/$171 million adjusted-for-inflation). Still, a $368 million global cume isn’t bad on a Covid curve, especially considering the reviews and soft word-of-mouth, and it’ll at least pass $400 million global while likely end up below both Venom 2 and Shang-Chi ($430 million, including $225 million domestic). Meanwhile, No Time to Die is near $600 million overseas and $755 million worldwide as it passes $158 million domestic this weekend. It is now domestically leggier than Spectre ($200 million/$70 million) and the third-biggest grosser ever in the UK. It should easily pass Hobbs & Shaw ($759 million) in the coming days

Clifford the Big Red Dog earned $4.9 million (-40%) over the Fri-Sun portion of a $6.91 million holiday weekend, giving Paramount’s $64 million family comedy $43 million domestic in 17 days. Warner Bros.’ King Richard earned $3.3 million (-39%) in its second weekend for a $4.605 million Wed-Sun gross and $11.4 million ten-day cume. That’s a tragic result for one of the year’s best films, even if Will Smith remains the man to beat at next year’s Oscars. It’s not like Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast is doing much better, with $1.305 million over the holiday for a $5 million 17-day cume. Dune has earned $102.3 million domestic and $374 million worldwide (including $50 million in IMAX alone) with Australia and New Zealand opening this Thursday. We’ll see if they can push the $165 million sci-fi fantasy over $400 million global.