Steven Spielberg’s ‘Disclosure Day,’ billed as his first popcorn movie in years, opened to $44 million domestically on Sunday, according to studio estimates.The film opened as expected, collecting US$92.9 million worldwide in its first weekend.
‘Disclosure Day’ wins best film debut for Steven Speilberg
‘Disclosure Day’ brings Spielberg back to the theme of Alien life. Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor and Colman Domingo star in a chase to reveal government evidence of UFO encounters. According to box office reports, the film cost $115 million to make and $80 million to market. The film will need to generate around $300 million worldwide to justify its price tag.The film’s nearly US$100 million debut was good enough to give the 79-year-old Spielberg the best opening weekend for an original film. Released by Universal Pictures, ‘Disclosure Day’ is the director’s first summer film in 10 years. And “Jaws” or “Jurassic Park” debuted in a very different world of cinema. His closest competition was the indie horror hit “Obsession,” directed by YouTuber-turned-filmmaker Curry Barker, who is more than 50 years Spielberg’s junior.After pushing Gen Z to the movies in recent weeks, a slightly older audience piqued interest in “Disclosure Day.”If it keeps up like some of these other movies, like ‘Project Hail Mary’, ‘Michael’, ‘Obsession’, it will be in good shape.
‘Obsession’ has reached the $286 million mark
Meanwhile, the ‘Obsession’ sensation continues. Although it originally opened to US$17.2 million, the Focus Features release has surpassed that for four consecutive weekends. It did it again this weekend, collecting $19 million in ticket sales to bring its North American cume to $188.3 million and a worldwide cume of $286.5 million.Costing less than a million dollars to make, ‘Obsession’ ranks among the most profitable releases in recent memory. Focus acquired it for USD 15 million. The film is now projected to end its global run between $390 million and $420 million. If it reaches that range, it would be the original live-action film of the decade.
“Scary Movie” surpasses USD 88 million
Last weekend’s top film, ‘Scary Movie’, dropped to third place with USD 14.5 million. Paramount Pictures’ release, the sixth entry in the horror spoof franchise, is down 73% from its opening weekend. But with a modest production budget of US$30 million, the Miramax-produced sequel is already a huge success. Its two-week total is US$88.6 million.A24’s ‘Backrooms’ added USD 11.3 million domestically in its third weekend. It has quickly collected $262.3 million worldwide.In its second weekend, Amazon MGM’s ‘Masters of the Universe’ fell quickly after a disappointing debut. Its box office was down 71% with USD 8.7 million. Its two-week domestic total stands at US$46.7 millionNext weekend, The Walt Disney Co.’s ‘Toy Story 5’ opens with high expectations at the box office.
Top 10 movies at the domestic box office
With final domestic figures released on Monday, this list takes into account the estimated Friday through Sunday ticket sales at theaters in the US and Canada, according to Rentrak:1. Disclosure day – USD 44 million.2. Obsession – USD 19 million.3. Scary Movie – USD 14.5 million.4. Back rooms – USD 11.3 million.5. Masters of the Universe – 8.7 million USD.6. Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu – 4.7 million.7. Michael – USD 4.1 million.8. The Furious – USD 2.8 million.9. Stop! That! Train! – 2 million USD.10. The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act – USD 1.8 million.
