This weekend, there will be more wide releases at the box office – three, to be exact. However, they are not expected to make much of an impact before the release of Legendary/Warner Bros.’ Dune: Part Two on March 1, which is expected to start with a hopeful $80M.
The three wide releases hitting theaters on Friday are Focus Features’ Ethan Coen-directed femme comedy caper Drive-Away Dolls, Sony/Crunchyroll’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba -To The Hashira Training, and Lionsgate/Kingdom Story’s Ordinary Angels. However, Paramount’s Bob Marley: One Love is expected to have the best second weekend, with a projected $15M, which is about a 45% decrease from its opening weekend of $28.6M.
The second weekend of Sony/Marvel’s Madame Web could potentially see a decrease of 55%, with an estimated $6.8M. The thriller pic starring Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney posted a Tuesday gross of $1.75M, which was a 30% decrease from Monday’s $2.5M. Bob Marley: One Love saw $2.9M on Tuesday, which was a 41% decrease from Monday’s $4.97M. There is speculation that the Spider-Man sister IP won’t see a 60% decrease, but this wouldn’t be surprising given the pic’s C+ CinemaScore.
As of yesterday, One Love has a running cume of $54.4M, while Madame Web counts $27.8M. Even though Madame Web is at the bottom of the barrel for Marvel IP, its ability to stay afloat throughout the six-day Presidents Day holiday with $26M has been attributed to its success in attracting Hispanic and Latino audiences. However, Bob Marley: One Love also appealed to Hispanic and Latino moviegoers, and it is expected that those who went to see Madame Web last weekend will find their way to the reggae legend this weekend.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba -To The Hashira Training, boosted by PLF and Imax screens, is expected to perform the best out of the three newcomers, with a projected $7M-$8M. However, the fact that it’s not a movie, but rather a TV episode, is keeping grosses down from previous Demon Slayers. This installment is the last episode (episode 11) of the Swordsmith Village Arc and the first episode of the Hashira Training Arc in the Demon Slayer canon. It’s the first time episode 11 has ever been seen on the big screen and the first time the episode 1 of the new arc has been seen at all. Episode 11 has been available to stream on Crunchyroll. The Swordsmith Village Arc premiered in April 2023 (with the finale/Episode 11 airing last June). The pic is booked at 1,940 locations, with previews starting Thursday at 4PM at 1,820 sites.
Ordinary Angels, starring 2x Oscar winner Hilary Swank, was previously scheduled to open on Oct. 13, but was moved due to Taylor Swift: Eras Tour landing on that date, plus the actors’ strike was still ongoing. It’s expected to do $5M-$7M at 2,800 locations, with previews starting at 6PM on Thursday. The key target audience for the movie is older women faith-based. The movie follows Swank as Sharon, a fierce but struggling hairdresser in small-town Kentucky who discovers a renewed sense of purpose when she meets Ed (Alan Ritchson), a widower working hard to make ends meet for his two daughters. With his youngest daughter waiting for a liver transplant, Sharon sets her mind to helping the family and will move mountains to do it. What unfolds is the inspiring tale of faith, everyday miracles, and ordinary angels. Jon Gunn directed off a screenplay by Meg Tilly and Kelly Fremon Craig. The movie is currently 82% fresh with Rotten Tomatoes critics from 28 reviews.
Focus Features sought to keep Drive-Away Dolls safe on the schedule, away from the actors strike which prevented the pic from opening on Sept. 22. Despite the release date change for the Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan movie, it’s going to struggle to get to $4M at 2,261 theaters. Rotten Tomatoes reviews are coming in at 71% fresh at the time of this post from 55 reviews. Drive-Away Dolls was a negative pick-up for Focus. Written by Coen and Tricia Cooke, the movie follows Jamie (Qualley), an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian (Viswanathan) who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.
