Box Office Round-Up ~ 3/27/23

If superhero fatigue is setting in at the box office, it apparently doesn’t extend to vengeful dog-loving assassins, as John Wick: Chapter 4 debuted with a franchise-best $73.8 million opening weekend. It’s the best opening for Lionsgate since the final Hunger Games sequel back in 2015, and bodes very well for the upcoming John Wick spinoff, Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas and of course Keanu Reeves (whose titular John Wick’s fifth chapter has already been announced).

Unfortunately, John Wick’s gain was Shazam’s loss, as Shazam! Fury of the Gods dropped 68% in its second weekend for a total of $9.3 million. It has managed to clear $100 million worldwide, but remains at a mere $45.9 million domestically. In third place, Scream VI grossed $8.3 million in its third weekend. It has already surpassed the domestic total of 2022’s Scream, and is on a pace to be the highest grossing chapter since at least Scream 2 back in 1997, especially with no horror competition until mid-April (The Pope’s Exorcist and Renfield both hit theaters on April 14).

While Scream VI has a ways to go, Michael B. Jordan’s Creed III has already become the highest-grossing installment of both the Rocky and Creed franchises, netting $8.1 million in its fourth weekend for a domestic total of $140 million. Becoming the highest-grossing chapter worldwide might be a tall order though. It would need another $54 million to unseat Cold War champion Rocky IV… undefeated since 1985.

Rounding out the top five was the Adam Driver vs. dinosaurs actioner 65, which grossed $3.2 million, putting it past $25 million overall domestic. Underwhelming numbers perhaps, but its the kind of brisk sci-fi adventure that tends to thrive on streaming. Next week sees the release of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, closing out a March that’s been packed with high-profile releases and leading into a somewhat less busy April… the calm before the summer blockbuster storm.

1. John Wick: Chapter 4 ($73.8 MM)
Director: Chad Stahelski (WME)
Writers: Shay Hatten (CAA), Michael Finch (Verve)
Cast: Keanu Reeves (WME)
         Laurence Fishburne (CAA)
         Ian McShane (CAA)

2. Shazam! Fury of the Gods ($9.3 MM)
Director: David F. Sandberg (CAA)
Writers: Henry Gayden (UTA), Chris Morgan (CAA)
Cast: Zachary Levi (UTA)
         Asher Angel (UTA)
         Jack Dylan Grazer (UTA)

3.  Scream VI ($8.3 MM)
Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin (UTA), Tyler Gillett (UTA)
Writers: James Vanderbilt (WME), Guy Busick (A3 Artists Agency)
Cast: Courteney Cox (WME)
         Melissa Barrera (WME)
         Jenna Ortega (CAA)

4. Creed III ($8.1 MM)
Director: Michael B. Jordan (WME)
Writers: Keenan Coogler (WME), Zach Baylin (CAA), Ryan Coogler (WME)
Cast: Michael B. Jordan (WME)
         Tessa Thompson (WME)
         Jonathan Majors (WME)

5.  65 ($3.2 MM)
Director: Scott Beck (CAA), Bryan Woods (CAA)
Writers: Scott Beck (CAA), Bryan Woods (CAA)
Cast: Adam Driver (Bailey Brand Management)
         Ariana Greenblatt (Paradigm)
         Chloe Coleman (A3 Artists Agency)

Source: Box Office Mojo, The Numbers