New arrivals at the late-summer box office are facing difficulties as they attempt to capture audience attention. Established hits like Deadpool & Wolverine, Alien: Romulus, and It Ends With Us continue to outperform fresh offerings in theaters this August, including the suspense thriller Blink Twice and the reboot of The Crow.
Blink Twice, marking the directorial debut of Zoë Kravitz and featuring Channing Tatum, is projected to open in fourth place with a modest $7.1 million to $7.4 million, which falls at the lower end of expectations. Despite receiving generally favorable reviews, the film garnered a B- CinemaScore from audiences, which may have contributed to its underwhelming performance. The film is produced by MGM and Amazon, with Warner Bros. managing its international distribution.
The plot of Blink Twice centers around tech mogul Slater King (Tatum), who invites cocktail waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie) to join him and his friends on a luxurious vacation to his private island. As the group indulges in wild nights and sun-filled days, Frida begins to sense that something is off, leading her to question the reality of their seemingly perfect escape.
Meanwhile, The Crow reboot, released 30 years after the original film became a cult classic, is struggling to break into the top five, with early projections placing it at No. 7 with an estimated $4.5 million to $5 million. Distributed by Lionsgate, the film stars Bill Skarsgård in the titular role, offering a contemporary take on James O’Barr’s original graphic novel. Although it received the same B- CinemaScore as Blink Twice, it has not fared as well with critics.
In contrast, the faith-based film The Forge has resonated strongly with audiences, earning an A- CinemaScore and securing a spot in the top five with an estimated $6 million or more.
At the top of the box office, Marvel Studios and Disney’s Deadpool & Wolverine have reclaimed the No. 1 position in their fifth weekend, bringing in $17 million to $18 million after being briefly overtaken last weekend by 20th Century and Disney’s Alien: Romulus. The sci-fi sequel is expected to drop to second place with around $16 million in its second week.
Sony’s It Ends With Us, a female-driven drama starring Blake Lively, continues to perform well, securing third place with an estimated $12 million-plus. The film recently surpassed the $200 million mark globally, further solidifying its success.
As the summer season draws to a close, it’s clear that while new films are struggling to gain traction, established hits continue to dominate the box office, leaving little room for fresh releases to make a significant impact.