Universal/MGM’s “Candyman” has gotten off to a strong start at the box office, beating projections of a $15 million opening to earn $22.3 million from 3,569 theaters.
Produced on a $25 million budget and directed by Nia DaCosta, the sequel to the 1992 horror classic has been well-received with a B on CinemaScore and an 85% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film also added $5.2 million from 51 overseas markets for a global total of $27.6 million.
As expected, Black moviegoers had the highest turnout for “Candyman” at 37%, with white moviegoers comprising 30% and Latino audiences 22%. As has been the case throughout this summer, 18-34 audiences made up the majority with 69% of opening weekend turnout.
In second is 20th Century Studios’ “Free Guy,” which is continuing to show impressive legs at the box office with $13.6 million in its third weekend and a $78 million domestic/$180 million global total. The action comedy dropped just 27% from last weekend and has been championed by theater owners for its success as a theatrically exclusive title at a time when many films are releasing day-and-date in response to the pandemic and seeing sharp weekend drops.
But one day-and-date film that hasn’t seen such sharp drops is Disney’s “Jungle Cruise,” which on Sunday became the fifth post-shutdown release to hit the $100 million domestic milestone with $5 million grossed in its fifth weekend to take fourth on the weekend charts. Despite its availability as a premium Disney+ title, “Jungle Cruise” has legged out from its $35 million opening thanks to strong word-of-mouth. The film has a global total of $187 million, not counting undisclosed paid streaming revenue from Disney+.
In between “Free Guy” and “Jungle Cruise” is Paramount’s “Paw Patrol: The Movie,” which added $6.6 million in its second weekend for a 10-day total of $24 million. Sony/Screen Gems’ “Don’t Breathe 2” completes the Top 5 with $2.8 million and a $24.5 million total.