🎬 The Box Office Killer 🔪

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🎞 Here’s what’s on the reel today:

• Closeup: How ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Blew Past Expectations

• Scorsese's Epic Skips Intermission

• India's Bollywood Flex

• Matthew Perry Passes Away

• Last Looks: 👀 Bite-sized scoops on developing stories/projects

• Video Village: The latest trailers

• Martini Shot 🍸

But first, let’s take a look at what happened at the box office this past weekend!

LAST WEEKEND’S
🎟️ BOX OFFICE BREAKDOWN 🎟️

1. Five Nights at Freddy’s: Universal's horror sensation topped Halloween weekend with a stellar $78M. Now it's the Halloween record holder and #3 horror opening ever. Global score? $130.6M. 🎃🕹️

2. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour: Swift's film snagged $14.7M, marking a -56% dip. It's now the highest-grossing concert film. 🎤🏆

3. Killers of the Flower Moon: Scorsese and DiCaprio's drama dropped sharply by -61% to $9M. Total global earnings? $88.0M. 📉🌸

4. After Death: Angel Studios' faith-based doc opened with a solid $5.0M, showing that faith content can still draw crowds. 🙏📽️ It's nearly on par with their previous release, ‘His Only Son.’

5. The Exorcist: Believer: This spooky sequel brought in $3.1M, a -46% decline, and globally, it's at $120.3M. 😈🔮

The Box Office Killer 🔪
How ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Blew Past Expectations

As the Halloween spirit took over this past weekend, Universal and Blumhouse’s latest horror-thriller, ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s,’ made quite the statement. The film, mirroring the spookiness of the season, dazzled at the box office, pulling in a remarkable $78M domestically during its debut.

Defeating Expectations

Despite a chorus of negative reviews from critics, the film stood tall, surging beyond industry anticipations. Whereas many projected a solid $50M opening — which would have already been a significant figure for the genre — ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ danced to its own eerie tune:

• It secured the third-biggest horror opening of all time, trailing only New Line’s ‘It’ movies.

• It set the record for the highest-ever grossing Halloween weekend premiere.

• As of 2023, it boasts the crown of the largest horror opening, toppling ‘Scream VI.’

• On the video-game adaptation leaderboard, it’s second only to the ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie.’

• As for Blumhouse, it’s their most triumphant domestic debut ever.

So what factors drove ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ to its impressive box office numbers? Let’s take a look at just a few:

Day and Date Release

The movie was rolled out simultaneously in cinemas and on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming platform. Historically, many in the industry believed that releasing a movie on streaming on the same day as its theatrical debut would significantly chip away at the theater-going crowd. Why would people shell out money for a cinema ticket when they could opt for a cozy couch session?

Well, despite ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ being available on Peacock, theaters witnessed throngs of people coming out to see the film. This proves the allure of the silver screen is alive and well, and challenges the conventional wisdom about simultaneous releases.

As Universal’s president of domestic distribution, Jimi Orr, aptly puts it, “The IP is ridiculously popular... The genre lends itself to people wanting to experience it together.”

Well-Adapted IP

Origins matter. Based on the widely-adored video game series created by Scott Cawthon in 2014, the Freddy universe has expanded impressively. Fast forward to now, there are 9 official games and 23 books released as part of the franchise. Jason Blum, the mind behind Blumhouse, spoke about the labor of love and time - nearly “six or seven years” - that went into materializing this movie. Their diligence paid off, masterfully encapsulating the game’s charm and suspense on the cinematic canvas.

SAG Strikes

The ongoing SAG strikes, which have put a damper on actor-driven promotions, surprisingly didn’t dull Freddy’s shine. This film’s success echoes a testament to its inherent strength. It didn’t bank on star-studded promos, glamorous red carpets, or exclusive cast interviews. Instead, it soared on the back of the franchise’s already massive fandom, market campaigns, and social media presence.

In a nutshell, ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ has redefined expectations, proving once again that in Hollywood, the right blend of passion and strategy can make anything happen.

Scorsese's Epic Skips Intermission, but Some Theaters Don't 🎬🍿 Martin Scorsese's 3+ hour masterpiece, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ didn't come with an intermission. However, some cheeky theaters thought they'd pop one in anyways 🙈. Two European cinema chains and an independent theater in Amsterdam took the liberty, with breaks ranging from 6-15 minutes. But here's the plot twist: Paramount and Apple Original Films weren't having it. They cracked down on these theaters for not playing by the rules. Most theaters worldwide are screening the film as intended, but this intermission hiccup has surely caught attention, causing debates to heat up on Twitter over the weekend. Scorsese defends the lengthy runtime, and let’s be real, we've all binged longer shows, haven’t we?

India's Bollywood Flex: Choosing 'Tiger 3' Over Marvels on IMAX 🎬🍿 It's not every day we see Bollywood go toe-to-toe with the big Hollywood releases and come out on top! But that's exactly what's happening. Salman Khan’s ‘Tiger 3’ is swiping up all the IMAX screens in India on its opening weekend in November, sidelining Hollywood biggies like ‘The Marvels’ and ‘The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snake.’ This isn't just about box office bucks; it's India saying, "Hey, we've got blockbusters too, and we're not always in Hollywood's shadow!" 🇮🇳✨ Local movies have always been the real champs in India, outearning many Hollywood giants. And now, with ‘Tiger 3’ releasing on Diwali, India's major holiday, it's a clear sign: Bollywood isn’t just competing, it’s setting its own stage. 🎉

Matthew Perry Passes Away at 54 🌟 As we’re sure you heard over the weekend, Matthew Perry, best known for his iconic role as Chandler Bing on the hit TV series ‘Friends,’ has died at age 54. Perry's influence in Hollywood and on fans worldwide remains immeasurable, leaving an unforgettable legacy.

Development 🗒️

• Apple TV+ is releasing a docuseries on John Lennon's murder, narrated by Kiefer Sutherland. (more)

• Paramount+ has canceled the shows 'Fatal Attraction' and 'Rabbit Hole' after one season each. (more)

• Lionsgate is advancing its 'Highlander' reboot starring Henry Cavill. (more)

• Jason Statham will lead 'Levon’s Trade', directed by David Ayer from a Sylvester Stallone script, with filming set for March 2024 in London. (more)

• 'Daredevil: Born Again' names Dario Scardapane as showrunner and Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead as directors. (more)

• Michael Shannon, Eva Longoria, and other stars join dark comedy 'Dead Guy.’ (more)

• ‘Now You See Me 3’ is officially moving forward at Lionsgate. (more)

• Edgar Wright is set to direct a remake of Stephen King’s ‘The Running Man,’ targeting a 2024 filming start. (more)

• Jackie Chan is set to star in the action-comedy 'Panda Plan.' (more)

• Amazon MGM Studios is developing a series adaptation of ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’ with Veena Sud as showrunner. (more)

Releases 📅

• Beyoncé will premiere her new concert film in Los Angeles on Nov. 25. (more)

• Blumhouse's 'The Black Phone 2' is set to release on June 27, 2025. (more)

• Disney has postponed the releases of 'Snow White' and 'Elio' to 2025, and has removed 'Magazine Dreams' from its 2023 schedule amid Jonathan Majors' legal issues. (more)

• Ketchup Entertainment will release 'Memory,' starring Peter Sarsgaard and Jessica Chastain, in December 2023 for Oscar contention. (more)

Strike News 🪧

• SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP are reportedly nearing a potential deal to end the 109-day strike, with optimism in the air, though no agreement has been finalized as of last night. (more)

Other News 🚨

• The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, home to the Oscars for over 20 years, is on the market and might fetch around $70 million. (more)

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