Who will emerge victorious when fighter Johnny Cage faces off against powerful editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly at the weekend box office?
The Warner Bros. sequel “Mortal Kombat II” is tracking a debut of $40 million to $45 million from 3,400 North American theaters. The studio is offering a slightly softer estimate of $35 million. Meanwhile Disney’s sequel to “The Devil Wears Prada” is projected to earn $38 million to $42 million in its second weekend of release, putting the two tentpoles in a close race for No. 1. Rivals and exhibitors believe that weekend ticket sales for “Mortal Kombat II” and “The Devil Wears Prada 2” could end up closer to $50 million, depending on word-of-mouth for the former and turnout on Mother’s Day for the latter.
Two other newcomers, Amazon MGM’s charming whodunit “Sheep Detectives” and Paramount’s concert film “Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D),” will land behind a holdover title, “Michael,” on domestic box office charts. Lionsgate’s biopic about Michael Jackson is estimated to add a remarkable $35 million to $40 million in its third weekend of release. Then “Sheep Detectives” is hoping to open to $12 million to $15 million from 3,457 locations while “Billie Eilish” is targeting a start of $8 million to $10 million from 2,600 venues.
“Mortal Kombat II” is expected to generate at least $30 million at the international box office, so the global start could range from $70 million to $80 million. The sequel was produced for $80 million, above the prior installment’s $55 million price tag. The prior “Mortal Kombat” opened to $23 million while launching simultaneously on HBO Max during the disastrous year-long experiment known as Project Popcorn. All things considered (people were largely steering clear of cinemas at the time), the video game adaptation became a modest success with $42 million in North America and $84 million worldwide. Typically, those aren’t the kind of returns to justify a sequel or launch a franchise. But HBO had reported that “Mortal Kombat” was among the streamer’s most-watched movies at the time. Director Simon McQuoid returned for the sequel, which follows mixed martial arts champions in a high-stakes tournament to prevent the annihilation of Earthrealm. The studio clearly has high hopes for the series because a third film is already in development.
“Sheep Detectives” will need to stick around in theaters to justify its hefty $75 million budget. Hugh Jackman stars in the PG-rated film, which follows a shepherd who goes missing, leaving his sheep to follow the clues, investigate human suspects, and crack the case. Reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, earning “Sheep Detective” a 95% average on Rotten Tomatoes. Variety’s film critic Guy Lodge described the film as a “wholesomely offbeat family comedy” with “bags full of charm.” Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston and Regina Hall lead the voice cast.
“Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft” was co-produced for $20 million by Paramount and Interscope Records. The film follows the 24-year-old Grammy and Oscar-winning artist on her most recent concert tour. Eilish co-directed “Hit Me Hard and Soft” with “Avatar” filmmaker James Cameron, who “pioneered 3D cameras specifically designed to capture Billie’s performance,” according to press notes.
Like Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” and “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,” exhibitors want audiences to view “Hit Me Hard and Soft” as a less-expensive stop on Eilish’s sold-out world tour. Points of comparison, however, are tough, according to box office watchers. “The Eras Tour” was a theatrical anomaly, debuting to $93 million in North America and concluding its run with a record-setting $180 million domestically and $261 million globally. “Renaissance” was another rarity after opening to opened to $21.8 million in North America and ended up with $33 million domestically and $43 million globally.
So far, the late spring and early summer box office has been strong. “The Devil Wears Prada 2” has grossed $82 million domestically and $240 million globally to date. Thanks to nostalgia and great word-of-mouth, the star-studded sequel is expected to outgross the first film’s $326 million lifetime haul in a matter of days. Meanwhile “Michael” has remained a force with $188 million in North America and $432 million worldwide after just two weekends in theaters.
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