Matthew Vaughn’s spy thriller Argylle has flopped on its opening weekend, earning an estimated $18m via Universal, Apple Original Films and Marv Studios’ global distribution partner on the feature.
The film reportedly cost between $200m and $250m and opened at number one in 3,605 cinemas despite a C+ CinemaScore ranking. It stars Sam Rockwell and Bryce Dallas Howard with Henry Cavill, Bryan Cranston, and Dua Lipa, among others.
The debut marks Apple Original Films’ third major release in the last three months after Martin Scorsese’s multiple Oscar nominee Killers Of The Flower Moon and Ridley Scott’s Napoleon. Killers remains in release and has grossed $67.8m domestically through Paramount, while Napoleon stands at $61.5m.
The opening number for Argylle would be calamitous for a legacy studio given the hefty production and marketing costs, however a tech company with a $2.9tn market cap has different priorities – the tentpole theatrical releases are designed to drive subscribers to Apple TV+ platform and enhance the phone and tablet hardware offerings.
Nonetheless it remains to be seen how Apple’s film strategy evolves in the year ahead. Exhibitors will certainly have relished the prospect of a star-studded action thriller in a typically quiet time of a year facing lower supply due to last year’s Hollywood strikes.
Elsewhere, Warner Bros’ musical Wonka starring Timothée Chalamet crossed $200m in its eighth session and ranks fourth on $4.8m, with the running total now at $201.1m.
Fathom Events staged a bespoke release of the first three episodes of Season 4 of faith-based streaming series The Chosen and registered a number two debut on $6m from three days through its widest release ever in 2,260 sites. The four-day debut came to $7.5m.
Amazon MGM Studios’ The Beekeeper dropped a respectable 20.9% in its fourth weekend to rank third on $5.3m and has reached $49.4m.
Searchlight Pictures said Poor Things starring Emma Stone in ninth place is now the highest-grossing limited release of 2023 and the second highest-grossing post-Covid limited release behind A24’s best picture Oscar winner Everything Everywhere All At Once on $77.2m.
The feminist fable added $2.1m from 1,950 sites for a $28.2m running total after nine sessions.
Molly Manning Walker’s directorial debut and Bafta nominee How To Have Sex launched through Mubi on $52,008 from four theatres for a $13,002 average.
Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar and Bafta nominee The Zone Of Interest – named film of the year at the London Critics’ Circle 2024 awards on Sunday – added $1.1m in its eighth session from 594 sites through A24 to stand at $4.6m. It ranks 13th.
Nearly one year after it premiered at the Berlinale, Lila Aviles’ Mexican shortlisted Oscar submission Totem added $16,690 in its second weekend through Janus Films and stands at $32,330.
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