Paramount/Spyglass Media’s Scream VI is headed to a franchise-record opening of $50M+ worldwide from roughly 50 offshore territories including domestic.
The most recent Scream pic opened to $48M WW, $30M from U.S./Canada last year. The highest opening for the Kevin Williamson-conceived horror series was Scream 3, which opened to $34.7M domestic in 2000. Scream VI, which sees the return of filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, could pull in anywhere north of that figure to possibly $40M at 3,670 theaters, as we first told you. Scream VI will get loud at the box office thanks to PLF screens this weekend. There’s a fan screeningin 3D that starts at 5 p.m. Thursday, followed by regular previews at 5:30 p.m. Moviegoers under 25 are the prime crowd for this R-rated sixthquel, with a further boost from Latino and Hispanic moviegoers, who repped 33% of the previous sequel’s turnout in January 2022.
Scream VI takes the Ghostface killings to a new locale, that being the Big Apple.
Paramount has 38 offshore territories including France, Spain, Germany, UK, Italy, Brazil, Mexico and Australia, along with another 12 that are handled by Spyglass. I hear it’s not a like-for-like offshore launch like Scream, which opened in 50 markets, including Russia (before the Ukraine invasion) and debuted to $18M. Scream VI is looking at around $10M-$12M per sources. Scream‘s international debut in like-for-likes was 23% ahead of 2011’s Scream 4.
Sony is boldly opening their Adam Driver sci-fi PG-13 movie 65 against Scream VI. The studio is looking at getting older males, over 25, versus the female crowd which Scream VI is bound to attract, the last one at 47% with 80% being under 35. Outlook is high single digits at 3,350 theaters. Previews start Thursday at 4PM at 2,850The $45M movie, which was co-financed by TSG and Bron, bounced around the calendar a few times in regards to dating, this spring being very competitive with tentpoles like Creed III, Shazam: Fury of the Gods, Dungeons and Dragons, and more.
The Scott Beck-Bryan Woods directed and written movie follows an astronaut who crash lands on a mysterious planet only to discover he’s not alone. Neither film has registered with Rotten Tomatoes critics yet.
Focus Features has Champions from Bobby Farrelly in wide release with an eye on mid single digits. Woody Harrelson plays a former minor-league basketball coach who is ordered by the court to manage a team of players with intellectual disabilities. He soon realizes that despite his doubts, together, this team can go further than they ever imagined. Critics stand at 80% fresh on the sports dramedy.
MGM/United Artists Releasing’s Creed III in its second weekend is looking at a 52% ease or $28M. Yesterday, the Michael B. Jordan directed title grossed $4.2M for a running total of $62.6M.