An unexpected Hollywood horror has leaped to the forefront of the weekend box office, demonstrating a terrifying amount of potential. Sony’s Insidious: The Red Door emerged as the dark horse, putting up a challenging fight against the timeless charm of Indiana Jones and succeeding in toppling last week’s winner, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
The Horror Underdog Rises
The fifth installment of the Insidious franchise managed to rake in an impressive $15.2 million on its opening day alone, beating out its competitors across 3,188 venues. A staggering $5 million was earned from just the Thursday previews. Although horror films typically front-load their weekend performances, this intriguing Screen Gems, Stage 6 Films, and Blumhouse production has started on a commanding lead.
Insidious: The Red Door is projected to secure the crown of the domestic charts for the weekend, estimating an impressive $31 million haul.
The film, however, had its share of setbacks. Garnering a low 15% approval rating from top critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a lukewarm C+ CinemaScore grade, it seemed the horror flick was fated to weather harsh criticism. Yet, with a surprisingly low production budget of $16 million, The Red Door already boasts a clear-cut victory at the box office.
Behind the Red Door: The Faces of Fear
Patrick Wilson returns to the franchise in his recurring role and adds an interesting twist to the narrative by stepping behind the camera for his directorial debut. Co-stars Ty Simpkins, Andrew Astor, and Rose Byrne also returned, reprising their roles from the original 2010 Insidious.
“The possibility of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny holding on strongly enough to maintain its No. 1 spot at the domestic box office seemed tangible, but that’s no longer the case.”
Indiana Jones: Falling Short of Destiny
The iconic Harrison Ford-starrer managed to secure only $7.6 million on Friday compared to its horror competition. The film’s second-weekend earnings are projected at around $26 million, pushing its North American gross to $120 million by Sunday. However, with a daunting production budget of $295 million, the path to theatrical profitability seems quite steep for Dial of Destiny.
Other Releases: A Mixed Bag
While the box office battle between the horror and adventure genres raged, other releases, such as the espionage thriller Sound of Freedom and ensemble comedy “Joy Ride, were vying for attention. Sound of Freedom, featuring Jim Caviezel, is predicted to reach a six-day domestic total of $37 million, just enough to take home third place on the domestic charts.
“Despite promising reviews, Joy Ride fell short of its projected debut earnings of $7 million to $9 million.”
Receiving some of the year’s most positive reviews with a 90% approval rating from top critics on Rotten Tomatoes, Joy Ride, unfortunately, failed to generate the same level of enthusiasm among audiences. With its initial weekend earnings coming below projections, the comedy must drum up significant buzz in the coming weeks to ensure its success.
The Animated and Superhero Flicks in the Mix
Rounding up the list are Disney and Pixar’s Elemental, which appears set to take fourth place after securing $2.9 million on Friday, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, aiming for fifth place with a projected $7.7 million gross in its sixth weekend.
Interestingly, despite Elemental’s hefty $200 million production budget, it shows little hope of recouping its investment domestically. Nevertheless, it has held on reasonably well since its underwhelming opening and has now surpassed a $100 million domestic gross. Meanwhile, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is tantalizingly close to overtaking Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to claim the title of the second-highest-grossing domestic release of the year.
Wrapping Up: A Weekend of Surprises
The weekend witnessed an array of box-office performances. Yet, one fact remains clear: the horror genre remains reliable, even in these uncertain times. Insidious: The Red Door, in its unanticipated victory, has underscored that moviegoers are still willing to shell out for a good scare, no matter the competition. Its success highlights the genre’s power and demonstrates that creativity, effective storytelling, and memorable performances can often win over even the most daunting box office foes.
Source: Variety
