It’s extremely hard not to read into the box office numbers during this bewildering time and even more difficult not to project some sort of bias into editorial. As much as sites love to speak with authority on the numbers, it’s a tough task even under normal circumstances. What’s good? What’s bad? What’s expected? How does it affect VOD numbers? Yadda. Yadda.
Summer kicked off with a bang with indications that we were almost out of the woods, only things have taken a turn for the worse, not only here in the States, but globally. Confidence in returning to theaters has dwindled over the past few weeks and movie fans seem to be fine waiting for a home video release rather than risk a trip to a cinema. August is also a notoriously slow month, especially with kids returning to school. There are factors everywhere, but ultimately, we’re in a global pandemic that’s unheard of. All bets are off and we – the entertainment industry – need to stop projecting our concepts/theories/etc. into the box office. I am just as guilty.
With that said, Sony Screen Gems was already deep into promoting Don’t Breathe 2 and committed to a release over this weekend. It was able to carve out $10.6M, only being beaten out by the critically-celebrated Free Guy, starring Ryan Reynolds. Globally, it added $3.4M for a $14M opening.
The budget for Don’t Breathe 2, this time directed by Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe co-writer Rodo Sayagues, is reportedly only $15M, which means this sequel will eventually hit the profit zone. Will there be a third film? I suppose it’s possible, but would consider it unlikely at this point. Time will tell.
In Don’t Breathe 2, which Meagan Navarro called a “less suspenseful, more savage sequel,” the Blind Man has been hiding out for years in an isolated cabin and has taken in and raised a young girl orphaned from a house fire.
Their quiet existence is shattered when a group of kidnappers show up and take the girl, forcing the Blind Man to leave his safe haven to save her.
This weekend Searchlight Pictures releases The Night House and next week we’ll finally say his name five times and witness the return of Candyman. I’m hopeful, but also worried. Let’s see how things unwind over the next few weeks…
