Sony’s latest installment in the Ghostbusters franchise, Frozen Empire, managed to pull in $4.7M from Thursday night previews across 3,561 theaters. This figure is on par with the previous film, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which collected $4.5M in previews. It’s also worth noting that the previews for Frozen Empire outperformed 2016’s Ghostbusters, which earned $3.4M in previews and opened with $46M. However, despite a solid start, sources suggest that Frozen Empire will need a significant uptick in walk-up business to reach the levels of its predecessors.
The audience reaction to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire was mixed, with the Thursday night crowd giving it four stars. Men made up the majority of viewers at 55%, and they were more critical of the film compared to women, who rated it more favorably. Men over 25, the largest demographic on Thursday night, graded the movie at 79%, while younger men were less impressed at 68%. Comparatively, families played a significant role in the success of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, with parents and children under 12 giving it high marks.
Rotten Tomatoes critics lauded Ghostbusters: Afterlife with a 64% positive rating, while audiences were even more pleased at 94%. In contrast, Frozen Empire received a lower score of 45% among critics, with audiences giving it an 86% approval rating. Directed by Gil Kenan, the writer of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the sequel came with a $100M production budget, ensuring that the Ghostbusters franchise would surpass the billion-dollar mark with this installment.
In the competitive box office landscape, Frozen Empire faced tough competition, including Neon’s Immaculate, which didn’t impress audiences, and Dune: Part Two, which continued to perform well in its third week. Kung Fu Panda 4 and Arthur the King also held their ground, along with Fathom’s releases The Ark and the Darkness and the remastered Radbooked. While the box office figures for Frozen Empire remain uncertain, the coming weeks will determine its overall success.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire made a solid start at the box office, but its long-term success remains to be seen. With mixed audience reactions and critical reviews, the sequel will have to rely on word of mouth and walk-up business to sustain momentum. As the latest addition to the iconic Ghostbusters franchise, Frozen Empire has big shoes to fill, and only time will tell if it can live up to its predecessors. Stay tuned for upcoming updates on the box office battle as the competition heats up.