When it comes to the latest box office projections, Monkey Man and First Omen are both expected to bring in over $12 million. However, in Thursday night previews, Monkey Man took the lead with $1.4 million compared to First Omen’s $725k. The previews for Monkey Man began at 5 PM in 2,750 theaters, while First Omen’s previews started at 7 PM. Both films are targeting the 18-34 demographic and are rated R. Monkey Man has an 85% certified fresh rating, while First Omen is not far behind at 81% fresh.
Legendary and Warner Bros’ Godzilla vs. Kong: The New Empire hit the $100 million mark yesterday and is expected to dominate its second weekend with a projected $32 million. The film will continue to be shown in IMAX theaters, while Monkey Man and First Omen will be shown in PLFs. Monkey Man is being shown in 3,029 venues, while First Omen is being shown in 3,375 theaters.
When comparing Monkey Man to similar films, it is similar to Focus Features’ The Northman, which brought in $1.35 million in previews and $12.2 million in its opening weekend. Another comparison is Universal’s Violent Night, which had a $13.4 million opening weekend after a $1.1 million preview. Monkey Man was acquired by Universal for under $10 million, while First Omen cost Disney in the low $30 millions.
In terms of overall box office trends, Sony’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire came in second for the week with $22.1 million in its second weekend. Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4 brought in $16.7 million in its fourth week, while Legendary/Warner Bros.’ Dune: Part Two earned $16.3 million in its fifth week. NEON’s Immaculate brought in $4.9 million in its second week.
According to Comscore, there is still a portion of spring break in effect, with 27% of K-12 schools on break and 5% of colleges off. This could impact the box office performance of current releases like Monkey Man, First Omen, and other films vying for audience attention.
Overall, the box office battle continues to heat up with exciting new releases and ongoing competition among top-performing films. Monkey Man and First Omen are both looking to make a splash with their R-rated action-packed storylines, and it will be interesting to see how they fare in the coming weeks amidst stiff competition from other blockbuster hits.