Warner Bros./DC Studios’ “Black Adam” is having a decent second weekend, with industry estimates projecting a $24.5 million weekend result and a 10-day domestic total of $108 million.
Long-term, the prognosis is mixed for Dwayne Johnson’s DC film as its domestic run takes a path similar to the star’s “Fast & Furious” spinoff “Hobbs & Shaw,” which also had a 10-day total of $108 million, and last year’s Marvel film “Eternals,” which had a 10-day total of $118 million.
While par for the course for both Johnson and recent superhero films with lesser-known characters, it’s still unclear whether this will be enough for Warner Bros. and DC Studios to greenlight a sequel to “Black Adam” as they plot a new course under incoming DC heads James Gunn and Peter Safran. While Johnson’s star power has drawn interest that might not otherwise have come for this title, this second weekend is more reflective of the film’s B+ CinemaScore rather than the 88% audience Rotten Tomatoes score that Johnson has touted on social media.
Meanwhile, Universal’s romantic comedy “Ticket to Paradise” is showing stronger holds relative to its genre and budget level with an estimated $10.3 million second weekend, giving it a 10-day total of $34 million. The George Clooney/Julia Roberts film has only dropped 37% from its $16 million opening weekend, providing hope that the film can continue legging out into November as blockbuster counterprogramming.
A trio of horror films completes the Top 5, starting with Lionsgate’s “Prey for the Devil” with $2.8 million grossed on Friday and an estimated $7 million opening weekend from 2,980 theaters, meeting studio and independent projections. Lionsgate is banking on the low-budget horror film getting attention from teens thanks to its PG-13 rating, which puts it apart from its R-rated competition, Paramount’s “Smile” and Universal/Blumhouse’s “Halloween Ends.”
For those two holdovers, audiences have clearly shown their preference for “Smile” as it continues to lead over “Ends” on the charts despite being in theaters two weeks longer. “Smile” is projected to earn $5 million in its fifth weekend as it reaches $92 million, passing the domestic total of summer Blumhouse title “The Black Phone.” “Halloween Ends,” meanwhile, sinks to $3.7 million in its third weekend as bad word-of-mouth and availability on Peacock saps its theatrical potential.