As theaters continue the process of reopening, 20th Century Studios’ “The New Mutants” hit theaters this weekend and took in a $7 million opening from an estimated 2,400 screens.
The total is slightly below the $8-10 million opening projected for the long-delayed Marvel horror film, but projections are still considered flimsy even among trackers as the industry is still determining the strength of moviegoer interest during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Disney, which acquired “The New Mutants” as part of its purchase of Fox, 62% of all domestic theaters were open this weekend, with hundreds more theaters expected to reopen next weekend when Warner Bros. releases “Tenet.” Still, seven states — including California and New York — have not given theaters permission to reopen yet, and major markets such as Seattle, Portland, Miami and Philadelphia are still closed as well.
“The New Mutants,” as expected even in a normal movie market, was driven by young males with audience demographics registering at 66% male and 75% below the age of 35. The film has not been received well with a 32% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 53% verified audience score.
In more limited release, Orion’s “Bill and Ted Face the Music” took in just over $1 million from 1,007 screens, though the film is also available for premium video on-demand this weekend. Home release numbers are not yet available, though Orion says that drive-in theaters have been the film’s main source of theatrical revenue. Starring Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves, the third “Bill & Ted” film has received strong reviews with an 81% critics and audience review on Rotten Tomatoes.
Specialty cinema is also trying to get back on its feet with the release of Armando Iannucci’s “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” which premiered at TIFF last year. While IFC Films and RLJE have distributed films during the pandemic in limited release, this is the widest specialty release in months as Searchlight distributed the film in 1,350 theaters with $520,000 grossed. Searchlight says it will add 75-100 theaters next weekend. Starring Dev Patel, the comedic take on the classic Dickens novel was praised by critics at its Toronto premiere with a 93% RT rating.
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