By @HolocronJosh for @FilmCodex
The latest in the Saw franchise, Spiral, opened to relatively strong numbers at this weekend’s box office. Over the three day weekend, Spiral grossed $8.7 million from 2,811 theaters. This is a solid number given the relatively low budget of the film and the fact that roughly 45% of domestic theaters remain closed. Many of the ones that are open are still holding to capacity restrictions which are sure to have an impact on overall gross.
Internationally, the film earned another $3.3 million from 16 foreign markets. Boasting star power in the form of Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson is sure to have helped its performance both domestically and abroad as well.
As we wrote in our review of the film, “it’s difficult to fault Spiral too much given that, perhaps, it falls victim to expectations of something more novel and distinct than it ultimately ended up being. It’s a shame that the film falls flat in exploring more nuanced themes and carving out its own unique sect of the Saw franchise. Nonetheless, Spiral is an incredibly entertaining film elevated by polished production design, cinematography, and trap sequences, with some unique casting choices that are bound to intrigue fans.”
Wrath of Man continued its theatrical run as well this weekend, bringing in another $3.7 million from 3,007 theaters, taking second spot at the domestic box office. The Jason Statham led thriller opened last weekend to relatively strong numbers and somewhat positive reviews.
Another new release this weekend was Those Who Wish Me Dead, starring Angelina Jolie and Jon Bernthal from director Taylor Sheridan. From Warner Bros, this film was released in a hybrid model with HBO Max, the latest to do so after Godzilla vs Kong, Mortal Kombat, and others. Jolie’s latest film didn’t take the box office by storm (by pandemic standards) as those others did, however, bringing in just $2.8 million domestically and $2.7 million internationally. These aren’t great numbers, even by pandemic standards, but it’s important to keep the current global situation in mind and not judge too harshly.
Also released in select theaters this week was Zack Snyder’s latest film, Army of the Dead, which debuts on Netflix next Friday. At around 400 theaters, the film is estimated to have brought in $800,000-$900,000, though the exact number is hard to discern given Netflix’s secrecy over official box office totals.
Stay tuned to Film Codex for more reviews, news, and next week’s box office totals!