‘Deadpool & Wolverine' Pulling Feathers Off ‘The Crow' & Putting ‘Blink Twice' To Sleep As Summer Winds Down – Saturday AM Box Office

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE

SATURDAY AM:Refresh for updatesBlame the lack of want-to-see fare as well as kids returning to school, but this penultimate weekend of summer is coming in at $93.4M for all movies, -33% from last weekend. That’s the third lowest weekend of this summer after the first weekend of June/post Memorial Day frame ($66.3M) and the first weekend of May ($73.9M). Compared to the same weekend a year ago when Sony’s Gran Turismoled the box office, this Friday-Sunday is +3%.

Disney is seeing their MCU title Deadpool & Wolverinetake its fourth weekend at No. 1 (though not in a row) with $17.8M (-41%), but in its fifth weekend.

Disney/20th Century Studios Alien: Romulusisn’t far behind in second with $16M, -61%, which is a much better hold and second frame than the previous 2017 installment, Alien: Covenant($10.6M, -71%).

The Ryan Reynolds-Hugh Jackman is easily triumphing over new entries Blink Twice($7.1M opening), the disastrous $50M reboot of The Crowvia Lionsgate $4.5M-$5M, and Sony AFFIRM’s $5M Kendrick Brothers movie The Forgewith an estimated $6.1M.

Despite solid reviews on Rotten Tomatoes (78% Certified Fresh) and a B- CinemaScore, Channing Tatum is seeing another dud at the summer box office in Blink Twice after Fly Me to the Moon‘s crash ($9.4M opening, $20.4M final domestic). outside his ensemble work in Deadpool & Wolverine.Clearly, it’s about the right marriage to material for post-Covid he saw wins with the Sandra Bullock adventure comedy Lost City($30.4M opening, $105.3M domestic final) and his beefcake Dogfrom MGM ($14.9M opening, $61.7M final domestic).

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FRIDAY AM:Two wide entries held previews Thursday, with the Zoë Kravitz-directed thriller Blink Twiceand Lionsgate/Edward R. Pressman presentation’s The Crowfiling$820K and $650K in previews, respectively. Neither is expected to move the needle this weekend with single-digit openings.

What’s a bit more shocking is that Amazon MGM Studios’ $20M Blink Twice doesn’t do more with Channing Tatum and solid reviews at 78% certified fresh on Rottten Tomatoes. Despite critical support, the sex thriller got three stars from PostTrak audiences Thursday night and a 50% definite recommend. It’s in better shape than the The Crow,which received 1 star. OMG, Lionsgate, are we looking at another D+ CinemaScore? Quorum tracking Friday morning believes Blink Twicehas a shot at a $10M-$13M opening.

Meanwhile, Sony Affirm’s faith-based The Forgereceived five stars from its moviegoers and an 88% definite recommend, all of whom spent $600K Thursday night off showtimes that began at 2 p.m. The pic is booked at 1,800 locations. The Alex Kendrick-directed movie only cost $5M before P&A. Sony turned the Kendrick Brothers’ War Room into a Labor Day win back in 2015, teeing the pic off the week prior; it ultimately grossed close to $68M. No sign The Forgeis going to emulate that.

Other than that, this weekend will go to one of two Disney movies: Alien: Romulusor Deadpool & Wolverine, the former expected to have the edge over the latter with $18M to $17M. Alien: Romulusends the week with $56.3M at 3,885 locations. It was close on Thursday between the two, with the Fede Alvarez-directed space horror pic doing $2.6M to the Marvel Studios movie’s $2.5M at 3,960 theaters. Alien: Romulus‘ first week is 20% ahead of 2017’s Alien: Covenant ($46.8M), but 18% behind that of the highes-grossing Alienmovie, 2012’s Prometheus($68.6M). Covenantended its run at $74.2M, while Prometheuswent all the way to $126.2M stateside. No reviews yet for The Forge,but the Rotten Tomatoes Popcorn Meter says 100%.

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D&Wends Week 4 with $42Mand a running total of$558.8M. It hasn’t caught last summer’s Barbie, which ended her domestic runway at $636.2M.

It Ends with Usfrom Sony and Wayfarer Studios, ends its second week with$35.2M after a $2.2M Thursday at 3,739 sites. Running total is $108.9M.

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Fathom Events’ Coraline15th anniversary grossed $1.3MThursday for first week of $16M, running total of$19.1M at 1,535 locations. The movie’s lifetime cume $101.4M. Wow, Laika.

Universal/Warner Bros’ Twisters,available to watch in the home on digital rental or sell-through, is still a draw on the big screen, taking fifth place at 3,483 theaters with a fifth week of $13.8M, running total of$242.4M after a $776K Thursday.