Movie

The follow-up to 2021's 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' fares a bit better than its predecessor, 2021's 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' with an estimated $45 million domestically.

• Mar 25, 2024

AceShowbiz - The "Ghostbusters" franchise still conjures up some magic. The latest installment, "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire", is making its way to the top of the North American box office on its opening weekend with a solid $45.2 million.

The opening number of the fifth entry in the supernatural comedy film series is slightly above its predecessor, "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" (2021), which debuted to $44 million during the pandemic-challenged era.

Overseas, the Sony tentpole started with $16.4 million from 25 markets for a global start of $61.6 million. It will need to have decent legs to cover its $100 million budget, versus $75 million for "Afterlife". In like-for-like markets, however, Sony says it is pacing 15% ahead of the previous installment.

Unfortunately, "Afterlife" likely won't get a boost from word of mouth. Critics and audiences were mixed on the sequel, which landed a 43% on Rotten Tomatoes and a B+ CinemaScore, compared to an A for "Afterlife".

Another new release this week is horror film "Immaculate" starring Sydney Sweeney. The movie debuts at No. 4 with an estimated $5 million, in line with expectations for the indie pic. It earned a C CinemaScore, which isn't unusual for a horror film.

"The movie features the popular Sydney Sweeney, but horror movies are not cast-driven," says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, which categorized the opening weekend result as "fair." He adds, "They're driven by the hook: the evil doll, the wicked smile, the invisible or silent presence, the found footage, the possessed child. That's what terrifies the horror crowd. The hook is not completely clear here."

"Dune: Part Two" stays steady at No. 2 with approximately $17.6 million on its fourth weekend, bringing its domestic gross to $233.4 million and pushing its global cume to pass $500 million mark.

"Kung Fu Panda 4" rolls down two places to No. 3 with an estimated $16.8 million for a total of $133.2 million domestically so far. "Arthur the King" places fifth with approximately $4.4 million.

Top 10 of North American Box Office (Mar. 22-24, 2024):

1. "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" - $45.2 million
2. "Dune: Part Two" - $17.6 million
3. "Kung Fu Panda 4" - $16.8 million
4. "Immaculate" - $5.4 million
5. "Arthur the King" - $4.4 million
6. "Late Night with the Devil" - $2.83 million
7. "Imaginary" - $2.8 million
8. "Love Lies Bleeding" - $1.6 million
9. "Cabrini" - $1.4 million
10. "Bob Marley: One Love" - $1.1 million