Sony’s drama “It Ends With Us” has made a remarkable impact at the August box office, pulling in $24 million from 3,611 theaters on its opening day, including preview screenings. Adapted from Colleen Hoover’s 2016 bestselling novel, the film is projected to surpass $45 million for the weekend, a stellar result given its modest $25 million budget, lower than the typical summer blockbuster.
The novel’s viral success on TikTok and targeted marketing towards female audiences had led analysts to anticipate a stronger performance for “It Ends With Us.” The film, which stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, has already edged out Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” in opening day earnings, despite the latter’s strong performance in its third installment.
With an impressive $17 million Friday gross, the film is setting up for a strong second-place finish for the weekend. Audience reception has been favorable, with Cinema Score giving it an A- grade, indicating that the film is being embraced as a major summer hit.
However, Lionsgate’s “Borderlands,” an adaptation of the popular video game series, has struggled. Despite efforts to boost its profile with Imax and premium large-format screenings, it only earned $4 million from 3,125 locations and is at risk of a sub-$10 million opening. The film, which boasts a hefty $115 million production budget, has received poor reviews and a disappointing D+ grade from Cinema Score.
Lionsgate has mitigated some financial risk by securing nearly 60% of production costs through international pre-sales. However, with critical and audience reactions falling flat, the film is likely to be a serious box office disappointment.
On a more positive note, Disney’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” is maintaining strong performance in its third weekend, with $15.6 million earned on Friday. The film has shown remarkable durability, with only a 44% drop from the previous week, a stark contrast to the typical sharp declines seen in superhero films. It is expected to reach $500 million domestically soon and is approaching the $1 billion global mark.
Universal’s releases, “Twisters” and “Despicable Me 4,” round out the top five. “Twisters” continues to perform well in North America, with a projected 32% drop in its fourth weekend, and has already grossed over $200 million domestically. Meanwhile, “Despicable Me 4” is expected to add $8.75 million this weekend, marking a modest 24% drop and bringing its total to $330 million, making it the third highest-grossing North American release of the year.
In other news, Neon’s indie horror film “Cuckoo,” starring Hunter Schafer, debuted with approximately $1.34 million from 1,503 locations.