After two weeks trailing The Devil Wears Prada 2, the Michael Jackson biopic Michael reclaimed the No. 1 spot at the North American box office with $26.1 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday (May 17).
The Lionsgate movie is in rarefied territory, having brought in $703.9 million worldwide and counting. It still has a way to go to surpass the current reigning champion of musical biopics: Bohemian Rhapsody. The Queen movie grossed over $910.8 million worldwide.
There were also several newcomers in the mix this weekend, including the relationship horror movie Obsession, the Guy Ritchie action pic In the Grey and the revenge saga Is God Is, but the holdovers continued to draw the largest crowds. The power dynamics are poised to shift when Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters next weekend.
Disney and 20th Century Studios’ The Devil Wears Prada 2 took second place in its third weekend with $18 million, bringing its domestic total to $175.9 million and worldwide earnings to $546.2 million.
Obsession topped the newcomers, exceeding expectations with an estimated $16.1 million from 2,615 theaters. YouTube breakout Curry Barker wrote and directed the thriller in which a hopeless romantic gets more than he bargained for when his crush returns his affections. The film received positive reviews from both critics (94% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences (A- CinemaScore). Perhaps more notable is that Barker made the film for $750,000. Focus Features acquired it out of the Toronto International Film Festival last fall for around $15 million.
Lisa Bunnell, president of domestic distribution for Focus Features, attributed some of Obsession’s success to audiences craving fresh, original voices at the movies. It’s also getting an infusion by word-of-mouth, with younger audiences making plans to go back with friends. Horror movies don’t often get CinemaScores in the A- range, but Obsession is in good company with another recent hit: Weapons.
“I’m expecting a really strong holdover,” Bunnell said.
Fourth place at the box office this weekend went to Mortal Kombat II, which fell 65% in its second weekend to $13.4 million in domestic ticket sales. Globally, it has made $101.2 million from 80 markets.
Amazon MGM Studios had three movies in the top 10, including The Sheep Detectives in fifth place, Project Hail Mary in seventh place and Is God Is rounding out the top 10.
The Sheep Detectives enjoyed a slim 33% drop from its first weekend, taking in an additional $10.2 million and bringing its running total to $30.5 million. Project Hail Mary, which is now available to rent or buy at home, brought in another $3.4 million in its ninth weekend in theaters. Is God Is, Aleshea Harris’s adaptation of her Obie-winning play about twin sisters (Kara Young and Mallori Johnson) on a quest to find and kill their abusive father made $2.2 million in its first weekend in theaters. It has a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Meanwhile, the action caper In the Grey, released by Black Bear, made $3 million from 2,018 locations. Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal and Eiza González star in the film about a team of elite operatives on an impossible mission. It currently carries a 44% on Rotten Tomatoes and a B CinemaScore.
There were also several high-profile re-releases in theaters this weekend, including Top Gun, which made $3.1 million, and Shrek, which earned $1.3 million.
Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Comscore, noted that Prada, Michael and Top Gun all making the top 10 show “nostalgia is on full display.”
“What’s old is new again and audiences clearly love it,” he said.
