M. Night Shyamalan's new psychological thriller enters at No. 1 despite a lukewarm debut, dethroning the 'Avatar' sequel after spending seven weeks atop the chart.
- February 6, 2023
AceShowbiz - There's a new box office champion in town. After ruling the North American chart for seven straight weeks, "Avatar: The Way of Water" is knocked down by newcomer "Knock at the Cabin".
The apocalyptic movie debuts at No. 1 despite its lukewarm debut. The movie only collected an estimated $14.2 million on its opening weekend. Despite the lack of hype for the movie, the creepy thriller from Universal hails from M. Night Shyamalan, who is known for his works such as "The Sixth Sense", "Unbreakable" and "Split".
The home invasion horror film stars Dave Bautista as one of four strangers who approach a family vacationing in a rural cabin. It's made on a modest budget of $20 million, making the movie easily turn a profit.
"Knock at the Cabin" also marks Shyamalan's seventh film as director to open at No. 1. It has bagged $7 million internationally, while the positive reviews from critics (68% on Rotten Tomatoes) will likely help the movie in the long run.
Trailing close behind at No. 2 is another new release, "80 for Brady", which made an estimated $12.5 million on its first weekend. The comedy stars Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Rita Moreno and Sally Field as four friends who take a trip to the 2017 Super Bowl to watch their hero Tom Brady and the timing could not be more perfect as it coincided with the athlete's recent retirement announcement.
Made to attract older audiences who have been reluctant to go to theaters since the pandemic, it drew mostly women (68%), while 48% of the audiences were 55 years or older. "We're pretty darn happy with the results," Paramount's president of domestic distribution Chris Aronson says of their successful strategy. "It proves the old adage: you don't need to make a movie for everybody, but it has to be for somebody."
He adds, "The success of exhibition has always been predicated on more people in seats. What '80 for Brady' proves is that when you give the audience what they want, they will respond."
Relinquishing the top spot, "Avatar 2" now places third with an estimated $10.8 million. It's enough to bring its international tally to $1.538 billion, making it the third biggest film overseas after the first "Avatar" ($2.1 billion) and "Avengers: Endgame" ($1.9 billion).
"Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" is also pushed down two places to No. 4 with an estimated $7.95 million. Meanwhile, "BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas" debuts at No. 5 with approximately $6.3, proving the global fandom of the South Korean pop sensation, BTS (Bangtan Boys), is still strong despite the group's hiatus. The concert film is drawn from their October 2022 performance in Busan, their last show before the members work on their solo projects.
Top 10 of North America Box Office (Feb. 03-05, 2023):
- "Knock at the Cabin" - $14.2 million
- "80 for Brady" - $12.5 million
- "Avatar: The Way of Water" - $10.8 million
- "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" - $7.95 million
- "BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas" - $6.3 million
- "A Man Called Otto" - $4.2 million
- "M3GAN" - $3.8 million
- "Missing" - $3.7 million
- "The Chosen Season 3: Episode 1 & 2" - $3.6 million
- "Pathaan" - $2.7 million
