Weekend Box Office Update: ‘Michael’ Regains Top Spot

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The Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, returned to the No. 1 position at the North American box office, generating $26.1 million in ticket sales, as per studio estimates on Sunday. This Lionsgate film has reached an impressive total of $703.9 million globally, although it remains behind Bohemian Rhapsody, which grossed upwards of $910.8 million worldwide.

Several new releases joined the rankings this weekend. Obsession, a horror movie centered around romantic relationships, surpassed expectations with an estimated $16.1 million from 2,615 theaters. Directed by YouTube sensation Curry Barker, the film has resonated with audiences and critics alike, achieving a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an A- score on CinemaScore. Made for a modest $750,000, Focus Features purchased it for approximately $15 million at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall.

Lisa Bunnell, the president of domestic distribution for Focus Features, cited success partly due to audience eagerness for fresh storytelling. The positive reviews have sparked strong word-of-mouth appeal, particularly among younger viewers. Obsession joins the ranks of another recent horror success, Weapons, which also scored highly.

In second place, Disney and 20th Century Studios’ The Devil Wears Prada 2 amassed $18 million, elevating its domestic total to $175.9 million and worldwide earnings to $546.2 million.

Meanwhile, Mortal Kombat II, which ranked fourth, saw a 65% decline in the second weekend, earning $13.4 million domestically. It has garnered $101.2 million from 80 markets globally.

Amazon MGM Studios had three films in the top ten, including The Sheep Detectives at fifth place with a $9.3 million weekend, accumulating a total of $30.5 million. Project Hail Mary, now available for home viewing, brought in $3.9 million during its ninth theater weekend. In tenth place, Is God Is, adapted from Aleshea Harris’s award-winning play, made $2.2 million. It boasts a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Moving further down the list, the action movie In the Grey earned $3 million. Despite its star-studded cast of Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Eiza González, it received a 44% Rotten Tomatoes rating and a B on CinemaScore.

Top Gun and Shrek were successfully re-released, making $3.1 million and $1.3 million respectively. Paul Dergarabedian from Comscore remarked that nostalgia is evidently popular, with films from past decades continuing to attract viewers.

Final figures were expected by Monday, according to Comscore, detailing box office standings from Friday through Sunday across U.S. and Canadian theaters: