Avatar sequel finally dethroned at North American box office by M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock At The Cabin
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(From left) M. Night Shyamalan, Kristen Cui, Ben Aldridge, Dave Bautista and Jonathan Groff at Knock At The Cabin's world premiere on Jan 30.
PHOTO: AFP
LOS ANGELES – Avatar: The Way Of Water finally made room over the weekend for a new leader in North American theatres – Knock At The Cabin, the latest from horror film master M. Night Shyamalan.
Knock At The Cabin took in an estimated US$14.2 million (S$18.8 million) for the Friday-to-Saturday period – not bad for a movie that cost a reported US$20 million to make – industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported on Sunday.
The creepy thriller stars Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge as a couple with a young daughter, whose family holiday to a remote cabin is disturbed when a mysterious man (Dave Bautista) comes to the door to warn of an impending apocalypse unless they make a most painful sacrifice.
Knock At The Cabin opens in Singapore cinemas on Feb 16.
Another new film release, sports comedy 80 For Brady, also slipped in ahead of the Avatar sequel, taking in US$12.5 million in what was seen as a sign that older audiences are beginning to return to theatres.
It stars a not-so-young group of friends – Hollywood icons Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field – as they travel to watch famed (and recently retired) National Football League quarterback Tom Brady play in the 2017 Super Bowl.
Ending its seven-week box-office domination, Avatar: The Way Of Water took in US$10.8 million to place third. The sci-fi blockbuster has amassed US$636.4 million in domestic ticket sales, for a global total of US$2.17 billion.
In fourth place, down two spots from last weekend, was family-friendly animation Puss In Boots: The Last Wish, at US$8 million.
And in fifth was BTS: Yet To Come In Cinemas, at US$6.2 million. From Trafalgar Releasing, it offers fans of the popular K-pop boy band a chance to see clips from a 2022 concert filmed before the members took a hiatus for their mandatory military service.
Overall, Hollywood’s future is looking brighter, with nearly 25 per cent more wide releases expected this year than last, according to David Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research, calling that “an enormous improvement”. AFP
