“Only four other comedic series in the last 27 years have lasted five episodes,” analyst David A Gross said, with ticket sales for the latest entry in Sony’s comedy series coming in “well above average for the genre.”
Still, with a US$100 million budget, “Frozen Empire” has a way to go to reach profitability.
Co-written by Jason Reitman, whose father Ivan Reitman directed the original “Ghostbusters” in 1984, the film teams a new cadre of ghost catchers (Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon) with the veterans (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson) as they take on a frightening deity trying to launch a new Ice Age.
Meanwhile Warner Bros.’ sci-fi epic “Dune: Part Two,” about war and survival in an inhospitable sand-covered planet, again managed a strong second place, taking in an estimated US$17.6 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period.
It has now earned US$233.3 million in the US and Canada and US$341 million internationally, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported.
In third, dropping two spots from last weekend, was Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s martial arts comedy “Kung Fu Panda 4,” at US$16.8 million.
“Immaculate,” a new psychological horror film from indie studio Neon and starring Sydney Sweeney, placed fourth at US$5.4 million.
Sweeney, a graduate of hit TV series “Euphoria” and recent rom-com “Anyone But You,” plays a nun who – despite her virginity – becomes pregnant. Other nuns in her remote Italian convent at first treat her as the next Virgin Mary – but then things start getting creepy – very creepy.
And in fifth spot was Lionsgate’s “Arthur the King,” at US$4.4 million. Mark Wahlberg plays an adventurer who befriends an injured stray dog.
Rounding out the top 10 were:
- “Late Night With the Devil” (US$2.8 million)
- “Imaginary” (US$2.8 million)
- “Love Lies Bleeding” (US$1.6 million)
- “Cabrini” (US$1.4 million)
- “Bob Marley: One Love” (US$1.1 million)