Ryan Reynolds and Free Guy have scored the top spot at the weekend box office, with $10.5 million earned across 4,165 theaters. The modest total is still certainly a victory for 20th Century Studios, and the action comedy is expected to end the weekend with $26 million. Director Shawn Levy's film will be an interesting film to track at the box office, particularly given that it has an exclusive 45-day run only in theaters, a strategy that few other current titles also have.
Audiences are understandably still hesitant to return to theaters given the delta variant of COVID-19, though new titles still are holding their own at the weekend box office. Don't Breathe 2, another new title, is expected to take second place, after collecting around $4.4 million on Friday. Rodo Sayagues directed the horror sequel, with Stephen Lang returning to the role of Norman Nordstrom/The Blind Man. Respect, Jennifer Hudson's Aretha Franklin biopic, landed at third in the Friday box office with $3.6 million. Analysts predict it will have made $9 million by the weekend's end, while Don't Breathe 2 is projected for $10.35 million.
Action blockbusters rounded out the top five, with Jungle Cruise and The Suicide Squad dueling it out for the fourth and fifth spots. Jungle Cruise took a slight edge in fourth and is expected to make $8.9 million by Sunday's close, while The Suicide Squad is projected to fall to fifth place with $7.2 million. The Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt family adventure will then have made $88 million in theaters, while James Gunn's The Suicide Squad will have $42.3 million.
Notable absences include Black Widow and Old, though it must be noted that those two films are entering the end of their respective theatrical runs. Stillwater and The Green Knight have also exited the top five from last weekend, as each made a rather impressive debut in their own rights last weekend.