Director Shawn Levy’s video game-inspired film Free Guy, starring Ryan Reynolds, debuted with an estimated $28.4 million in its opening weekend domestically, with another $22.5 overseas, for a worldwide total of $51 million. Free Guy, a Fox title, has been given a wide release in 4,165 North American theaters by parent company Disney.
This is a healthy start for the film, which reportedly cost $100 million to make (minus marketing), and has been released exclusively in theaters. Especially impressive is a 24% spike in ticket sales between Friday and Saturday, which is a first for this summer season. Recent titles such as Cruella, Black Widow and The Suicide Squad all debuted day-and-date on streaming platforms — some, like the Disney films, with a surcharge, and some, like the ones released by Warner Bros., for no extra cost.
The Suicide Squad is being cited as an example of how a simultaneous streaming release can impact a film’s box office potential. The film cost a reported $200 to make, and has earned $42 million at the domestic box office so far. It finished at number five on this weekend’s chart, having made an estimated $7.7 million.
Following Free Guy with an estimated $10.6 million from 3,005 theaters was Don’t Breathe 2, a sequel to 2016’s hit thriller Don’t Breathe. But if you compare the two films’ opening weekend numbers, the sequel doesn’t seem to have had quite the impact of the original, which scored better reviews and debuted to $26.4 million before tapping out with $157 million worldwide. Rodo Sayagues directs, with the original’s Fede Álvarez remaining on board as co-writer and producer.
Disney’s Jungle Cruise took the number three spot, with an estimated $9 million this weekend. Starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, the big-budget adventure film has made $82 million domestically so far, and $154 million worldwide. The film is also available for $30 on Disney+.
At number four was the Aretha Franklin biopic Respect, starring Jennifer Hudson. Directed by Liesl Tommy, the film made an estimated $8.8 million from 3,207 screens, against a reported budget of $55 million. It earned an enthusiastic A CinemaScore, and drew an ethnically diverse crowd.
Reynolds recently revealed on Twitter that Disney has expressed interest in a Free Guy sequel, on the heels of the film’s promising opening.
Next weekend will see the release of the Hugh Jackman-fronted science-fiction film Reminiscence, which will also be made available, like all Warner Bros. movies this year, on HBO Max for 30 days. Reminiscence will take on Martin Campbell’s The Protégé, Sean Penn’s Flag Day and David Bruckner’s The Night House.