‘Smile’ Still No. 1 at Box Office With $17.6 Million Weekend as ‘Amsterdam’ Bombs
thewrap.com“Smile” has become the latest original horror film, joining Universal/Blumhouse’s “The Black Phone” and 20th Century’s “Barbarian” to find low budget success thanks to strong word-of-mouth among horror fans.
Against a production budget of $17 million, “Smile” now has a 10-day domestic total of $50 million, creating an intriguing match-up next weekend as the theatrically exclusive film goes up against a franchise horror film, Universal/Blumhouse’s “Halloween Ends,” which has a much higher profile but will also be released day-and-date on Peacock this Friday. “Lyle Lyle Crocodile” is in second with an $11.5 million opening from 4,350 theaters, with Sony estimating a $13.4 million 4-day opening when Monday grosses on Indigenous Peoples’ Day is included.
The family film has a $50 million production budget co-financed by Columbia Pictures and TSG Entertainment, so this movie is going to have to have long legs to earn any sort of profit in theaters they way fellow Sony releases “Bullet Train” and “The Woman King” endured.
Sony has expressed optimism that “Lyle” can go the distance, as it will be the only family film in theaters until Disney releases “Strange World” in Thanksgiving.
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