It's not a magic trick: the third installment in the series of films about magician thieves, Now You See Me, beats the biggest action film “Running Man” at the North American box office this weekend. Lionsgate's “Now you see me, and now you don't” Studio estimates on Sunday put the box office at $21.3 million, while Paramount's “The Running Man” earned $17 million.
Now You See Me: Now You Don't, which reportedly cost $90 million to produce, comes nearly 10 years after the second film. Including ticket sales from 64 international territories, its worldwide cost is estimated at approximately $75.5 million. The race between the two rookies was expected to be tighter heading into the weekend.
The first two films in the Now You See Me series, released in 2013 and 2016, earned more than $686 million worldwide. Directed by Ruben Fleischer, this installment brings back the original Four Horsemen: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco, and introduces three young magicians: Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt and Justice Smith. The fourth film is already in the works.
Reviews on Rotten Tomatoes were mixed at 59%. According to a PostTrak survey, audiences were more positive, with 63% saying they would definitely recommend.
Audience ratings were slightly lower for The Running Man, with 58% receiving a “definitely recommend” rating. Both received a B+ CinemaScore, but more people preferred the franchise. One key difference is that women make up the majority of Now You See Me's audience (54%). They accounted for only 37% of ticket buyers for The Running Man.
Edgar Wright directed and co-wrote The Running Man, the second adaptation of the Stephen King novel first published in 1982. The first film starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and was released in 1987 to mixed reviews and moderate box office returns, earning only $38 million against a $27 million budget. Stars of the new version Glen Powellwho has a strong track record of starring in box office hits, from the romantic comedy Anyone But You to Twisters.
Paramount Pictures released The Running Man in 3,400 domestic and 58 international markets. It earned $28.2 million worldwide against a reported budget of $110 million.
Another new release for the weekend, “The Keeper,” the third feature film from the “Long Legs” director. Oz Perkinsreceiving $2.6 million and a D+ CinemaScore. But as an acquisition, Neon is not a disaster either.
Third place went to “Predator: Badlands” with $13 million in its second weekend, followed by “Sorry about you” in fourth place with $4 million. “Black Phone 2” rounded out the top five with $2.7 million, bringing its domestic total to $74.7 million after five weeks in theaters.
Looking forward to the big budget musical Wicked: For Good, which opens next weekUniversal Pictures directed “Wicked” in another 2,195 theaters, where it earned $1.2 million, narrowly missing out on a spot in the top 10.
The box office should see a significant boost when “Wicked 2” hits theaters and “Zootopia 2” hits theaters before the Thanksgiving holiday. Comscore's Paul Dergarabedian said it could become one of the highest-grossing five-day Thanksgiving events ever.
