Something big happened this past weekend. A non-white director released the highest grossing opening weekend in the U.S. since Jordan Peele released Us a million COVID years ago. And that director, the one who released the highest grossing since Us, is also named Jordan Peele.
Peele’s third directorial effort, Nope, topped this last weekend’s very competitive box office with a stellar $44 million in domestic sales.
That number feels a little weak, maybe, but that’s because there’s so much competition at the box right now, with no less than four juggernauts. That’s a lot.
Peele is a good one, I think. He’s become overrated, probably, but I’m happy he’s out there making films. Hopefully he continues to have creative freedom and power in the industry. And hopefully he finds the best ways to use those superpowers.
Also at the box
Speaking of serious competition… Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder took the No. 2 spot at the box office, selling a solid $22 million in the U.S. over its third weekend of release.
So far, Love and Thunder has sold $276 million in the States and just under $600 million worldwide. And it’s getting great word-of-mouth as a rewatchable sort of flick. Makes sense. Congrats to Waititi who is finally officially becoming Hollywood’s new reigning It Boy. Perhaps with guys like Peele and Waititi topping the box office we’re seeing the new legends?
Taking the No. 3 spot at the box office was Minions: The Rise of Gru, which sold another $17.7 million, bumping the film’s four-week domestic sales total up to a solid $298 million. Add in foreign sales, and Minions has sold about $640 million. Solid. I’ve got nothing but love for the Minions.
Where the Crawdads Sing took the No. 4 spot over its second weekend of release, selling another $10.3 million, bringing the film’s 10-day domestic sales total to a very decent $38.3 million. This one looks pretty dang good in a Ashley-Judd-In-The-’90s sort of way. And I like that. The film’s star, Daisy Edgar-Jones, is the new Julia Roberts, in case you missed the memo. I’ll definitely be watching this one, eventually, though not likely on the big screen. Feels like a solid WNS (Wednesday Night Stream).
Rounding out last weekend’s Top 5 was new modern classic Top Gun: Maverick, which sold another $10million in the U.S. during its ninth weekend. Wow. That’s just unheard of in the COVID era. So far, the film has made $636 million in the U.S. and $1.283 billion worldwide in 59 days. Whoa. Top Gun 2, how about that. Look for a whole lot more sequels to ’80s and ’90s films we haven’t thought about in years. Goonies 2? Yeah, I’d bet on it! Big 2?!? Sure, why not?!
New this week
A24’s latest masterpiece, Everything Everywhere All at Once, a film I actually just bought on Blu-ray a few days ago, will see a wide re-release this weekend. I say bring it. Why not? This is the one everyone should be going nuts over in my opinion. If you have not seen this one, here’s your chance. Don’t screw this up. This is very important.
Also out everywhere will be Vengeance and something called DC League of Super-Pets. Also look out for an Alex Jones documentary that will be spreading around the country like a virus. Go see it and have informed, thoughtful opinions. Then send them my way; I’d love to read them.
Despite the new releases, my guess is that most people will be going to the theaters to see Thor and Nope. And Minions, of course, the inevitable Minions. Gotta love ’em.
ScreenRant
I wanted to take the opportunity to recap the list I wrote up in last week’s column, which ranked the 10 films I’m most excited about from the second half of 2022.
Here they are:
10. The Fabelmans (director Steven Spielberg)
9. Disappointment Blvd. (Ari Asher)
8. Bardo (Alejandro G. Inarritu)
7. The Killer (David Fincher)
6. Poor Things (Yorgos Lanthimos)
5. Blonde (Andrew Dominik)
4. The Whale (Darren Aronofsky)
3. White Noise (Noah Baumbach)
2. Asteroid City (Wes Anderson)
1. Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese)
Martin Scorsese is still topping the guy he has long known would be serious competition, Wes Anderson. Very cool. Props to Marty. What a G.
This list of filmmakers and projects is so exciting. I could really see the second half of this year being a classic one for cinema, and wanted to further express that opinion in consecutive weeks.
Send your thoughts about the 2022 film slate (and the current state of cinema) my way at gregwlocke@gmail.com. I’d love to read them.
