Releasing two movies in one weekend is usually a risky move for a film studio, but Universal Pictures saw an opening and took it. During the Fourth of July weekend in the States, Universal dominated the box office with three films in the top three spots.
Universal landing the top three spots is the first time a studio has done so 2005 and the first time for Universal since 1989. This weekend was also the first weekend since March 2020 in which all top ten films grossed over $1 million.
Leading the pack is F9: The Fast Saga, estimated to bring in $24 million over the weekend. This draw marks a 66% decline from its opening weekend, but industry sources say that’s on average for the film. The film’s domestic total is about $125.8 million so far and will soon race past the worldwide total of over $500 million.
Second place is The Boss Baby: Back in Business, which landed $17.4 million for the three-day and $23.1 million for the four-day. These numbers could be affected by the fact the film is available at no extra charge on Peacock. The animated family film will likely play well over the summer months.
And finally, The Forever Purge brought in $12.75 million over the weekend. Even with the pandemic-era box office, this is a harsh blow for the franchise, which usually sees a $20-30 million opening.
Round out the top five is A Quiet Place Part II at fourth, with another $4.2 million, bringing its total up to $145 million. In fifth is Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard with $3 million, coming to a domestic total of $32.2 million.
