Argylle tops the box office in a quiet Super Bowl weekend

Last Updated on February 26, 2024

It looks like Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle will walk away with an easy win this Super Bowl weekend, with it coming in (slightly) ahead of our expectations to lead the box office with $6.5 million, posting a steep 63% decline in its second weekend. So far, the movie has grossed $28 million domestically, with about a $40-45 million finish in sight. That’s not great for a movie with a rumoured $200 million price tag.

However, it still did much better than Lisa Frankenstein. This retro-styled horror comedy, which is directed by Zelda Williams (Robin’s daughter) from a script by Diablo Cody, would have done much better had it not been hampered by pretty terrible reviews. However, our own Tyler Nichols had an ok time with it. The $3.8 million opening (good enough for second place) is far below tracking, and it seems like the film is destined for a sub-$10 million total. However, it could, theoretically, become a cult hit down the line, similar to Cody’s other horror romp, Jennifer’s Body.

It’s worth noting that Super Bowl weekend is a notoriously slow one in theaters, but even still, this is one of the worst weekends on record since the bad old-pandemic days. Amazon-MGM’s Jason Statham flick, The Beekeeper, showed pretty strong legs, with a $3.4 million finish in third place. It’s grossed $54 million domestically so far, which puts it ahead of all of Statham’s Transporter and Crank films, with it his highest-grossing solo vehicle outside of The Meg. Meanwhile, Fathom Releasing’s The Chosen Season 4, episodes 1-3 have continued to do well, earning $3.1 million in fourth place. These big-screen releases of the remarkably popular Christian show have proven to be a box office bonanza, with episodes 4 through 6 opening this Wednesday. I wonder if more secular-style shows will follow suit. I could imagine something like House of the Dragon doing well if they released episodes theatrically. 

Meanwhile, the Timothee Chalamet Wonka prequel has held up well at the box office, finishing in fifth place with $3.1 million, with the film blasting past $200 million at the domestic box office, making it the biggest hit of the holiday season. Migration did $3.02 million in 6th place, with it now crossing $110 million domestically, which is only a so-so number for an Illumination Studios film. The rom-com Anyone But You, starring newly minted stars Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney continues to hold up well, with it earning $2.7 million in 7th place, for a running total of $80 million. Expect this one to do big business on Valentine’s Day. Could it eventually cross $100 million domestically? Stranger things have happened, but clearly, audiences missed good old-fashioned rom-coms. 

In 8th place is Mean Girls with $1.9 million and a grand total near $70 million, which is a great number for a movie that was planned for streaming. Oscar hopefuls American Fiction and Poor Things rounded out the top 10 with $1.3 million and $1.1 million a piece. Both films have done respectable business at the art-house box office, even if neither seems to have really crossed over to mainstream audiences. Maybe the Oscars will help?

At any rate, the box office seems set for a boost, with Valentine’s Day a popular date night at the movies. Sony’s superhero flick, Madame Web, is expected to have a $20 million plus opening, but nothing is expected to be a blockbuster under Dune Part 2 opens in March. 

Did you go see anything this weekend? Have you seen Argylle on the big screen? Let us know in the comments!