Lyle, Lyle Crocodile chomps down on the Thursday box office with $575K

Will Speck’s Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is snapping up dollars during Thursday previews at the box office. The family-friendly affair inspired by the classic children’s book sank its sharp teeth into $575K thanks to showtimes that started at 3 PM in 3,453 locations. Following close behind is David O. Russell’s star-studded Amsterdam, nabbing $550K in preview dollars.

While Sony is delighted to share Lyle’s adventures with audiences, the studio isn’t betting on a big payday for the CGI and live-action hybrid. Sony analysts expect the film to sing the tune of $11M-$12M, while industry experts say it could swim toward $15M-$18M. Sony is now bringing the movie to theaters to take advantage of the Indigenous People holiday weekend when 42% of K-12 schools are on vacation. Lyle, Lyle Crocodile, is sitting at 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, with most reviews saying the movie is an entertaining romp around the Big Apple.

Meanwhile, Disney is hoping for Amsterdam to bank $10M. This total is already unlikely, but the weekend is just getting started. Despite being packed with stars like Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Rock, Mike Myers, Taylor Swift, Rami Malek, Timothy Olyphant, and Robert De Niro, Amsterdam is getting killed in reviews. Amsterdam is sitting at 35% on Rotten Tomatoes, with an Audience Score of 66%. While positive word of mouth could boost the zany period comedy, the tea leaves predict a rough time at the box office.

Do you have plans to see Lyle, Lyle Crocodile, or Amsterdam in theaters this weekend? Perhaps these aren’t suitable films for the spooky season, and Parker Finn’s Smile is a better option. I’ll be spending my time indoors and going through a pile of horror movies I’ve selected. I watched Scott Cooper’s Antlers the other night, and it’s got me in the mood for more creature features. Perhaps it’s time to bust out Pumpkinhead!