Terrifier 3 on track for a $15 million weekend; Joker 2 might not even come in 2nd at the weekend box office

UPDATE: The Friday numbers are starting to roll in, and it looks like the micro-budget Terrifier 3 is indeed wiping the floor with Joker: Folie a Deux at the weekend box office (just as we predicted). But, in a stunning turn of events, it looks like the much-hated Joker sequel (which we unpacked on this week’s livestream) might not even hit second place at the box office, with Deadline reporting that The Wild Robot might be able to take second place. 

Terrifier 3 looks like it will hit about $15 million this weekend, which is quite a coup for an indie horror flick without any studio support behind it. The only caveat is that, given the rabid fan base, it might be front-loaded, and could gross a lot less on Saturday than it did on Friday. The Wild Robot looks like it will hit second place, with about $13 million this weekend, being propelled by excellent word of mouth. 

As for Joker, it looks like it will come in third, with a $8-9 million weekend, which would mean it fell off a disastrous 77% in its second weekend. Ouch. Meanwhile, it looks like Jason Reitman’s excellent Saturday Night is struggling to find a theatrical audience, with it only on track for a $4 million weekend. The Donald Trump movie, The Apprentice, is also crashing with audiences, with it only on track to make about $1-1.5 million for the weekend.

We’ll be back tomorrow with a full box office rundown!

Original Post:

Damien Leone’s Art the Clown is back to sink an ax into the box office with Terrifier 3 (read our review here), just in time for the lead-up to Halloween! On Thursday, the unrated Cineverse slasher reached $2.6M in previews, with screenings beginning at 8 p.m. Reports indicate Terrifier 3 only cost $5 million for its acquisition and publicity. It’s worth mentioning that Art the Clown is a hit at Spirit Halloween stores this holiday, with various costumes, props, apparel, and animatronic decorations throughout the limited-time Halloween-themed outlet. If Terrifier 3 only costs $5M to bring to cinemas and has already made $2.6M, the splatterpunk sequel could become another mega-hit for the studio.

While Art’s got a big smile at the thought of making audiences puke from his hyper-violent antics, Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux feels the opposite. Analysts expect Terrifier 3 to overtake Joker: Folie à Deux at the box office this weekend with an $11M debut. Terrifier 3 holds a 94% Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes despite audiences exiting the film early to refund their popcorn into a theater restroom toilet.

“The early box office numbers putting Terrifier 3 at No. 1 after early previews are far beyond our expectations and we are thrilled to see how strongly the Terrifier fanbase has come out in support of the franchise’s new chapter,” said Cineverse Chairman/CEO Chris McGurk in a statement this AM. “This success is proof that a quality indie film can hold its own theatrically despite being unrated and going up against big studio features and buzzy festival darlings, and is a testament to Phil and Damien’s vision and connection to those most passionate about the horror genre.”

Meanwhile, Joker: Folie à Deux slowly danced through its first week with $44.5M. That’s 19% behind the first week of Marvel Studios’ The Marvels, which took home $54.8M. Other previews include the Pharrell Williams LEGO documentary Piece by Piece, which stacked $450K from 1,500 theaters, with analysts expecting a $3M-$9M weekend debut. Toho International’s My Hero Academia: You’re Next punched its way to $413K in previews in 1,845 theaters. You’re Next is a thrilling roller coaster of action, superhero spectacle, and character-building. Check out our full review of My Hero Academia: You’re Next here!

Elsewhere, the SNL origin movie Saturday Night banked $370K in previews, with showtimes beginning at 2 p.m. As positive word of mouth spreads, the film could earn $3M-$5M during the weekends. Finally, Briarcliff Entertainment’s The Apprentice, about a young Donald Trump and his mentor Roy Cohn, borderline bombed with a $150K debut. Critics love The Apprentice, but general audiences could feel Trumped out because of the ongoing and exhaustive election cycle.

Are you going to the movies this weekend? What do you plan on seeing? Let us know in the comments section below.