Weekend Box Office Report: New Mutants finally hits theaters!

The New Mutants arrive!

Almost three years after it completed filming, the X-MEN spinoff  THE NEW MUTANTS finally materialized on cinema screens this weekend and took the top spot with an estimated $7 million.

Directed by Josh Boone (THE FAULT IN OUR STARS), the self-contained introduction of troubled superpowered teens was released onto 2400 screens as North American theaters continue to cautiously attempt a return to business.

Caught up in the merger between Disney and Fox (and then the global pandemic), the endlessly delayed final entry in the X-franchise (until the inevitable Marvel reboot) features Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Henry Zaga, Charlie Heaton, Blu Hunt and Alice Braga.

The horror-tinted mutant movie cost a reported $67 million, despite its limited scope and lack of star power. Unsurprisingly, given the coronavirus circumstances (and now hurricanes), THE NEW MUTANTS had the lowest domestic opening of any X-MEN movie behind the $32 million start of last summer's flop DARK PHOENIX.

Loosely adapted from the classic "Demon Bear" story arc from Marvel's comic book title, the PG-13 release also made it to a few international territories, bringing its worldwide opening to around $10 million. Critics didn't seem like they thought it was worth the long wait, giving it an average of 32% on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 46 on Metacritic (the JoBlo review is HERE).

The Russell Crowe R-rated thriller UNHINGED drove onto 500 more screens this weekend and collected $2.6 million from a total of 2331 locations. The $33 million road rage drama now has a domestic total of $8.8 million.

It might have taken them almost three decades, but the lovable doofus duo of William "Bill" S. Preston, Esq. and Theodore "Ted" Logan made a most(ly) excellent return this weekend with BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC.

The PG-13 sequel with Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter gathered $1.06 million from a thousand locations, but their latest adventure also received a simultaneous on-demand home release, where it topped the major VOD charts for the weekend.

Directed by Dean Parisot (GALAXY QUEST), the time-travel comedy featuring the Wyld Stallyns' helpful offspring (Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine) and, of course, Death (William Sadler) cost a reported $25 million.

Critics generally embraced the optimistic energy of the sequel, giving the movie an average of 79% on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 66. Hop in the phone booth and journey to the JoBlo review right HERE.

The comedy-drama THE PERSONAL LIFE OF DAVID COPPERFIELD was released onto 1360 screens this weekend for $520,000. The PG-rated Charles Dickens adaptation with Dev Patel, Tilda Swinton and Hugh Laurie has a worldwide total of $10.3 million including its release in international territories earlier in the year.

The PG-13 teen romantic drama WORDS ON BATHROOM WALLS expanded to 1350 locations this weekend and slightly improved on last week's opening with $453,000, bringing it to around $1.08 million domestic.

The animated underwater antics of THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE ON THE RUN added another $400,000 over the weekend, giving Paramount's PG-rated adventure a North American total of $2.9 million.

Elsewhere on the planet, Christopher Nolan's time-tweaking TENET launched in various territories for an estimated international opening weekend of $53 million!

Audiences have been anticipating the secretive sci-fi thriller from Warner Bros., originally intended as one of the summer's primary blockbusters before the filmmaker and studio reluctantly accepted the precarious global situation and started sliding the release around the schedule.

The PG-13 espionage story with John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki and Kenneth Branagh reportedly cost over $200 million (Nolan's most expensive yet).

Critical response hasn't risen to INCEPTION levels of enthusiam but remains positive, with an 81% average on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 70 on Metacritic. Invert over to the JoBlo review HERE.

The fact-based war movie THE EIGHT HUNDRED also continued to attract massive crowds in China as the the IMAX-filmed epic has crossed $250 million since it started on August 21.

Next weekend, Christopher Nolan's TENET begins its release in the US (it has already made it to Canada screens) with a limited rollout that will expand in the following weeks.

What is your favorite Bill & Ted movie? VOTE HERE!