The box office results for the weekend of June 16-18, 2023, reveal a mixed bag of performances, with some films struggling to find their footing while others continue to dominate the charts. The most notable underperformer is "Supergirl", which, despite its high-profile cast and production values, only managed to gross $38 million domestically and $68 million globally. This is a disappointing performance for a film that carries a substantial $170 million price tag, not including its mega marketing budget. The film's polarizing reception and intense competition during the peak of summer movie season could limit its theatrical staying power.
In contrast, "Toy Story 5" continues to reign supreme, earning $70 million in its second weekend of release. This is a standard 55% decline from its huge $160 million debut, but the film is still poised to be one of the year's highest-grossing releases with $297 million domestically and $585 million globally after just 12 days in theaters. The fifth installment in the generation-spanning franchise is expected to surpass "Toy Story 4" as the biggest entry in the 31-year-old franchise, which currently holds the record with $1.07 billion.
Another notable performance is that of "Obsession", which has generated $233.9 million domestically and $370 million worldwide, making it a wildly profitable success for both Focus Features and theater owners. The low-budget horror sensation has earned $9.8 million from 2,965 locations in its seventh weekend of release, a mere 27% decline in ticket sales.
On the other hand, "Jackass: Best and Last" stumbled at the box office, earning $8.2 million from 2,855 venues. The film faltered overseas with $1.9 million from 19 markets, for a global debut of $10.1 million. However, critics and audiences liked the R-rated reckless prank sequel, which carries an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes and an "A-" grade on CinemaScore.
Despite the mixed results, Hollywood is enjoying the best summer season since COVID, with revenues just 1.7% behind 2019, according to Rentrak. The upcoming weekend promises to be even more exciting, with the release of the family-friendly "Despicable Me" spinoff "Minions & Monsters", as well as tentpoles like Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" and "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" on the horizon. As Paul Dergarabedian, Rentrak's head of marketplace trends, predicts, "The summer hit parade just keeps rolling along".
