Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves opened with a stellar $38.5 million at the domestic box office over the weekend, taking in more than $71.5 million globally.
The opening is inconclusive on whether Paramount/eOne will continue to make movies under the brand’s banner, Deadline reported, as its performance in the coming weeks will determine if there are more installments in the series.
With the box office win, Dungeons & Dragons knocked John Wick: Chapter 4 out of the top spot as Keanu Reeves’ franchise raked in $28.2 million in domestic revenue in its second week.
Overall, the action movie has grossed $244 million worldwide with over $122 in domestic revenue. Lionsgate is not short of plans for further expansion of the franchise.
Paramount’s head of domestic distribution, Chris Aronson, told the outlet that the studio was optimistic about a strong extended run with Dungeons & Dragons.
The Latest: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, with Chris Pine, opened with an all-star gross of $38.5 million at the domestic box office over the weekend and grossed more than $71.5 million worldwide.
“With a great exit score and a global start of $71 million, the story of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves won’t end until it’s well underway,” said Aronson.
Audiences gave Honor Among Thieves, which launched to a raucous opening night premiere at SXSW, an A-CinemaScore. It earned a score of 91 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Aronson told the AP: ‘We know how good our movie is. I know it’s been said before, but I think opening to $38-39 million is just the beginning. These kinds of exit polls translate into playability.
Dungeons & Dragons was also a great roll of the dice. The film, co-produced and co-financed by Paramount with Hasbro-owned eOne, cost $150 million to make.
With a production cost like that, Dungeons & Dragons will be looking for sustained sales through April and similar success abroad to potentially fuel a new franchise.
The film, which features a cast that includes Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Rege-Jean Page and Hugh Grant, will have a box office battle on its hands in the coming weeks with the release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
The animated film, which features the voices of Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy and Jack Black, will not screen at all on Tuesday, allowing Dungeons & Dragons to have less competition with many kids out of school on Monday, Deadline reported. .
The outlet reported that industry insiders felt growing momentum for The Super Mario Bros. Movie debuting Saturday night in Los Angeles, with five-day projections in the $125 million range.
Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga and Chris Pine plays the role of Edgin in the film.
Daisy Head plays Sofina in the hit film adaptation
With the box office win, Dungeons & Dragons knocked John Wick: Chapter 4 out of the top spot as Keanu Reeves’ franchise raked in $28.2 million in domestic revenue in its second week.
“While it may not be the highest-grossing March ever, this is one of the best Marches for the industry in its history, after three years of a market challenged by a pandemic,” said Paul Dergarabedian, analyst media senior for data. Comscore told the AP. “March isn’t summer, but it sure felt like summer, with hit after hit.”
Those movies have helped propel the 2023 box office well above last year’s pace, up 28.7 percent, according to David A. Gross, who runs Franchise Entertainment Research. Still, overall ticket sales have yet to reach pre-pandemic levels, below the 2017-2019 average by 28.8 percent.
Games and toys are also proving to be reliable assets for the big screen. Dungeons & Dragons will be followed this year by Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and a new Transformers movie. Super Mario Bros. Movie is expected to amplify a growing trend for video game adaptation that was once derided.
Dungeons & Dragons had little competition with the new releases. The Christian drama His Only Son debuted with $5.3 million. AV Rockwell’s Sundance Film Festival grand jury prize winner A Thousand and One, about a mother (Teyana Taylor) who kidnaps her child from foster care, opened with $1.8 million in 926 theaters for Focus Features.
Rounding out the top 10 in domestic-grossing films was Scream VI and His Only Son tied for third with $5.3 million; Creed III in fifth place with $5 million; Shazam! Fury of the Gods with $4.7 million; Las Mil Uno with $1.8 million; 65 with $1.6 million; Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania with $1.2 million; and Jesus Revolution with $1 million.