© Universal / Courtesy Everett Cole
The Last Voyage of the Demeter, a new period horror flick set aboard a merchant ship, makes its domestic box office debut amid the continued success of the Barbie and Oppenheimer movie.
Worldwide release — the studio’s second stab this year at a Dracula movie after the spring-bombed comedy “Renfield” — is facing some choppy waters after earning $2.62 million on its opening day from 2,715 locations, a figure that includes $750,000 in Thursday previews. . “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” is expected to debut at number five and gross $6.5 million in its three-day opening weekend.
Nothing truly says the summer blockbuster season is over like an outdated genre picture that meets a quick end in its prime. Even with a production budget totaling only $45 million – a moderate figure for a scene – it would probably be hard for The Last Flight to become a theatrical success. Reviews were scanty, with a 27% approval rating from top critics on aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences don’t dig the movie either, as a Cinema Score poll of early ticket buyers yielded an average “B-” grade.
Based on a chapter from the book “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, “The Last Voyage of Demeter” tells the story of a merchant ship and its crew, who find themselves at the mercy of a snow-bound vampire. Directed by Andre O’Vredal (“Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”), the film stars Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham and David Dastmalchian.
The world of Barbie continues to be a hit at the box office, with competitors projecting the fantasy comedy added $31.4 million from 4,178 locations in its fourth weekend of release, down just 41% from its previous frame. Warner Bros. did not send. numbers for Friday after.
Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” crossed the $1 billion mark last week at the global box office, making Gerwig the first solo female director ever with a $1 billion movie. Starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, the hot pink comedy crossed the $500 million mark domestically on Friday and is poised to become Warner Bros.’ highest-grossing release of all time in North America. The record is currently held by “The Dark Knight,” at $534 million.
Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” added $5.1 million from 3,761 theaters on Friday, down 39% from last weekend. The global biographical drama is anticipating $17.2 million for its opening weekend, which will be down 41% from its predecessor, bringing domestic ticket sales to $262 million.
In third place, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem earned $4 million from 3,950 locations on its second Friday, down 56% from its debut. The animated film, produced by Nickelodeon Movies and Point Gray Productions, tracks to $14.6 million in its three-day weekend, leading to a domestic total north of $71.6 million.
Meg 2: The Trench isn’t making huge waves at the domestic box office, with competitors expecting just $11.8 million from 3,604 theaters in its second outing. That would be 60% less than its $30 million opening weekend, which was already a significant drop from its original 2018 domestic debut of $45 million.