‘Argylle’ Domestic Box Office Suffers Steep Drop

The Big Picture

• This weekend is the lowest-grossing weekend of the year so far, with total business at the domestic box office not exceeding $40 million.
• Universal’s release of Apple’s
  Argylle
  is underperforming, with only $17 million generated in its opening weekend and a projected 63% drop in its second weekend.
• Apple’s previous big-budget theatrical releases,
  Killers of the Flower Moon
  and
  Napoleon
  , also failed to meet expectations, raising questions about the company’s box office strategy.

Total business at the domestic box office will not exceed the $40 million mark, which makes this the lowest-grossing weekend of the year so far, with only one new wide release finding a spot in the top five. The number one spot will go, for the second time in a row, to perhaps one of the biggest underperformers in recent weeks — Universal’s release of Apple’s Argylle.

Directed by Matthew Vaughn, the action comedy generated just $17 million in its opening weekend, and is poised to gross around $6.5 million in its sophomore frame, representing a steep 63% drop. The film is yet to crack the $30 million mark domestically in 10 days, against a massive reported budget of $200 million. Argylle’s commercial woes completes a rather unfortunate hat-trick for Apple, after Killers of the Flower Moon and Napoleon. Although it has been suggested that Apple’s real goal with these big-budget theatrical releases is to generate buzz around its Apple TV+ streaming service, the poor response from audiences certainly raises some questions.

Killers of the Flower Moon concluded its run with $156 million worldwide, and Napoleon grossed $218 million; neither movie could crack the $70 million mark domestically, despite also costing over $200 million each. Argylle, which boasts an impressive ensemble cast, opened to poor reviews and mediocre audience reception.

‘Lisa Frankenstein’ Nabbed the Second Spot at the Domestic Box Office

Debuting at number two with $3.8 million is the horror comedy Lisa Frankenstein, directed by debutante Zelda Williams and written by Diablo Cody. The movie received mixed reviews — it currently sits at a “rotten” 49% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes — but is the sole new release to secure a spot in the top five. Lisa Frankenstein cost around $13 million to produce, which isn’t a high benchmark to cross. Delivering yet another strong hold, despite having debuted on digital this past week, The Beekeeper took the third spot with $3.4 million. This takes the surprise hit’s running domestic total to just under $55 million.

Warner Bros.’ Wonka, meanwhile, has more than recovered its reported $120 million budget. The film has been delivering rock solid holds since its debut in December, and will take the number four spot after grossing $3.1 million in its ninth weekend. Wonka recently passed the $200 million mark domestically, and would hope to hit the $600 million milestone worldwide before concluding its phenomenal run. The top five was rounded out by Universal’s animated hit Migration, which grossed $3 million this weekend — its eighth — as it hit the $110 million milestone domestically.

Elsewhere, Pixar debuted its pandemic-era film Turning Red in theaters, while W.B. re-released Dune ahead of the highly-anticipated Dune: Part Two. Director Denis Villeneuve’s pandemic-era blockbuster generated a healthy $2 million domestically. Meanwhile, Sony’s word-of-mouth sensation Anyone But You grossed just under $3 million this weekend, hitting the $80 million mark at the domestic box office. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.