Box Office Report: Knock Knock

By Kayleigh Donaldson | Film | February 6, 2023 |

By Kayleigh Donaldson | Film | February 6, 2023 |

After nearly two months atop the box office, Avatar: The Way of Water was finally knocked off the number one spot. But do not cry for him, Na’vi lovers, for he is doing quite fine. Indeed, its eight-week domestic box office total is now over $636.4 million. The fourth highest-grossing film of all time is on easy street. James Cameron now dominates 60% of that top five, by the way. Again, never bet against this man.

So, what knocked it off the top spot? The horror film or the football comedy? The former got in there by an extra $1.7 million. M. Night Shyamalan landed another number one debut with Knock at the Cabin, which grossed $14.2 million from 3,643 theaters. That put it ahead of 80 for Brady, which earned $12.5 million from 3,912 locations. One had star power with its cast but the other has Shyamalan, and for all of the mockery he’s received over the decades, it’s undeniable that he’s still got some pull. It didn’t hurt that many reviews declared this to be one of his best films. But it’s really The Village, don’t @ me.

The concert movie BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas grossed $6.28 million from 1,114 theaters. Having a dedicated fanbase certainly helps in some areas. The British animated film, The Amazing Maurice, based on a novel by the late great Terry Pratchett, made $1.043 million from 1,694 cinemas. It didn’t get much promo and seemed too definitively British to break out, alas.

Yet overall, this remained a quiet weekend. It’s still the beginning of the year, the season of the so-called dumping ground of cinematic releases. That’ll surely change once Marvel barges in once more, but they’re an exception to the rule. Even indie movies saw a slump this past weekend, with the initial post-Oscar noms boost well and truly over. Are audiences that driven to see these films in theaters, or will they just wait for the winners to be announced and then head to streaming?

This coming week sees the release of the horror film Consecration and the 25th-anniversary re-release of Titanic, because Cameron is in dire need of a few quid.

You can check out the rest of the weekend box office here.