Way of Water finally yields to horror flick in North America theatres

AVATAR: The Way of Water finally made room this weekend for a new leader in North American theatres, Knock at the Cabin, the latest from horror film master M Night Shyamalan.

Universal’s Knock at the Cabin took in an estimated US$14.2 million for the Friday-through-Saturday (Feb 4) period – not bad for a movie that cost a reported US$20 million to make – industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported on Sunday.

The creepy thriller stars Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge as a couple whose vacation trip, with two young children, to a remote cabin is disturbed when a mystery man played by Dave Bautista comes to the door to warn of an impending apocalypse unless they make a most painful sacrifice.

Another new movie, Paramount’s 80 for Brady, also slipped in ahead of the Avatar sequel, taking in US$12.5 million, in what was seen as a sign that older audiences are beginning to return to theatres.

It stars a not-so-young group of friends – Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field, Hollywood icons all – as they travel to watch famed (and just recently retired) NFL quarterback Tom Brady play in the 2017 Super Bowl.

Ending its seven-week box office domination, Avatar: The Way of Water from Disney and 20th Century took in US$10.8 million to place third. The sci-fi animation has now amassed US$636.4 million in domestic ticket sales, for a global total of US$2.17 billion.

In fourth place, down two spots from last weekend, was Universal’s family-friendly Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, at US$8 million.

And in fifth was BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas, at US$6.2 million. From Trafalgar Releasing, it offers fans of the popular South Korean boy band a chance to see clips from a 2022 concert filmed before the band members took a hiatus for their mandatory military service.

Overall, Hollywood’s future is looking brighter, with nearly 25 per cent more wide releases expected this year than last, according to David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.

He called that “an enormous improvement.”

Rounding out the weekend’s top 10 were:

A Man Called Otto (US$4.2 million)

M3GAN (US$3.8 million)

Missing (US$3.7 million)

The Chosen: Season 3 Finale (US$3.6 million)

Pathaan (US$2.7 million)

AFP