Smile 2 Shines Bright at Box Office; ‘Anora’ Makes a Sparkling Entrance in Limited Release

This weekend’s box office was dominated by horror films, with a new contender for the Oscars also making waves. “Smile 2” debuted strongly, pulling in an impressive $23 million during its opening weekend, while “Terrifier 3,” now in its second week, continued to draw large audiences. Additionally, the acclaimed film “Anora,” which won the Palme d’Or, achieved the highest per-theater average in over a year, showcasing its critical appeal.

“Smile 2,” the much-anticipated sequel to Parker Finn’s original supernatural horror film, took center stage, surpassing expectations in its debut. Originally planned for streaming, Paramount shifted its strategy, choosing to release the film in theaters in the fall of 2022. The first installment of “Smile” became a surprise hit, grossing approximately $217 million on a modest $17 million budget. With a slightly larger budget, the sequel features Naomi Scott as a pop star and opened on 3,619 screens, slightly exceeding the original’s $22 million opening.

In second place, Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “The Wild Robot” made $10.1 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its North American earnings past the $100 million mark. Family films often have enduring appeal, and this well-reviewed title seems to have benefited from a curious teenage audience who might have attended for the PG-rated content while sneaking into the unclassified “Terrifier 3.” The latter added an estimated $9.3 million to its total, which now stands at $36.2 million, achieved on a production budget of just $2 million.

Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst for Comscore, noted, “Rumors like that are PR gold. There’s no better indication that that movie is red hot right now.” The success of both “Smile 2” and “Terrifier 3” can be attributed in part to the disappointing performance of “Joker: Folie à Deux,” which saw a steep decline of 69% in its third weekend, earning just $2.2 million and bringing its domestic total to $56.4 million.

Warner Bros. scored a hit with “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” which retained its fourth position in the box office after seven weekends, adding $5 million and reaching a total of $284 million domestically. Meanwhile, Michael Keaton also saw the release of another film this weekend—the father-daughter comedy-drama “Goodrich,” which opened poorly with only $600,000 from 1,055 screens.

Completing the top five was the heartfelt romantic drama “We Live In Time,” which expanded from a limited release of just 5 theaters to 985 screens, earning $4.2 million. The A24 film, featuring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, drew a predominantly young audience, with 85% of viewers under 35 years of age and 70% identifying as female. The film is set to expand further in the coming week.

One of the standout films of the weekend was Sean Baker’s “Anora,” which opened in just six locations across New York and Los Angeles, generating an estimated $630,000, equating to a remarkable $105,000 per theater average—the best since “Asteroid City” last summer. This Neon release, which captured attention at Cannes and is viewed as a potential Oscar contender, tells the story of a New York sex worker played by Mikey Madison who finds herself enamored with the son of a Russian oligarch.

The success of “Anora” comes as a refreshing signal that audiences are still interested in sophisticated, thought-provoking cinema after several lesser-known awards contenders struggled to attract viewers. “For moviegoers, there’s a lot on offer with something in every type of movie in every category,” Dergarabedian remarked, suggesting a robust end of the year for filmgoers with a diverse selection of films on display.

The Walt Disney Company also made headlines with several re-releases, with “The Nightmare Before Christmas” earning $1.1 million and “Hocus Pocus” bringing in $841,000, marking their return to the box office fanfare.

Looking ahead, next weekend will showcase a major studio comic book film, “Venom: The Last Dance,” alongside the awards contender “Conclave,” both vying for audience interest.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. “Smile 2,” $23 million.

2. “The Wild Robot,” $10.1 million.

3. “Terrifier 3,” $9.3 million.

4. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” $5 million.

5. “We Live In Time,” $4.2 million.

6. “Joker: Folie à Deux,” $2.2 million.

7. “Piece by Piece,” $2.1 million.

8. “Transformers One,” $2 million.

9. “Saturday Night,” $1.8 million.

10. “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” $1.1 million.