The children’s fantasy starring Ryan Reynolds grosses $35 million in its first weekend in North America
The children’s fantasy “Imaginary Friends” topped the domestic box office in the United States and Canada, grossing about $35 million in its opening weekend. The production, which pairs Ryan Reynolds and CGI creatures, exceeded initial expectations, which called for an opening of $30 million to $31 million. Therefore, his performance was considered a victory for the original films.
Despite the leadership, criticism was heavy on the production, considered mediocre with an approval rating of 49% on the Rotten Tomatoes average. But audiences gave it an A on CinemaScore, which could ensure good continuity in the coming weeks, especially with the start of the school holidays. The film attracted an ethnically diverse audience, with families making up 56% of the audience and a slight female predominance (54%).
Internationally, “Imaginary Friends” didn’t have the same acceptance, grossing $24 million in 52 markets for a global total of $59 million. The start is not the most encouraging to justify its cost of 110 million dollars.
The rest of the Top 5
After a strong opening last week, “Ring of the Planet of the Apes” fell to second place at the North American box office with $26 million. The amount was enough for 20th Century/Disney’s production to cross the $100 million mark in the first 10 days. In the international market, the film grossed over $40.6 million in 52 markets, reaching a global total of $237.5 million. The amount represents the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2024, behind “Kung Fu Panda 4,” “Godzilla & Kong: The New Empire” and “Dune: Part Two.”
Another debut, the horror “The Strangers: Chapter 1,” landed in 3rd place, with an opening of $12 million, exceeding expectations by $7-9 million. Despite this, critics massacred the film with chainsaw blows, giving it only a 14% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The preliminary story of the cult film “The Strangers” (2008) arrives in Brazil on May 30.
“The Stuntman” took fourth place with $8.1 million for a domestic total of $63 million. Internationally, the film grossed another $7.2 million, for a global total of $127.6 million after three weekends.
The disappointment of the week
The Top 5 is rounded out by the Amy Winehouse biopic, “Back to Black,” which debuted with just $2.85 million, a major disappointment.
Success was much greater overseas, where the British production grossed $36.5 million for a worldwide total of $39.4 million. But the reviews were terrible, with great disapproval of the film’s approach to the singer’s life. On the site Rotten Tomatoes, “Back to Black” earned a score of 36% with very unfavorable reception. Comparisons with other successful musical biopics, such as “Rocketman” and “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which were widely praised and performed well at the box office, contributed to the negative perception.
Trailers
Check out the trailers below for the top 5 most watched movies in the US and Canada over the weekend.
1| IMAGINARY FRIENDS
2| PLANET OF THE APES: KINGDOM
3| FOREIGNERS: CHAPTER 1
4| THE STUBMAN
5| RETURN TO BLACK
Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
