Lionsgate and Millennium Media’s The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard won the Friday box office sprint, but is finding itself in close race with hit sequel A Quiet Place Part II for the weekend crown despite the latter title being in its fourth weekend.
Hitman’s Bodyguard 2 earned $3.1 million Friday from 3,331 theaters for an estimated weekend opening of $9.6 million to $10 million-plus and a solid five-day debut of roughly $15 million-plus, in line with expectations. The action-comedy launched on Wednesday and, including paid sneaks last weekend, headed into the weekend with $5.4 million in the bank.
Directed by Patrick Hughes, the follow-up to the 2017 breakout hit sees Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek all reprise their roles. Most reviewers snubbed the sequel, but audiences gave it a B CinemaScore.
The film is the first action-comedy to hit theaters since major markets reopened, and also has the advantage of opening as capacity restrictions are lifted in a host of major markets across North America, led by Los Angeles and New York.
Set four years after the events of the original, bodyguard Michael Bryce (Reynolds) once again meets up with assassin Darius Kincaid (Jackson) as they embark on a new adventure to save Darius’ wife, Sonia (Hayek), from new threats. The sequel also stars Antonio Banderas, Morgan Freeman, Richard E. Grant and Frank Grillo.
Quiet Place II wasn’t far behind on Friday. The unstoppable Paramount horror-thriller grossed $2.8 million from 3,401 locations for a projected $9 million to $10 million weekend. The movie is the first title in the pandemic age to earn north of $100 million, in addition to pulling off a surprise upset last weekend in its third outing when beating the debut of Warner Bros.’ In the Heights ($12 million versus $11.5 million, respectively).
In the Heights — director Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s award-winning Broadway musical of the same name — had hoped to make up ground this weekend with a strong hold, but that isn’t proving to be the case.
The critically acclaimed film earned $1.4 million from 3,505 theaters Friday for an estimated weekend in the $4.6 million to $5 million range, a 57 percent to 60 percent drop, respectively.
In the Heights tumbled to No. 6 on Friday behind Hitman’s Bodyguard 2, Quiet Place II, Sony’s Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway and fellow Warners release The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.
Sony’s Peter Rabbit 2 is holding well in its second weekend after a disappointing opening. The family film earned $1.9 million Friday from 3,346 cinemas for a projected $6.3 million weekend, which would be a drop of less than 40 percent.
