Box Office Battle: Jack Quaid Novocaine Takes On Mickey 17
This weekend, the action comedy Novocaine, led by Jack Quaid, is aiming to challenge last weekend’s box office champion, Mickey 17.
Early projections suggest that Novocaine will lead the way with an estimated $10 million to $12 million from 3,300 North American theaters during its opening weekend.
Produced by Paramount Pictures, the film had a budget of $18 million. In Novocaine, Quaid plays a quiet, introverted man who discovers he has a unique ability, he can’t feel pain. He uses this gift to his advantage when his dream girl is kidnapped during a bank robbery.
With these anticipated ticket sales, Novocaine is likely to surpass Mickey 17, which is expected to see a 55% to 60% drop from its $19 million debut, bringing in around $8 million to $9 million for its second weekend.
Directed by Bong Joon Ho and starring Robert Pattinson, Mickey 17 has earned $20.5 million domestically and $54 million globally. While these numbers are solid for an original and offbeat film, the movie had a hefty $118 million production budget. According to industry insiders, it needs around $275 million to $300 million worldwide to break even.
Alongside Novocaine and Mickey 17, there are a couple of other new releases this weekend. Steven Soderbergh’s R-rated thriller Black Bag is expected to earn between $7 million and $8 million from 2,705 theaters.
Meanwhile, Opus, a surrealist satire starring Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich, is predicted to make between $2 million and $4 million from 1,300 venues.
Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World is expected to add about $5 million in its fifth weekend, bringing its domestic total to $177 million and its worldwide gross to $370.8 million.
Although these numbers are impressive, the film’s $180 million production budget means it won’t be considered a financial success. It’s now on track to be one of the lowest-grossing Marvel movies, joining films like The Marvels ($207 million) and The Incredible Hulk ($264 million) in the category of disappointing results.
Marvel still has two more films slated for 2025. Thunderbolts on May 2 and The Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25.
Black Bag is the latest film from director Steven Soderbergh, known for hits like Ocean’s Eleven, Erin Brockovich, and Magic Mike. The movie had a $50 million budget and stars Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender as a married couple who both work as intelligence agents.
When the wife is suspected of treason, her husband must choose where his loyalty lies with his marriage or his country. The film has earned praise from critics, with a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Variety’s Peter Debruge even called it one of Soderbergh’s smartest and sexiest films yet.
On the other hand, Opus, a low-budget offering from A24, isn’t getting the same positive reception. The film holds a disappointing 39% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, with a production cost of under $10 million, it doesn’t need to perform as well to turn a profit.
The movie stars Ayo Edebiri (known for The Bear and Bottoms) as a young writer who visits the remote home of a reclusive pop star, played by John Malkovich. Despite the star power, critics like Tomris Laffly of Variety criticized the film for being an exceedingly silly horror send-up of fandom.
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It looks like this weekend’s box office will see Novocaine rise to the top, while other newcomers like Black Bag and Opus may struggle to gain traction.