Without any major new releases, will 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' return to No. 1 at the box office?

Can Spider-Man still save the box office?

Yes, you are reading this in August 2022. And yes, there is actually< /em> a chance that “Spider-Man: No Way Home” will return to the top spot on the national box office charts… about eight months after the superhero adventure hit theaters and revived the movie industry. theater. Sony is re-releasing the film – which has already grossed $804 million in North America and $1.9 billion worldwide – in more than 3,850 theaters over Labor Day weekend, this time with 11 minutes additional sequences. Thanks Peter Parker!

How, please, is it possible that the December release of "Spider-Man : No Way Home" could end up presiding over the national box office charts in the latter part of the summer? Well, that's not so surprising when you consider the reality that studios all but gave up on the big screen in August after ticket sales rebounded at the start of popcorn season. Over the past few weeks, the cinematic landscape has taken a drastic turn, going from dreary to downright desolate.

In this desert, Sony's horror film "The Invitation" only needed $6.8 million to top the box office last weekend, the lowest top spot in more than a year. And this weekend's eventual winner may be able to reign supreme with even less. "The Invitation" will likely drop 50% to 55% on its second release, which would put ticket sales between $2.5 million and $3 million. While the follow-up isn't readily available for re-releases like "Spider-Man," giant Marvel could also realistically rake in a few million. There's also a good chance that Paramount's "Top Gun: Maverick" will headline its 15th weekend of release. Tom Cruise's hit sequel was a mainstay all summer long (with $691 million domestically and $1.4 billion worldwide) and will expand to 3,105 theaters by Friday.

National Movie Day, which is set for September 3, could complicate these estimates. Indeed, movie tickets at the majority of North American theaters will only cost $3 on Saturdays, well below the average ticket price of $9 across the country. More than 3,000 theaters, including major chains like AMC and Regal, will participate in the discount day in an effort to populate multiplexes during scorching summer days.

Only one new film, the church satire "Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul", is playing in a significant number of theaters. But in addition to screening in 1,879 theaters, it's also making its day-and-date debut on Peacock - so box office watchers don't expect it to have a significant impact in terms of ticket sales Anywhere in the lower single digits would be considered a triumph for Focus Features, which picked up the well-reviewed film at the Sundance Film Festival for $8.5 million.

Theater owners have mostly gotten used to hybrid releases, but they still find it disappointing because "Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul" comes with some serious star power; Jordan Peele and Daniel Kaluuya were the producers of the film, which spotlights Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown as the husband and wife of a scandal-ridden megachurch.

IndieWire's Kate Erbland called "Honk for Jesus" a "winning combination of the divine and the 'Horrible, a dismantling not only of fervent religiosity, but also of our worst human impulses. Adamma Ebo wrote and directed "Honk for Jesus", which was produced by his sister Adanne Ebo.

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