Receipts: A Star Is Born And We Are All Obsessed

Domestic: The month of May is coming to an end, and it has brought about a group of strong films right before we enter June. However, not every film will get the love that many audiences believe it deserves. Let's take a look at the numbers. 

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu debuted on May 22 and served as the final major blockbuster release of May. The film opened to approximately $88 million and has earned around $167 million. While those numbers would be impressive for most films, they are considered somewhat disappointing for the Star Wars franchise, marking the lowest opening weekend of the Disney era. However, Disney continues to put its full support behind the project and hopes the film can eventually reach profitability. 

Several indie and mid-budget films have also arrived in theaters, helping diversify the moviegoing experience. The biggest surprise among them is Obsession, which reportedly made on a budget of just $750,000 and is now on track to gross nearly $100 million worldwide.

These numbers are extraordinary and place the film alongside modern independent success stories such as The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity. Interest in the film has continued to grow, with viewership increasing by roughly 30% during its second week, an almost unheard-of achievement in today’s box office landscape.  One of the film’s breakout stars is Inde Navarrette, who plays Nikki. Navarrette’s success is a major win not only for the production but also for Mexican-American representation in mainstream film. Another remarkable aspect of the movie’s success story is its director,   Curry Barker, who first gained attention by posting micro-budget short films on YouTube. His journey from online creator to box office success is inspiring filmmakers everywhere and has become a major talking point across social media. 

On the flip side, Passengers has only grossed approximately $16 million against a $15 million production budget. While the film is close to breaking even, its performance has been overshadowed by both  Obsession and Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.  

Michael has climbed to the Top 2 spot worldwide, surpassing the international hit Pegasus 3. The film currently sits approximately $798 million worldwide. While the box office momentum naturally slows as the weeks go by, Michael shows no signs of disappearing anytime soon.The film now has a legitimate chance of crossing the  $1 billion mark, which would make history for the biopic genre. both Obsession

Let's talk about some unfortunate box office flops:

Is God Is entered theaters with significant critical acclaim, earning a 98% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it grossed less than stellar numbers, making only about $4.4 million against its roughly $15 million budget. These numbers are unfortunate due to the film having amazing fan reviews, with an 89% Popcorn Meter on Rotten Tomatoes. Seems like nobody is really making it out to see this film, and with all the noise from other films at the moment, it's hard to say if Amazon will make its money back on this film.

The film I Love Boosters had a budget of $20 million, which makes it Neon’s highest-grossing film so far; however, this film has only grossed $5 million. With a Tomatometer of 92% and heavy praise during its festival run, I imagine the studio is confused as to why this film isn't doing as well as they hoped.

International: It's a slow week for international releases, but here are some numbers to note:

Pegasus 3 has been dethroned by Michael and Project Hail Mary, moving down to the 4th spot in the worldwide Top Ten. 

Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe made roughly $17 million for the Japanese market. This is about 94% of its total earnings, with about the other 6% coming from the Hong Kong, Australian, South Korean, New Zealand, and American markets. This film is a sequel following Hathaway Noa, the son of Commander Bright Noa, as he leads a resistance movement to stop deep corruption.

Karuppu was only available for one weekend domestically, grossing almost $1 million and grossing about $2.4 worldwide. This is pretty good, considering it's a very limited release. This film follows a folklore deity that comes down to earth and manifests as a lawyer to fight corruption.

Streaming: It may not be a good week for international film in theaters, but it's a great week for international/non-English films on streaming: 

Karatavya, an Indian action thriller, takes the cake for the week of 5/18 - 5/24, holding the number one spot in the non-English Top Ten. This week is the film’s second week in the top ten, having over 4.2 million views, and it holds a top ten spot in 16 different countries.  

Bride of the Year, a South African romcom, is another two-timer, with this week being its second time in the Top Ten. This film has 2.5 million views and is in the Top Ten in 10 countries.

Dhurandhar: The Revenge is back, but this time on Netflix. Securing a spot in the Top Ten, sitting at 5th. This film originally came out in theaters, where it did pretty well. Now, it is available for streaming, giving audiences another chance to see the film if they haven’t or letting them relive the thrill. 

The South Korean film, Number One, takes the 6th spot in the Top Ten and is number one in South Korea. This film was released in theaters in February, but has since made its way on Netflix. The film reunites Choi Woo-shik and Jang Hye-jin, who starred together in the Oscar-winning film Parasite by Bong Joon Ho.

My Dearest Assassin is still holding strong with this week being its 3rd week in the Top Ten, sitting at the 7th spot. 

​June is shaping up to be one of the most competitive months of the year. Scary Movie, Disclosure Day, and Toy Story 5 all coming out within a week of each other. It will be interesting to see what happens. Will Obsession still be breaking records? What will be the newest flop? Will Michael Make $1 Billion worldwide? Whatever happens, trust that this will be the place to find out!