Melissa Barerra in ScreamVI
Weekend Box Office Sequel Showdown Could Be a ‘Scream’
March 10, 2023
Paramount Pictures is releasing Scream VI tonight (March 10), the latest installment in the horror movie franchise, which saw a moviegoer resurgence in 2022 ($138 million global ticket sales) when much of the original cast returned for 2022’s Scream the franchise’s fifth installment).
Sneak Thursday screenings generated $5.7 million, suggesting a strong debut weekend box office for VI through March 12. With franchise co-stars Courtney Cox and Melissa Barrera being joined by new fright “it” girl Jenna Ortega (Netflix’s “Wednesday”), the movie stands a good chance of dethroning current theatrical champ Creed III from MGM Studios.
The latter upended all expectations last weekend, when it set a franchise box office debut of more than $58 million in ticket sales. Its total stands at more than $114 million worldwide.
Scream VI is projected to generate $41 million in its debut, which would be about $11 million less than Scream in 2022, according to Box Office Pro. Creed III is expected to sell less than $28 million in tickets in its sophomore weekend frame to finish at No. 2.
Sony Pictures’ new sci-fi drama 65, about an astronaut (Adam Driver) who crash lands on a mysterious planet only to discover he’s not alone, is projected to sell less than $10 million in tickets, still more than enough to hold off Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ($7.3 million), Universal Pictures’ ravenous Cocaine Bear ($6.3 million) and Lionsgate’s Jesus Revolution ($5.5 million).
Finally, Universal/Focus Features’ Champions, a basketball-themed sports comedy co-starring Woody Harrelson and Kaitlin Olson (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”), is set to debut with a modest $4 million in ticket sales.