Friday Box Office: ‘Everything, Everywhere’ Drops 0%, Tops $30 Million

Everything, Everywhere All at Once got a week of IMAX engagements beginning yesterday, and it took in over 1.5 million dollars on its sixth Friday for a new $31.5 million gross. It was a 0.04% jump from last Friday for a likely weekend of $5.4 million and $35.35 million. This is still implausible, even though it added 80 theaters, including the IMAX venues. The Daniels' buzzy metaverse action-comedy earned at least $5 million for the fourth weekend in a row. It assures that the $25 million flick will reach $40 million domestic, thanks to overseas distribution pre-sales. A normal rate of descent puts it past Hereditary in terms of domestic earnings.

It will threaten Lady Bird and Uncut Gems for the top spot, even against Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness next weekend. This is almost unprecedented for an independent film like this outside of the Oscar season. This is an R-rated, high-concept, narratively overwhelming original starring actors who are known without being stars. This is an honest-to-goodness word-of-mouth hit sensation that isn't supposed to happen in our streaming-centric, pop culture-fractured, IP-focused theatrical environment. For the last few weeks, I've argued for the film to barely drop at the end of the weekend, only for it to be the final domestic release.

After playing in ten and 38 theaters on weekends one and two, it earned 5.8x its $6 million wide release opening weekend. The Blair Witch Project, if it plays like Crazy Rich Asians, would be worth more than Crazy Rich Asians. Dune and House of Gucci were the two biggest Oscar season releases of last year.

The two horror flicks had drops after four and six weekends. If Everything Everywhere All at Once continues to do well, it will reach $65-$70 million in domestic gross. If the A 24 flick plays like the M. Night Shyamalan movie, which earned $293 million in 1999/2000 from a $26 million debut weekend, and ends up in the Oscar race and benefits from an awards season re-release, then it will be a success. It's all assuming it doesn't dive next weekend without IMAX screens. The film has been all about exceeding expectations.