After New Line Cinema’sITremake helped save the box office after the worst summer season in 15 years, box office pundits saw the box office slip into another slump this month, with three straight weekends of underperforming top movies such asBlade Runner 2049($32.7 million),Happy Death Day($26.5 million) and last weekend’s winnerBoo 2! A Madea Halloween($21.6 million). This dreadful month closes out with the return of a box office killer,Jigsaw, who hopes to breathe new life into thesagging box officethis weekend, along with two more newcomers, Paramount’s dark comedySuburbiconand Universal’s dramaThank You For Your Service. While it likely won’t be another massive weekend, we’re predicting thatJigsawwill end up on top with a projected $23.6 million.
TheSaw franchisehas never been a box office behemoth, with none of the first seven movies earning more than $90 million at the domestic box office, with its top earner being 2004’sSaw IIwith $87 million, with $147.7 million worldwide. The franchise kept going because the movies were made with such miniscule budgets, withSaw($56 million domestic, $103.9 million worldwide) costing just $1.2 million,Saw IIcosting $4 million andSaw III($80.2 million domestic, $164.8 million worldwide) costing $10 million.Saw IV($63.3 million domestic, $139.4 million worldwide) andSaw V($70.5 million domestic, $113.9 million worldwide) fared well, but 2009’sSaw VImarked a low point in the franchise with $27.9 million domestic and $68.2 million worldwide from an $11 million budget, but 2010’sSaw 3D, the most recent installment, rebounded a bit with $51.3 million domestic and $136.2 million worldwide.
What remains to be seen is if there is still an audience for this horror franchise, seven years after its last installment.Jigsaw(a.k.a.Saw 8), will arrive in approximately 2,700 theaters this weekend, a modest rollout that marks the second lowest theater count in franchise history, ahead of only the first firstSawmovie which opened in 2,315 theaters in 2004. Still, this rollout is expected to be roughly 700 theaters ahead of its two competitors this weekend withSuburbiconandThank You For Your Serviceboth expected to arrive in 2,000 theaters. Open Road Films’All I See Is Youwas originally expected to open in wide release but now it will only debut in 250 theaters this weekend. As of now, onlySuburbiconhas enough reviews posted for a TomatoMeter score, with a middling 40% on Rotten Tomatoes.
We’re projecting that the remaining newcomers will take the second and third spots this weekend, withSuburbicon,starring Matt Damon and directed by George Clooneytaking second place with $13.6 million,Thank You for Your Servicein third with $12.2 million and the top 5 rounded out byBoo 2! a Madea Halloween($11.8 million) andGeostorm$7.4 million). The top 10 will be rounded out byHappy Death Day($5.4 million),Blade Runner 2049($4 million),Only the Brave($3.3 million),The Foreigner($2.9 million)IT($1.8 million). Also arriving in limited release, is Vertical Entertainment’s comedyCrash Pad, Cohen Media Group’s dramaDaughter of the Nile, Strand’s music dramaFelicite, Dada Films' dramaGod’s Own Country, Cinedigm’s comedy/dramaThe Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards, Atlas Distribution’s dramaLet There be Light, Sony Pictures Classics' dramaNovitiateand Magnolia’s comedyThe Square.
Looking ahead to next weekend, Marvel Studios brings the highly-anticipatedThor: Ragnarokinto theaters, and while there hasn’t been a specific theater count given yet, thisThor sequelwill likely arrive in more than 4,000 theaters. The superhero sequel’s only other new competitor is STX Entertainment’sA Bad Moms Christmas, although that arrives a few days early on November 1.Box Office Mojoreports that, also arriving in limited release that weekend are The Orchard’s documentary11/8/16, Parade Deck Films' comedyBad Grandmas, Hannover House’s dramaBattlecreek, Magnolia’s action movieBlade of the Immortal, Strand’s documentaryDream Boat, Yash Raj’s action thrillerITTEFAQ, A24’s dramatic comedyLady Bird, Lionsgate’s dramaLast Flag Flying, Electric Entertainment’s dramaLBJ, FilmRise’s dramaMy Friend Dahmer, Archstone’s war dramaOn Wings of Eaglesand Vertical Entertainment’s sci-fi filmSingularity. Take a look at our projections for the box office weekend of October 27, and check back on Sunday for the top 10 estimates.
