Box Office: ‘Now You See Me 3’ Tops Weekend with $21.3 Million, While ‘The Running Man’ Disappoints

The box office this weekend saw some notable shifts, with Now You See Me: Now You Don’t claiming the top spot, grossing an impressive $21.3 million. The film’s success defied expectations, surpassing Glen Powell’s high-budget action-thriller The Running Man, which struggled with a tepid $17 million debut. Meanwhile, the second weekend of Predator: Badlands experienced a steep drop, continuing a trend of mixed performances in the market.

‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’ Pulls Off a Major Win

The third installment in the Now You See Me franchise, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, captivated audiences with a strong opening, securing $21.3 million in the U.S. over the weekend. This marks a significant return for a series that has been dormant since 2016. The movie also made a substantial impact internationally, grossing $54.2 million across 64 territories, bringing its global total to $75.5 million.

“It’s clear this franchise still has legs,” said Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at ComScore. “The international audience really delivered for the film.”

The $90 million film, produced by Lionsgate, follows a group of illusionists who target corrupt elites, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco. Ruben Fleischer, known for directing Venom and Zombieland, took the helm on this project. The cast’s return, along with fresh faces like Justice Smith and Ariana Greenblatt, helped broaden its appeal, attracting a younger demographic.

Kevin Grayson, Lionsgate’s head of domestic distribution, attributed the film’s success to its ability to deliver exactly what fans wanted while introducing a new generation of stars. A fourth film is already in development, showing the studio’s confidence in the franchise’s future.

‘The Running Man’ Fails to Ignite Audiences

In contrast, The Running Man, starring Glen Powell and directed by Edgar Wright, faltered with a disappointing $17 million opening. The film earned an additional $11.2 million internationally, bringing its global total to $28.2 million—a far cry from the $110 million budget Paramount invested. The result was particularly troubling given Powell’s rising star power, following hits like Top Gun: Maverick and Twisters, and Wright’s cult following after films like Baby Driver and Shaun of the Dead.

“This thing is dead in the water,” said Jeff Bock, an analyst with Exhibitor Relations. “It doesn’t have enough traction to survive the coming holiday season.”

Despite a strong creative pedigree, The Running Man failed to attract a substantial audience. Its demographic skewed heavily male (63%) and younger (70% between the ages of 18 and 44), indicating the film’s struggle to connect with a broader range of moviegoers.

‘Predator: Badlands’ Sees a Sharp Decline

Predator: Badlands, the latest reboot of the iconic monster franchise, continued to underperform in its second weekend, dropping a significant 68% to $13 million. The film, which had a production budget of $105 million, now stands at a total of $66.3 million in domestic earnings. Internationally, the film has earned $136.3 million, but that still falls short of its hefty production costs.

The Predator franchise, which originally gained fame in the 1980s with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s blockbuster hit, has struggled to regain its former glory in the modern era. Badlands’s lackluster performance serves as another example of how difficult it is for legacy franchises to capture audience interest in today’s market.

Other Releases and Milestones

In other box office news, Neon’s Keeper, the latest horror film from writer-director Osgood Perkins, debuted in seventh place with just $2.5 million. This marks a stark contrast to Perkins’ earlier successes, such as Longlegs and The Monkey, both of which performed significantly better during their opening weekends. The film received poor reviews, with audiences giving it a “D+” grade, further contributing to its lackluster reception.

On a more positive note, Regretting You, Paramount’s adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel, continued to hold strong, earning $4 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its total to $44.9 million domestically. Meanwhile, The Black Phone 2 from Universal took fifth place with $2.6 million, pushing its domestic total to $74.7 million.

In milestone news, One Battle After Another surpassed $70 million at the domestic box office and $200 million globally. While the film’s commercial performance remains strong, it’s still falling short of breaking even, given its hefty $140 million production budget. The film, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, has received critical acclaim and is generating significant Oscar buzz.

Looking Ahead: A Busy Thanksgiving Weekend

The weekend’s total domestic box office earnings surpassed $75 million, just ahead of the same period last year, which was driven by Red One, starring Dwayne Johnson. Theater owners are hoping the momentum will continue as the Thanksgiving season approaches. Next weekend, Wicked: For Good hits theaters, and Universal is bringing back Wicked for a re-release, which earned $1.2 million this weekend.

“We’re in the calm before the Thanksgiving storm,” said Dergarabedian. “Things are about to heat up.”