Over the holiday weekend, and after expanding from 1,060 theaters to 2,001, Parasite earned $6.47 million to brings its total at the domestic box office to $44 million (and $200 million worldwide). Bong Joon Ho’s historic Best Picture winner is on pace to cross the $50 million mark, with some box office analysts predicting it will hit $60 million, which is a huge number for a foreign-language film; in fact, if Parasite breaks $58 million, it will become the second highest-grossing foreign language film in the United States ever.
The current top-three (not adjusted for inflation) is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ($128.1 million), Life Is Beautiful ($57.6 million), and Hero ($53.7 million). It could be ahead of Life is Beautiful and Hero by this time next week. “The pic’s post-Oscar boost will be among the best in modern times,” according to the Hollywood Reporter. “A U.S. gross of $50 million would put the bump at 29 percent, on par with Slumdog Millionaire, which won the top Oscar prize in 2008. The only best-picture winner since 1998 to see a greater percentage gain was Million Dollar Baby 15 years ago (34 percent).”
“It has become a must-see movie in a theater even though it is available on home video,” notes Comscore’s Paul Dergarabedian. “The only two movies people were talking about over Presidents Day were Sonic the Hedgehog and Parasite.” (Via)
That’s quite the double feature. It’s worth noting that while Parasite is making box office history for foreign language films, it’s still going to make less in its entire run than Sonic the Hedgehog did during its opening weekend. Parasite might be an incisive commentary on class warfare, but does it have Jim Carrey doing this? Didn’t think so.
(Via Hollywood Reporter)
