It’s a topsy-turvy time for the movies right now. There are many ways the pandemic has impacted the industry, including shorter dates between when movies open and when movies are available on streamers. Some movies still get released movies online the same day they hit theaters. One of them is the hotly anticipated (though controversially rated) fan item Five Nights at Freddy’s, but if you assumed moviegoers would watch it at home for free, then assume again.
Per Variety, the horror film — about a lowly security guard (Josh Hutcherson) nonplussed to learn the animatronic dolls at a Chuck E. Cheese-esque eatery come to murderous life at night — made a (sorry for this) killing during its opening weekend. Since opening Thursday night, the film (again, sorry) scared up some $78 million domestically. International numbers were strong, too, with $52.8 million, adding up to a whopping $130 million worldwide.
That’s a pretty decent haul, and Variety helpfully laid out the many, many records it broke:
• Highest-grossing opening weekend for Blumhouse, surpassing 2018’s “Halloween” ($76.22 million)
• 19th Blumhouse film to open in first place at the domestic box office
• Biggest opening weekend of the year for a horror film, overtaking “Scream VI” ($44 million)
• Second-largest debut of all time for a video game adaptation, behind “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” ($146.3 million)
• Second-best opening weekend for a day-and-date streaming release, following Disney’s 2021 Marvel adventure “Black Widow” ($80 million in theaters and $60 million on Disney+)
• Biggest opening weekend ever for Universal and Peacock’s hybrid releases, beating the slasher sequels, 2021 “Halloween Kills” ($49 million) and 2022’s “Halloween Ends” ($40 million)
• Highest-grossing opening weekend for Halloween weekend release, outperforming 2011’s “Puss in Boots” ($34 million)
• Third-biggest debut for any horror film, trailing 2017’s “It” ($123 million) and 2019’s “It: Chapter Two” ($91 million)
• Best debut for PG-13 horror film, besting 2001’s “The Mummy Returns” ($68 million)International
• Second-biggest horror opening after “The Nun II” ($52.7 million)Global
• Biggest horror opening of 2023, ahead of “The Nun II” ($88.1 million)
• Highest-grossing Blumhouse global opening of all time, ahead of “Halloween” ($91.8 million)
Not bad for a movie based on an insanely popular video game series that’s been hooking fans for nearly a decade. But if you’re not the target audience, there’s always a wonderful Scorsese picture you can watch sans intermission.
Five Nights at Freddy’s is now in theaters…and on Peacock.
