Movies That Proved Opening Weekend Isn't Everything

0:00On April 5th, some movies drop light bombs on opening weekend, but a few legends flip the script and rake in the cash later. Think Pixar's elemental kicking off with just 29 million domestic in June 2023, the greatest showman scraping 8.8 million in December 2017. Mufasa, the Lion King at 35 million last December, pussed in boots the last wish around 12.4 million to start and the original scream drawing empty seats back in 1996. What turned them around was pure staying power and buzz. Elemental held steady would drop under 40% for 8 weeks straight, pulling 154 million domestic and nearly 500 million worldwide. No big animated rivals helped, but word of mouth lit it up, especially over the 4th of July. Early reactions had folks writing them off as total flops. Critics and headlines screamed bomb after those weekday views, figuring originals or sequels without hype were done. The greatest showman looked headed for musical graveyard status, yet it cranked 5 million plus daily through January, never dipping more than 14% weekend to weekend.

1:09Fast forward to the latest, Mufasa bucked the trend on Christmas Eve with a 1.1% daily bump while everything else tanked. A grab number 1 for the holidays, held top spot into its 5th weekend and closed at 254 million domestic, 700, 22 million global. Pussed in boots kept outgrossing its own open 4 weekends in, hitting 186 million here thanks to fresh style and story. Scream took 2 weekends to climb, then owned the box office long enough for 103 million domestic outpacing big names that year. These flicks show opening weekend, ain't the final word. Strong vibes and empty slots can build an empire over time. Pop culture, powered by AI, this is entertainment and celebrity news today.