Box Office: Eternals Takes Top Spot, Unseats Shang-Chi As 3rd Worst Opening Weekend For A MCU Film
John F. Trent
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Marvel Studios’ latest entry into their Marvel Cinematic Universe took top spot at the box office with an opening weekend of $71 million.
While the film unseated Dune from the top spot with its $71 million opening weekend debut, it underperformed box office predictions and had one of the worst opening weekends in Marvel Cinematic Universe history.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 18: (L-R) Kit Harington, Lia McHugh, Kumail Nanjiani, Producer and VP of Production & Development at Marvel Studios Nate Moore, Salma Hayek, Executive Producer and Marvel Studios Co-President Louis D’Esposito, Richard Madden, Director/Screenwriter Chloé Zhao, Gemma Chan, Producer and President of Marvel Studios and CCO of Marvel Kevin Feige, Brian Tyree Henry, Executive Producer and Executive VP of Production Marvel Studios Victoria Alonso, Lauren Ridloff, Don Lee, and Angelina Jolie arrives at the Premiere of Marvel Studios’ Eternals on October 18, 2021 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
The-Numbers featured two box office predictions for the film. It underperformed both projections.
First, the box office tracking website predicted the film would earn $74.4 million based on a model created on opening weekends for similar movies.
Second, they used the film’s Thursday preview box office take to extrapolate to the entire weekend. That model predicted the film would gross $78.8 million.
Chloé Zhao, Barry Keoghan, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Kit Harington, Richard Madden and Gemma Chan make a surprise appearance at a fan screening of Marvel Studios’ “Eternals” in London, UK on October 28, 2021.
Related: Eternals: Box Office Projection Plunges After Bad Critic Reviews
Not only did Eternals underperform the predictions from The-Numbers, it also underperformed predictions from Box Office Pro.
Box Office Pro originally projected the film would have an opening weekend between $80 million and $102 million. However, they significantly adjusted their prediction range to between $67 and $92 million at the end of October.
Then just before the weekend, they claimed it would make $78 million.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 18: The marquee is seen at the Premiere of Marvel Studios’ Eternals on October 18, 2021 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
With it’s $71 million opening weekend, Eternals took the third worst opening weekend spot for a MCU film from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings based on inflation adjusted numbers.
The worst opening weekend belongs to Ant-Man. It grossed $57.2 million back in 2015. If you adjust for inflation that’s $66.2 million.
The second worst opening weekend is The Incredible Hulk, which earned $55.4 million in its opening weekend back in 2008. Adjusted for inflation that’s $70.6 million.
Source: Eternals
Even if you don’t adjust for inflation, Eternals’ opening weekend makes it the fifth worst opening weekend in MCU history. It only bests The Incredible Hulk, Ant-Man, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Thor.
Captain America: The First Avenger grossed $65 million its opening weekend in 2011 and Thor brought in $65.7 million in 2001 as well.
Source: Eternals
Despite Eternals’ underperforming box office estimates, it’s possible the film could have some legs. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings previously held the spot for the third worst opening weekend for a MCU film when it debuted back in September with a $75.3 million haul.
That film has moved up the charts with a total haul in North American theaters of $223.7 million so far and a worldwide gross of $417.8 million. It is the highest grossing film in North America for all of 2021 so far.
Source: Eternals
Even with that top spot for 2021, the film is still the 9th worst grossing MCU film only beating Ant-Man and the Wasp, Thor: The Dark World, Black Widow, Thor, Ant-Man, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Incredible Hulk, and Eternals.
However, if you factor in inflation it becomes the 7th worst grossing the film. Ant-Man and the Wasp’s haul of $216.6 in 2018 is about $264.2 million with inflation.
Thor: The Dark World’s $206.3 million in 2013 is about $251.6 million with inflation.
Source: Eternals
While Eternals took the top spot, Dune came in second bringing in another $7.6 million. The film’s domestic gross now sits at $83.9 million. It’s worldwide gross is now $330.4 million.
Daniel Craig’s final James Bond film, No Time to Die, raked in another $6.1 million domestically. It’s domestic gross is now $143.1 million. It’s worldwide gross is $667.4 million.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage took the fourth spot with $4.4 million. It’s domestic gross is now $197 million. The film’s worldwide gross sits at $424.6 million.
Rounding out the top five is Ron’s Gone Wrong. It grossed $3.6 million. The film’s total domestic gross is now $17.5 million with a $46.4 million worldwide gross.
Overall at the box office, the weekend’s gross was $107.6 million.
Bob Chapek, Alan Bergman, Angelina Jolie and Alan Horn pose at the Premiere of Marvel Studios’ Eternals in Hollywood, CA on Monday, October 18, 2021
(Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages)
What do you make of Eternals’ opening weekend? Where do you see the film’s total gross ending up?
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