‘Terrifier 3’ Poised for $20M-$21M Debut Over Holiday Weekend at the Box Office
As the curtain rises on the holiday weekend, Cineverse’s unrated horror flick ‘Terrifier 3’ is set to rake in a staggering $20 million to $21 million over the four-day stretch. This surprising success comes after the film significantly outperformed expectations during its opening weekend. Reports indicate that the film is expected to earn between $2 million and $2.5 million today alone.
The film’s triumph can be attributed in part to razor-sharp demographic targeting and a strategically timed release coinciding with the Indigenous Peoples holiday. Notably, nearly half of all K-12 schools are closed today, with 21 percent of colleges on break, which bolsters the film’s ticket sales, according to Comscore. Initial projections estimated a $11 million opening for the highly anticipated sequel directed and written by Damien Leone; however, the film has now seen a three-day total of approximately $18.9 million following a surprising hold, experiencing only a 20 percent drop on Sunday with $4.77 million.
Interestingly, the performance of ‘Terrifier 3’ unfolded without the benefit of traditional advertising, such as TV spots, likely because of its unrated status. Instead, Cineverse opted for a focused marketing approach by engaging their subscription streaming audience across thirty platforms, along with tapping into the Bloody Disgusting fanbase, reaching an impressive 80 million individuals.
Looking toward the second weekend, predictions suggest a typical horror drop-off of around 65 percent, although it could fare even better. Moreover, additional horror offerings are on the horizon, with Paramount’s ‘Smile 2’ slated for release this Friday, eagerly anticipated to generate between $23 million and $29 million based on preliminary tracking. ‘Smile 2’ comes on the heels of its predecessor’s phenomenal success, bringing in $22.6 million on its opening weekend, accumulating $105.9 million domestically and a whopping $217.4 million globally.
Industry insiders are celebrating Cineverse’s breakout performance, especially in a post-Covid landscape where audience engagement has been unpredictable. According to one prominent studio executive, “This film just keeps surprising everyone.”
With ‘Terrifier 3’ setting the box office abuzz, all eyes will be on its continuing performance and how it impacts the horror genre in the coming weeks.