‘The Monkey’ Swings To Neon’s Second-Best Previews Ever With $1.9M – Box Office

There have been a lot of horror films in the last month and a half, but Neon‘s The Monkey is on its way to posting the best opening for a horror movie YTD with $12M-$14M this weekend after $1.9M previews. That number for the Oz Perkins-directed movie includes advance screenings.

For Neon, which shot to box office heights with Perkins’ pic last summer, Longlegs, with $3M previews and a $22.4M opening, The Monkey‘s previews are the second best for the distributor. The Monkey‘s previews in total are higher than the $1.7M clocked by New Line’s critically acclaimed and audience fave Companion, which settled for a $9.3M opening.

Quorum says this AM that The Monkey climbed to higher awareness than Longlegs before opening on what was a traditional campaign (read, Neon hid the killer in its Longlegs promos in a clever YouTube short clip stunts, whole the Monkey is natch everywhere to be found in its push for the Perkins film, from one sheets to eight-foot size chimps in multiplex lobbies), however, “interest is seven points lower for The Monkey, which points to a mid-teen opening.” The 18-34 bunch showed up at 63% per Comscore/Screen Engine’s PostTrak starting at 7PM last night when previews began. P&A spend for The Monkey was around $10M, the same as Longlegs. RT audience score on The Monkey is 73% to a solid critical score of 80% certified fresh.

More excitement for Neon this weekend beyond box office: Their Cannes Film Festival-winning movie Anora is also up for Best Feature at the Film Independent Spirit awards tomorrow and Best SAG ensemble on Sunday. Should that Sean Baker movie score those top prizes, it’s just more momentum after DGA and PGA wins toward Oscar’s Best Picture….

Among regular ranked movies, Disney/Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World led Thursday with an estimated $3.2M, -5% from Wednesday, ending its first week with $113M at 4,105 theaters. The Anthony Mackie movie is expected to lead the box office again in its second frame with a $30M+ take.

Lionsgate has the Kingdom Story movie The Unbreakable Boy which is 43% with critics and a mid-1000 theater break. It’s expected to file in the single digits.

Sony/StudioCanal’s Paddington in Peru did $737K yesterday at 3,890, -2%, for a first week of $18.7M.

Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s Dog Man is third for the week with $15.8M at 3,335 locations, after $668K yesterday and a running cume through week 3 of $72.8M.

Fourth for the week belongs to Screen Gems/Spyglass’ Heart Eyes with $12.3M second week at 3,102 theaters, $388K estimated yesterday and running total of $23.9M.

CMC Chinese billion-plus global grossing animated sequel Ne Zha 2 ends its first week with $11.8M at 660 locations after a $592K Thursday.