Sony/Columbia’s “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” has started in a similar way to its predecessor “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” making $16 million on its first day at the box office from 4,345 theaters, with a projected $42 million launch.
In comparison, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” began with $44 million in November 2021 during the rise of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, which affected the box office performance of many films except for the huge Marvel hit “Spider-Man; No Way Home.”
Depending on the turnout for Saturday matinees, “Frozen Empire” could raise its estimates to match the $44 million figure, but it also has a higher production budget of $100 million compared to $75 million for “Afterlife.”
The reception from the audience has not been as strong for “Frozen Empire” Rotten Tomatoes scores of 43% from critics and 85% from the audience, along with a B+ on CinemaScore. In comparison, “Afterlife” achieved RT scores of 64% from critics and 94% from the audience, along with an A- on CinemaScore. With “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” arriving in theaters next weekend, this weaker word-of-mouth could make it harder for “Frozen Empire” to attract the interest it needs, even with the upcoming Easter holiday usually bringing more interest in going to the movies.
More to come…
