Sony/Columbia's 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' had a decent start, earning $45 million in the first weekend from 4,345 theaters. This pushes the total earnings of the 80s supernatural comedy franchise to over $1 billion across five films.
Exceeding initial expectations, 'Frozen Empire' had a better opening than 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife,' which made $44 million in November 2021. This is a positive development considering the challenges faced by theaters during the COVID-19 recovery. The film, co-financed with a $100 million budget by Columbia and TSG, still needs to generate profit from theatrical release.
Reviews for the film have been mixed, with a 43% score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the opening weekend audience, including long-time 'Ghostbusters' fans, has been more positive, giving it a B+ on CinemaScore and a 4/5 overall rating on PostTrak. Despite this, it falls short of the A- received by 'Afterlife'.
Whether 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' will make significant profit in theaters will depend on its performance during the upcoming Easter holiday weekend. This period sees peak springtime moviegoing, especially with many students on spring break. The film faces strong competition from Warner Bros./Legendary's 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,' which is expected to have an opening of $50-53 million.
More updates to follow…
