The intersection of major sporting events and cinema attendance was clearly evident during this year’s Super Bowl weekend as movie theaters across North America witnessed subdued patronage. The survival thriller "Send Help," distributed by Disney-20th Century Studios and directed by Sam Raimi, managed to lead ticket sales with an estimated $10 million domestically in its sophomore weekend, reflecting steady interest in the film. The movie’s global gross has reached $53.7 million, marking it a midrange budget success in a challenging weekend.
Simultaneously, Disney’s animated sequel "Zootopia 2" continued its robust global presence, surpassing $1.8 billion in revenue during its 11th week, illustrating enduring audience engagement despite the competitive window.
On the other hand, the Amazon MGM documentary "Melania," focusing on the former first lady, expanded its theater count by 300 in its second release weekend. However, this increased exposure did not translate into stronger box office returns. Instead, the film experienced a steep 67% drop in sales, pulling in approximately $2.4 million, contrasting markedly with its initial release numbers. This sharp decline, coupled with its substantial production and marketing costs—Amazon MGM acquired the film rights for $40 million and invested an additional $35 million in promotion—suggests the documentary's financial prospects are unfavorable.
Overall, "Melania" has generated $13.4 million in North American ticket sales, with international figures remaining undisclosed but anticipated to be minimal. Kevin Wilson, Amazon MGM's head of domestic distribution, emphasized the theatrical earnings as a crucial validation step within the company's comprehensive distribution strategy designed to maximize awareness and engagement before the documentary’s upcoming streaming premiere on Prime Video.
The film attracted diverse reactions, including satirical commentary from late-night television hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel, who debated the movie’s sales metrics during their shows.
Other film releases during this period demonstrated varying degrees of success. The romantic comedy "Solo Mio," set in Italy and featuring Kevin James, debuted strongly with $7.2 million, marking a positive achievement for Angel Studios, which has established a reputation in faith-based cinema. The music concert film "Stray Kids: The Dominate Experience" premiered with $5.6 million domestically and an international complement of $13.2 million.
Vertically distributed by indie label Vertical, Luc Besson’s Bram Stoker adaptation "Dracula" garnered $4.5 million upon its debut, establishing a new benchmark for the distributor. Meanwhile, the independent film "Iron Lung," created and distributed by YouTube personality Markiplier (Mark Fischbach), stood out with a $6.2 million hold in its second weekend, achieving a total of $31.2 million against a modest $3 million budget, underscoring successful grassroots momentum.
In total domestic box office rankings for this weekend (Friday through Sunday), Comscore estimates place "Send Help" in first place, followed by "Solo Mio," "Iron Lung," "Stray Kids: The Dominate Experience," and "Dracula." Other films like "Zootopia 2," "Avatar: Fire and Ash," "The Strangers: Chapter 3," "Shelter," and "Melania" filled out the top ten positions.