Heist Film Hits Big, Los Angeles Theaters Stay Open Despite Fires

Gerard Butler’s latest heist movie, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, took the top spot at the box office with a surprising $15. 5 million opening. This success was good news for Lionsgate, marking the first time in months one of their films came in number one. Interestingly, the sequel performed just as well as the original, which was released in 2018 by STX. Meanwhile, despite the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, movie theaters seemed relatively unaffected. Only a few smaller theaters closed, mostly in the Altadena-Pasadena area. Some theaters like AMC Universal Citywalk and AMC Americana Glendale saw slower business, but the overall impact was minimal. One film that struggled was the Robbie Williams biopic, Better Man. Distributed by Paramount, it expanded from six to 1, 291 locations but only made $1. 1 million. Despite positive reviews and audience scores, the film didn’t capture a larger audience. Critics point to the unusual decision to depict the British pop star as a computer-generated monkey. On the brighter side, The Brutalist, a top Golden Globe winner, did well as it expanded into 68 locations. It grossed $1. 4 million, averaging $20, 408 per theater. The film, directed by Gia Coppola and starring Pamela Anderson, came in 11th place. Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King stayed strong in second place, crossing the $540 million mark globally. Another Disney hit, Moana 2, is close to joining the billion-dollar club worldwide with $989. 8 million in ticket sales. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 also hit a major milestone, surpassing $200 million domestically and $394 million globally. The edgy vampire film Nosferatu, distributed by Focus Features, reached $135. 8 million globally. The Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet, landed in sixth place. It jumped the $50 million mark domestically after receiving top SAG nominations.