Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One topped the weekend box office chart with a five-day debut of $80 million in North America, including $56.2 million for the weekend proper.
The Paramount and Skydance pic is the latest summer tentpole to come in behind expectations. Heading into the weekend, the movie — starring Tom Cruise — had been tracking to open to $90 million or more domestically for the five days.
Dead Reckoning boasts the second best domestic opening of the franchise behind Mission: Impossible II, which posted a five-day debut of $78.5 million, not adjusted for inflation. The new Mission: Impossible installment opened Wednesday in order to give the film more runway before Barbie and Oppenheimer open July 21.
So far, older adults are fueling Dead Reckoning, with 22 percent of all ticket buyers in the 55 or older bracket. The well-reviewed movie earned an A CinemaScore from audiences.
Overseas, Dead Reckoning opened to $155 million for a global bow of $235 million. The pic cost a pricey $295 million-plus to produce before marketing (the new Mission: Impossible movie dealt with multiple setbacks caused by COVID-19).
The seventh installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise is directed by Christopher McQuarrie. The cast also includes Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Henry Czerny, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg.
Cruise is a favorite of theater owners. He resisted putting 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick on streaming, and it ended up being the top-grossing domestic feature released in 2022 with $774.7 million domestic, for a total of $1.49 billion globally.
Elsewhere, Angel Studios’ faith-based political thriller Sound of Freedom remains a force to reckon with. The movie placed No. 2 for the weekend with $25 million for an early domestic total of $83 million-plus.
Insidious: The Red Door fell to No. 3 in its sophomore outing with an estimated $13 million for a 10-day domestic tally of $58.1 million. The pic earned another $21.5 million overseas for a global haul of $122.6 million (it is setting records in Southeast Asia).
Disney and Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny placed No. 4 domestically with $12 million. The fifth and final installment has grossed $125.3 million domestically and $302.4 million worldwide.
Pixar and Disney’s Elemental continued to hold in well. The animated pic earned $8.7 million in North America and $28.2 million overseas for a global total of $311.7 million.
At the specialty box office, Sundance entry Theater Camp opened to a promising location average of $45,000 from six theaters for Searchlight.
July 16, 7:45 a.m.: Updated with revised estimates.
This story was originally published July 15 at 8:06 a.m.
