As we gracefully slide into October, it’s no surprise that horror films are the name of the game at the box office. After a stunning performance from The Nun II, all eyes are now turned to another popular horror franchise entry with The Exorcist: Believer. Will it deliver? Blake & Wang P.A. ‘s Entertainment Lawyer Los Angeles Brandon Blake, our industry-insider entertainment lawyer, takes a look at its potential.
Brandon Blake
$30-36M Start
This R-rated fusion of reboot and sequel is currently trending very closely to The Nun II, which opened at $32.6M domestically with most of its audience coming from the 18-34 demographic. Surprisingly, it also performed well among older men, Latino, and Hispanic viewers. It will be rolling out on 3,600 screens, including both IMAX and PLF.
With production costs (before P&A) of $30M, a strong opening could be all the magic it needs to boost itself directly into profitability, too. Even if it misses the mark, provided it gets into the $20M range, it will still be one of the strongest openings for the franchise. The Exorcist III currently holds the top title, at a $9.3M opening and $26M total.
Strange Opposition
Unlike many other genres at the moment, horror is not particularly bothered by the lack of talent promotion as the SAG-AFTRA strike continues. Saw X, which is now in its second week, has managed a solid $18.3M start. Small in the wider scheme of things, but enough to save it from the dismal low of the previous installment ($8.75M).
In contrast to the first two entrants in this year’s horror season, however, The Exorcist: Believer has an interesting hurdle to overcome- the deluge of ‘Swifties’ due to hit theaters for the theatrical release of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour from mid-October. Its release was actually pulled forward a week to try and combat this. Will it be enough to keep box office numbers high? Let’s see if The Exorcist: Believer has enough belief in itself to rise to expectations.
Film and Television 