With the school holidays box office bounce behind us, the top 20 films at the Australian box office grossed $5,789,571, a 28 per cent drop from last weekend’s $8,033,407. The per-screen average was $1,578, down from $2,238 last week. This weekend saw The Black Phone 2, a sequel to a surprise 2022 horror hit debut, knocking Tron: Ares from first spot.
While reviews haven’t been strong for Tron: Ares, it retains an 86 per cent audience favourability, suggesting that while it may struggle to make its pricey budget back, it’ll linger in the top 10 for longer than naysayers would suggest.
Top five
1. Black Phone 2
Making its debut at the top of the charts is the sequel to 2022’s horror hit Black Phone. Blumhouse brought back the stars of the first film for this second instalment, with Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, and Jeremy Davies returning. Also back is director Scott Derrickson, who also co-wrote this and the original alongside regular collaborator C. Robert Cargill. With 85 per cent audience approval, Blumhouse has done right by the franchise, avoiding the mistakes made with its M3GAN 2.0 sequel which thudded at the box office earlier this year after efforts to broaden its appeal.
For the opening weekend, the film made $1,399,156 across a 338 screen count. That’s a per screen average of $4,140.
That’s an improvement on the 2022 original film, which saw just $1,011,200 across 300 screens – a per screen average of $3,371.
Synopsis: Bad dreams haunt 15-year-old Gwen as she receives calls from the black phone and sees disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp. Accompanied by her brother, Finn, they head to the camp to solve the mystery, only to confront the Grabber – a killer who’s grown even more powerful in death.
2. Tron: Ares
Entering week 2, the film saw a 58 per cent drop to land at $930,529. That’s across a whopping 401 screens, with a $2,321 per screen average.
The film is the third instalment in the Tron franchise, which was a 1982 Jeff Bridges film. Jared Leto joins the franchise with this film, with Bridges back a third time in a much smaller supporting role.
Synopsis: Mankind encounters AI beings for the first time when a highly sophisticated programme, Ares, leaves the digital world for a dangerous mission in the real world.
3. One Battle After Another
Entering week four of release, One Battle After Another maintains a strong box office hold as it firmly grips onto third place. Dropping 39 per cent, it pulled in $618,252 across 282 screens. That’s a per screen average of $2,192.
It has continued to hold its adult audience despite competition from titles like the Julia Roberts-led specialty release After The Hunt debuting.
Synopsis: Bob is a washed-up revolutionary who lives in a state of stoned paranoia, surviving off-grid with his spirited and self-reliant daughter, Willa. When his evil nemesis resurfaces and Willa goes missing, the former radical scrambles to find her as both father and daughter battle the consequences of their pasts.
4. Roofman
Channing Tatum has quietly slipped onto local screens with the well-reviewed Roofman. With 85 percent critics and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has been well-received by those who have seen it. Despite a 300 screen release, the film brought in just $597,387, which is under half the takings of The Black Phone 2. That’s a per screen average of $1,991.
Synopsis: After escaping from prison, former soldier and professional thief Jeffrey Manchester finds a hideout inside a Toys “R” Us, surviving undetected for months while planning his next move. However, when Jeffrey falls for a divorced mom, his double life starts to unravel, setting off a compelling and suspenseful game of cat and mouse as his past closes in.
5. The Bad Buys 2
In week five of release, kids film The Bad Guys 2 has felt the impact of the end of school holidays. Dropping from second to fifth place, it made $345,286. Total box office since release has been $14,714,777. Playing on 263 screens, that delivers a per screen average of $1,313.
Synopsis: Reformed criminals Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Shark and Ms. Tarantula are trying very hard to be good. However, they soon find themselves hijacked into a high-stakes heist that’s masterminded by a new team of delinquents they never saw coming… the Bad Girls.
Rounding out the top 10 this week:
6. The Travellers – $300,527 (total gross: $1,132,554)
7. The Rocky Horror Picture Show 50th Anniversary – $221,396
8. Kangaroo – $197,564 (total gross: $4,975,864)
9. Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie – $156,348 (total gross: $4,687,798)
10. After The Hunt – $152,323