Gimmicks: They work! Most theaters reduced ticket prices to $3 on September 3 in recognition of the creation of the National Association of Theater Owners national cinema day. As a result, people bought more than 8 million tickets – the most in a single day since each of the first three days of ‘Avengers: Endgame’ in April 2019.

Financially and psychologically, it was a boon for theaters. Half or more of ticket revenue went to distributors; for exhibitors, it’s all about popcorn, Red Vines and their generous profit margins. For at least a day, the money poured in. The long-term impact is TBD: prices have returned to their normal average over $10 and the next few weeks are bleak.

A side effect of the $3 ticket is that it wreaks havoc on box office estimates. With the top four movies within $600,000 of each other and an extra Monday coming up for the four-day weekend, take the order below as an educated guess.

Long-released titles were the main beneficiaries of Saturday’s price drop. The current #1 is “Spider-Man: No Coming Home“(Sony) with some extended scenes'”Top Gun: Maverick(Paramount), #2 so far and up 16% from last weekend (and easily #1 on bargain day); “DC League of Super-Pets” (Warner Bros.) at No. 3 and up 32%; and “Minions: The Rise of Gru” (Universal) #7 and up 17%. A 3-D reissue of “Jaws” (Universal) from 1975 is #9.

“Jaws”

Universal/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

For now, the weekend estimate is $52 million for all movies, the same as last weekend. This represents 55% of the same days in 2019, which is an improvement from last week. The overall running four-week average is 54%.

Last week’s wide openers had different fates. “The Invitation” (Sony), which opened at No. 1, fell to No. 5, but its 31% drop was unusually small for a horror title. George Miller’s “Three Thousand Years of Longing” (United Artists) fell 47% from a low starting point to 14th place. The reported $60 million budget fantasy has grossed less than $6 million so far.

The specialist world benefited less from the Saturday promotion. Two new 1,000+ theater releases both had per-theatre averages below $1,000. Microphone from Focus’ Sundance, “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul,” grossed $1.44 million playing Day and Night on Peacock. “Gigi & Nate” (Roadside Attractions) grossed just over $1 million.

Top 10

(totals are for the three-day weekend, with significant changes possible as Sunday estimates are less reliable than usual).

1. Spider-Man: No Coming Home (Sony) (reissue)

$6,000,000 in 3,935 theaters; PTA (average per venue): $1,525; Cumulative: $810,793,000

2. Top Gun: Maverick (Priority) Week 15; Last weekend #4; also on PVOD

$5,495,000 (+16%) in 3,113 (+151) theaters; APT: $1,765; Cumulative: $698,825,000

3. DC League of Super Pets (WBD) week 6; Last weekend #6; also on PVOD

$5,450,000 (+32%) in 3,115 (-169) theaters; APE: $1,750; Cumulative: $80,806,000

4. Bullet train (Sony) Week 5; Last weekend #2

$5,400,000 (-4%) at 3,117 theaters (-396); APT: $1,732; Cumulative: $85,933,000

5. The invite (Sony) Week 2; Last weekend: #1

$4,705,000 (-31%) in 3,114 theaters (unchanged); APE: $1,511; Cumulative: $13,750,000

6. Beast (Universal) Week 3; Last weekend #3

$3,640,000 (-25%) in 3,217 (-537) theaters; APT: $1,131; Cumulative: $20,378,000

7. Minions: The Rise of Gru (Universal) Week 10; Last weekend #8; also on PVOD

$3,130,000 (+15%) in 2,457 (-37) theaters; APE: $1,274; Cumulative: $358,867,000

8. Thor: Love and Thunder (Disney) Week 9; Last weekend #9

$2,446,000 (-8%) at 2,090 (-360) theaters; APE: $1,170; Cumulative: $339,962,000

9. Jaws (Universal) RE-RELEASE

$2,300,000 in 1,246 theaters; APT: $1,846; Cumulative: (adjusted) $1,172,447

10. Dragon Ball Super: Super Heroes (Crunchyroll) Week 3; Last weekend #5

$(est.) 2,000,000 (-57%) in 2,500 (-600) theaters; APT: $800; Cumulative: $34,143,000

“Honk for Jesus. Save your soul”

screenshot/Key Features

Additional Specialized/Limited/Indie Versions

Honk for Jesus. save your soul (Tweak) – Metacritic: 64; Festivals include: Sundance 2022

$1,440,000 at 1,882 theaters; APE: $765

Gigi and Nate (Roadside Attractions) – Metacritic: 45

$1,063,000 at 1,184 theaters; APE: $898

Salum (IFC) – Metacritic: 76; Festivals include: Toronto 2021

$2,050 in 1 theatre; APT: $2,050

Loving Highsmith (Zeitgeist) Metacritic: 70; Festivals include: Outfest 2022

$6,800 in 1 cinema; APT: $6,800

carnal knowledge (Rialto) REISSUE

$8,000 in 2 theaters; APT: $4,000

Breakup (Bleecker Street) Week 2

$648,491 in 909 (+7) theaters; APE: $713; Cumulative: $2,045,000

Orphan: first murder (Priority) week 3; also on PVOD and Paramount Plus

$685,000 in 529 (-28) theaters; Cumulative: $4,374,000

Criminal Emily (Road Attractions) Week 4

$73,110 in 122 (-89) theaters; Cumulative: $1,947,000

Body Body Body (A24) Week 5

$452,838 in 1,036 (-1,006) theaters; Cumulative: $10,652,000

Mrs. Harris goes to Paris (Tweak) Week 8; also on PVOD

$127,000 in 267 (-32); Cumulative: $9,898,000

fire of love (Neon) Week 8

$10,775 in 41 (-12) theaters; Cumulative: $1,005,000

Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a journey, a song (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 8

$37,401 in 84 (-8) theaters; Cumulative: $924,310

Marcel the shod shell (A24) Week 11

$87,850 in 161 (-8) theaters; Cumulative: $6,016,000

Everything everywhere all at once (A24) Week 20; also on PVOD

$31,400 in 46 (+7) theaters; Cumulative: $69,873,000

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