M. Night Shyamalan’s Old easily won a slower weekend at the North American box office, while the GI Joe pic Snake Eyes lived up to its name, per the AP. Although both fresh offerings from major studios, moviegoers turned out in modest numbers on a weekend where there was the notable distraction of the Olympics as well as rising concerns about the delta variant. Universal on Sunday said that Old grossed an estimated $16.5 million. Paramount’s Snake Eyes brought in an estimated $13.4 million in ticket sales. Snake Eyes, starring Henry Golding as the warrior-in-training, cost significantly more with a reported $88 million price tag, excluding advertising. Meanwhile Old, starring Gael García Bernal and Vicky Krieps as the heads of a family whose tropical vacation turns into a horror when they begin to rapidly age, was independently financed for around $18 million.
Including international grosses, Old, which is based on the graphic novel Sandcastle, grossed $23 million worldwide in its first weekend. “It’s an extraordinary debut,” said Jim Orr, Universal’s head of distribution. “M. Night Shyamalan is an amazing filmmaker and one of the best in the industry.” Neither audiences nor critics reviewed the two new films especially well. Old has a 52% on Rotten Tomatoes and got a C+ CinemaScore, while Snake Eyes is currently at 42% on Rotten Tomatoes with a B- CinemaScore, which historically does not bode well for long-term potential. Disney and Marvel’s Black Widow crept ahead to third place with $11.6 million, bringing its global total to $314.9 million, while last week’s No. 1 film Space Jam: A New Legacy grossed $9.6 million, down 69% from last weekend.
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