Box Office: 'Night Swim' Treading to Second Behind 'Wonka'

Overview of 'Night Swim'

Universal is off to a good start at the box office in 2024 with the release of Blumhouse Productions' 'Night Swim'. The PG-13 horror film has earned $5.2 million on its opening day and preview screenings and is expected to make around $12.5 million over the three-day weekend.

Despite its modest $15 million budget, 'Night Swim' has made a solid start. Blumhouse, known for their horror films, merged with Atomic Monster this week. Last year, they exceeded expectations with the release of 'M3GAN', which earned $30 million in its opening weekend.

Studios often release horror movies at the beginning of the year, and 'Night Swim' continues to demonstrate the success of this strategy. There are no other scary movies scheduled for release until March.

Story and Reception of 'Night Swim'

'Night Swim' follows a family who discover supernatural qualities in their backyard swimming pool. Directed by Bryce McGuire and starring Wyatt Russell and Kerry Condon, the film has received negative reviews and a 'C' grade from audiences surveyed by Cinema Score. However, it's not uncommon for horror movies to have such mixed reception.

Despite its success, 'Night Swim' is unable to surpass 'Wonka', which earned another $4.3 million on Friday and currently sits at the top of the box office. Warner Bros.' musical film is expected to continue its success throughout January.

Other Box Office Performances

Universal also takes third place with 'Migration', which is projected to earn $10.5 million, bringing its domestic tally to over $78 million. The Illumination production had a slow start over the holidays but has maintained steady performance.

In fourth place is Warner Bros.' 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom', which is on track to surpass $100 million in North America. The film added about $3 million on Friday, down 56% from the previous week. While it may not reach the same level of success as its 2018 predecessor, it will become the highest-grossing DC Comics film of 2023.

Sony's 'Anyone but You' is expected to round out the top five. Despite a soft theatrical debut, the romantic comedy has shown growth in ticket sales and is projected to make around $9.5 million, pushing its domestic total to over $43 million.