NEW YORK (AP) — Steven Spielberg’s newest film, “Disclosure Day,” kicked off its theatrical run with an estimated $44 million in domestic ticket sales over its opening weekend, according to studio figures released Sunday.
The film performed largely in line with projections, pulling in $92.9 million globally during its debut weekend. For the 79-year-old Spielberg, who developed the story behind the film, it marks his best opening weekend ever for an original movie — not adjusted for inflation.
Spielberg is widely credited with creating the modern blockbuster era, but “Disclosure Day,” released by Universal Pictures, is his first summer film in a decade. The movie arrives in a vastly changed theatrical landscape compared to the days of “Jaws” or “Jurassic Park.” Its closest box office rival was the independent horror film “Obsession,” helmed by YouTuber-turned-director Curry Barker — who is more than 50 years younger than Spielberg.
Jim Orr, Universal’s distribution chief, noted the film’s broad appeal across North America. “It played very, very evenly across all of the U.S. and Canada,” he said. “It did not come across as a coastal big-market movie. It resonated with everybody.”
Despite concerns that a widely watched NBA Finals game might pull viewers away from theaters — particularly in New York — Orr said Saturday night ticket sales in the city showed no notable drop-off.
While younger moviegoers have been driving attendance in recent weeks, “Disclosure Day” attracted a somewhat older crowd. About 41% of the film’s audience was 45 years of age or older.
Orr expressed optimism about what that demographic means for the film’s long-term performance. “What’s encouraging is that we had this big an opening with that audience demographic and with the fact that it’s an original film,” he said. “So if we’re opening this well, and we think we’re going to have great word-of-mouth, and we have an older audience that doesn’t necessarily rush out on opening weekend, all of that points to a great run through the summer.”
The movie brings Spielberg back to the topic of extraterrestrial life. Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colman Domingo lead the cast in a story centered on a race to expose government-held evidence of UFO encounters. The film carried a production budget of $115 million.
Like most original films, “Disclosure Day” will need to hold strong at the box office over the coming weeks to be considered a full success. Critics have responded positively — the film holds an 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes — though general audiences were somewhat less enthusiastic, giving it a “B” grade on CinemaScore.
Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Rentrak, offered a measured take on the debut. “It’s off to a solid start,” he said. “Let’s see how it plays in the coming weeks. If it holds like some of these other films have, like ‘Project Hail Mary,’ ‘Michael,’ ‘Obsession,’ it will be in good shape. Staying power has been the bread and butter of this year and this summer.”
The indie sensation “Obsession” shows no signs of fading. The Focus Features release, which originally opened to $17.2 million, has now topped that figure in four consecutive weekends. This past weekend it brought in $19 million, lifting its total North American earnings to $188.3 million and its worldwide gross to $286.5 million. The film cost less than $1 million to produce, and Focus acquired it for $15 million — making it one of the most profitable releases in recent memory.
Last weekend’s chart-topper, “Scary Movie,” slipped to third place with $14.5 million. The Paramount Pictures release — the sixth installment in the horror spoof franchise, produced by Miramax — fell sharply from its opening weekend, down 73%. Still, with a production budget of just $30 million, the film has already proven to be a notable financial success, accumulating $88.6 million domestically over two weeks.
A24’s “Backrooms” added $11.3 million in its third weekend of domestic release, bringing its global total to $262.3 million. Amazon MGM’s “Masters of the Universe” continued to struggle in its second weekend, dropping 71% to $8.7 million. Its two-week domestic total now stands at $46.7 million.
Looking ahead, The Walt Disney Co.’s “Toy Story 5” is set to open next weekend with considerable box office expectations.
The following estimated ticket sales cover Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, per Rentrak, with final domestic figures due Monday:
1. “Disclosure Day” — $44 million
2. “Obsession” — $19 million
3. “Scary Movie” — $14.5 million
4. “Backrooms” — $11.3 million
5. “Masters of the Universe” — $8.7 million
6. “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” — $4.7 million
7. “Michael” — $4.1 million
8. “The Furious” — $2.8 million
9. “Stop! That! Train!” — $2 million
10. “The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act” — $1.8 million
