Taylor Swift‘s promotional stunt Life of a Showgirl album release event topped a weak box office. The 89-minute commercial for her new album brought in an estimated weekend bounty of $33 million. Overseas, it earned a better-than-expected $13 million for a global haul of $46 million.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s film One Battle After Another slipped to second place at the box office in its second weekend. The critically acclaimed drama, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, has now earned more than $100 million worldwide. The Warner Bros. release dropped about 49 percent, taking in $11.1 million in North America. That brings its 10-day domestic total to $42.8 million. Overseas, where it opened earlier, the film added $21.7 million for an international total of $58.9 million. Its global earnings now stand at $101.7 million. The movie is under close watch because of its $135 million production budget, the largest of Anderson’s career.
Benny Safdie’s Smashing Machine came in third. The awards contender reunites Dwayne Johnson with Emily Blunt, his Jungle Cruise co-star and close friend. Blunt helped bring Johnson and Safdie together for the project. The film tells the true story of Mark Kerr, a former college wrestler who faced trauma and struggled with painkiller addiction during the early UFC years. The role is a major shift for Johnson, who is usually known for leading blockbuster action movies and family-friendly hits.
The top 12 movies of the weekend, as of Sunday, October 5, are as follows:
| # | Title | Distributor Name | Weekend Total | # of Locs | Loc Avg | Cume Total | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taylor Swift / The Official Release Party of a Showgirl | Variance Films | $33,000,000 | 3,702 | $8,914 | $33,000,000 | |
| 2 | One Battle After Another | Warner Bros. | $11,125,000 | 3,634 | $3,061 | $42,751,000 | -49% |
| 3 | Smashing Machine, The | A24 | $6,000,171 | 3,345 | $1,794 | $6,000,171 | |
| 4 | Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie | Universal | $5,200,000 | 3,507 | $1,483 | $21,609,000 | -62% |
| 5 | Conjuring: Last Rites, The | Warner Bros. | $4,050,000 | 2,753 | $1,471 | $167,805,000 | -40% |
| 6 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle | Sony/Crunchyroll | $3,500,000 | 2,547 | $1,374 | $124,634,000 | -51% |
| 7 | Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) (re) | 20th Century Studios | $3,194,000 | 2,140 | $1,493 | $3,194,000 | |
| 8 | Strangers – Chapter 2, The | Lionsgate | $2,800,000 | 2,690 | $1,041 | $10,692,000 | -52% |
| 9 | Good Boy | IFC Films | $2,253,000 | 1,650 | $1,365 | $2,253,000 | |
| 10 | Kantara A Legend: Chapter 1 | Prathyangira Cinemas | $1,716,840 | 689 | $2,492 | $2,528,845 | |
| 11 | Long Walk, The | Lionsgate | $1,700,000 | 1,930 | $881 | $31,924,000 | -49% |
| 12 | Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale | Focus Features | $1,350,000 | 2,050 | $659 | $42,248,000 | -59% |
