Another Addition to the bucket of Nostalgia: Ghostbusters

Initially forecasted to cap at $42 million, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” surpassed expectations, especially with a robust Sunday turnout. Internationally, the film garnered a lukewarm $16.4 million from 25 markets, resulting in a global opening of $61 million.

However, despite its promising domestic performance, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” narrowly outpaced its 2021 predecessor, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” which earned $44 million amidst the lingering effects of the pandemic. It indicates that the three-decade-old franchise continues to appeal predominantly to its original and aging fan base.

Furthermore, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” has a heftier budget than its predecessor, with production costs of $100 million and additional marketing expenses, the film must surpass “Afterlife’s” global earnings of $204 million against a $75 million budget, considering that theatre operators typically retain around 50% of revenues. Despite Sony’s hopes for a boost during spring break, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” faces stiff competition from “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” next weekend.

Reviews for the sequel have been mixed, earning a 43% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a “B+” CinemaScore. After the events of “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” and continuing the legacy of the 1980s classic, the film reunites franchise veterans with recruits to prevent an apocalyptic event. Notably, the 2016 reboot is disregarded in this narrative universe.

Elsewhere in the box office, “Dune: Part Two” maintained impressive performance, securing the second spot with $17.6 million from 3,437 venues, marking only a 37% decline from its previous weekend. The sci-fi epic continues to captivate audiences with a cumulative North American total of $233 million and a global tally of $574 million after three weeks.

After two weeks in the top spot, Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda 4” slipped to third place, still generating strong ticket sales with $16.8 million, reflecting a 44% decrease from the previous weekend. The family film has amassed $133 million domestically and $268 million globally thus far.

[ImageSource: BMS]