As Halloween approaches, horror movies continue to dominate the North American film market. Last weekend, only one new film had a wide release, and that was the horror movie “Smile 2” from Paramount Pictures. The previous weekend’s box office champion, “Soulless Clown 3,” also continued to rake in profits. Meanwhile, the heavily invested “Joker 2” saw a continued decline in box office rankings.
“Smile 2,” the sequel to the successful 2022 film “Smile,” was produced for only $17 million and grossed $100 million in North America and overseas. The film is directed by Parker Finn and stars British actress Naomi Scott. Currently, the film has an 83% fresh rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, which is impressive for a commercial horror film.
After opening in 3,619 North American theaters, “Smile 2” earned $23 million at the box office, surpassing the opening weekend of its predecessor by a slight margin. The film’s production budget increased slightly to $28 million, but it was still relatively low for a major studio release.
“Souless Clown 3,” which opened with $19 million in its first weekend, saw a 51% drop in ticket sales this weekend but still earned $9.3 million, bringing its North American total to $36 million. The “Soulless Clown” series is known for its low production costs, with the first film costing only $35,000 to make in 2016. The second film’s budget increased to $250,000 in 2022, and the third film was made for just $2 million.
The series is distributed by the small independent film company Cineverse, which has recently entered the streaming and digital marketing business. The company has over 30 streaming channels and 40 podcast channels, attracting 80 million viewers each month. The success of “Soulless Clown 3” has boosted Cineverse’s stock price, which has been stagnant for years.
Unlike traditional films, “Soulless Clown 3” did not receive a rating from the Motion Picture Association (MPA), which is responsible for industry ratings. The film’s extreme violence would have likely earned it an NC-17 rating, which would have limited its audience. However, the lack of a rating did not prevent the film from being shown in 2,513 North American theaters. Most theaters enforced a voluntary R rating, which restricted viewers under 17 unless accompanied by an adult.
In contrast, “Joker 2” continues to struggle at the box office, with a 69% drop in ticket sales in its third weekend. The film earned less than $2.2 million and ranked sixth in the weekend box office. Despite a production budget of $200 million, the film has only grossed $56.4 million in North America. Critics have been puzzled by the high budget, as the film’s visuals and effects are similar to the first “Joker” film, which had a budget of $65 million.
Overall, horror movies continue to be a profitable genre for studios, with low production costs and high box office returns. As Halloween approaches, it remains to be seen whether horror films will continue to dominate the North American box office.
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