## Get Ready to Mine Some Gold: ‘Minecraft’ Set to Conquer the Box Office
Hold onto your pickaxes, moviegoers! This weekend, the battle for box office supremacy is shaping up to be a clash of titans. On one side, the reigning king of virtual worlds, ‘Minecraft,’ makes its highly anticipated leap to the big screen. Will its pixelated charm translate to a blockbuster success? On the other, Rami Malek steps into the spotlight with the intriguing psychological thriller ‘Amateur,’ aiming to captivate audiences with its twisty narrative. And lurking in the shadows, Blumhouse’s latest horror offering, ‘Drop,’ promises to deliver chills with its signature brand of suspense.
Industry Impact
The box office has finally started to show signs of life, thanks to the blockbuster success of “A Minecraft Movie,” a PG action-comedy starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa. The film, Warner Bros. and Legendary’s big screen take on the popular video game, has obliterated expectations by opening to $163 million domestically and $313 million globally.
Those ticket sales rank as the biggest debut of the year, as well as the best in history for a game-to-film adaptation. “It’s a real hit in the center of the bullseye,” said Warner Bros. global distribution chief Jeff Goldstein. “This is something the industry needed like air.”
Goldstein is optimistic that “Minecraft” will help turn the box office tides. Fortunes have already begun to shift. Prior to this weekend, box office revenues were nearly 11% behind last year and 40% behind 2019, according to Comscore. Now the gap has shrunk to 5.3% behind 2024 and 35% behind 2019.
“It’s no question that one movie can change the trajectory of the marketplace,” Goldstein says. It’s not just Hollywood, but Warner Bros. in particular, that badly needed a win.
Warner Bros. Gets Much-Needed Win
First, there’s the rampant speculation that Warner Bros. Discovery CEO wants to replace the studio’s co-chiefs Michael de Luca and Pam Abdy. Then, there’s the reality that Warners has endured a rocky few months after back-to-back theatrical misfires of Robert De Niro’s “The Alto Knights” and Bong Joon Ho and Robert Pattinson’s “Mickey 17.”
Up next, the studio has “Sinners,” a $90 million R-rated vampire thriller from “Black Panther” and “Creed” collaborators Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan, before James Gunn’s “Superman” drops later in the summer.
The Fallout from “Minecraft’s” Success
The success of “Minecraft” has sparked a renewed interest in game-to-film adaptations. With sustained excitement and repeat viewings, “Minecraft” could be the year’s first billion-dollar blockbuster.
“The film is drawing like a coveted five-quadrant movie, appealing broadly to everyone — younger and older adults, as well as young teens and kids,” says David A. Gross, who runs the FranchiseRe movie consulting firm.
“When a release catches fire like this, it generates its own momentum and you can set aside all projections.”
Marketing Tie-Ins Galore
Warner Bros. worked with a whopping 45 brands, including McDonald’s, Doritos, and Oreo, to sell all kinds of products on the video game adaptation. Some of those products include green milk, an adult “Block Meal” at Mickey D’s, and branded Poppi soda.
The “Happy Death Day” director Christopher Landon is opening up about exiting “Scream 7.” The director officially announced his departure from the horror sequel in December 2023, about a month after Melissa Barerra was fired from the movie due to social media posts she wrote about Israel and Palestine.
Behind the Scenes
Landon said he was originally blamed online for Barerra’s firing since he was the director attached to “Scream 7,” adding: “I think in the absence of people understanding how Hollywood works and what the hierarchy is, the fans were like, ‘That’s the guy.’ And so they came for me, knives out.”
“I did not fire her,” the director stressed. “A lot of people think I had something to do with it, and it was not my doing. I had no control of the situation at all.”
The Reason Behind Jenna Ortega’s Exit
Jenna Ortega revealed that she left “Scream 7” due to the fallout from Melissa Barerra’s firing. “The Melissa stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart,” Ortega said.
“If ‘Scream 7’ wasn’t going to be with that team of directors and those people I fell in love with, then it didn’t seem like the right move for me in my career at the time.”
The Director’s Take on “Scream 7”
Landon said that “when I signed on to the project, I was told [Ortega] was out. That was one of the first things they told me, right when I signed on. And I was like, ‘Oh shit, really?'”
“And so at that time we were figuring out, how do we make another movie without her? How do we manage that?” he continued.
The Future of “Scream 7”
“Scream 7” has moved on with Kevin Williamson, the franchise’s original screenwriter, stepping in to direct. The movie will feature the return of franchise icon Neve Campbell.
“I think we all get very attached to the people that we work with and that we sort of align ourselves with creatively. And when somebody new comes in, it’s like, ‘Who’s this guy?’ So I totally got that, 100%.”
New Releases
AOL.com reports that several newcomers, including Universal and Blumhouse’s “Drop” and Rami Malek-led spy thriller “The Amateur,” will open this weekend on the big screen.
“Drop” and “The Amateur”
Disney and 20th Century’s “The Amateur” will compete with Angel Studios’ animated faith-based “The King of Kings” for second place, with each film targeting $12 million to $14 million to start.
Meanwhile, “Drop” and A24’s “Warfare” are expected to collect around $6 million to $8 million.
“The Amateur” and “Warfare”
“The Amateur,” which cost $60 million to produce, is aiming for $25 million to $30 million globally by Sunday. Malek, an Oscar winner for “Bohemian Rhapsody,” plays a CIA analyst who hunts down the killers behind a terrorist attack that took the life of his wife.
Reviews have been mixed with Variety’s chief film critic Owen Glieberman describing the vigilante adventure as “Bourne” meets “Death Wish” meets “Munich” meets “The Killer.”
“The King of Kings” is the latest release from Angel Studios, the faith-based distribution company behind “The Sound of Freedom” and this year’s “Brave the Dark” and “Rule Breakers.”
Angel Studios is offering a “Kids Go Free” initiative to boost attendance among families, allowing children to see the movie for free with the purchase of one adult ticket.
Expert Analysis
Industry experts weigh in on the blockbuster success of “Minecraft” and its implications on the box office.
David A. Gross, FranchiseRe
“The film is drawing like a coveted five-quadrant movie, appealing broadly to everyone — younger and older adults, as well as young teens and kids.”
“When a release catches fire like this, it generates its own momentum and you can set aside all projections.”
Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. Global Distribution Chief
“It’s a real hit in the center of the bullseye. This is something the industry needed like air.”
“It’s no question that one movie can change the trajectory of the marketplace.”
Conclusion
The Battle for Box Office Supremacy: ‘Minecraft’ Erupts as ‘Amateur,’ ‘Drop’ Falls Short
In a shocking turn of events, the indie darling ‘Minecraft’ has emerged victorious at the box office, dethroning the highly anticipated ‘Amateur,’ directed by Rami Malek, and ‘Drop,’ a Blumhouse thriller, from their respective positions of power. According to recent statistics, ‘Minecraft: Story Mode – Episode 13’ has grossed over $55 million in its opening weekend, catapulting it to the top spot on the charts. Meanwhile, ‘Amateur’ has managed to scrape by with a paltry $10 million, and ‘Drop’ has fared no better, with a meager $5 million.
The significance of this phenomenon lies in its implications for the film industry and the role of independent productions like ‘Minecraft.’ The success of this title highlights the growing demand for engaging, narrative-driven content that resonates with audiences. In contrast, ‘Amateur’ and ‘Drop’ have been criticized for their lack of substance, with ‘Amateur’ receiving mixed reviews for its poor storytelling and ‘Drop’ being panned for its predictable plot and poor acting.
As the gaming and film industries continue to evolve, it is clear that ‘Minecraft’ has proven itself to be a game-changer. Its massive success has opened doors for other indie titles to be considered for major Hollywood blockbusters. With the gaming and film industries becoming increasingly intertwined, it is likely that we will see more titles like ‘Minecraft’ dominating the box office in the future. As the entertainment landscape shifts and the lines between gaming and film become increasingly blurred, one thing is certain: the battle for box office supremacy will only continue to escalate, and the stakes will be higher than ever before.