Hollywood Struggles as 'Send Help' Leads Slow Box Office Weekend
The survival thriller "Send Help" maintained its grip on North American theaters, earning another $10 million to top the box office charts during what proved to be a sluggish weekend for Hollywood, according to industry estimates released Sunday.
Super Bowl weekend traditionally ranks among the year's weakest periods for moviegoing, and this year followed that pattern. The entertainment industry largely stepped aside as American football dominated public attention, leaving theaters with sparse attendance across the country.
Raimi's Thriller Maintains Momentum
Director Sam Raimi's "Send Help," starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien, successfully defended its top position against newcomer "Solo Mio," a romantic comedy featuring Kevin James that opened with $7.2 million.
The R-rated survival thriller has proven itself a solid midbudget success story, accumulating $53.7 million globally. Meanwhile, Disney's remarkably resilient "Zootopia 2" crossed the $1.8 billion mark worldwide in its 11th week of release, demonstrating exceptional staying power.
Trump Documentary Faces Sharp Decline
The weekend's most notable disappointment came from "Melania," Amazon MGM's documentary about the former First Lady. Despite expanding to 300 additional theaters, the Brett Ratner-directed film plummeted 67% to just $2.4 million in ticket sales.
This steep decline signals potential trouble for the high-profile project, which reportedly cost Amazon MGM $40 million for film rights plus an additional $35 million in marketing expenses. The documentary's North American total now stands at $13.4 million, with international figures expected to remain modest.
Kevin Wilson, Amazon MGM's head of domestic distribution, maintained optimism, describing the performance as "a critical first moment that validates our wholistic distribution strategy, building awareness, engagement, and provides momentum ahead of the film's eventual debut on Prime Video."
Independent Success Stories
Among the weekend's more unusual success stories, "Iron Lung" continued its impressive run. The low-budget adaptation, created by YouTube filmmaker Markiplier (Mark Fischbach), secured third place with $6.2 million, bringing its two-week total to $31.2 million against a production budget of just $3 million.
The self-financed and self-distributed project demonstrates the potential for independent filmmakers to find success outside traditional studio systems.
K-Pop and Classic Horror Round Out Charts
Fourth place belonged to "Stray Kids: The Dominate Experience," a K-pop concert documentary that opened with $5.5 million domestically and earned an additional $13.2 million internationally, highlighting the global appeal of Korean entertainment.
Luc Besson's "Dracula," starring Caleb Landry Jones, claimed fifth position with $4.5 million, marking a strong debut for indie distributor Vertical.
The weekend's top ten was completed by "Avatar: Fire and Ash" ($3.5 million), "The Strangers - Chapter 3" ($3.5 million), and "Shelter" ($2.4 million).
As Hollywood looks ahead, the industry hopes for stronger performance in the coming weeks as audiences return to theaters following the Super Bowl distraction.