Early box office reporting placed “Scary Movie 6” at the front of Friday’s domestic race, but the figures cited in the source have not been independently verified.
The reported number was $24.7 million for Friday from 3,490 cinemas, a start that would put Paramount and Miramax’s horror-parody sequel in position for one of the strongest openings in the history of the “Scary Movie” franchise if weekend estimates hold. The source also cited a projected $56 million weekend total, but that projection should be treated as an estimate rather than a confirmed result.
“Masters of the Universe,” from Amazon MGM, was reported in second place for Friday with $11.7 million from 3,677 North American screens. The source described the film as tracking toward roughly $30 million for the weekend against a reported $200 million production budget, though those figures also have not been independently verified.
Reported Friday Leaders
The early numbers, if accurate, suggest a weekend led by two brand-driven releases with very different expectations. “Scary Movie 6” would be benefiting from franchise recognition, nostalgia for the parody series and renewed interest in theatrical horror comedies. “Masters of the Universe,” meanwhile, would be facing a more difficult commercial test because large-scale fantasy and science-fiction films usually need a much bigger opening to support a high production cost.
The source said “Scary Movie 6” is the first entry in the parody series led by the Wayans brothers since 2001’s “Scary Movie 2.” It also reported that Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. appear on screen, with Craig Wayans and Keenen Ivory Wayans credited as co-writers alongside Rick Alvarez. Those credits and casting details have not been independently verified here.
Anna Faris and Regina Hall were also listed as returning as Cindy Campbell and Brenda Meeks. Other reported cast members include Kenan Thompson, Dave Sheridan, Lochlyn Munro, Carmen Electra, Kim Wayans, Cheri Oteri, Chris Elliott and Heidi Gardner. The source named Michael Tiddes as director and described the film as a raunchy slapstick parody expected to send up recent and familiar horror titles including “Scream,” “Get Out,” “Longlegs,” “Sinners,” “M3GAN” and “Weapons.”
How the Weekend Estimates Compare
The source framed the “Scary Movie 6” opening as potentially record-setting for the franchise. It cited “Scary Movie 4,” which opened in 2006, as the previous benchmark at $49.7 million. Because the new weekend total was still a projection in the source material, the record claim should be read as conditional until final weekend numbers are available.
| Film | Reported Friday Gross | Reported Screen Count | Reported Weekend Projection |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Scary Movie 6” | $24.7 million | 3,490 cinemas | $56 million |
| “Masters of the Universe” | $11.7 million | 3,677 screens | $30 million |
| “Backrooms” | $7.9 million | Not specified | $25 million |
| “Obsession” | $7.4 million | Not specified | $24 million |
| “The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act” | $4.6 million | 2,221 theaters | $14.1 million |
For “Masters of the Universe,” the source described the film as a sci-fi adventure based on the 1980s action figure line and animated series. Travis Knight, known for “Bumblebee,” was listed as director. The plot was described as following Prince Adam from Earth back to Eternia, where he battles Skeletor. Nicholas Galitzine was named as the lead, with Idris Elba, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie and Jared Leto reported as playing Man-at-Arms, Teela, Evil-Lyn and Skeletor.
Holdovers Fill Out the Top Five
“Backrooms” was reported in third place with $7.9 million on its second Friday in North American theaters. The source said the A24 horror-thriller opened with $81.5 million and was expected to add about $25 million over the weekend, which would represent a steep drop from its debut. It also described the film as a low-cost release with a budget of about $10 million, but those financial details have not been independently verified.
Focus Features’ “Obsession” was reported in fourth place with $7.4 million on its fourth Friday. The source said the horror thriller had already passed $116 million in North America after opening to $17 million against a budget of less than $1 million. It also projected another $24 million for the weekend and a domestic total of $151 million, but those numbers should be treated as unconfirmed estimates.
Rounding out the reported top five was “The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act,” a feature-length theatrical presentation of the web series’ final two episodes. The source said the Fathom Entertainment release opened Wednesday in 2,221 theaters, earned an estimated $4.6 million Friday and was expected to reach about $14.1 million for the weekend based on rival projections.
The animated dark comedy was described as following humans trapped inside a cartoon virtual reality. Cooper Goodwin, known online as Gooseworx, was listed as director, writer and composer, with Lizzie Freeman, Michael Kovach, Amanda Hufford and Marissa Lenti named among the voice cast.
The weekend picture could change once final grosses are reported. For now, the source’s figures point to a strong early showing for “Scary Movie 6,” a more pressured opening for “Masters of the Universe” and continued interest in horror-driven theatrical releases, while the exact totals remain subject to confirmation.