Paramount Pictures’ seventh installment in the 30-year-old “Scream” horror franchise didn’t disappoint, generating a $97.2 million global box debut through March 1.
Scream 7, featuring returning cast members Courtney Cox, Neve Campbell and David Arquette, bowed at No. 1 across North American screens with $64.1 in estimated ticket sales.
The opening marks the franchise’s largest international launch and the biggest ever domestic opening for a February horror theatrical release. It’s also Paramount’s first theatrical No. 1 debut in almost 12 months.
Gary Barber, CEO of Spyglass Media Group, which launched the “Scream” franchise in 1996 before partnering with Paramount in 2020, lauded Paramount, including co-chairs Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg, for being “tremendously supportive since day one” and committed to making Scream 7 a priority tentpole for the studio.
“We are truly grateful to audiences around the world who enthusiastically showed up to theaters, ready for another thrilling Ghostface experience,” Barber said in a statement.
“Even the ‘Alien’ movies, with their blend of science-fiction, creatures and horror, did not open this well at this point in their franchise (the seventh ‘Alien’ movie opened to $51 million in June 2012),” David A. Gross with FranchiseRE, wrote in a post.
Sony Pictures Animation’s GOAT was No. 2 with $12 million, upping its tally after three weekends to almost $74 million domestically and $130.5 million worldwide. Sony’s animation unit is also responsible for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Netflix’s hit feature film KPop Demon Hunters.
Warner Bros. Pictures’ Wuthering Heights, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, added $7 million in third-weekend ticket sales, upping its tally past $72 in North America and almost $120 million overseas. The worldwide total now stands at $192 million.
Trafalgar Releasing’s concert film Twenty One Pilots: More Than We Ever Imagined — Live in Mexico City was No. 4 over the weekend with $3.7 million in ticket sales.
Neon’s concert film from Elvis director Baz Luhrmann, EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, saw another $3.5 million in ticket sales following last weekend’s $4.3 million debut, upping its North American tally to $7.8 million.
Lionsgate’s I Can Only Imagine 2 added $3.1 million in second-weekend ticket sales, upping its North American total to $13.3 million.
Other results saw Amazon MGM Studios’ Crime 101 add $3.4 million in estimated third-weekend ticket sales to give it $30 million domestically overall since launch, followed by 20th Century Studios’ survival drama Send Help with $2.8 million in fifth-weekend revenue to bring its domestic tally to $60 million.
A24’s How to Make a Killing added $1.6 million in estimated second-weekend ticket sales to give it a global total of $6.3 million.
Finally, Disney’s Zootopia 2, which hit digital retail platforms Jan. 27, added $1.43 million in ticket sales, upping it North American total to $426 million after 14 weeks. The movie will be released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc March 3.
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