Having earned in excess of $50 million at the global box office since releasing last Friday, $25 million slasher sequel Scream is already profitable, making it the first genuine smash hit of 2022.
After dislodging Spider-Man: No Way Home from the top of the charts, the fifth installment in the beloved franchise is poised to retain its crown for a second consecutive frame, because there’s no real competition to speak of. In fact, the only new wide release is poised to flop hard, with Redeeming Love finding itself widely panned by critics.
Scream is expected to bring in around $14 million, with No Way Home remaining second and inching closer to Avatar‘s domestic total of $760 million, although it’s unclear whether the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s multiversal blockbuster has the legs to overtake James Cameron’s sci-fi to become the third highest-grossing title to ever hit screens in the United States.
As for Redeeming Love, the sappy romance will be lucky if it manages to reach $5 million, which would make it Universal’s second dud in quick succession after The 355 suffered the ignominy of being the year’s first notable bomb. Serial killers and superheroes remain in, then, and Scream might even spend a third week at the summit before Moonfall and Jackass Forever arrive on February 4.