‘The Matrix Resurrections’ won’t even finish second at the box office

There was no other outcome possible than Spider-Man: No Way Home crushing the competition and remaining on top of the box office this past week, but with several major new releases all landing in theaters this weekend, there was plenty of competition for second.

That being said, many expected The Matrix Resurrections to comfortably take second. After all, we’re talking about the hotly-anticipated sequel to a multi-billion dollar franchise that still holds plenty of cultural cachet 18 years after Revolutions brought the original trilogy to an underwhelming conclusion.

Unfortunately, Wednesday estimates have Resurrections falling to animated sequel Sing 2. The sci-fi actioner brought in $6 million on its opening day, while the animated musical brought in $8 million. Bear in mind, almost every HBO Max hybrid has struggled significantly at the box office, so there was always a chance the return of Keanu Reeves’ Neo was going to struggle, especially with Omicron surging and the holidays on the horizon.

Of course, the pandemic has made the box office totals of hybrid releases a moot point, but at least director Lana Wachowski was smart enough not to end The Matrix Resurrections with a fairly definitive conclusion instead of on a major sequel-baiting note, when further adventures are far from a guarantee.