‘Mission: Impossible’ debuts with $80 million over five days, setting the box office on fire

NEW YORK –

After a global publicity blitz by star Tom Cruise, “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” launched with a franchise-best $80 million over five days, though it eschewed industry expectations with a profit of $56.2 million around the world. three-day weekend, according to studio estimates.

Paramount Pictures’ debut was boosted by strong overseas sales of $155 million in 70 markets. But while a $235 million worldwide launch was one of the best global openings of the year, “Dead Reckoning” couldn’t match the high speed of last summer’s top movie, “Top Gun: Maverick.”

“Dead Reckoning Part One,” the seventh film in the 27-year run, was predicted to beat the franchise high set by the previous installment, “Fallout,” which opened domestically in 2018 with $61 million. less than the $57.8 million “Mission: Impossible II” that debuted in 2000.

That brings the film’s opening weekend very close to the tepid launch of Disney’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which opened in US and Canadian theaters with $82 million over five days and $60 million over the three-day weekend. Paramount and Skydance had higher expectations for the “Dead Reckoning” action extravaganza, which cost $290 million to make, not counting marketing costs.

Those costs were partly inflated by the pandemic. “Dead Reckoning,” directed by Christopher McQuarrie, was one of the first major productions shut down by COVID-19. It was preparing to film in Italy in March 2020. When the movie got back on track, McQuarrie and Cruise helped lead the recovery of the entire industry back to movie sets, albeit with some highly publicized friction over protocol.

Still, “Dead Reckoning” was hailed as a standout in the franchise. Critics (96% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and fans (an “A” CinemaScore) were in awe of the latest “Mission: Impossible” movie’s stunts and chases. While the upcoming competition of “Barbenheimer” – the highly anticipated debuts of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” – looms, “Mission: Impossible” should play well in the coming weeks.

“This is a global franchise. It’s going to be gangbusters and it’s going to play for a long time. Quality always wins in the end,” said Chris Aronson, chief of distribution for Paramount.

“Dead Reckoning,” Aronson said, met or exceeded the studio’s expectations.

“In international markets, in like-for-like markets, we’re 15% ahead of ‘Fallout,’ and that’s knocking out China,” Aronson added. “Domestic, we are more than 3% ahead of ‘Fallout’ in the first five days. Beating its predecessor is phenomenal, especially in this environment.”

Cruise, the so-called savior of movie theaters last year, traveled tirelessly to pump life back into a summer box office that was sluggish. After a smashing world premiere in Rome with a red carpet on the Spanish Steps, Cruise and McQuarrie surprised theaters in Atlanta, Miami, Toronto and Washington DC in the days leading up to the opening.

“Dead Reckoning” hit theaters during a pivotal midsummer period for Hollywood, and not just because of the SAG-AFTRA strike that began Thursday. “Mission: Impossible” launched a week before one of the biggest box office clashes of the year.

While “Dead Reckoning” and “Oppenheimer” have competed for some of the same IMAX screens, each film has publicly endorsed the idea that a rising tide is overriding all blockbusters. Cruise and McQuarrie even bought opening weekend tickets for both “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” in early July. “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig and “Oppenheimer” filmmaker Christopher Nolan responded with their own messages of support.

However, that trio of films playing in the coming weeks will do much to determine the fate of the summer box office.

“These are a critical few weeks for the industry starting this weekend,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore. “I think it’s going to be a nice boost at the box office because we’ve had a few movies that underperformed. Really, the summer movie season kicks off again this week with ‘Mission’ leading into ‘Barbenheimer.'”

No other new wide release challenged “Mission: Impossible” over the weekend. Second place went to Angel Studios’ faith-based political thriller “Sound of Freedom,” which rose 37% in its second with $27 million. Jim Caveziel stars in the drama about child trafficking.

Last week’s top movie, “Insidious: The Red Door,” dropped to third place with $13 million in its second weekend. “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” drops quickly by $12 million in its third weekend, with a domestic total to date of $145.4 million.

In limited release, Searchlight Pictures’ mockumentary “Theater Camp” opened to $270,000 from six theaters in New York and Los Angeles.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday in U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.

1. “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One”, $56.2 million.

2. “Sound of Freedom”, $27 million.

3. “Insidious: The Red Door”, $13 million.

4. “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” $12 million.

5. “Elementary”, $8.7 million.

6. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”, $6.1 million.

7. “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts”, $3.4 million.

8. “No Hard Feelings”, $3.3 million.

9. “Joy Ride”, $2.6 million.

10. “The Little Mermaid”, $2.4 million.