Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” is defusing a bit at the domestic box office, readjusting for an estimated $78 million gross over its five-day opening. That’d be a substantial chunk behind projections headed into the weekend, which had the Tom Cruise action sequel hoping for a $90 million.
Some in the industry were expecting a “Top Gun: Maverick” halo effect for “Dead Reckoning” after last year’s legacy sequel positively ignited movie theaters, rocketing through the summer to become the fifth-highest grossing domestic release of all-time. That doesn’t seem to be the case though, as “Mission” seems to be landing around the solid numbers typical for its franchise.
The last entry, 2018’s “Fallout,” launched with a then-franchise record $61 million over three days. “Dead Reckoning” opened on Wednesday, plus previews on Tuesday evening — a bump-up in release that industry watchers suspect was implemented to take advantage of premium ticket prices for Imax, before Universal and director Christopher Nolan take over venues next weekend with their sweeping historical drama “Oppenheimer.”
Tom Cruise may have fostered a reputation as the global vanguard for movie theaters over the past few years — “I love popcorn,” he declared in a new video this week — but it’s worth a reminder that his films aren’t the biggest openers on the block. Instead, they tend to draw older audiences, who are less inclined to roll out for a new release on its opening weekend. “Top Gun: Maverick” is the superlative, multiplying its $126 million three-day debut to a $718 million finish. “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” more than tripled its launch, as did the 2015 entry “Rogue Nation.”
As “Dead Reckoning” falls behind opening estimates, the franchise will need to find those legs again. This seventh franchise entry is the most expensive yet — with a production budget that ballooned to $290 million, not only due to its high-octane set pieces but also a series of COVID-related production delays and safety measures. That’s more than $100 million higher than the price tag for “Fallout.”
Strong word-of-mouth should be helpful. The “Mission” series is now a favorite among critics for its daredevil stunts, intricate set pieces and wry humor. Variety chief film critic Peter Debruge filed a rave for “Dead Reckoning,” writing that it “delivers a formidable concept and several hall-of-fame set-pieces while somehow managing to tie the storylines back into these movies’ core mythology.” He’s far from an outlier, as the film stands with a 92% approval rating from top critics on review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences are also exhilarated, as indicated by the “A” Cinema Score grade determined by surveying ticket buyers.
“Mission: Impossible” will also look to register strongly overseas, where the franchise has become a strong draw. Both “Fallout” and “Rogue Nation” earned more than 70% of their ticket sales in foreign markets. So far, “Dead Reckoning” has earned $82.1 million across 70 international territories through its first three days of release.
“Dead Reckoning” sees Tom Cruise back as secret agent Ethan Hunt, recruiting his crew of super-spies to take on a very scary and very topical enemy: an all-powerful artificial intelligence called the Entity. Christopher McQuarrie returns to direct after helming the last two entries. Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby and Henry Czerny make series returns, while newcomers Hayley Atwell, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Cary Elwes and Rob Delaney join the fray.
More to come…
